California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Economics

  • Western Growers Hires Walt Duflock as Vice President, Innovation

    Increasing its industry-leading efforts to quicken the pace of technology solutions for the fresh produce industry, Western Growers has added Walt Duflock as Vice President, Innovation. In this role, Duflock will be singularly focused on accelerating agtech for Western Growers (WG) member companies, including expanding the footprint of the Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (WGCIT), a premier agtech incubator located in Salinas, Calif.

    “The need for innovative technology in our members’ fields and facilities has never been more urgent,” said WG President and CEO Dave Puglia. “Walt Duflock has guided many technology entrepreneurs and brings a demonstrated ability to propel growth in the agriculture technology sector. I am thrilled that Walt will now join WGCIT Director Dennis Donohue, who is driving tangible progress on key agtech initiatives such as automation and food safety enhancement. Together, Walt and Dennis will further strengthen our ability to drive rapid commercialization of the technologies our members need to thrive into the next generation.”

    Duflock brings over 25 years of experience in the agriculture and technology sectors, with an emphasis on startup development. In addition to his involvement in his fifth-generation family ranch in Monterey County, Duflock has dedicated his career to building programs and strategies at high-growth Silicon Valley startups, including eBay, MerchantCircle (now Reply) and APTARE (now Veritas). In his most recent role, Duflock served as Executive Innovation Leader for SVG Ventures THRIVE.

    “I am excited to be joining the WG team and look forward to working with farmers and startups to increase the speed and scale of solutions, especially for food safety and labor automation,” said Duflock. “My decades of experience in agriculture and working with Silicon Valley startups, along with building a successful agtech accelerator, give me the right set of skills to lead WG’s innovation initiative.”

    Duflock earned a B.S. degree in Business from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a law degree from Santa Clara University. He is active in his local community and serves on several volunteer boards, including the Los Gatos United Soccer League and Rancho Cielo, which aims to transform the lives of at-risk youth. In 2019, Duflock launched SAGE, a 501(c)(6) that focuses on sustainable ag and energy and vibrant rural economies.

    About Western Growers:

    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Western Growers’ members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. Connect and learn more about Western Growers on Twitterand Facebook.

  • Survey Asks Californians About Views on Agriculture

    In February 2020, the Grower Shipper Association of Central California (GSA) conducted a survey of residents in the Bay Area and in our local farming regions.  While this survey was conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the results and responses still have value and provide important information to GSA as we work to advance families, food and farming in our region.

    Among the most gratifying result was how much Northern Californians valued agriculture.  Seventy-seven percent stated that agriculture was most or very important to the quality of life and the economy of California.  “We were very pleased to see that so many residents recognized the important work of farmers and farm workers, even before the pandemic,” says Chris Valadez, GSA President.

    The survey shows residents also appear to understand some of the issues facing agriculture, including labor and potential shortages.  Seventy-seven percent of respondents supported the employment of guest workers by agriculture under the H-2A visa program to offset domestic labor shortages and 71% agreed guest worker programs are important to California’s economy.  However, 54% said they were concerned about the impact of guest workers on housing in the region, a concern shared by the agricultural community.

    “While new farm worker housing projects along the Central Coast are in process now, we must continue to work to find innovative solutions to ensure adequate and safe housing is a priority for our community,” Valadez says. “The pandemic further underscored the need for more affordable housing in our region.”

    Food safety is where survey respondents indicated they want agriculture to advance efforts to continuously improve and better protect public health. Respondents generally agreed they want farmers and government agencies to work jointly to improve food safety.

    The survey also explored views on water quality and water supply.  Almost 70% of respondents stated that their water quality was good to excellent.  And, seventy-eight percent agreed that their biggest water concern was an adequate supply and impacts from another drought.  While water was a less important issue among respondents overall, when probed, 64% of respondents stated that agricultural runoff was a concern.

    Finally the survey looked at residential, industrial and agricultural use of pesticides. Interestingly 42% of respondents said they understand the benefits of pesticide use with 23% stating they were unsure about those benefits. This may convey a need for agriculture to continue to provide more information about the safety standards and use of pesticides in organic and conventional production.

