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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Oriental Fruit Fly Quarantine Lifted in Santa Clara County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Santa Clara Agricultural Commissioner, ended the Oriental fruit fly (OFF) quarantine in Santa Clara County following the eradication of the invasive pest. The quarantine was put in place nearly nine months ago in parts of Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Cupertino, San Jose, Milpitas, Mountain…
Register Now for Upcoming Western Growers University Courses
Join our experts and secure your spot for upcoming Western Growers University courses. Whether you’re a Western Growers member or a non-member, these courses are sure to take your business to the next level. Upcoming courses: OXNARD Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Course for Supervisory Employees May 29, 2024 | 9:30am - 11:30am | Spanish | Member $90 – Non-Member…
Documentary “The Green Desert” Hosts Virtual Screening Event in June
“The Green Desert,” a documentary that gives viewers a closer look into farming practices in the arid Southwest, including the challenges of water shortages and the effects of climate change, will host a virtual screening event from June 9-16, 2024. The documentary, presented by Mirage Films, has an 83-minute run time. There will be a live Q&A session with Director Leo Zahn on Sunday,…
WGCIT Hosts Sakata Seed Global Academy
The Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT) in Salinas hosted the Sakata Seed Global Academy on May 16 to discuss and share valuable agtech insights. WGCIT Director Dennis Donohue addressed the 16 leaders in attendance, discussing the fresh produce supply chain and Western Growers’ innovation initiatives designed to support it. Charles McGregor, General Manager of…
WG Member Discount Available for 2024 Salinas Biological Summit
Tickets for the Salinas Biological Summit, scheduled for June 25-26, 2024, in Salinas, Calif., are available for purchase, and Western Growers members are eligible to purchase tickets at a discounted rate. Presented by Western Growers and Wharf42, the two-day Summit brings together local and international industry experts, agricultural businesses and innovators to share knowledge, insights…
Cal/OSHA Reminds Employers to Protect Workers from Heat Illness
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is reminding all employers to protect workers from heat illness as high temperatures are forecast in the coming days. Some of the highest temperatures include: Employers in California are required to protect outdoor workers from heat illness by providing water, rest, shade and training and must closely observe their…
You’re Invited: Western Growers Data Cultivation Workgroup
Join Western Growers’ first Data Cultivation Workgroup meeting, hosted by Gustavo Reyes, Food Safety Manager, Western Growers Science on June 12. The goal is to form a workgroup of industry, academics and other professionals who will work together to advance data science and develop projects to address challenges faced by the produce industry. Data science is in an uncharted area of…
Register for the 2024 Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Issues Summit
Registration is open for the 2024 Agri-Pulse Food & Ag Issues Summit, which will be held on June 4, 2024 at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento. “This year’s theme, Rightsizing California Agriculture for New Growth and Opportunities, will bring participants together to provide perspective on how farmers and ranchers will need to adapt,” said Agri-Pulse Editor Sara Wyant. The event will…
Register Today for the Agricultural Water Systems Workshop
Join Western Growers Science, in partnership with the UC Davis Postharvest Research and Extension Center, on May 28 - 29, in Salinas, Calif. for the Agricultural Water Systems - Identifying, Preventing, and Managing Food Safety Risks workshop. The workshop will delve into a range of topics related to water management and safety. Experts will explore why risk assessments are critical for…
USDA to Increase Rates for Specialty Crops Inspection Grading, Audit Services
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced its 2024/2025 fee rates for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing and laboratory services for a variety of agricultural commodities, including fruits, vegetables and specialty crops. According to the USDA, these increases reflect direct and indirect costs of providing services. Direct…
California Agricultural Leadership Foundation to Host 2024 Alumni Conference in June
The California Agricultural Leadership Foundation (CALF) will be hosting its 2024 Alumni Conference in conjunction with the 2024 International Leadership Alumni Conference (ILAC) this June in Monterey, Calif. The conference, called Cultivate Potential, aims to unite hundreds of agricultural leaders from California and other states and countries for an enriching experience of leadership…
New Voices of the Valley: Innovations in Cross-Border Health Care for Ag Workers
Cross-border health care is growing in popularity as Mexico increasingly provides innovative, technologically advanced medical services at a cost-savings for employers. In fact, close to a million Americans cross the border every year to receive medical care in Mexico. In this episode of Voices of the Valley, Raquel Lugo, Senior Director of Client Services and Mexico Operations at Western…
Register Now for Upcoming Western Growers University Courses
Western Growers University’s latest in-person training sessions are rapidly approaching, but there’s still time to secure your spot with our experts. Registration is now available for the following courses scheduled for April, May and June, offered in both English and Spanish: Preventing Discrimination and Harassment, Course for Supervisory Employees Preventing Discrimination and…
Stuart Woolf Talks Almonds on this Week’s Voices of the Valley
Almonds have been cultivated for thousands of years, and as it turns out, California is the largest producer of almonds globally, accounting for more than 80% of the world's almond production. In this episode of Voices of the Valley, Stuart Woolf, President and CEO of Woolf Farming & Processing and Chair of the Western Growers Board of Directors, joins Western Growers Communications…
Pinnacle Kicks Off Broker Success Summit Series in Fresno
More than two dozen brokers gathered at Pinnacle Claims Management’s Broker Success Summit in Fresno this week. The event, held at the Table Mountain Casino Resort, was designed to connect and empower brokers with tools and strategies to grow their business and learn more about the benefits of partnering with Pinnacle. Presenters included Kyle Gerdts, VP of Sales and Account Management for…
Bari Weiss to Keynote PAC Luncheon at Western Growers 2024 Annual Meeting
Award-winning journalist and author Bari Weiss will be the PAC Luncheon speaker during the Western Growers 2024 Annual Meeting, which is set for Nov. 3-6 at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bari is the founder and editor of The Free Press and host of the podcast Honestly. She is an ardent believer that the free exchange of ideas is central to a…
Save the Date for the 2024 Western Growers Annual Meeting
Mark your calendars! We are pleased to announce the 98th Western Growers Annual Meeting will be held at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa on November 3-6, 2024. Set against the stunning backdrop of Scottsdale, Arizona's expansive desert landscape, this premier gathering for agricultural industry leaders promises unparalleled networking opportunities, distinguished…
Farming, the Final Frontier
After 17 successful years of working for NASA as a project manager and systems engineer, Neill Callis ended up taking his career to the unlikeliest of places—agriculture. How on earth does that happen, one has to ask? It wasn’t exactly rocket science, according to Callis. All puns aside, Callis explained that both jobs, while presenting different buckets of challenges, require a similar set…
Cultivating a Diverse Landscape
If there’s one thing Tim Dempsey, Managing Partner of TLC Custom Farming Company, would want people outside of agriculture to know, it’s that the industry offers a breadth of opportunities which extend far beyond the satisfaction of being an integral part of humanity’s basic needs. It also creates an avenue for many people to participate in addressing important issues they may not even…
ETP Announces $10 Million in Funding for Ag Worker Training
California’s Employment Training Panel (ETP) announced $10 million in available funding as part of an Agriculture Initiative designed to serve businesses and workers in agriculture. The funding will be used to provide training for farmworkers and help them gain new skills and career opportunities. For those who want to learn more about the ETP funds for ag worker training, the California…