California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • Center for Land-Based Learning Launches Program to Upskill Farm Employees

    As California agriculture seeks to adapt to changing markets and increased government regulations, farmers and ranchers are working hard to boost productivity and ensure that their workforce has the skills needed to be as productive as possible.

    To help make that goal a reality, the Center for Land-Based Learning is launching a new program called AgHiRE, crafted specifically for the Spanish-speaking agricultural workforce and dedicated to empowering top-performing workers.

    “Employers are getting pressure from all sides to become more efficient and nimble. They need workers to be as skilled and efficient as possible,” said Marisa Alcorta, the Center’s apprenticeship program director. “The program, the newest component of our California Farm Academy, is designed to equip employees with critical language skills, digital literacy and leadership training that will enable them to advance into roles with more responsibility within their organizations.”

    She said the program is designed to give experienced farmworkers the skills to make them more valuable to the employer.

    “A lot of employers have said they have employees who don’t speak English who they would like to move up. We needed to create a program accessible for Spanish-speaking workers. There are a lot of amazing talents working in the industry who know their job but can’t advance because of those gaps,” she said.

    Alcorta noted that the curriculum was developed during more than four months of meetings with an Advisory Committee consisting of agricultural employers, educators and regulatory consultants.

    “It was important to make sure industry was driving the design of this program so that it was meeting the needs of growers and their employees,” she said. Other partners included Valley Vision and YoloWorks!, the Yolo County Career Services Center.

    Jacob DeBoer, Regional Marketing Manager, with American AgCredit, said Farm Credit continues to strongly support the Center because of its innovative and successful programs to inspire, educate and cultivate future generations of farmers and agricultural leaders.

    “For 30 years, the Center has provided programs for students, beginning farmers and aspiring farm managers,” DeBoer said. “The new AgHiRE program builds on a successful two-year farm management apprenticeship program with the goal of providing more skills and opportunities for farmworkers, benefitting workers and employers alike. Programs like these are invaluable assets to California agriculture, and Farm Credit is proud to continue supporting the Center’s work.”

    Kevin Ralph, California State President for AgWest Farm Credit, noted that Farm Credit’s support extends to the Center’s ambitious campaign to raise $10 million in public funds and private donations to allow it to further expand its efforts.

    “The Center’s vision is to expand its workforce training options, launch a new bilingual farmworker upskilling program in partnership with major statewide ag groups and expand the beginning farmer and rancher apprenticeship program statewide,” Ralph said. “Farm Credit has generously supported the campaign and encourages others in the ag community to do the same.”

    Farm Credit organizations supporting the Center’s programs are AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit. These organizations are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.

    Alcorta added that sponsorships such as Farm Credit’s are essential to the Center’s success.

    “Investment by Farm Credit has really helped kick-start many of our programs and keep them going,” she said. “We couldn’t do what we do without their support, and we hope we can lean on their support in the future as we work to make programs even more relevant to employers.”

    She said the first AgHiRE cohort began the program in early December and will finish in mid-March. It consists of three-hour in-person classes on Wednesdays and Fridays, with a monthly five-hour Saturday session focused on leadership and communication, totaling 87 hours of instruction.

    In addition, the 25 participants are learning critical language skills and digital literacy that will enable them to advance into roles with more responsibility within their organizations. The center plans to offer another course next winter, and to add an advanced course as well for farmworkers who already have most of the basic skills.

    Alcorta said the center is really excited about launching the program because it serves an important need.

    “Our goal is to help farmworkers advance their careers. They deserve a pathway for professional development. And as the labor force dwindles because the industry is having to shift to mechanized labor to survive, more and more farmworkers are going to need to be trained on these soft skills and technology,” she said.

    “That’s why the digital literacy piece is so critical, and I can see it expanding a lot for the advanced class.”

