Ann Donahue
Western Growers, Director, Marketing and Communications
Ann Donahue serves as Director, Marketing and Communications for Western Growers, where she is responsible for external communication efforts and publicizing the Association’s executives, initiatives, and members across all media platforms. Ann spent more than 20 years as an editor and reporter covering entertainment journalism, with bylines at publications including Variety, the L.A. Times, Billboard, […]
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Western Growers Urges Trump Administration to Resolve Tariff Dispute, Citing Domestic Food Security and Harm to Rural Economies
IRVINE, CALIF. (March 4, 2025) - In response to President Donald J. Trump's imposition today of tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: "In the last month, the looming threat of these tariffs was enough to prompt some major Canadian grocery chains to either cancel orders from American growers as they pivoted…
New Voices of the Valley: Agritourism – From Goat Yoga to Pumpkin Patches
In this episode we’re joined by Bailey Myers, the Director of Marketing at Owyhee Produce in Parma, Idaho, to talk about the extensive agritourism offerings she’s set up at her farm. She’s hopeful that her agritourism events - including on-farm AirBnB stays, tours, commodity festivals and farm-to-fork dinners - can help build consumer confidence in how food gets to their table. Much of the…
Western Growers Selects Leadership Program Class VIII
IRVINE, CALIF. (Feb. 11, 2025) - Western Growers is welcoming the eighth class of its Leadership Program, a group who will be embedded in specialized networking and agricultural leadership development events with the organization for the next two years. Class VIII includes: Carson Britz, Sr. Manager, Nutrien Ag Solutions Kristen Camarena, VP Farming, Wonderful Orchards Charles…
2024 Annual Meeting Highlights
The 98th Western Growers Annual Meeting at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa in Arizona attracted a record number of attendees, with more than 500 of the specialty crop industry’s top business leaders participating in dynamic networking events, educational breakout sessions, thought-provoking keynote speakers and Wild West-themed parties amid the beauty of the Sonoran…
The Reservoir Unveils the First On-Farm Robotics Incubators
Reservoir Farms Incubators Open First in Salinas and Merced in 2025 Anchor Partners Include Western Growers, UC ANR, Merced College, Hartnell College, and HawkTower WOODLAND, CALIF., Oct. 23, 2024 — Today at FIRA USA 2024, the Reservoir announced the first-ever on-farm robotics incubators, Reservoir Farms, set to open in the Central and Salinas Valleys in early 2025. This pioneering…
Western Growers to Honor Sonny Rodriguez
Western Growers will bestow The Growers Company President and CEO Sonny Rodriguez with the 2024 Award of Honor at the organization’s 98th Annual Meeting in November. The Award of Honor is Western Growers’ highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community. The Growers Company has offered custom produce harvesting…
Farm to Fork for Real with Garrett Nishimori of San Miguel Produce
This interview has been adapted and expanded from an episode of Western Growers’ Voices of the Valley podcast. It has been edited and formatted for print. Garrett Nishimori grew up in a farming family in Oxnard, Calif. He left to attend Cal and culinary school, after which he became a chef in a two-star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco. Fifteen years ago, he returned to his family’s…
WG Execs Speak at Immigration and Farm Labor Conference at UC Davis
WG SVP and General Counsel Jason Resnick and WG SVP, Innovation Walt Duflock were panelists at the April 5 Immigration and Farm Labor Conference held at UC Davis' Gifford Center for Population Studies. Resnick participated on a panel entitled "What's Next for Immigration Policy?" while Duflock spoke regarding the "Future Demand for Farm Workers."
