California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Ag Legislation

  • Employee Meal & Rest Period Violation Prevention (Farm Liability Series Part 1 of 3)

    Farmers are some of the best people on the planet.  They work hard and do their very best to keep food on the table in homes all over the world.  Like anyone though, sometimes they make mistakes too and can overlook some of the ever-changing laws and requirements for their farm employees, and end up in court over violations that could have been prevented.  To keep farmers out of the court room, we have put together a series of three videos with simple tips and employee requirements featuring Ag Attorney Stacy Henderson, as shared in her presentation earlier this year at the annual Convention of the Almond Alliance of California.  Watch these brief videos to help reduce liabilities on the farm.

     

    Please thank our sponsor Duarte Nursery for their industry support by visiting them at their booth at the following November Events: Tree & Vine Expo, the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo & Blue Diamond Growers Annual Membership Meeting.

  • California Fresh Fruit Association Hires New Director of Member Services and Communications

    Fresno, California – The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) today announced the hiring of Courtney Razor as its new Director of Member Services and Communications. Mrs. Razor comes to the Association after serving as the Chief Operations Officer for the Fresno County Farm Bureau for the last six and a half years. In her role at the Fresno County Farm Bureau, Mrs. Razor managed their Future Advocates for Agriculture Concerned about Tomorrow (FAACT) program, supported the needs of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee and oversaw special event planning.

    The Chairman of the Board for the Association, Randy Giumarra of Giumarra Vineyards Corp., stated, “We are very pleased that Courtney has agreed to become a part of the team at CFFA. Her personal background and education, as well as her extensive experience working for a peer agricultural association, should translate into real value for our membership.” Association President Ian LeMay added, “I have had the pleasure of working with Courtney for a number of years in her role with the Fresno County Farm Bureau, and I have always found her to be an articulate and vocal advocate for California agriculture. We believe she is a natural fit, along with our current staff, to continue to bring value to our members and to serve the California fresh fruit industry.”

    Mrs. Razor grew up in Sanger and is the daughter of third-generation fresh fruit farmer Craig Sorensen. She is a graduate of California State University, Fresno where she earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communications and journalism along with a certificate in marketing. Her first day at the Association will be Tuesday, September 3rd.

    The California Fresh Fruit Association is a voluntary public policy association that represents growers, packers, and shippers of California table grape, blueberry, kiwi, pomegranate and deciduous tree fruit communities. CFFA serves as a public policy representative for these growers, shippers and packers, on issues at both the state and federal levels. More information about the California Fresh Fruit Association can be found at www.cafreshfruit.org.

  • Master Milling Certificate Course September 23-25, 2019

    The Master Milling Certificate Course has helped hundreds of olive oil processors produce better oil more efficiently. A survey of attendees’ found that 90 percent of respondents believed that the course material would boost their quality or efficiency by more than five percent, and 72 percent said that the course was “very likely” to lead to higher profitability.

    The course will be led by Leandro Ravetti, among the world’s top experts in olive oil processing, growing, and standards. As executive director of Australia’s Boundary Bend Limited, Leandro has helped guide the company to rapid growth, optimum efficiency, and top awards at international olive oil competitions. The company’s success is guided by innovation, data, and analysis to maximize oil production efficiency and quality.

    The course will also include a field trip to three olive oil processors.

    This course is a small investment that will pay off in more efficiency, better quality, and higher profits.

    What’s included

    • Three days of expert instruction

    • Field-trip transportation.

    • Breakfast pastries, lunch, and beverages featuring local and seasonal ingredients from one of the region’s best caterers.

    • Booklet with presentation slides in note-taking format.

    • Flash drive with presentation slides and supplemental materials.

    Reviews

    “Overall I found the course to be absolutely wonderful. All of the presenters were knowledgeable, shared information freely and were good presenters. Leandro was especially fantastic. His knowledge on the subject matter is staggering and he is a pleasure to listen to.”

    “Great course! I really liked the detailed look from start to finish in the processing. I also liked the hands-on look at the processing and the first-hand view of different processors during the field trip. This trip was invaluable to me – I learned so much!”

    “This was a wonderful experience, our minds are full of new ideas, tips to apply, errors not to make!”