    About Farm Credit: 

    AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Fresno Madera Farm Credit, Golden State Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com

    About the Center for Land-Based Learning:
    For 30 years, the Center for Land-Based Learning has been dedicated to inspiring and training the next generation of farmers, agricultural leaders, and natural resource stewards. By focusing on sustainable practices and community engagement, CLBL aims to build equitable and resilient food systems that benefit both people and the environment. For more information, visit www.landbasedlearning.org

  • Recycling Human & Animal Excreta Could Help Meet Nutrient Supply for Global Crops

    It might not be a pleasant image, but recycling all the human and livestock feces and urine on the planet would contribute substantially to meeting the nutrient supply for all crops worldwide, thereby reducing the need to mine fertilizers such as phosphorus and dramatically reducing the dependency on fossil fuels, according to a global analysis of nutrient recycling published Nov. 26 in Nature Sustainability.

    “We have to find ways to recycle the nutrients that are now poorly utilized, and our data shows that there is a lot of it: Many countries could become self-sufficient at current fertilizer use if they would recycle excreta to agriculture,” said Johannes Lehmann, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor in the School of Integrative Plant Science, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), and the study’s senior author.

    The lead author is doctoral student Mariana Devault, and Dominic Woolf, a senior research associate in the School of Integrative Plant Science Soil and Crop Sciences Section (CALS) is a co-author.

    The researchers analyzed a large array of datasets retrieved from various databases, including the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s FAOSTAT and the International Fertilizer Association’s STAT, as well as satellite-based maps, to identify the locations of crops and livestock, and learn which fertilizers, and how much of them, are being used in as many as 146 countries.

    “A major aspect of our study is estimating these nutrient flows at the subnational scale in every country prior to making conclusions at the national and global scales,” Devault said. “Knowing that the cost of transportation is a barrier for an agronomically sound use of livestock excreta in many areas, we wanted to estimate how much of these nutrients has been poorly used simply to reduce operational costs at the farms. Then, we can imagine alternative ways to better manage the use of livestock excreta locally, which can help improve nutrient circularity nationally and worldwide.”

    After calculating the locations and quantities of nutrients accruing in excreta from humans and livestock, the team modeled how much of this waste, if recycled, would be needed to satisfy crop and grassland production systems worldwide.

    The analysis showed that the global amounts found in human and poorly utilized livestock excreta represent 13% of crop and grassland needs for major nutrients. National recycling of those nutrients could reduce global net imports of mineral fertilizers by 41% for nitrogen, 3% for phosphorus and 36% for potassium.

    The use of recycled excreta, Lehmann said, would have additional benefits, such as diverting waste nutrient runoff from entering local water sources, where it becomes a pollutant – for example, the harmful algal blooms found in the Finger Lakes. Nutrient recycling could also help establish a circular economy between food consumption and agriculture.

    “It doesn’t make any sense to pollute our environment, especially our waters and soils, and then have not enough fertilizer for agriculture,” Lehmann said. “We need to close the loop from poorly utilized nutrients, wherever they come from, and in this paper, we show that taking only two of these feedstock types, animal excreta and human excreta, we could theoretically satisfy all our fertilizer use at present.”

    Lehmann sees the urgency of meeting global fertilizer needs as a geopolitical issue comparable to that of oil, with the vast majority of phosphorus, a nonrenewable resource, mined in very few countries. Nitrogen, similarly, is expensive and requires a great deal of energy to commercially produce, creating a large greenhouse-gas footprint.

    “The basic fact is that any nutrient that we remove in agriculture, and we obviously remove a lot, we have to replenish,” he said. “There’s no free lunch.”

    Without the aid of recycling, eventual nutrient scarcities will only drive up the price of fertilizer and eventually food, risking increased migrations and political unrest, Lehmann said.

    While there may be public perception issues related to using fertilizer derived from human urine and feces, establishing a circular economy between food consumption and agriculture will be critical as the global food system will need to accommodate close to 10 billion people by 2050.