    Conclusions:  

    As it did for every one, the pandemic severely shifted the focus of the farming community and GSA.  Significant time and resources were devoted to protecting essential farm workers from COVID-19 exposure while working to ensure a consistent supply of safe and healthy foods reaches consumers.  As the pandemic evolves, GSA’s work to facilitate the availability of protective equipment for farm workers, in-field training by medical professionals, quarantined housing and adequate COVID-19 testing programs continues and remains of primary importance.

    However, the survey findings as well as conversations with media, residents, regulators, elected officials and labor groups throughout the pandemic show that Californians want and need more information about issues impacting agriculture and our industry’s response.  It is also clear respondents greatly value farming in California and its importance to a healthy economy.

    After examining the survey results, GSA’s focus will be on the continuance of solution-based programs, enhanced and transparent external communications about farming practices as well as continued dialogue and engagement with residents, elected officials, labor and environmental advocates.  This survey will help GSA prioritize its attention and efforts on the issues of key importance to Bay Area and Central Coast residents.

    GSA is preparing a white paper with complete survey results as well as a new webpage called “Our Work” which will provide information on these specific issues as well as GSA solution-based programs and activities.  The Our Work webpage will go live in the coming weeks.

    The online survey was conducted in eight counties in the Bay Area and Central Coast from February 7 through February 10.  The survey margin of error was 4.0. 

  • Fruit World Enters Citrus Season with New Sustainable Packaging and Increased Volume of Organic and Conventional Offerings

    Fruit World, a family-owned, flavor-focused grower-shipper of organic and conventional fruit, enters their 2020 citrus season with bold, new recyclable packaging and increased availability of 100% California-grown organic and conventional mandarins, along with organic oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and sweet limes.

    “We’re really excited about our new fun and colorful conventional mandarin packaging design, especially because it’s fully-recyclable,” said Bianca Kaprielian, Fruit World co-founder and CEO. “We love the extension of the Fruit World brand, and how these bags add to the sustainable values which are core to our company.” All Fruit World cartons and bags are bright, bold and distinctive, and perfect for creative retail displays. 

    Fruit World is one of few growers with uninterrupted season-long programs for both their organic and conventional mandarins. “While orchard yield per acre across the state is expected to be on par with the past few years, we’re excited to be entering mandarin season with increased availability from our own farms and growers,” said CJ Buxman, co-founder of Fruit World and an organic mandarin grower. “On the conventional side, our proprietary sweet Early Dulce and Dulce mandarins will be first to market in mid-October, followed by organic and conventional Satsuma mandarins, then Clementines. We’ll go all the way into June with our Gold Nugget and proprietary Klondike varieties.” By mid-November, all Fruit World mandarin varieties will be available as either stem & leaf or bald fruit.

    Fruit World has just started shipping new crop organic Rio Red grapefruit, available in bright header bags and the company’s signature bold cartons. Organic navel oranges are close behind, shipping in mid- to late-October once Valencia oranges are finished packing. “Navel orange yield is expected to be down 5% this season,” said Buxman. “However, we have added some acreage to our mix, so our supply will increase by about 15%.” Additionally, Fruit World has a year-round organic lemon program with promotable volumes starting with desert-grown lemons in early November, through the end of the Central Valley harvest in March.

    “We’re committed to providing the most flavorful fruit, and the best customer service possible,” said Kaprielian. “We excel at working with our retail and wholesale partners and tailoring programs to their needs, so they can best serve their customers.”

    For more information or to place an order, call (559) 650-0334, or visit fruitworldco.com to learn more about the Fruit World story.

    About Fruit World
    Fruit World is a fresh and creative produce company with generations of history. Fruit World grows and ships the most flavorful fruit in California—including organic and conventional citrus, organic grapes, organic stone fruit, and more—and works with customers who share a passion for quality and taste. They’re all about honoring their growers, staying true to their farming heritage, and keeping family farming thriving into future generations. Visit fruitworldco.com.