    “One value of the course is the peer-to-peer networking!”

    Registration

    The three-day course will be held on the UC Davis campus in the Silverado Vineyard Sensory Theater at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

    $875 until July 15, 2019

    $1,075 after July 15, 2019

    Cancellations: 100% credit for future course if cancelled prior to June 15, 2019; 50% credit if cancelled prior to July 15, 2019; no credit after July 15, 2019.

    IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE USA: Please enter CA in the State Field. 95616 in the Zip Code Field and 555-555-5555 in the Telephone Field. You can enter your state/province, country, postal code and phone number in the supplemental fields provided. Once you submit the registration information  you will be redirected to a secure credit card site where you will be able to enter your credit card information with the correct address.

    Instructors

    Leandro Ravetti graduated as an Agricultural Engineer in Argentina. He worked for the National Institute of Agricultural Technology in olive production research and advised many of the country’s largest olive developments from 1995 until he moved to Australia in 2001. Leandro has also studied and worked as an invited researcher at the Olive Growing Research Institute of Perugia, Italy and at different Governmental Olive Institutes in Andalusia, Spain where he completed a postgraduate degree on olive growing. In Australia, Leandro leads the Modern Olives technical team, which provides horticultural and olive specific technical advice to most of the largest olive groves and olive oil processing plants in the country. Leandro has also been involved as adviser, researcher and invited speaker in most other new olive industries such as New Zealand, Japan, Peru, South Africa, Chile and USA. Leandro has been Executive Director of Boundary Bend Limited, Australia’s leading fully integrated olive company since 2005. As part of his role with Boundary Bend, Leandro has overseen the production of multi award winning oils for the company’s flagship brand, Cobram Estate, including a large number of gold medals, best in class and best in show trophies in national and international competitions such as New York, Los Angeles, Olive Japan, Australian Olive Association, etc.

    Dan Flynn is executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center, which he has guided to international leadership in olive research and education. Dan also oversees the production of UC Davis Olive Oil and other olive products that help support the center. He served 16 years as a legislative and policy consultant in the California State Legislature and also managed a small farm prior to coming to UC Davis. He has a M.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University. Based on his achievements with the Olive Center, Dan has received top staff awards from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the chancellor of the university.

    Selina Wang, PhD, is an extension specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology and research director of the UC Davis Olive Center. Dr. Wang also is the leader of the UC Davis Olive Oil Laboratory, which provides research and analysis of olive oil and table olives. As research director, Dr. Wang has developed more than 60 research projects in table olives and olive oil. Dr. Wang is pursuing additional innovative research that seeks to deliver faster, better and cheaper methods for analyzing olive oil quality and authenticity.

    Hotel Reservation

    Hyatt Place UC Davis

    173 Old Davis Rd, Davis, CA 95616

    (530) 756-9500

    Booking link: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/california/hyatt-place-uc-davis/smfzu?corp_id=G-U271

     

    Hallmark Inn at UC Davis

    110 F Street, Davis, CA 95616

    Booking link: https://www.myhotelreservation.net/b/hasmfinn/HASMFINN/?i=WHPROMO5A&rac=*NP05$

  • Joel Nelsen Reappointed to Senior Trade Policy GRP

    CCM’s Joel Nelsen was reappointed to the Administration’s Fruit & Vegetable Trade Advisory Committee this week as announced by USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue and Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer. These positions are highly coveted as they have direct engagement with Administration officials on trade policy. Nelsen has served since the George W. Bush Administration, and for the past fours, his colleagues have asked him to chair the Fruit & Vegetable Committee. There are several trade advisory committees all serving varied business sectors in the United States. Agriculture, because of its diversity, has over six committees representing the varied Ag commodity sectors.

    “To be able to continue serving in this role is both gratifying and humbling,” Nelsen states. “I had the support of Valley Congressmen McCarthy, Nunes, and Costa along with Congressional members Ken Calvert and Julia Brownly. Additionally, Senator Feinstein sent a letter on my behalf, all of which were gratefully appreciated.”