    “There are many countries in the world that flush down more nitrogen in the toilet than they import or add as agricultural fertilizer on their lands, and I think that’s a crime,” Lehmann said. — David Nutt, Cornell University

  • Organic Trade Association Advocates for Organic in End-of-Year Legislative Funding

    The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has been meeting with congressional offices in Washington, D.C., to advocate for funding for organic in a Farm Bill extension and a Continuing Resolution to fund governmental operations or full FY25 appropriations. While Congress is currently considering allocating billions in additional funding for conventional operations in core commodities, organic remains underfunded relative to our economic impact.

    OTA has requested funding for three “orphan” programs as well as the continuation of Organic Market Development Grants:

    Organic Data Initiative (ODI) 

    The USDA has made progress in aggregating accurate, segregated organic data via ODI and needs stable, secure funding to continue improving. This data is essential for understanding market trends and addressing challenges faced by organic operations. USDA’s reliance on conventional agriculture data has hindered effective responses, particularly in sectors like providing relief for organic dairy producers. Mandatory funding of $1 million for 2025 is critical to support this initiative.

    Organic Certification Trade and Tracking Program (OCTT) 

    The Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) rule, implemented to prevent fraudulent imports and protect consumer trust, requires continued and stable funding. Mandatory funding of $1 million in 2025 will enable the USDA to uphold organic standards and safeguard domestic farmers from market disruptions caused by fraud.

    Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) 

    The OCCSP helps organic operations offset annual certification costs, supporting farmers and handlers in meeting USDA organic standards. With rising inflation and increased demand, the program’s current $8 million funding falls short. We estimate $11 million is needed in 2025 to maintain reimbursement rates and avoid disruptions that could force farmers out of certification or increase reliance on imported organic products.

    Organic Market Development (OMD) 

    In 2023, USDA announced the Organic Market Development Grant Program to support the development of critical processing infrastructure to support farmers bringing new organic products to market. This program was a success, garnering hundreds of applications and requests totaling $218 million for only $75 million in available funding. The organic industry needs market expansion and increased domestic processing to meet growing consumer demand, generate greater farm-to-retail efficiencies, and encourage the adoption of regenerative practices inherent in organic agriculture. This program provides opportunities for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on imported organic products and generate value for our farmers and business operations. As such, it should be a key priority for this administration.

    To ensure the continued success of the organic sector and strengthen our agricultural economy, it is critical that we prioritize and fund these vital programs. By investing in the future of organic agriculture, we can reduce dependence on imports, support American farmers, and meet the growing demand for organic products. Stay tuned to OTA communications for the latest updates on advocacy efforts and funding developments.

    By: Matthew Dillon, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Organic Trade Association 

    About the Organic Trade Association

    The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products in North America. OTA is the leading voice for the organic trade in the United States, representing more than 9,500 organic businesses across 50 states through direct membership and 500 producers through our Farmers Advisory Council. Its members include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations, distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA’s Board of Directors is democratically elected by its members. OTA’s mission is to promote and protect ORGANIC with a unifying voice that serves and engages its diverse members from farm to marketplace.

  • Defending Against Marek’s Disease with Genetics and Epigenetics

    Poultry is the world’s most consumed meat. This popular food choice is also squarely in the crosshairs of Marek’s disease, a foe with a mortality rate that is typically 10-50% in unvaccinated chickens, but can reach as high 90% in some breeds.

    As the second largest exporter of chicken (behind Brazil), U.S. poultry production is big business. According to the National Chicken Council, in 2022 the U.S. poultry industry accounted for more than 1.5 million jobs, nearly $95 billion in wages, and $417 billion in economic activity. The disease, however, takes a tremendous bite out of those numbers – estimated worldwide economic losses from Marek’s disease exceed $2 billion due to poultry meat condemnation, reduced egg production, and vaccination cost.

    Currently, poultry producers depend primarily on vaccines to keep their birds safe, but researchers with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are working to develop a long-term control strategy that relies on a better understanding of disease resistance through host genetics and epigenetics (how behaviors and environment can change the way genes work).

    According to Huanmin Zhang, an animal geneticist with the ARS Endemic Poultry Viral Diseases Research unit in Athens, GA, “that fundamental understanding could guide us to develop more potent vaccines for better disease control.”

