California Ag Network

Category: Vegetable Industry

  • Win $250,000 in AgSharks Pitch Competition

    Western Growers and S2G Ventures are now accepting applications for the 2023 AgSharks Competition, a unique event where startup companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop producers to win a $250,000 minimum investment. Impact-driven entrepreneurs and startups developing technologies that promote a more healthy and sustainable food and agriculture system can apply for the AgSharks Competition by clicking here. Applications close on July 28, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

    “As our partnership with S2G Ventures to host the AgSharks competition at the Western Growers Annual Meeting enters its sixth year, we look forward to finding finalists who can bring real-world technology solutions to solve the issues impacting the specialty crop community,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “2022 AgSharks winner NutJobs earned a record $6 million equity investment – and this year we invite entrepreneurs to apply who have a similar bold vision.”

    Three startups will be selected to pitch their solutions to a panel of growers, shippers, processors and venture capitalists in front of more than 300 fresh produce farmers and industry leaders during the WG Annual Meeting in Kauai on Nov. 12-15, 2023. The AgSharks finalists will be the only presenting startups featured on stage. In addition to potential investment capital, the winner(s) will receive international recognition, mentoring from S2G and WG, potential access to farm acreage to pilot their technologies and access to WG’s expansive network of leading fresh produce companies.

    “It takes an ecosystem of stakeholders working together to unlock better outcomes for consumers and producers,” said Audre Kapacinskas, Principal, S2G Ventures. “Western Growers has been a tremendous partner, serving as a bridge between growers, innovators and investors to accelerate innovation in agriculture. As an investor, we bring capital to the table, and having an open dialogue with growers allows us to have a better understanding of industry needs and how we might work together to meaningfully move the needle on innovation in agriculture. We look forward to collaborating again this year.”

    AgSharks was first held in 2017; during last year’s competition AgSharks winner NutJobs received a record $6 million equity investment offer. Nutjobs transforms nutshell waste into bio-benign plastic alternative products that are compostable.

    Past AgSharks winners Hazel Technologies and Burro have since brought their products from development to market. Hazel Technologies has raised over $87.8 million in funding over six rounds and is advancing the industry with sachets that extend the shelf life of fresh produce by as much as three times. Burro raised a $10.9 million Series A round in September 2021 led by S2G Ventures and Toyota Ventures and continues to help solve farmers’ labor woes with the expansion of its fleet of autonomous robots to farms across the West.

    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 Twitter and Facebook.

    About S2G Ventures:

    S2G Ventures, the direct investment team of Builders Vision, partners with entrepreneurs who are working on solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges across the food, agriculture, oceans, and clean energy markets. We provide capital, mentorship and value-added resources to companies pursuing innovative market-based solutions that generate positive social, environmental and financial returns. We provide our partners with flexible capital solutions that can range from seed and venture funding through growth equity to debt and infrastructure financing. For more information about S2G, visit s2gventures.com, read our insights, or connect with us on LinkedIn.

  • Processing Tomato Variety Evaluation for Tolerance/Susceptibility to New Soilborne Pathogen

    In recent years, there has been an increase in crown rot/vine decline problems in processing tomatoes. Many tolerant, as well as several susceptible tomato cultivars, have been identified from previous efforts funded by CTRI. The number of fields in the Sacramento Valley with confirmed Fusarium falciforme vine decline has been increasing each year. In 2022, eight new tomato fields were diagnosed in Sutter and Colusa counties, for a total of 20 fields since 2019. In 2021 and 2022, we worked with AgSeeds and evaluated processing tomato varieties in field trials for their tolerance or susceptibility to Fusarium falciforme by rating disease severity and sending diagnostic samples to the Swett lab at UC Davis for confirmations. Unfortunately, in 2021, we were unable to confirm F. falciforme in the particular fields we evaluated, however, in 2022, all three fields in Sutter County where we evaluated trials were positive for F. falciforme, along with Fusarium crown and root rot in 2/3 fields. We evaluated fields for advanced decline and whole plant collapse. Yield data was provided by AgSeeds. Below is a table with the average number of declined plants at our three field sites in Sutter County. The table also includes percent decline and yield for two of the fields. Also worth noting, field #2 was evaluated the day before harvest, whereas field #1 was evaluated a couple weeks before harvest and field # 3 was not harvested due to September rain events in 2022.

