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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Regional Advocacy Groups Fill the Gap
By Cory Lunde UCLA basketball coaching legend John Wooden once said: “It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.” Though this oft-quoted adage has reached cliché-level status, these words carry tremendous truths for the fresh produce industry and speak to the important roles played by organizations of ...
Nutjobs Wins AgSharks Pitch Competition
LAS VEGAS (Nov. 4, 2022) – Western Growers and S2G Ventures have announced the winner of the 2022 AgSharks Pitch Competition, with Nutjobs earning a record equity investment offer of $6 million from the event’s judges. Nutjobs transforms nutshell waste into bio-benign plastic alternative products that are bio-based, compostable and derived from secondary agricultural waste. ...
WG&S Magazine Wants Your Pet Photos!
Do you have a farm dog? Or a barn cat? Or a cat that thinks it is a barn cat despite living a life of unimaginable luxury? Western Grower & Shipper Magazine wants your pet photos! WG&S is starting a new feature where we will run photos in the magazine that show off our members’ favorite working ...
Western Growers Debuts ‘Real Farmers Care’ Video for Thanksgiving
IRVINE, CALIF. (Nov. 22, 2022) – Western Growers is debuting a documentary short video online for Thanksgiving that demonstrates the care California farmers put into growing the food that will be consumed this holiday season. The video features Colby Pereira, Braga Fresh Family Farms; Martin Jefferson, Duda Farm Fresh Foods; Mark Mason, Huntington Farms; and Jynel ...
VofV: Trimble’s Mike Dentinger on Strategies to Reach the Finish Line with Global Harvest Automation
As the data for the next edition of Western Growers’ Global Harvest Automation Report are being crunched, Mike Dentinger, the Director of AG OEM Development at Trimble, joins the podcast to discuss the potential of automated harvest becoming a day-to-day reality soon. “It’s a really tough equation,” he says. “How many carrot harvesters does California ...
Western Growers Responds to the FDA’s Proposed Reforms to the Human Foods Program
IRVINE, CALIF. (Jan. 31, 2023) – Following the release of the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed reforms to the Human Foods Program, Western Growers SVP of Science, De Ann Davis, issued the following statement: “Western Growers applauds the Food and Drug Administration Commissioner and senior leadership for taking these first important steps to strengthen the ...
Voices of the Valley: Carl Casale of Ospraie Ag Science on Doing More With Less
Carl Casale, Senior Agricultural Partner at Ospraie Ag Science, joins the podcast to talk about his company’s overarching goal in venture capital: to produce more high-quality food with less impact on the environment. “By 2030, half the world’s population is going to be middle class or wealthy and the other half of the population is ...
Statement of Western Growers on Reagan-Udall Foundation Report on FDA Reform
IRVINE, CALIF. (Dec. 6, 2022) – Following the release of the Reagan-Udall Foundation report on proposed reforms to the Food and Drug Administration’s Human Foods Program, Western Growers SVP of Science, De Ann Davis, issued the following statement: “We are very pleased and thankful for the expert panel’s dedication to this report. We think it ...
Eurofins U.S. Chief Science Officer Joelle Mosso on Why Testing Can’t Solve Food Safety Problems
On this episode of Voices of the Valley, Joelle Mosso, Chief Science Officer of Eurofins U.S., discusses her expertise in microbiology and food science and how it relates to food safety. Mosso shares her thoughts on the complexities and challenges of working with a rapidly evolving biological environment. When asked about how food safety has ...
Western Growers Praises Introduction of Senate Farm Labor Bill
IRVINE, CALIF. (Dec. 15, 2022) – Following introduction of the Affordable and Secure Food Act today, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: “We greatly appreciate the leadership and determination demonstrated by Senator Michael Bennet in bringing this bill forward. Based on carefully negotiated principles enshrined in the bipartisan House Farm…
Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Issues Recommendations for 2023 Farm Bill
(Feb. 1, 2023) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 200 specialty crop organizations representing growers of fruits, vegetables, dried fruit, tree nuts, nursery plants and other products, has released its recommendations for the 2023 Farm Bill. The SCFBA was established to advocate for broad-based Farm Bill policy ...
U.S. Senate Misses Opportunity to Ease U.S. Farm Labor and Food Production Crisis
IRVINE, CALIF. (Dec. 22, 2022) – Following news that the Affordable and Secure Food Act will not be included in the omnibus spending bill, Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia issued the following statement: “The Senate has missed another crucial opportunity to resolve the farm labor and food production crisis facing this country. Since ...
Robots on the Farm: How Farmworkers Have Safer, Better-Paying Jobs Thanks to Tech
Science fiction stories about the future generally go one of two ways: A dystopian hell where robots attack us (“The Terminator”) or a dystopian hell where robots attack us in space (“2001: A Space Odyssey.”) But now it’s time to separate science fiction from fact. As the labor crisis continues in agriculture, with common-sense immigration ...
Statement of Western Growers on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap
IRVINE, CALIF. (Feb. 6, 2023) – With the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap designed to identify, prioritize and implement stringent pesticide reductions in California by 2050, Western Growers advocates for science-backed procedures to dictate how this plan is rolled out. Matthew Allen, WG’s Vice President of State Government Affairs, said: “The…
Four Water Storage Projects Pass Initial California Water Commission Milestone
In the face of strong opposition from the environmental and tribal communities, the California Water Commission deemed four groundwater storage and reservoir projects feasible on Dec. 15, a key hurdle to construction set forth in Proposition 1, the 2014 water bond. The four projects – Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project, Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, Sites ...
Voices of the Valley: Turning Fieldworkers Into Data Workers
Verdant Robotics Co-Founders CEO Gabe Sibley and COO Curtis Garner return to Voices of the Valley to continue their discussion on how they make sure their company focuses on creating agricultural solutions – instead of just showing off shiny robots. The duo envision a future where farmers and technologists work in tandem to turn fieldworkers ...
Western Grower & Shipper May/June 2022 Issue Now Available
The May/June 2022 issue of Western Grower & Shipper magazine is now available in print and digital formats. Current articles include: President’s Notes: Dewatering California’s Central Valley… Don’t Laugh; They’re Serious Director Profile: Mike Way Forges Own Path to Produce How to Get the Most Out of a WG Membership WG Women Ambassador: Heather Mulholland, ...
Registration is Open for June 1 AgTechX Ed Event at Woodland Community College
The next stop in the AgTechX Ed series of events co-hosted by Western Growers and the California Department of Food and Agriculture is open for registration. The half-day AgTechX Ed Summit at Woodland Community College on June 1 will be comprised of three panels, in addition to several keynote addresses, covering topics including: industry issues ...
Voices of the Valley: Farmer’s Business Network and the Power of a Big Idea for Small Farmers
In the digital age, information is power – but data in a silo can’t reach its full potential to create prosperity. Enter Farmer’s Business Network, a farmer-driven information source that provides agronomic precision data to all its members. “We wanted to level the playing field for farmers,” says Amol Deshpande, FBN’s CEO and Co-Founder. With ...
Cal/OSHA Offers Employers Tips on Protecting Outdoor Workers From Heat Illness
Cal/OSHA is reminding all employers with outdoor workers to take the necessary precautions to prevent heat illness, as high temperatures are expected throughout the state this week. The law requires employers to provide outdoor workers fresh water, access to shade at 80 degrees and whenever requested by a worker and cool-down rest breaks in addition ...