  • $45 Million in Funding for Citrus Research Awarded

    A total of $45 million in funding for citrus research during the 2020-21 fiscal year was awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) Emergency Citrus Disease Research and Extension (ECDRE) Program. The ECDRE Program addresses priorities identified by the Citrus Disease Sub-Committee of the National Agricultural Research, Education, Extension, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board by sponsoring research projects designed to provide solutions to the U.S. citrus industry. For the 2020 fiscal year, the ECDRE program selected 12 projects to receive awards.

    With funding support from the Citrus Research Board (CRB), Pepsi Co and Coca-Cola, and a consortium led by the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), NIFA awarded a $10 million grant for their on-going coordinated agricultural project with Bayer Crop Science. The project seeks to identify and develop therapeutics for HLB and the presumed HLB pathogen ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (CLas). Researchers are investigating synthetic and microbial therapeutics for further characterization and optimization, intending to develop therapeutics for commercialization.

    According to the CRB President, Marcy Martin, “Success with this project will help all citrus growers, not just those from a particular state. We like that CRDF and CRB were able to team up on this worthy project.”

    Among this year’s awardees, three current and past CRB-funded California researchers from the University of California were awarded $12.5 million between three projects. CRB-funded researcher Chandrika Ramadugu, Ph.D., was awarded $4.7 million to lead efforts to evaluate novel citrus hybrids for tolerance/resistance to HLB in multi-state field trials in California, Texas, and Florida. Caroline Roper, Ph.D., received $6.5 million to unravel the underlying mechanisms of tree health in HLB impacted groves and develop a set of best practices for extending the life and productivity of citrus groves. Past-funded CRB researcher Yen-Wen Kuo, Ph.D., was awarded $1.41 million to explore utilizing insect-specific viruses to manipulate the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and its associated microbes to limit psyllid activity and disease spread potentially.

    CRB-funded researchers Vivian Irish, Ph.D., from Yale University, Anne Simon, Ph.D., from the University of Maryland, and Robert Shatters, Ph.D., from the USDA Agricultural Research Service also received awards. Irish is spearheading research with a $1.5 million award to identify HLB susceptibility genes in citrus, which will assist in future breeding efforts. Simon received $1.5 million to lead efforts to develop a phloem-restricted viral vector that could be used to directly target CLas in the phloem or modulate citrus host responses. Shatters has received $9.4 million to explore the development of an in-field therapeutic screening system with accompanying delivery systems. Past-funded CRB researcher Goutam Gupta, Ph.D., was awarded $4.8 million to lead efforts in developing novel therapies for the prophylactic and curative treatment of HLB.

    Additionally, researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Maryland received awards to study CLas, ACP and HLB strategies.

    Click here for more information on project scope and activities can be found at. The CRB congratulates all awardees for the 2020 fiscal year cycle and looks forward to seeing the results from these studies.
     
    About the Citrus Research Board

    The CRB administers the California Citrus Research Program, the grower-funded and grower-directed program established in 1968 under the California Marketing Act as the mechanism enabling the state’s citrus producers to sponsor and support needed research. More information about the Citrus Research Board may be found at www.citrusresearch.org.

  • Fall Microirrigation System Maintenance

    California Avocado Commission — Microirrigation systems (microsprinklers, drip emitters and drip tape) tend to provide better distribution/emission uniformity than other irrigation methods. However, the miniscule flow passages in these systems can become clogged and thus disrupt the uniformity of water applied to a crop.

    Late fall and winter are an ideal time to review irrigation systems for needed repairs or malfunctions. A great resource is the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources’ (UCANR) webpage that outlines various causes of microirrigation clogging and means of preventing or mitigating the problems.

    The first step in alleviating clogs is identifying the problem. Clogs can be caused by:

    • Particulates — sand, silt, clay — from surface water sources
    • Biological materials — algae, bacterial slimes — from surface water sources
    • Chemical precipitates — such as iron and calcium carbonate — from groundwater sources or fertigation

    To identify the issues, UC ANR recommends first flushing water from the lateral lines through a nylon stocking or paint straining cloth and examining what material is collected. If you see mineral particles, you have identified your problem. If you notice that clogging tends to occur at the ends of the lines, this also tends to indicate particulate clogging.