    The varieties with the highest decline are similar to results we have seen at other sites over the years and a more comprehensive table (developed by UCCE Vegetable Crops Advisor, Brenna Aegerter, in San Joaquin County) which can be found in my December 2022 newsletter. If you are interested in more results and information from other regions of the state, you can see Brenna’s article on pages 4-5 in the UCCE San Joaquin County Field Notes newsletter from February 2023. — By Brenna Aegerter, UCCE San Joaquin; Co-PIs: Tom Turini, UCCE Fresno; Amber Vinchesi-Vahl, UCCE Colusa/Sutter/Yuba; Cassandra Swett, UC Davis Extension Pathology Specialist; Collaborators: AgSeeds (Funded by California Tomato Research Institute)

  • Kern County Potato Variety Trial Field Day, June 21

    The Annual UC Cooperative Extension and California Potato Research Advisory Board (CPRAB) Variety Trial Field Day is an opportunity to see tubers of potentially new varieties, how they performed this year, and how they performed compared to standard varieties. The event will take place on Wednesday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Hart Memorial Park (8 miles northeast of downtown Bakersfield via Hwy 178 and Alfred Harrell Hwy).  Entries include varieties from numerous USDA, state, and private breeding programs. This year’s entries include Russets, chippers, reds, yellows, and specialty types. Tubers will be shown as how they look straight from the field after being washed.

    This is an opportunity to express your evaluations and recommendations about these varieties to University researchers, breeders, seed growers, and fellow growers.

    LOCATION! The Potato Field Day will be held in the shade near the bank of the Kern River at HART PARK. It will be located on the east end of the park in Section 2, just off Alfred Harrell Highway. Please see map on back for directions to Hart Park. Snacks and refreshments will be available.

    Potato Grower Meeting: You should be receiving a notice from the CPRAB for the annual potato grower’s dinner and informal meeting to be held the evening of the field day.

    For further information contact:

    Jaspreet Sidhu, Kern County Cooperative Extension, 661-304-8870 Nathan Sano, California Potato Research Advisory Board, 559-591-0436

  • Leon Panetta, Chairman of the Panetta Institute of Public Policy, Will Keynote the Salinas Biological Summit

    Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, the Chairman of the Panetta Institute of Public Policy, will deliver the keynote address at the Salinas Biological Summit, speaking on the topic of food security and innovation. Registration is now open to attend the event, which will be held June 20-21, 2023 at CSU Monterey Bay’s Salinas City Center.

    Co-presented by Western Growers and New Zealand-based agrifood tech consultancy Wharf42, the 2023 Salinas Biological Summit will provide an opportunity for growers to increase their awareness of available biological solutions to address their soil and plant needs, as well as a chance for agricultural businesses to learn about the disruptive science and start-up activity led by innovators in the crop protection space.

    “We are honored and pleased that Secretary Panetta will be joining us as the keynote speaker for the Salinas Biological Summit,” said Dennis Donohue, Executive Director of the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology. “His focus on food security, innovation and the value of global collaboration by the ag sector underscores the importance of the WG biological initiative.”

    Unanimously confirmed in 2011 by the U.S. Senate as the 23rd Secretary of Defense,  Panetta has had a 50-year career in public service at the highest levels of government.  As Secretary of Defense, he established a new defense strategy and expanded service opportunities for women and others regardless of race, creed, color or gender.  As Director of the CIA, he successfully led the operation that brought Osama bin Laden to justice.

    Panetta began his public service career in 1964 as a First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, receiving the Army Commendation Medal, and then served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Tom Kuchel.  In 1969, he was appointed Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, where he was responsible for enforcing equal education laws.

    Elected to Congress in 1976, Panetta represented the California Central Coast district for 16 years and created the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. In 1993, he was sworn in as Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget for the Clinton administration and later was appointed White House chief of staff, working to achieve a balanced federal budget.

    In 1997, Panetta returned to his home town of Monterey to establish and co-direct The Panetta Institute for Public Policy, a non-partisan, not-for-profit study center that seeks to inspire men and women to lives of public service.

    Additional speakers at the Salinas Biological Summit include Dave Puglia, President & CEO of Western Growers; Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture; Julie Henderson, Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation; Don Cameron, Vice President and General Manager of Terranova Ranch; Pam Marrone, CEO and Founder, Chestnut Bio Advisors; and Scott Kumar, SVP of Global R&D at Driscoll’s.

    Hotel accommodations and the agenda for the Salinas Biological Summit can be found here. Accredited members of the press can register for free by clicking here.

    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 Twitter and Facebook.

  • Early Season INSV Infections in Lettuce Reduced From 2022 Levels

    Grower-Shipper Association of Central California – Possibly due to colder winter and spring weather conditions as well as mitigation strategies taken by farmers, pest and disease pressure associated with the Thrips-Vectored Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (INSV) have lessened in leafy greens fields as compared to 2022. As observed and reported by the Grower Shipper Association’s (GSA) INSV Task Force, this reduced pressure in the early growing season has resulted in dramatically fewer infections and, so far, lower pest populations as we move into the spring leafy greens harvest.

