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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See Autonomous Farming Solutions in Action at FIRA USA 2024
Growers, innovators, scientists and investors are set to come together next month at the third annual FIRA USA, a three-day gathering of autonomous farming and agricultural robotics solutions. Scheduled for Oct. 22-24, 2024, in Woodland, Calif., FIRA USA highlights new and emerging technology in the global ag robotics sector. The event will showcase more than 35 robots demonstrating…
Register Today: Western Growers Leave Law Webinar on Sept. 24
Registration is now open for the Western Growers webinar on leave law requirements and disability accommodations in the workplace, brought to you by Western Growers Legal Resources and Western Growers University. This is a unique opportunity to build and refine human resource management skills around employee leave laws and the employer’s duty to provide a discrimination-free…
Western Growers Urges EPA to Reject California’s Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation
IRVINE, CALIF. (Sept. 17, 2024) - Western Growers (WG) submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday, urging it to deny the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) request to fully implement its Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule, which mandates the transition from diesel to zero-emission trucks and other vehicles. In its comments, WG stressed the significant lack…
Tric Robotics Going the Distance
It has been said time and again that the most successful agtech startups in the agriculture industry are those that listen to the growers. For Adam Stager, Founder and CEO of TRIC Robotics, it was a grower who planted the seed and encouraged him to relocate his startup from Delaware to the Central Coast in 2021. TRIC Robotics got their start by working with the largest strawberry grower in…
Sonny Rodriguez, the People’s Champion: Celebrating Western Growers’ 2024 Award of Honor Recipient
The remarkable evolution from apprentice to visionary is a tale as old as time, a story often told to inspire those looking to enhance their career paths or reinvigorate their lives. The recipient of this year’s Western Growers’ Award of Honor takes the myth and puts a human face on it. WG Board Member Sonny Rodriguez, the President and CEO of The Growers Company, has an inspiring legacy…
New Voices of the Valley: Peeling Back the Farmer’s Curtain with Chelsea Ketelsen from HMC Farms
In this week’s episode, Western Growers’ Julia Nellis and Michelle Rivera talk to special guest Chelsea Ketelsen, Vice President of Marketing from HMC Farms. Based out of Kingsburg, California, HMC Farms is a leading grower, packer and shipper of stone fruit and table grapes. Tune in this week as we peel back the farmer's curtain. We uncover surprising facts and stories about your…
San Miguel Produce Featured in “America’s Heartland”
California provides 80 percent of all leafy greens in the U.S., which is fitting for San Miguel Produce, which states it lives, works and breathes leafy greens. In the heart of Ventura County, San Miguel Produce’s farming operation grows a variety of washed, bagged and ready-to-eat greens. In this episode of “America’s Heartland,” we learn more about San Miguel Produce’s…
Western Growers Women 2024-2025 Course Catalog Now Available
The Western Growers Women (WGW) program has announced its 2024-2025 course catalog. Building on the success of last year’s relaunch, this year’s offerings have expanded to include even more courses and events. Participants will have access to a variety of virtual and in-person courses designed to support their professional growth and pave the way for influential leadership roles within…
New Voices of the Valley: Olive Oil Unfiltered with Vincent Ricchiuti from Enzo Olive Oil Company
When you think of olive oil, you may think of places like Spain, Italy and Greece. But did you know that California produces some of the finest olive oil? In this week’s episode of Voices of the Valley, we pour over everything you wanted to know about olives and olive oil with Western Growers’ Michelle Rivera and Julia Nellis and special guest Vincent Ricchiuti from Enzo Olive Oil…
CDFA to Host Fifth Public Listening Session on Definition of Regenerative Agriculture on Aug. 22
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will host its fifth public listening session on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 5 p.m. PST to help define regenerative agriculture for state policies and programs. The CDFA created a 14-member working group in 2023 to develop a draft definition of regenerative agriculture to be considered by the State Board of Food and Agriculture. The working…
Attend the “Ag Jobs: Bringing a Greater Vision” Event on Oct. 7 at CSUMB
Western Growers members are invited to attend the upcoming “Ag Jobs: Bringing a Greater Vision” event at California State University Monterey Bay on Oct. 7, 2024. This year’s event will focus on “Smarter Agriculture: Feeding More-Impacting Less.” Participants can join in person or via live stream to learn about exciting technology innovations and career opportunities in the ag…
Tanaka Farms Featured in “America’s Heartland”
Nestled in the heart of Irvine, Calif., Tanaka Farms has stood for four generations. Kenny Tanaka, now a fourth-generation farmer, recalls his mother Shirley bringing his preschool class to his family pumpkin patch and showing the kids how vegetables were grown. Today, Tanaka Farms welcomes over 60,000 schoolchildren annually on field trips. Families also flock to the farm, with up to 120,000…
Western Growers Helps Sponsor Seventh Safe Fruits and Veggies Farm Tour for Alliance for Food and Farming
The Alliance for Food and Farming (AFF) hosted its seventh Safe Fruits and Veggies Farm Tour for registered dietitians, health and nutrition writers and influencers from Aug. 12-14, 2024 on California’s Central Coast. Western Growers was one of the sponsors of the tour, where participants visited Good Farms, Golden State Farms, the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, Limoneira and Terry…
Register Today for the Explore GreenLink®: Core Features and Live Demo Webinar on Aug. 27
Registration is open for the Explore GreenLink®: Core Features and Live Demo Webinar on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, from 9 a.m. PST to 10 a.m. PST. The agenda includes a comprehensive overview of GreenLink®’s core functionalities and features, followed by a live demonstration of the GreenLink® dashboard guided by the Western Growers and Crème Global teams. There will be a Q&A session at…
HR Professionals Can Now Earn HRCI Recertification Credits with WGA Courses
Western Growers is excited to announce that HR professionals can now earn HR Certification Institute (HRCI) recertification credits through its professional development courses. Western Growers University (WGU) and WG’s Legal Resources provide courses that cover essential topics, such as labor laws, workplace compliance, employment regulations and legal requirements specific to agricultural…
New Voices of the Valley: Cantaloupe 411 with Westside Produce’s Garrett Patricio
Our latest podcast episode of Voices of the Valley is now live! In this episode, we slice into everything you wanted to know about melons with Western Growers’ Michelle Rivera and Julia Nellis and special guest Garrett Patricio, President of Westside Produce and melon grower based in Firebaugh, Calif. Did you know that California farmers produce nearly 75 percent of all cantaloupes grown in…
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…
Food Safety Expert Frank Yiannas Shares Thoughts on New Era Challenges and Data Sharing
World renowned food safety expert and former Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA), Frank Yiannas, shared his thoughts on food safety challenges and data sharing in a May 28 post published in Food Safety News. Yiannas wrote, “Solving new era food safety problems is extremely challenging and it will require new ways of thinking and…
WG Names Hudson Treloar as 2024 Scholarship Recipient
Western Growers is proud to announce Hudson Treloar as this year’s WG Scholarship recipient. Hudson and his parents, Owen and Julie Ann, met some of this year’s judges at a luncheon on August 2, where he was awarded $2,000. "I am delighted to be a recipient of the Western Growers scholarship, and I will endeavor to make the most of this incredible opportunity,” Hudson said. “This…
Climate Robotics: Transforming Agriculture for Climate Resilience
Many of us at some point in our lives have expressed a desire to help save our planet and solve the world’s climate crisis. For Jason Aramburu and Morgan Williams, it’s a philosophy they live by. The duo co-founded Climate Robotics in 2020, a Houston-based developer of mobile biochar production technology for commercial agriculture. Specifically, the company’s next-generation system…