The National Onion Association’s membership works hard to keep their operations sustainable. From use of onion as a raw “onion power” to power up facilities to protecting workers and the land, America’s onion farmers work hard every day to create the most sustainable programs possible. It’s not only right for the country, but their families as they continue to feed …
Summer is coming, and temperatures are rising to levels of concern for heat illness for farm employees. “Weather forecasts are looking at highly increased temperatures in the coming weeks,” shared Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of Nisei Farmers League. “In some areas, an increase of more than 20 degrees than what we are used to at this time of the year. Please …
Western Growers has officially launched an interactive directory that acts as a marketplace for agricultural technology (agtech) startups. Found at https://www.agtechpages.com, the Western Growers AgTech Innovation Directory allows users to identify, research and connect with start-up companies who are developing technologies and innovations to solve the biggest issues facing the agriculture industry. These startups are specializing in everything from automation …
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, …
(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 2019)– Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched two new features on farmers.gov to help customers manage their farm loans and navigate the application process for H2A visas. “Customer service is our top priority at USDA and these new features will help our customers as they manage their farm loans …
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 …
Over 100 organizations representing water and agricultural interests in the Western U.S. urged Congress today to use any infrastructure package under consideration to help address severe hydrological conditions in the West. “As a nation we must continually invest in the Western water infrastructure necessary to meet current and future demands,” the groups stated in a letter sent to key congressional …
Each year roughly 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses according to the CDC. As our food supply becomes progressively more globalized, the need to strengthen food safety systems in and between countries has become much more apparent. Legislation like the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)now enables the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) …
Salmonella – we all know it’s bad for us but why? What is it? Where does it come from? Why should we care? Does my company have a plan in place if something tests positive? With all the news lately about one recall after another, it is easy to be tormented with endless questions. I am here to tell you that …
Consumers want strawberries to be red, sweet, ripe and juicy, like those fresh picked from a garden. Suppliers want them to be easy to handle and ship, without getting squished. Commercial strawberry growers need their crops to be high-yielding and disease-resistant. An international team of scientists led by the University of California, Davis, and Michigan State University has taken a …
