Michelle Rivera
Western Growers, Communications Manager
E: [email protected]/P: 949.885.4778 EXT 4778 Michelle Rivera serves as the Communications Manager for Western Growers, where she is responsible for ensuring effective internal and external communications for Western Growers members, industry partners and consumers across all platforms. Michelle has more than 15 years of marketing and communications experience in various industries, including adtech, consumer products […]
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Register Today: The Grower’s Guide to Food Safety Technology
Join Western Growers and Plug and Play for a practical look at the 2026 food safety technology landscape and the innovations helping growers, packers and processors reduce contamination risk on September 26. Walt Duflock, SVP of Innovation for Western Growers; Ben Palone, Senior Commercialization Director for Western Growers; and Plug and Play’s Mark McAllister will explore technologies…
LT. GENERAL (Ret.) H.R. McMaster to Headline Chair’s Lunch at Western Growers 100th Annual Meeting
LT. GENERAL (Ret.) H.R. McMaster, one of the nation's foremost experts on leadership and global affairs, will headline the Chair's Lunch during Western Growers' 100th Annual Meeting on Tuesday, November 10, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Grand Wailea in Maui. McMaster will join Western Growers Chair Rob Yraceburu for a fireside chat exploring today's geopolitical landscape, global…
Don’t Miss Scott Jennings and Paul Begala at This Year’s WG Annual Meeting PAC Luncheon
The midterm elections, the final two years of President Trump’s term and the fate of America’s two major political parties will be in focus at this year's Western Growers Annual Meeting PAC Luncheon. Join fellow Western Growers members on Monday, November 9, from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. for an engaging bipartisan conversation featuring two of the nation's most recognizable political…
From Honoring Excellence to Laughing with Comedy Legend Dana Carvey
This year’s Award of Honor Dinner Gala at the Western Growers 100th Annual Meeting promises to be an unforgettable evening, as we come together to recognize the remarkable contributions and achievements of Edwin Camp. The evening will celebrate the leadership, dedication and lasting impact that have helped shape our industry. But the night won’t end there. Taking the stage for this…
Help Us Stand Up for Farmers – Watch and Share Today
Farmers are too often criticized by people who do not understand what it takes to grow the food our nation depends on. Western Growers recently released a video that pushes back on those criticisms, and we need your help getting it in front of more people. Please take a moment today to watch and share the video. Like it. Comment on it. Repost it. Send it to friends, family members and…
Save the Date: Grower Field Education Seminars to Focus on Maximizing Nut Profitability
Growers and agricultural professionals are invited to attend a hands-on grower field education seminar focused on practical tools and strategies for maximizing nut profitability. Hosted by Desert Control, Phytech and UltraGro, the seminar will bring participants into the field to examine what trees and soil can reveal about crop performance and how that information can be used to make more…
Dave Puglia Featured in New York Times Coverage of Cyclospora Outbreak
Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia was featured in The New York Times this weekend as it examined the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak and its impact on the produce industry. While California-grown lettuce has not been implicated as the source of the outbreak, growers across the region have experienced significant declines in demand, with millions of heads of healthy produce being…
Western Growers 2026 Compensation and Benefits Survey Now Available for Purchase
Where does meaningful compensation data in agriculture come from? It starts with you. Get the latest compensation data for California and Arizona’s specialty crop industry with the 2026 Compensation and Benefits Survey. Designed for HR professionals and executives, the survey provides valuable insights to help employers attract and retain top talent. This year’s report includes base…
Save the Date: Growers Invited to Plug and Play Silicon Valley Summit
Western Growers members are invited to join Plug and Play for its Silicon Valley November Summit, a three-day event showcasing the latest innovations in technology and artificial intelligence. The summit will bring together startups, investors, corporate executives and innovation leaders for live pitches, technology demonstrations, networking opportunities and discussions on emerging trends.…
Western Growers Joins Acting Labor Secretary for New Mexico Farm Tours and Workforce Roundtable
