March 5, 2015

Transportation Outlook Highlighted in March WG&S

The March 2015 edition of the WG&S magazine, which features a transportation outlook, is in the mail and should be in your mailbox soon.  Many of the stories have been posted online on the Western Growers website.  Follow the links below to access these stories.

TRANSPORTATION OUTLOOK

Low Fuel Rates are a Welcome Sight …But Only One Component of Cost

In this story, Luke Gowdy, general manager in the Salinas Valley office of C.H. Robinson, explained that when it comes to raw freight costs, there are three main components in the bucket, each with a fairly equal weight: fuel costs, equipment costs, and labor costs.  While fuel costs are lower than they have been in many years, both labor and equipment costs are on the rise

AG LABOR HASSLES— WILL THEY NEVER END?

In WG President and CEO Tom Nassif’s monthly column, he opines about the ongoing efforts growers face in trying to keep a stable workforce in their fields and packing sheds.

CALIFORNIA MEMBER PROFILE: NISH NOROIAN

Blythe’s Soon To Be Centenarian Still “Growing” Strong

On July 9, 2015, Nish Noroian, the patriarch of Nish Noroian Farms, in Blythe, Calif. turns 100.  Nish’s daughter Nisha recently spoke about her family’s farming history and about her dad. 

THE AMERICAN DREAM

Latinos Flourish as California Strawberry Growers

According to a report by the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) published last year, just about two thirds of the strawberry growers in the Golden State are of Mexican descent.  In the past generation or two, many Mexican laborers have come to the United States looking for work and eventually ended up farming the land.  In fact, while there are also a good number of second and third generation Latino growers, the CSC report estimates that 25 percent of current Latino growers started as farmworkers.

 

The issue also has stories on WG’s new apprentice class, using weather data for better growing decisions, and the ins and outs of an agricultural health care plan.  To see all the major stories and columns in this issue, go directly to the MARCH WG&S page on the WG website.