    If you identify organic matter when flushing the line, then biological materials are the issue. You also can open the end of a lateral line and feel inside the tube to see if it is slimy. If so, biological materials are the source of your problem.

    If you note white, crusty materials or reddish staining of the soil near the emitters, this is indicative of chemical precipitates.

    Once you have identified the clogging source, you can take steps to address the issue.

    Particulate issues can be prevented by regular line flushing and the use of filters. UCANR provides a list of various filters and a table noting which filter to choose based on water source, particulates and irrigation system. To adequately flush the lines, water must flush at least 1 foot per second at the end of the drip line — 1 gallon/minute for 5/8” diameter and 2 gallons/minutes for 7/8” diameter drip lines.

    If organic matter is the source of the clogging, the best mode of treatment is a good filtration system combined with use of a biocide to remove the biological contaminants. Visit the UCANR site for a list of filters and the aforementioned “how to choose a filter” table.

    If calcium carbonate (lime) or iron is clogging your emitters, strong acid can make either disappear if emitters are left in it overnight. Lowering the pH (6 or below) of the water by injecting common acids — sulfuric acid, muriatic acid or hydrochloric acid — can help prevent clogging due to lime. UCANR provides specific formulas to help growers determine the injection rate needed to alter water pH.

    If high iron levels are the source of the clogging, aerating the water to oxidize the iron and then allowing the precipitates to settle before irrigating (a reservoir or settling basin is necessary) is the most practical option. Common acids also can be injected to decrease the pH of the water (4 or less).

    For more information on routine microirrigation tasks, visit the UCANR website.

  • New Leadership at the Olive Oil Commission of CA

    Mark Sievers and his wife Ann Fiorello Sievers of II Fiorello Olive Oil Company

    Mark Sievers of Il Fiorello Olive Oil Company was elected to serve as new Chairman of the Olive Oil Commission of California’s Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is made up of seven members who are appointed by the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It serves to make sure olive oil producers with less than 5,000 gallons per year have a voice in the decisions made by the OOCC.

    Sievers previously held the position of Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee and he replaces Albert Katz who resigned from the Advisory Committee in August.

    Sam Israelit of Spanish Oaks Ranch in Templeton

    Sam Israelit, of Spanish Oaks Ranch in Templeton, was elected to serve as the Advisory Committee’s new Vice Chairman.

    As Chairman, Sievers will oversee meetings and help identify areas the Committee should address in order to best serve the interests of the state’s small olive oil producers. He also has a voting position on the OOCC Board of Directors.

    Albert Katz’s departure leaves a vacant position on the Advisory Committee. CDFA will revisit the list of interested candidates from a list of applications submitted in June and appoint an additional member.

    The OOCC thanks Albert Katz for his many years of service and dedication to the OOCC and Advisory Committee.

  • CDFA Accepting Proposals for Riverside County Grower Liaison

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is currently accepting proposals for its Request for Proposal for a contractor to serve as the Riverside County grower liaison. Proposals must be received by Nov. 18. Responsibilities may include conducting outreach directly to growers in Riverside County, providing them up-to-date information on the latest industry news or updates, staying engaged in CDFA activities, communicating voluntary or mandatory treatments Riverside County and more.

    The battle to save California citrus from the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) and Huanglongbing (HLB) is a collaborative effort that involves local, county, state and federal officials, researchers, scientists and commercial citrus growers. To help facilitate pest management and disease eradication, grower liaisons are key pieces to that puzzle and are dedicated to serving a specific region in the fight against HLB.

    This position requires a fundamental knowledge of citrus production, a working knowledge of grove operations, and the relationship between growers, shippers and allied businesses that work in the area of pest and disease control. A Pest Control Advisor’s license is desirable, but not required. The contractor should be familiar with California agriculture and specifically its citrus industry. Knowledge of the ACP and HLB is desirable.