    Chicks atop a picture of a genetic map of a chicken. The chicken genome will make it easier to locate genes, especially those for complex traits like disease resistance. (Photo by Peggy Greb)

    Marek’s disease is a highly contagious viral disease that causes tumors in chickens and is caused by a version of the herpes virus. Its clinical signs vary from bird to bird, but commonly include premature death, paralysis of the legs, wings, and/or neck, weight loss, loss of appetite, reduced vision, irregular pupils, and tumors in various tissues. The disease is spread among bird populations through both direct and indirect contact. Direct contact includes bird-to-bird aerosols and secretions, while indirect contact involves contaminated material, such as poultry dust and dander from shed Marek’s disease-concentrated feather follicles.

    The disease is not contagious to humans.

    “The genomics group is [working] to identify genetic and epigenetic factors that modulate genetic resistance to Marek’s disease and to advance the fundamental understanding of how those factors interact with the viral infection process and vaccination process,” Zhang said. “An understanding of the underlying mechanisms will help researchers develop more efficient strategies to establish disease resistance in lines of chickens through selection and breeding. Much more potent vaccines could also be designed to protect all lines of chickens, instead of just some.”

    One of the project’s accomplishments was developing a pangenome of the domestic chicken, in collaboration with research partners at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. A pangenome is the entire set of genes from all chicken breeds that descended from a common ancestor. Information from the pangenome can show researchers where the DNA sequences from different breeds are identical or different.

    “The pangenome paves the way to discover what effects genetic variants have and make breeding for disease resistance more readily possible in chickens,” Zhang explained.

    Reaching the goal of containing , controlling, or mitigating the Marek’s disease depends on the work of the world research community and advances in biotechnology. Zhang noted that advances in understanding and controlling the disease have been greater during the last two decades than the previous 50 years. – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications

  • USDA Announces Cotton Board Appointments Including California’s Martin Schatz

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of seven members, seven alternates, and two advisors to serve three-year terms on the Cotton Board from Jan. 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2027. Additionally, USDA appointed seven individuals to fill board vacancies.

    Newly appointed members:

    • Caroline Collins Barber, Charlotte, N.C.

    • Kelly Gupta, Houston, Texas

    • Doyle Schniers, San Angelo, Texas

    Newly appointed alternate members:

    • Daniel Pacheco, Oro Valley, Ariz.

    • Martin Schatz, Alameda, Calif.

    • Willie Scott, Collins, Ga.

    • Chris Matschek, Garden City, Texas

    Reappointed members:

    • Adam Hatley, Mesa, Ariz.

    • Michelle Tarry, Maplewood, N.J.

    • Tara Hoffmann, New York, N.Y.

    • Julie Davis Holladay, Lubbock, Texas

    Reappointed alternate members:

    • Nicholas A. Pence, Severna Park, Md.

    • Steven J. Bohman, Allen, Texas

    • Steven D. Olson, Plainview, Texas

    Newly appointed advisor:

    • Nicole Tanner, Liverpool, N.Y.

    Reappointed advisor:

    • Damian Murrieta, Stanfield, Ariz.

    Additional appointments:

    • USDA appointed five members to fill board vacancies with terms through Dec. 31, 2025:

      • David C. Light, Rolla, Kan., member

      • Carolyn Seeliger, Burden, Kan., alternate member

      • Brad Harrison, Elk City, Okla., alternate member

      • Volkan Tastan, Cherry Hill, N.J., alternate member

      • Elizabeth Cobarrubias, Salem, Ore., alternate member

    • USDA appointed two members to fill board vacancies with terms that expire Dec. 31, 2026:

      • Jennifer Pisula, Wilmington, Del., member

      • Shannon Chestnut, Mansfield, Texas, alternate member

    The Cotton Research and Promotion Act of 1966 authorized a national cotton research and promotion program that is both industry-operated and funded. More information is available on the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Cotton Board webpage.

