The Western Growers Board of Directors, alongside members of the Western Growers Leadership Program, concluded its annual Washington, D.C., fly-in today. Over three days, directors and leadership program participants met with senior administration officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Agriculture, Department of Labor and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, as well as nearly two dozen members of the Senate and House of Representatives and key congressional staff overseeing agricultural policy.

Discussions centered on major federal policy priorities, including:

• H-2A Reform Legislation. House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson is leading a bipartisan effort to make improvements to the temporary agricultural workers program.
• Farm Bill. The House approved its version of the Farm Bill at the end of April 2026. While funding for many specialty crop priorities were already included in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill, the Farm Bill contains needed outstanding policy changes. WG is urging the Senate to pass its Farm Bill version so it can be moved to conference with the House.
• Economic Relief. WG is urging Congress to provide $5 billion in additional economic relief for the specialty crop industry to offset 2025 financial losses, elevated input costs and market disruptions.
• Produce Safety Rule. WG is working with FDA to prioritize outreach and education rather than compliance through inspections and is pushing to ensure food safety standard parity between domestic producers and foreign suppliers.

The in-person presence of the directors and leadership program participants in Washington, D.C., is critical to the success of Western Growers’ federal advocacy efforts on behalf of our members and the broader specialty crop industry. We sincerely appreciate the time and dedication of all our volunteer leaders.