    To submit a bid for the contract, you must follow these steps:

    • Visit ca.gov, if you do not have a profile you must register for one in order to view the Request for Proposal (RFP).
    • Once logged in, visit the Get Public Procurement Information page and select “See current bids.”
    • Under “Search Events,” type in “Asian Citrus Psyllid Outreach and Education.”
    • Once on the Events Details page, click “View Event Package,” then under the “View Attachments” area, click “view” to download the official Request for Proposal. Once there, you should be able to view the full RFP and Start a Bid if you meet the qualifications. Please note, you must have a profile and be logged in to view the RFP.

    Proposals are due to CDFA by Nov. 18 at 2 p.m. The term of this contract is Dec. 1, 2020 or upon final signature, whichever is later, through Nov. 30, 2022.

    For additional questions, contact Contracts Analyst Donna Weber at donna.weber@cdfa.ca.gov.

  • Watermelon Board Fall-Winter Marketing Tactics

    On the heels of strategic planning and virtual Board meeting, which took place October 23, National Watermelon Promotion Board (NWPB) is entering in to the fall and winter months well-positioned to strengthen demand for watermelon. Considering more than 30% of watermelon is consumed in the fall/winter months, year-round promotion is an integral part of NWPB programs.

    While each department at the Board has a different audience – including consumer, foodservice, retail and international – consistent programming strategies throughout the fall and winter months will focus on leveraging partnerships, serving as a resource, educating about watermelon’s health and versatility benefits, and maximizing social platform engagement. Not an exhaustive list, activity highlights by department include:

    Communications

    “How do you WINTERmelon” consumer social campaign utilizing influencer partnerships and earned media PR tactics to visualize watermelon in the winter usage ideas and versatility benefits

    • National paid feature syndication with winter-focus “Add Fruit Flavors to Fun Holiday Desserts” suggesting watermelon in nontraditional winter kitchen dishes
    • Dietitian education, inspiration and “edutainment” through FNCE virtual expo and culinary demo, highlighting RD Toolkit, Zero Food Waste and Watermelon Flavor Pairings
    • New launch of Jump with Jill multimedia educator portal with lesson worksheets built on existing watermelon partner videos for teachers and parents at home or in classrooms
    • Influencer social partnerships with Produce for Kids/Healthy Family Project, Kim Rose Dietitian, Fannetastic Food, Ana Quincoces and Pam Smith highlighting versatility and health benefits of watermelon year round
    • Shooting new TV commercial content focusing on both wellness and happiness, to be advertised on YouTube and other streaming content channels

    Foodservice
    • Print, digital and social media advertising with predominant foodservice publications to reach foodservice operators traditionally reached at events
    • New yield tool showcasing dice, wedge, juice and other formats yield from different watermelon sizes so chefs can easily switch between mini and seedless watermelon
    • Chef’s Roll partnership to create technique and recipe videos featuring popular watermelon formats including dice, wedge, juice, julienne rind, etc. to be shared through Chef’s Roll and used by the NWPB to educate and inspire operators
    • Virtual Flavor Experience conference to highlight watermelon’s year-round availability and versatility on foodservice menus
    • Partner with StarChefs to host a recipe contest to engage with no less than 200 chefs, build our recipe database and spotlight champions of watermelon
    Retail & International Marketing
    • Year-round retailer activations via domestic and international retail account management team
    • Continued distribution of Retail Kit in print and digital formats
    • Independent grocer outreach via Live. Balanced wellness activation kit planned for early 2021
    • Retail dietitian and retailer education outreach through virtual platforms
    • Presence at virtual conferences, trade shows and networking events“For many years, the NWPB has been tasked with promoting watermelon all twelve months of the year,” said Mark Arney, Executive Director for the NWPB. “Watermelon’s health benefits and versatility lends itself to everything from Halloween carvings to holiday punch to elevated usage ideas.”The next NWPB Board meeting, where staff will recommend marketing programs and the Board will vote on a budget for the 2021-2022 year, will take place virtually on Saturday, March 6, 2021. For more information or specifics about individual departments, contact Stephanie Barlow, Senior Director of Communications at sbarlow@watermelon.org. 

  • Developing the Perfect Chile Pepper for Mechanical Harvest

    There are many variables in producing the perfect New Mexico green chile pepper. Consumers select for flavor profile, and pepper pod size, shape, thickness and color. Agricultural producers want a high yielding plant with picture-perfect pods that are easy to harvest. Food producers want chile peppers with no stem and no damage to the pod.