    Since 1966, Congress has authorized the development of industry-funded research and promotion boards to provide a framework for agricultural industries to pool their resources and combine efforts to develop new markets, strengthen existing markets and conduct important research and promotion activities. AMS provides oversight of 22 boards, paid for by industry assessments, which helps ensure fiscal accountability and program integrity.

    AMS policy is that diversity of the boards, councils, and committees it oversees should reflect the diversity of their industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited to individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.

  • Will Importing Workers Lead to Importing Crops?

    A dwindling and aging agricultural workforce, coupled with higher labor costs, have added pressure on U.S. farms over the past decade. A recent study by University of California agricultural economists Alexandra Hill and James Sayre explores these changing trends in U.S. and Mexican farmworker demographics and the potential implications for U.S. farms.

    They found that the incentives to enter the United States under the H-2A visa program for farmwork far outweigh the incentives to immigrate for farm work without proper work authorization. However, because these H-2A workers come at a steep cost to employers, this could mean that several crops with high labor costs may increasingly move production to Mexico in a quest to reduce costs.

    Over the last two decades, several trends have led to a shortage of domestic crop workers in the United States. A major contributing factor is that fewer immigrant farm workers are migrating to the United States from Mexico. This trend is generally driven by a declining share of Mexican citizens working in agriculture as the country’s economy moves into manufacturing and service industries, coupled with declining birth rates, rising education levels, and increases in U.S. immigration enforcement.

    The H-2A program — which provides legal authorization for foreign workers to engage in temporary work on U.S. farms — is the one source of foreign crop labor that is on the rise. Employers are required to pay H-2A workers either the local minimum wage or the local H-2A minimum wage (called the adverse effect wage rate, or AEWR), whichever is higher. The H-2A AEWR is often four to five times higher than the average farmworker wages in Mexico, leading to a substantial wage gap that helps pull Mexican workers into U.S. farm work.

    “While the high costs associated with the H-2A program will pull in workers, they may also push farms out of the United States,” said Hill, assistant professor of Cooperative Extension at UC Berkeley.

    This is due to the fact high H-2A wages are reducing the profitability of U.S. farms that employ H-2A workers, particularly in states such as California and Washington, which have a greater number of high-labor crops, such as fruits and nuts. Mexico’s lower labor costs and suitable climate for fruit and vegetable crops allow the country to have an increasing competitive advantage compared to states like California, which have increasingly high AEWRs.

    Mexican production of some of these high-labor crops has increased dramatically over the last two decades: From 2003 to 2022, the value of blueberry production grew 2,600-fold, raspberries grew 140-fold, and strawberries 13-fold. Large increases in exports of these crops from Mexico to the United States have occurred over this same period, confirming that high-labor crops are at a greater risk of losing market share to Mexico.

    To learn how the changing demographics of U.S. and Mexican farmworkers could affect U.S. agricultural production, read the full article by Alexandra E. Hill and James E. Sayre: “As Mexican Farmworkers Flock North, Will U.S. Farms Head South?” ARE Update 28(1): 9–12. UC Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics, online at https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1730229662/21163 or in Spanish at https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1732133779/21191/.

    ARE Update is a bimonthly magazine published by the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics to educate policymakers and agribusiness professionals about new research or analysis of important topics in agricultural and resource economics. Articles are written by Giannini Foundation members, including University of California faculty and Cooperative Extension specialists in agricultural and resource economics, and university graduate students. Learn more about the Giannini Foundation and its publications at https://giannini.ucop.edu.

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings UC information and practices to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, economic growth, nutrition and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

  • Ag Retailers Association Celebrates 2024 Rising Stars

    The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) recognized a group of top performers and emerging leaders as part of its Rising Stars award program at the 2024 ARA Conference & Expo.

    Through participation in ARA Conference educational sessions and networking events, ARA Rising Stars expanded their network to include industry thought leaders such as ARA board members and learned new approaches to apply to their work.

    “Each year we look forward to recognizing a new class of Rising Stars for their impactful work in the ag retail industry,” says ARA President and CEO Daren Coppock. “We hope these top performers will remain engaged with ARA as we work together to advance our industry for years to come.”