    There are upwards of two dozen seats available on each committee half of which expire every two years. The role is to initiate and/or advise the Administration on a myriad of policy and technical issues that can and do affect the produce industry. “The give and take are real, as is the opportunity for accountability,” Nelsen continues. “Certainly these past two years have been challenging, and most likely, these disputes will carry on as the Administration seeks to balance trade and initiate policies that correct deficiencies in existing agreements. I truly do appreciate the fact that our California Congressional members and the Administration continue to believe I bring value to the process. It is very rewarding.”

  • Western Growers Statement on U.S. and Mexico Trade Deal

    In response to the deal reached by the U.S. and Mexico to avert the addition of five percent tariffs on all Mexican goods, Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif issued the following statement:

    “We are pleased that this potential impediment to trade between our two countries has been avoided. Mexico represents one of the largest export markets for U.S. agricultural goods, and any tit-for-tat escalation of tariffs would be devastating for American farmers, in particular given the current barriers to access to Chinese markets.

    “As significant as this deal is in maintaining our regular flow of trade with Mexico, it is equally critical in clearing the pathway for passage and implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Like NAFTA before it, the USMCA maintains zero-tariff treatment for all produce, a provision that led to the tripling of U.S. exports to Mexico over the past 25 years. Additionally, the USMCA contains favorable terms that will advance science-based sanitary and phytosanitary measures and strengthen Mexico’s labor standards.

    “With the threat of tariffs no longer standing in the way, as well as other early obstacles that have now been removed, the onus is on Congress to pass the USMCA, which we urge with the greatest expediency.”

     About Western Growers:

    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.

     

  • California Fresh Fruit Association names Ian Lemay new president!

    (Fresno, CA) – Today, Randy Giumarra, the Chairman of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) Board of Directors announced that Ian LeMay will serve as the new president of CFFA. LeMay will succeed George Radanovich, who has held the position since 2016 and will be leaving CFFA to promote sound ag labor policy inWashington, DC.

    Chairman Giumarra stated “Ian’s appointment is a reflection of our Board’s commitment to establishing long-term leadership for our industry.” Giumarra continued, “Our Board and I have worked closely with Ian over the past four years. We are confident in his abilities and look forward to his leadership. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank George for his time, leadership and impact that he has made over the last three years. George’s service is greatly appreciated by our entire membership.”

    LeMay has dedicated his career to supporting and advocating for the continued success of California agriculture. Since 2015, LeMay has served as CFFA’s Director of Member Relations and Communications. From 2011 to 2015, LeMay served as the District Director for Congressman Jim Costa who represents California’s 16th. Congressional District. As District Director, LeMay managed the Congressman’s district staff and advised the Congressman on a number of issues including agriculture, water and transportation. Prior to working for Congressman Costa, LeMay worked as a California Market Specialist for the Lindsay Corporation. LeMay is arecent graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (Class 48).

    “I am humbled and appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve the members of the California Fresh Fruit Association in a new capacity,” said LeMay. “I came to the Association four years ago because I believe in its mission, deeply respect its history and see infinite potential in advocating for the permanent fresh fruit growers and shippers of California. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe two great Association leaders in Barry Bedwell and George Radanovich, and thank them for their commitment to bettering our industry. The challenges that face us are many. These have not been easy years for our industry, but I remainconfident in the future of California agriculture and our opportunity to advocate for meaningful policy with aunified voice.”

    Media Contact: Ian LeMay (559) 226-6330 ilemay@cafreshfruit.com

    LeMay will begin his tenure as CFFA President on June 1st. Ian and his wife Molly reside in Fresno with their two children, Emery Rose and Ellison James, and will welcome their third child this August.

    ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION

    For more than eighty (80) years the California Fresh Fruit Association has been the primary government relations organization serving the fresh fruit industry. It is a voluntary public policy organization that works on behalf of our members – growers, shippers, marketers and associates – on issues that specifically affect member commodities: fresh grapes, kiwis, pomegranates, cherries, blueberries, peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, interspecific varieties, plums, apples and persimmons. It is the Association’s responsibility to serve as a liaison between regulatory and legislative authorities by acting as the unified voice of our members. The challenges are. countless for growers, shippers and marketers as they strive to remain viable in an ever-changing market. Increasing regulatory requirements make it difficult to flourish, regardless of the size of the operation.