    New Mexico State University researchers have developed what is on its way to being the perfect chile pepper for mechanical harvest. “After many years of traditional selective breeding, we have a new advanced green chile line with the proposed name NuMex Odyssey,” said Stephanie Walker, NMSU chile researcher and Cooperative Extension Service vegetable specialist.

    The new green chile line, Odyssey, is the result of the NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences’ ongoing efforts to resolve issues associated with harvesting green Chile. “Because of difficulty in obtaining people to hand harvest the green chile, we have been working on a mechanized harvest system,” Walker said. “We began by identifying a harvester manufactured in Israel that gives us the most efficient pick of the chile compared to other machines tested.”

    While testing various harvesters, the research team realized they needed some changes in the plant and chile pod. “We worked on plant architecture and fruit attributes that would mechanically harvest better,” Walker said. “We needed the plant to have a strong, single stem with fewer basal branches. The low lying lateral branches interfered with the machine, causing it to uproot the plant. We also found that fruit setting slightly higher on the plant and also detaching from the plant with less force contributed to a cleaner mechanical pick.”

    Fixing these traits in Odyssey resulted in higher mechanically harvested yield, with significantly less fruit loss in the field, compared to standard commercial green chile varieties.

    While this plant architecture helps the harvest efficiency of the plant, Walker said another really exciting thing about the Odyssey variety is the destemming – pedicel removal – efficiency of the fruit.

    “For green chile processing, we needed the pedicel – stem and calyx – to come off the fruit easier and cleaner,” she said. “Often when you pull the pedicel off of other varieties, you might either break it and partially leave it on the fruit, or you break the chile fruit.”

    Pedicels perfectly detached from Odyssey fruit 68 percent of the time as opposed to 34 percent for AZ 1904 and 24 percent for NuMex Joe E. Parker.

    “With Odyssey, we get very good, clean breaks,” she said. “This will also help hand-harvesting.”

    Pedicel removal is very important for the quality of commercial processed green chile.

    “In a processing plant where you are getting thousands of pounds of chile through the system, you have to remove the stem, or otherwise it creates woody material in the processed food,” said Walker, who began her work with chile as a quality control supervisor in a processing plant.

    “Currently, with the 100 percent hand-harvest system, the people actually remove the pedicel out in the field,” she said. “When it doesn’t come off easily, they sometimes break the fruit which causes yield and quality loss.”

    Ultimately, how does Odyssey taste? After taking a bite from the green chile pod, Walker declared, “Delicious New Mexico chile flavor, although very mild.” The new variety’s heat factor averages between 300 and 400 Scoville units.

    New Mexico State University researchers Brad Tonnessen and Stephanie Walker look at a NuMex Odyssey chile pepper plant that they have bred for easier harvesting (NMSU photo by Jane Moorman).

    Watch Walker talk about the new variety on YouTube, youtube.com/watch?v=Eoevm6aXHZI

    For a complete list of chile developed by NMSU, visit aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/research/horticulture/RR792/. — By Jane Moorman, New Mexico State University

  • USDA Measures Vegetable Chemical Usage

    Interviewers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will interview more than 160 Washington and Oregon vegetable growers in order to gather information for the Vegetable Chemical Use Survey this fall.

    The survey will collect information on pesticides used, acres treated and rates applied to seven targeted vegetable crops. In addition to Northwest producers, vegetable growers in 14 other states will also hear from NASS, as the agency collects comprehensive U.S. vegetable production practices information.

    “Participation in the Vegetable Chemical Use Survey is vital to all participants in this key agricultural sector,” said Christopher Mertz, director of the Northwest Regional Office. “Responses from vegetable growers will help ensure that chemicals critical to crop production remain available on the market.”

    Survey response is protected by federal law (Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347), which keeps respondent identity and answers confidential.

    Survey results will be published online in NASS’s Quick Stats database next year. This database and all NASS reports are available on the agency’s website: nass.usda.gov. For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Northwest Regional Office at 1-800- 435-5883.