    The Rising Stars program, sponsored by Atticus, is a meaningful way for ARA retailer member companies to nominate emerging leaders to be recognized for their work in front of hundreds of industry professionals and to explore new ways to hone their leadership skills.

    “We remain consistently impressed by the level of professionalism and enthusiasm demonstrated by the Rising Stars,” shares Randy Canady, Atticus Founder and CEO. “It is with great pride that we acknowledge these emerging leaders for their passion, dedication, and steadfast commitment to advancing the agriculture industry.”

    The theme of this year’s Rising Stars award program was “Empowering Leadership through the Next Frontier.” As part of the award application process, many nominees submitted videos to Atticus, sharing their unique stories and explaining what this year’s theme meant to them. One Rising Star, Eric Winans, PhD, research farm manager and technical agronomist with Brandt, was named this year’s grand prize-winning Rising Star for his video! Watch Eric’s winning video.

    New this year was the Atticus Fan Favorite Video Contest, which empowered our Rising Star nominees to share their application videos on social media, encouraging friends and family to vote for them. Chase Porter with Southern States Cooperative was named the 2024 Fan Favorite winner, totaling the most votes. View Chase’s Fan Favorite video.

    As part of the program, each Rising Star also completed the ARA NAVIGATOR 360°online leadership assessment to identify their own strengths and areas to improve as it relates to their company’s unique needs. Developed specifically for agricultural leaders by NuVue, LLC, this ARA tool empowers organizations to thrive in challenging times through developing effective leadership.

    ARA knows that when employees are challenged and engaged in their own professional development, companies are more likely to retain a higher number of high achieving employees to tackle the challenges facing our industry. Nominations are accepted annually from late spring until early fall and are open exclusively to ARA members.

    Learn more about the Rising Stars Award program in this video.

    View each of the videos submitted by this class of Rising Stars. See a list of this year’s ARA Rising Stars.

    Learn more about the ARA Conference & Expo on the website or on ARA’s social media.

    About Agricultural Retailers Association
    The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of retailers across the United States on legislative and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. As the political voice of agricultural retailers, ARA not only represents its membership but also educates members on the political process and important issues affecting the industry. For more information on current legislative and regulatory issues impacting agricultural retailers, visit www.aradc.org.

  • Ag Retailers Association Names Buttonwillow Warehouse Company Retailer of the Year

    The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) honored Buttonwillow Warehouse Company (BWC) with its Retailer of the Year award in front of more than 600 attendees during the 2024 ARA Conference & Expo.

    “I’m honored to accept this award on behalf of the entire team at Buttonwillow Warehouse Company,” says BWC Chief Operating Officer Clay Houchin. “Our company’s decades-long legacy of putting people first has enabled us to consistently meet the evolving needs of growers while fostering a world-class workforce contributing to the prosperity of the communities we serve.

    BWC believes the keys to success lie in three core values: integrity, community, and innovation. By prioritizing people, communities, and agricultural innovation, Buttonwillow Warehouse Company has earned this distinguished honor.

    “Our industry relies on innovative partners who consistently deliver results, and for over 50 years, BWC has exemplified this commitment to excellence,” says ARA President & CEO Daren Coppock. “Their leadership and tailored services have not only set them apart but have also greatly contributed to the success of local communities. We’re proud to recognize them as a leader in our industry.”

    The Retailer of the Year award, sponsored by Bayer and The Scoop, annually honors an ARA member retailer company or individual that displays effective employee relations, environmental stewardship, customer reliability, industry leadership, and more.

    BWC is a premier agricultural retailer providing comprehensive services, with a focus on custom blending, crop protection, fertilizer, and sustainable agriculture practices. They are committed to meeting the diverse needs of their customers and pride themselves on their strong community ties with a dedicated team of over 100 employees who contribute to their ongoing success and industry leadership.

    Watch a video showcasing the hard work of the BWC team.