    The Association’s dedicated staff advocates daily in the best interest of our members to ensure that regulators and legislators are using sound science and accurate information when considering laws or rules that will be imposedon industry members. However, aside from the variety of issues the Association works on, there is an important networking component. As each company has its own business interest, the membership as a whole shares acommon, vested interest in the long-term health of tree fruit, fresh grape and berry communities in California.

  • Duncan Family Farms Announces Two Key Additions to Executive Team

    Duncan Family Farms, a leading family-owned, multi-regional grower of over 7,000 acres of certified organic produce, Ryan-Borer-CFO-Duncan-Family-Farmsannounced that Will Feliz has returned to the firm as president and Ryan Borer has joined as chief financial officer.

    Arnott Duncan, co-founder and CEO, said the appointments will accelerate the company’s growth and help it achieve its strategic objectives. “Will and Ryan bring significant experience and talent to the Duncan team and will help lead us in achieving our goal to improve our triple bottom line—profit, people and planet.”

    Feliz is a veteran of the produce industry, with over 30 years working for small, mid and Fortune 500-size produce companies. He originally joined Duncan Family Farms in 2009 and was promoted to president in January 2016. In November 2017, Feliz became CEO of Wawona Packing, and was responsible for their strategic growth initiatives. Now back at Duncan Family Farms, his focus is on guiding the strategic plan, developing new business channels and exemplifying the company’s defining values to employees, customers and stakeholders.

    “I’m very excited to return to Duncan Family Farms,” said Feliz. “The culture and environment here are invigorating, epitomized by our vision, which is to be the best farming company with a soul, where people are proud to work and our partners and neighbors are quick to embrace.”Will-Feliz-President-Duncan-Family-Farms

    Borer brings more than a dozen years of experience in public accounting, corporate accounting, and financial planning & analysis (FP&A) as Duncan’s new chief financial officer. Most recently, Borer was senior manager, corporate accounting for Shamrock Foods.

    “Duncan Family Farms has the perfect blend of solid strategic and financial growth plans, combined with a culture that is taking positive actions to develop our people, contribute to our community and protect our environment,” explains Borer, “I’m excited to get to come to work every day with this group of quality, caring people.”

    “As Duncan Family Farms has grown into one of the largest 100% organic farming operations in the country, with operations in Arizona, California, Oregon and New York, we have proven you can build a successful business operation while producing clean, life-giving food and making strong contributions to an improved environment and the communities we serve. Adding Will and Ryan to our executive team will enable us to continue on this trajectory,” concluded Duncan.

    About Duncan Family Farms:
    Duncan Family Farms is a family-owned, multi-regional grower of over 7,000 acres of certified organic produce, specializing in baby lettuces, greens, kales and herbs using sustainable, state-of-the-art farming practices. Founded in 1985 by Arnott and Kathleen Duncan, the company is one of the largest growers of organic produce, nationally recognized for their environmentally-sensitive farming techniques and premium-quality fresh vegetables. To learn more, visit duncanfamilyfarms.com.

  • Food Safety Issues Carry Increasingly High Risks for Suppliers

    The financial risks and costs associated with food safety are increasing and food suppliers will face continued increases in food safety costs over the coming years. Until there is reliable traceability throughout the food supply chain, the advanced technology that enables faster identification of food safety issues is also increasing the likelihood of more broad-based food advisories being issued.

    A new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division explains why the stakes are rising for food suppliers in a landscape of continuously evolving food safety challenges, technologies and regulations.

    “Contrary to media reports and trending social media, there has not been an increase in food related outbreaks in recent years. This is particularly noteworthy given technology developments, which allow us to better detect food safety issues,” said Crystal Carpenter, senior economist of specialty crops at CoBank.

    While our ability to detect food related outbreaks has increased, until traceability improves, this improved detection increases the risk of future advisories, such as the romaine lettuce advisories in 2018.

    An advisory is issued when consumers are cautioned not to consume a particular type of product due to a food safety concern, but a specific company or brand is not identified as it would be in a product recall.  Carpenter said the unfortunate aspect of an advisory is that it casts a shadow of doubt on all suppliers of a product.