    What is INSV? Lettuce fields are infected by INSV via thrips migrating from infected host plants. Plants infected by INSV can have dark spotting and yellowing, which resembles the effects of sunburn on the leaves. Another plant disease, Pythium wilt (PW), often accompanies INSV infections and causes the plant to wilt or collapse making this truly a complicated pest/disease issue for farmers.

    In 2022, INSV infections in the Salinas Valley resulted in yield reductions in many fields resulting in consumers experiencing limited product availability in some areas.

    To identify and respond to INSV pressure as well as accelerate research mitigation strategies to control INSV, GSA launched its INSV Task Force in 2021. The Task Force is a collaborative effort between industry and the academic/research communities. In addition to funding provided directly by GSA, the organization helped to secure a one-million-dollar grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) for INSV and soil-borne disease research priorities. And in April 2023, GSA helped obtain a supplemental $200,000 grant through CDFA to further critical efforts.

    “One of our major initiatives was tracking thrips and corresponding disease pressure to identify infection trends that have helped guide research strategies,” explains Christopher Valadez, GSA President. “We found that an important mitigation strategy to lower pest pressure is weed abatement since weeds are good hosts for thrips. By encouraging increased weed control on farms as well as working with the state and county agricultural commissioners’ offices on abatement efforts along roadways, businesses, and open spaces, we’re reducing the opportunity for thrips to find spots to over-winter and lay eggs in spring.”

    Valadez adds that in 2022, disease pressure was exacerbated by unseasonably warm weather stretches which caused prolonged stress on the plant making the lettuce more susceptible to disease impacts. “The unseasonably cold weather we’re experiencing this year is positively impacting early-season INSV infections,” he says.

    In addition, GSA’s Task Force continues to assess varietal resistance, examine treatment efficacy trials and conduct grower education and outreach programs specific to these diseases.

    “Our thanks to Mary Zischke who heads up GSA’s task force as well as the farm advisors, scientists, and industry members for their diligent work on this very complex issue,” Valadez says. “Their efforts are crucial to prevent significant impacts from INSV infections, which can affect many in our communities including farmers, farm workers, processors, and facility employees.

  • New Report Finds 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Sampled in CA Meet Pesticide Safety Standards

    The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today released a report finding that 97% of fruits and vegetables sampled within the state in 2021 met federal pesticide safety standards.

    The 2021 California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report shows that 97% of domestically grown and imported produce samples collected in 2021 had either no detectable pesticide residues or had residues within the allowable federally-established tolerances. In addition, more than 98% of produce samples labeled as “grown in California” had no residues or tolerances that exceeded allowable levels. These results, compiled annually, are consistent with the department’s last several years of produce residue monitoring, and reflect the strength of California’s pesticide regulatory program and compliance with it.

    The 2021 report’s findings are based on 3,444 produce samples collected by the department at approximately 500 locations.

    The pesticide residue monitoring program supports DPR’s mission to protect people and the environment. Federally established tolerances identify the maximum allowable residue level of a specific pesticide on food that provides a ‘reasonable certainty of no harm.’

    “DPR’s produce monitoring program is the largest and longest-running state program for testing fruits and vegetables for illegal pesticide residues,” DPR Director Julie Henderson said. “With a focus on food eaten by children, as well as the state’s diverse ethnic communities, this program helps protect all Californians from pesticide residues on both domestic and imported produce.”

    DPR scientists throughout the year visit food distribution centers, stores and outdoor markets to collect samples of foreign and domestically grown produce. The samples are tested by California Department of Food and Agriculture labs for more than 500 pesticide residues and breakdown products.

    U.S.-grown produce continues to have significantly fewer illegal pesticide residues than imported produce. Imported produce accounted for nearly 77% of illegal pesticide residue samples. Of the imported commodities sampled, cactus pads and fruit originating from Mexico continue to show high percentages of illegal pesticide residues.

    When illegal residues are detected, DPR investigators trace the suspect crop through its lines of trade – from store shelves, to shippers, importers or growers. Tainted products and crops are quarantined and subject to reconditioning, such as washing to remove residues, or potential destruction In addition to potentially losing their inventory, growers and distributors whose produce exceeds tolerances can face fines and other penalties.

    During 2021, DPR issued 120 quarantine notices for more than 70,000 pounds of produce carrying illegal pesticide residues. In addition, DPR referred 22 cases of illegal California-grown samples to local County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs) for investigation of potential illegal pesticide uses. CACs issued statutory fines against growers in instances where produce sources were able to be identified.

    As part of enforcement activities, DPR staff provide guidance to growers and importers for ways to prevent sales of illegal produce.

