Members of Western Growers’ Future Volunteer Leaders Class VII visited Idaho and Eastern Oregon last week to expand their knowledge about the best ag practices in neighboring states.

Six leaders, including Celeste Alonzo from Junior Enterprises;  Krystal Del Bosque from Del Bosque Farms; Briana Giampaoli from Live Oak Farms; Garrett Nishimori from San Miguel Produce; Byron Talley from Talley Farms and Sal Parra from Burford Ranch were hosted by fellow FVL Shay Myers of Owyhee Produce in Parma, Idaho.

Other stops included a tour of the Amalgamated Sugar factory in Nampa, Idaho; Obendorf Hops in Parma, Idaho (pictured above); BASF’s Vegetable Seeds Business, featuring the Nunhems brand, in Parma, Idaho, as well as a jet boat tour of the Snake River where the group was inspired by the spotting of not one, not two, but three bald eagles.

Members of the FVL class are invited to participate in all regular Western Growers board meeting functions for two years, in addition to standalone farm tours with WG board members and trainings with the organization’s subject matter experts.

In 2011, Western Growers welcomed its inaugural class of Future Volunteer Leaders. The competitively selected Future Volunteer Leaders Program is designed for the next generation of leaders within Western Growers member companies interested in becoming more informed and effective advocates for the fresh produce industry. These individuals are policy-minded and have expressed a desire to serve the industry – both now and in the future – in volunteer leadership capacities.