Western Growers Women Hosts Arbinger Leadership Training and Retreat in Napa
The Western Growers Women Program gathered at the River Terrace Inn in Napa on April 18-19 for Arbinger Leadership Training and Retreat. Besides the two-day training led by WG's Training and Development Manager Priscila Cisneros, the itinerary included a winery tour, tasting and dinner at Frog's Leap Winery as well as a VIP tour of the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Western Growers…
Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s Emerging Leaders Program Visits WGCIT
Fourteen future leaders from Florida’s agriculture community visited the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology on Tuesday to hear pitches from the Center’s startups and learn about how the cutting edge of agtech could be implemented in their home state. Lead by CIT Executive Director Dennis Donohue, Sonia Tighe, FFVA Director of Membership, and Tori Rumenik, FFVA Director…
2024 Salinas Biological Summit Speakers Urge the Agtech Industry to Stay Ahead of Curve on Financial, Pest Pressures
Growers and government leaders urged agtech innovators to balance economic reality, safety and speed in the development of biological solutions during remarks Tuesday at the 2024 Salinas Biological Summit. In his opening remarks, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia called biologicals an important potential solution as growers face increasing economic pressure from buyers, retailers…
The Alliance for Food and Farming Appoints WG’s Cory Lunde as Communications Chair
In January, the Management Board of the Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) appointed Western Growers AVP, Public Affairs Cory Lunde as its Communications Chair and to serve on the organization’s Executive Committee. Lunde has been with Western Growers for more than 15 years and is responsible for overseeing all public affairs activities which includes internal and external communications,…
Western Growers to Honor Sonny Rodriguez at 2024 Annual Meeting
Disponible en español a continuación. IRVINE, CALIF. (June 5, 2024) - Western Growers will bestow The Growers Company President and CEO Sonny Rodriguez with the 2024 Award of Honor at the organization's 98th Annual Meeting in November. The Award of Honor is Western Growers' highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural…
Western Growers Women Hosts Arbinger Leadership Training and Retreat in Napa
The Western Growers Women Program gathered at the River Terrace Inn in Napa on April 18-19 for Arbinger Leadership Training and Retreat. Besides the two-day training lead by WG’s Training and Development Manager Priscila Cisneros, the itinerary included a winery tour, tasting and dinner at Frog’s Leap Winery as well as a VIP tour of the Culinary Institute of America in Napa. Western…
Western Growers Responds to Agriculture Labor Working Group Report, Renews Call to Pass FWMA
IRVINE, CALIF. (March 12, 2024) – Following the release of the March 7 Agriculture Labor Working Group report on the farm labor crisis, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia wrote a letter to Agriculture Labor Working Group Co-Chairs Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., and Rep. Don Davis, D-N.C., renewing his call for the U.S. Congress to take up the Farm Workforce Modernization Act: "The…
Farmers Eligible for a Complimentary Pass to World Agri-Tech
Farmers can receive a free pass to attend the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco on March 19-20, 2024 and join more than 2,500 agtech decisionmakers for themed breakout panels, start-up pitches, investor sessions, networking lunches and receptions and a 1-1 meetings hub. Confirmed speakers include: Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture …
Attend the CPMA Chair’s Town Hall and Reception Jan. 30 in Salinas
Western Growers members are invited to connect with Canadian Produce Marketing Association Chair Colin Chapdelaine and CPMA staff at the organization's upcoming town hall and reception in Salinas. The agenda will include the following: An update on the Canadian market: Plastics and PLU stickers Regulatory updates: Forced labor, supply chain issues, Safe Food for Canadians Act’s…
Stuart Woolf Is Elected New Western Growers Chair of the Board
KAUAI (Nov. 13, 2023) - Stuart Woolf, President and CEO of Woolf Farming & Processing, will serve as Chair of the Western Growers Board of Directors for a two-year term. Woolf was first elected to the Western Growers Board in 2015. "Western Growers is set up to meet the needs of the fresh produce industry in the Western U.S. by focusing on issues like immigration, labor and water rights,"…
WG and USDA Host Cadmium Food Safety Workshop in Salinas
USDA convened a pilot workshop over three days to facilitate collaboration between industry, government, and academia to benefit food safety and public health. The event, which included about 40 participants, consisted of field tours, a discussion on the health impacts of cadmium, the importance of spinach and carrots to the diet, current production practices in California and Arizona, and a…
F3 Coalition Promotes Agtech Adoption by Growers
The Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation (F3) – the recipient of a $65.1 million grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration for workforce development – brought growers and stakeholders together this week to drill on down on what agtech skills and certifications growers need in the Central Valley workforce. Western Growers is a supporter of the F3 grant, and several members…