The May/June issue of Western Grower & Shipper is now available online.

This issue includes:

The Football Gag: Will Immigration Reform Get Done This Year?

The “football gag” was a recurring joke featured in the comic strip, Peanuts. In the skit, Lucy van Pelt tells Charlie Brown that she will hold a football for him while he kicks it. After Charlie expresses some initial skepticism, Lucy always manages to persuade him to give it a try. Of course, every time Charlie approaches the football, Lucy pulls it away at the last second, causing him to fall flat on his back in pain. Lucy usually wraps up the gag by telling Charlie that he should not have trusted her.

Women Who Are Defying the Odds in Agriculture

In a society where stereotypes and myths are king, tales of heroines can often be overlooked. Social norms have long dictated how women are seen in the workplace, stymying the potential for significant progress in gender equality. These perceptions perpetuate phenomena such as the “gender gap” and the “glass ceiling”—the invisible barrier to professional advancement of females.

Ag Industry Hopeful Congress Will Act

Water infrastructure is a lot like the weather – everyone talks about it but nothing is ever done about it. Consider that the vast majority of water projects serving California were in the planning stage 80 to 90 years ago and were built in the 1940s. ‘50s and 60’s. Since then, there have been virtually no public projects and only a few smaller, privately-funded ones.

The Value of Diversity in Agriculture

Diversity in leadership is often a key asset to any company or industry, and while agriculture may lag others in diversity at the top, the industry is poised to make great strides and more closely reflect the demographics of the world it feeds. Just as a farmer understands the value of diversifying his or her crops, the industry as a whole is benefitting from efforts to include women and minorities in positions of management and ownership.

Federal Funding Promises Widespread Broadband Coverage

When Vice Chancellor Linda Thomas surveys the challenges facing the students at West Hills Community College in Coalinga, CA, lack of economic stability nears the top of the list. Few students can afford full-time, uninterrupted studies. They have to go to class, do homework and complete their coursework while working, taking care of family and just putting food on the table.

To read other articles included in this issue, click here.

For inquiries regarding Western Grower & Shipper magazine, please contact Stephanie Metzinger at (949) 885-2256.