From left: Ed Ogaz, owner, Seco Spice; Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling; and Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia joined Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling in New Mexico last week for farm tours and a roundtable discussion focused on agricultural workforce challenges and the need for H-2A reform. In partnership…
Deadline Extended for 2026 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program Proposals
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has extended the deadline for proposals for the 2026 Specialty Crop Multi-State Program (SCMP) to Oct. 16, 2026, at 1:59 p.m. PT. The SCMP is a federal grant program administered by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service that supports collaborative, multi-state projects designed to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops.…
Beyond the Way We’ve Always Done It
Canadian startup Sami Robotics, the first Western Growers-sponsored resident at Reservoir Farms, is bringing a new generation of multifunctional harvesting robots to California fields. A few years ago, Sami Robotics Co-founder Eric Lapalme returned to his family farm where he grew up in Quebec. As an engineer, he had spent years developing technology and watching industries transform through…
“The Port That Farmers Built”
At the height of the supply chain crisis, cargo ships floated offshore for days, sometimes weeks, waiting to enter California ports. But not at the Port of Hueneme. There, containers kept moving. Trucks rolled in and out, perishables made their deadlines and exporters found space for freight that other ports couldn’t handle. While congestion dominated headlines across the industry, this…
Jordan Energy & Food Enterprises: Harvesting the Power of the Sun
For growers across the country, rising electricity costs continue to challenge already slim margins, making energy efficiency and sustainability more important than ever. But while solar energy has become an increasingly attractive solution, many agricultural operations face a major barrier before installation even begins: securing the financial resources to make large-scale energy investments…
Western Grower & Shipper Magazine Q3 2026 Digital Edition is Available Now
The Q3 2026 digital issue of the Western Grower & Shipper magazine is available for online viewing. In this issue's President's Notes, Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia examines the renewed push for federal agricultural labor reform and what the introduction of the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act (SAWA) could mean for growers. Also in this issue, we celebrate California…
Stay Ahead of Ag Labor Issues at the 2026 CFLCA Ag Labor Forum
Western Growers members are invited to attend the 16th Annual California Farm Labor Contractors Association (CFLCA) Ag Labor Forum, taking place Nov. 18–20, 2026, in Santa Cruz, Calif. Designed specifically for farm labor contractors, growers, vineyard managers and custom harvesters, the Ag Labor Forum is the premier educational and networking event focused exclusively on California's farm…
Member Benefit: Save on the Human Resource Professional in Agriculture Certificate Program
Take advantage of an exclusive Western Growers member benefit while investing in your organization's HR team. Western Growers members are eligible for discounted enrollment in the Human Resource Professional in Agriculture (HRPA) Certificate Program, offered by the Agricultural Personnel Management Association (APMA). Designed specifically for agriculture, the program equips HR professionals…
Reservoir Expands Specialty Crop Innovation Network to Arizona
Reservoir Farms has launched a new pilot program in Yuma, Ariz., giving agtech startups access to 500 acres of commercial specialty crop production to test and refine robotics, artificial intelligence and automation technologies under real-world farming conditions. The initiative, developed in partnership with the University of Arizona's Yuma Center for Excellence in Desert Agriculture (YCEDA),…
Western Growers Women 2026-27 Program Schedule Now Available
The 2026-27 Western Growers Women program schedule is now available, offering another year of leadership development, professional growth and networking opportunities for women in the fresh produce industry. Participants can choose from a variety of virtual and in-person programs designed to strengthen leadership skills, expand industry knowledge and build meaningful professional relationships.…
New Voices of the Valley: Inside the Hidden World of Insects in Ag
In this episode of Voices of the Valley, Western Growers' Jeana Cadby sits down with USDA research entomologist Dr. Daniel Hasegawa to explore the surprising role insects play in agriculture. From beneficial pollinators and parasitoid wasps to destructive pests and insect-borne crop diseases, Dr. Hasegawa breaks down how insects shape the food we grow and eat every day, and the cutting-edge…