Western Growers welcomes five new start-up companies to its Center for Innovation & Technology: FieldIn, iTrade Network, Tracmap, MagGrow and RootsTalk. The WG Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT) now officially houses 36 agtech startups who are developing technological solutions to help agriculture solve the industry’s most pressing challenges. As residents of the Center,…
Western Growers Assurance Trust celebrates 60 years of leadership in offering quality health care options to the agricultural community with a series of open house events in each of its four Cedar Health and Wellness Centers. The open houses will take place from May 9-12, 2017 in Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Maria and their newest location ...
Mark your calendars! The Forbes AgTech Summit is returning to Salinas on June 28- 29, 2017, where 600 of the smartest and most entrepreneurial minds in Silicon Valley and global agriculture will come together to tackle some of the world’s most critical challenges. Held for the third straight year, the Summit fosters lively debate and ...
The California Supreme Court has issued its much anticipated opinion in Mendoza v. Nordstrom, which provides much needed and welcome clarity regarding the state’s “day of rest” statutes. The rule entitles employees to one day’s rest in seven and prohibits employers to “cause” workers to work more than six in seven days. The day of ...
On May 25, Western Growers will host a webinar to guide members on how to resolve common compliance challenges surrounding Form I-9. Form I-9, which is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States, is simple, but compliance is not easy. Fines for Form I-9 errors ...
The Standardization Advisory Committee currently has numerous vacancies and is seeking interested individuals to fill the positions. The Standardization Advisory Committee advises the California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary on all matters pertaining to the Standardization Program, annual budget and the necessary fees to provide adequate inspection services. Individuals must have…
Honey bees play a key role in the pollination of several specialty crops, and on May 24, you can explore best practices for keeping bees healthy and increasing their population. Colony numbers have changed over time due to several challenges, including parasites, diseases, less genetic diversity, lack of forage diversity, poor bee nutrition, exposure to ...
In the latest entry of Nassif’s Notes, Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif discusses how the UFW has been found guilty of mistreating its own employees by engaging in what amounts to wage theft, yet Sacramento remains unfazed. “The irony is obvious, but should be stated: A union that justifies its political agenda by ...
Yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the establishment of an undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs position at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The undersecretary will serve as USDA’s point person in managing and coordinating agricultural trade issues across multiple agencies and within the different USDA offices. The undersecretary will…
In a memo distributed on May 8, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the re-opening of the comment period on the ecological risk assessment for the pyrethroid chemicals; comments must be received by July 7, 2017. EPA is re-opening the comment period in response to a number of extension requests received from various stakeholders who have cited ...
There are only two listening sessions left about the potential changes to the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA)-approved food safety metrics: May 23 in Imperial, Calif. and May 24 in Yuma, Ariz. This month, Western Growers (WG) has been hosting a series of listening sessions to provide interested parties and signatories of either the California ...
Competitive compensation is one of the major issues every organization must face in balancing productivity with cost. On May 24, Western Growers’ Senior Vice President of Human Resources Karen Timmins will lead a workshop that explores current concepts, approaches, and techniques that shape the development of compensation strategy, plans and policy. Attendees will also learn ...
During this month’s Tech Talk, TerrAvion will reveal how to utilize aerial imagery to make farming operations more profitable. TerrAvion Vice President Bob Westbrook will discuss how their aerial imagery subscription service delivers weekly images at plant or row-level resolution to guide management, agronomy, pest protection and forecasting. TerrAvion, an agtech startup in the Western ...
Western Growers and AgSafe will be hosting a series of workshops throughout June and July to assist fresh produce companies in meeting training requirements under the final FDA’s produce safety rule “Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption.” These two-day workshops will be offered in 12 different locations. During ...
A rule scheduled to take effect July 1 requiring employers to electronically submit workplace injury and illnesses information to the government has been delayed by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA had originally issued the rule requiring most employers to post such information in May 2016. However, OSHA has ...
As California braces for triple digit temperatures this year, Cal/OSHA is reminding employers to be diligent in protecting their workers during the current and future heat waves. California’s outdoor workplace Heat Illness Prevention regulations require employers to take four steps to prevent heat illness: Training – Train all employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention. ...
Honey bees play a key role in the pollination of several specialty crops, and on May 24, you can explore best practices for keeping bees healthy and increasing their population. Colony numbers have changed over time due to several challenges, including parasites, diseases, less genetic diversity, lack of forage diversity, poor bee nutrition, exposure to ...
Join us at Western Growers’ 92nd Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 29 – November 1, 2017. This year’s meeting will focus on the latest topics impacting the agricultural industry, including cannabis industry growth, healthcare reform, immigration and innovation. It will highlight the hottest trends in technology, as well as analyze how data ...
After criminal charges were recently filed against an employer for an electrocution of its employees in 2014, Western Growers Insurance Services would like to remind WG members to reinforce their personal and business risks associated with safety. In 2014, a two-man crew had been hired to hang a banner at a high school stadium. The ...
Mark your calendars! The Forbes AgTech Summit is returning to Salinas on June 28- 29, 2017, where 600 of the smartest and most entrepreneurial minds in Silicon Valley and global agriculture will come together to tackle some of the world’s most critical challenges. Held for the third straight year, the Summit fosters lively debate and ...