    Learn more about the ARA Conference & Expo on the website or on ARA’s social media.

    About Agricultural Retailers Association
    The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of retailers across the United States on legislative and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. As the political voice of agricultural retailers, ARA not only represents its membership but also educates members on the political process and important issues affecting the industry. For more information on current legislative and regulatory issues impacting agricultural retailers, visit www.aradc.org.

  • California Ag Leadership Foundation Farm Show Breakfast Fundraisers

    Tickets are available for the Colusa Farm Show Breakfast on Feb. 5 and the Ag Leadership Alumni World Ag Expo Breakfast on Feb. 13. Over the past three decades, the annual events – which draw several hundred attendees at each venue – have raised more than $2.6 million collectively to help support California Agricultural Leadership Foundation’s (CALF) mission of growing leaders who make a difference, plus other educational efforts.

    23rd Annual Colusa Farm Show Breakfast

    Dr. Joel Kimmelshue, owner and principal soil and agricultural scientist of Land IQ, is the keynote speaker at the 23rd annual Colusa Farm Show Breakfast on Feb. 5. The event begins at 7 a.m. at Saint Bernadette’s Hall at 745 Ware St. in Colusa.

    Kimmelshue has more than 27 years of consulting experience focusing on practical and applied solutions for development and management of agricultural-based systems, especially irrigated systems. Land IQ, a Sacramento-based agricultural and remote sensing firm, has worked extensively with numerous agricultural, urban and environmental partners. Kimmelshue was raised and worked on a diversified tree and row crop farming operation in Durham and still maintains an ownership and management interest in the family farming operation. He is a member of Class 37 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

    Hosted by alumni of the Chico State College of Agriculture, CALF and Alpha Gamma Rho, the breakfast has raised more than $600,000 for scholarships and leadership programs in its history. Sponsorships are available. Tickets can be purchased for $75 by contacting the College of Agriculture at 530-898-3737 or via the event page. All proceeds go to the Chico State College of Agriculture and CALF.

    31st Annual Ag Leadership Alumni World Ag Expo Breakfast
    Hans Kabat, president of Cargill’s North American protein business, is the keynote speaker at the 31st annual Ag Leadership Alumni World Ag Expo Breakfast on Feb. 13. The event begins at 6:30 a.m. at the International Agri-Center (VIP Tent South) at 4500 S. Laspina St. in Tulare.

    Kabat leads a team of over 30,000 individuals who produce enough protein to feed 90 million people every single day. Having led protein teams in Thailand and China before his current role, Kabat delivers strategic leadership, a bold vision and a global perspective. He navigates through complex challenges to lead the protein industry to new, better and more efficient solutions. Kabat also has deep roots in agriculture having grown up on his family’s farm. He gained firsthand experience and a profound understanding of farming life that sparked his passion for the industry. Those values continue to shape his vision and leadership today.

    The breakfast is hosted by CALF alumni, with support from Gallagher and sponsored by insurance company partners, including diamond sponsor The Zenith. It has raised more than $2 million for CALF since 1995. Tables of eight for $900 and individual tickets for $125 can be purchased via the event page.

  • Local Chefs at Whole Vine Festival Awarded for Innovative Use of California Table Grapes

    To support the local and innovative culinary use of grapes, the California Table Grape Commission sponsored a competition at the recent Whole Vine Festival, awarding cash prizes to the top three food trucks incorporating grapes from California on their menus. A $1,000 grand prize was awarded to Rice and Spice for their Thai Papaya (and grape) salad. Runner up $250 prizes went to Marcelino’s Wood Fired Pizza for their Whole Vine Pie (grape & balsamic glaze reduction drizzled over cheese blend topped with arugula and fresh sliced grapes) and their dessert pizza (with red grapes, brie and honey), and Madtown’s Burger & Tacos for their Grape Pollination Salad and PB&J Burger.  Watch this brief interview with Whole Vine Festival President Vickie Goudreau as she introduces the grand prize winner and shares more details with Matthew Malcolm on California Ag Network.