    “The total impact of an advisory is much greater than a recall and reaches far beyond the company at the source of the contamination,” said Carpenter. “The entire industry can be negatively affected by an advisory.”

    An increasingly complex food chain with many touch points and value-added products has increased the potential points of contact and opportunities for contamination. It has also increased the complexity of traceability. Within the produce supply chain specifically, the greatest challenge in traceability is often in the last mile as product gets closer to the consumer.

    “Understanding the risks of food safety incidents, the costs associated with them, and risk mitigation strategies is becoming increasingly critical for profitability and long-term economic sustainability,” said Carpenter. “The financial and reputational implications of a food safety incident can be enormous, and the risk is rising.”

    A brief video synopsis and the full report, “Food Safety Trends and Regulations – The Stakes are Rising for Food Suppliers,” are available at cobank.com.

  • Western Growers Testifies Before House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration

    On April 3rd, Western Growers President & CEO Tom Nassif detailed the critical labor shortages facing American agriculture and laid out the case for agricultural immigration reform before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

    In his testimony, Nassif stated that experienced workers are aging out of the agricultural workforce with few Americans lining up to take their place, despite wages well above state and federal minimums. Farmers in all sectors of U.S. agriculture, especially in the labor-intensive fruit and vegetable industries, are experiencing chronic labor shortages, which have been exacerbated by recent interior immigration enforcement and tighter border security policies. As a result of the uncertain agricultural labor market, Nassif noted that many American farmers are either shifting toward more mechanized crops or moving their operations to other countries.

    “The simple fact is this,” Nassif articulated, “fruits and vegetables that are eaten in the United States will be harvested by foreign hands.” He continued: “The simple question for you, as members of Congress, is do you want those foreign hands harvesting your fruits and vegetables to be on farms here in the United States or do you want to see production continue to shift to farms in foreign countries?”

    After touching on the existing, flawed H-2A agricultural guest worker program, rife with burdensome regulatory red tape, Nassif outlined a two-pronged proposal for agricultural immigration reform that jointly provides a pathway to legalization for existing farmworkers and their immediate families and creates a more flexible, efficient and market-based agricultural worker visa program to ensure a sufficient future flow of labor.

    Nassif concluded that while “immigration can be among the most divisive and difficult to resolve in Washington,” this issue is decidedly non-partisan, as agricultural immigration reform is really about securing the future of American agriculture and, by extension, long-term U.S. food security.

    Western Growers appreciates the efforts of Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren and Ranking Member Ken Buck to elevate the dialogue around this vital issue, and we look forward to working across the aisle to advance bipartisan legislation that provides our country and farmers with a legal, stable and reliable source of agricultural labor.

    About Western Growers:
    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.

  • Western Growers Hires Human Resources Veteran Anna Bilderbach

    Western Growers is proud to announce the recent hire of Anna Bilderbach, who will serve as the Learning and Development Manager on the Human Resources team. Bilderbach brings more than two decades of experience in HR-related training. In her role as Learning and Development Manager, Bilderbach is responsible for conducting all training for Western Growers member farmers and the agricultural community, in both English and Spanish. Additionally, she will be supporting the learning and development initiatives within the Western Growers.

    “Anna is such an incredible addition to our human resources team,” said Karen Timmins, Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “Her extensive background in both customer relations and human resources has awarded her with the perfect skillset to continue pushing forward Western Growers’ mission of advancing the agriculture industry by providing the training services and resources our farmers need to thrive.”

    Having extensive experience in Financial Services, Non-Profit and Manufacturing as a career coach, project manager and trainer, Bilderbach has perfected her abilities to coach and develop talent in both small businesses and large corporations. Additionally, she has a proven track record of increasing organizational effectiveness, improving healthy company cultures and helping employees better improve customer experiences.

    “My training and background in Training/HR/Organizational Development has allowed me the opportunity to work with the entire employee life-cycle, from hire to retire.” said Bilderbach. “I’m truly excited and eager to be of service to our members and the team here at Western Growers. At the end of the day, my job is going to help employees engaged in agriculture develop personally and professionally, which is a win-win in my book.”

    Bilderbach received academic training at the University of California, Irvine, in Human Resources Management. She also studied business at Riverside Community College.