    For previous reports and more information about the department’s residue testing program, please visit the Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program’s webpage.

    ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF PESTICIDE REGULATION

    The California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s mission is to protect human health and the environment by fostering safer and sustainable pest management practices and operating a robust regulatory system to monitor and manage the sale and use of pesticides across the state. DPR’s work includes registering all pesticides sold or used in California, conducting scientific evaluation of pesticides to assess and mitigate potential harm to human health or the environment, monitoring for pesticides in the air and water, and enforcing pesticide regulations in coordination with 55 County Agricultural Commissioners and their 500 field inspectors. DPR also conducts outreach to ensure pesticide workers, farmworkers and local communities have access to safety information. DPR invests in innovative research to encourage the development and adoption of integrated pest management tools and practices. More information about DPR can be found at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

  • UC Cooperative Extension Weed Expert Passes

    David W. Cudney, UC Cooperative Extension specialist emeritus, passed away in Riverside on March 30. He was 82.

    Cudney joined UCCE in 1964 as a farm advisor for Imperial County. In 1978, he became a UCCE weed science specialist for Southern California, based at UC Riverside. While working as a specialist, he earned his Ph.D. from UC Riverside in 1989.

    In 1992, Cudney and six Extension specialist colleagues from all over the western United States, published Weeds of the West, a guide book to identifying weeds in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. The 11th edition, containing more than 900 color photographs showing the early growth stages, mature plants and features for positive identification of each weed, was published in 2012.

    Cudney, who was active in professional organizations, served as president of the California Weed Society in 1995. He retired in 2003.

    “I met Dave as a grad student at UC Davis when I started my program working on a basic study of herbicide resistance,” said Jodie Holt, director of the UC Riverside Botanic Gardens and professor emerita. “Dave’s the one who cajoled me into presenting a poster at a Weed Day and becoming active in the weed science community. Throughout my career he was a great mentor who kept me and my students connected to on-the-ground weed science.”

    Jodie Holt, left, and Dave Cudney inspect perennial ryegrass for bermudagrass invasion in the 1990s.

    Holt also remembered Cudney’s kindness as a friend.

    “On a personal note, when our son was interested in flight simulation software, for his 14th birthday, Dave surprised him by taking us all on a flight and letting Doug fly the plane,” she said. “He was a wonderfully positive, kind and generous friend and colleague!”

    Cudney is survived by his wife, Loretta Cudney, and his children Michael Cudney of Riverside; Jana Cudney of Ontario; and Lisa Zaldivar and her husband, Anthony Zaldivar, and their children Alyssa and Christopher, all of San Dimas and Anthony Zaldivar of Palm Desert; his sister, Rita Suminski and her husband, Russell Suminski of Minden, Nevada. — By Pam Kan-Rice, UCANR

    Read more about Cudney’s life at  https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/riverside-ca/david-cudney-11228967.

  • Helping Reduce Methane Emissions by Solving a Sticky Problem for U.S. Produce Exporters

    USDA Foreign Ag Service — We see them every time we purchase fresh fruits and vegetables: price look up (PLU) labels. The little coin-size stickers are stuck to everything from apples, bananas, and cantaloupes to watermelons, yams, and zucchini.

    According to the Sustainable Packaging Coalition , PLU labels have been used globally for more than 30 years with the International Federation for Produce Standards issuing more than 1,400 PLU codes.

    PLU labels offer many benefits to the agriculture, trade, and retail industries. The labels lower costs and optimize handling by digitizing supply chain management, minimizing packaging, and reducing time at the point of purchase – something we can all appreciate when rushing through the self-checkout lane. When it comes to agricultural trade, PLU codes also help exporters and importers consistently and quickly identify and track products across the globe. Whether you purchase a Red Delicious apple in the United States, Mexico, or Vietnam, the PLU code is the same.

    USDA Research Chemist Dr. Gabriel Patterson pours one of the experimental home compostable adhesives to sticker backing during the research process. The team tested more than 100 formulas to determine the top three adhesive (photo by James McManus).

    Unfortunately, PLU labels have also created a sticky situation for composters, the environment, and even U.S. exporters. Why? PLU labels are not biodegradable, which means they contaminate produce that’s tossed in the compost pile or sent to commercial composting facilities. As a result, the produce generally ends up in landfills, which creates more food waste, increases methane emissions, and negatively affects climate change.

    Several countries, led by France and New Zealand, have enacted legislation that will require PLU labels to be certified home compostable. This has posed a challenge for U.S. exporters by creating a trade barrier that puts millions of dollars of U.S. fresh fruit and vegetable exports at risk. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stepped in to help solve the problem in an effort to help reduce trade barriers and mitigate climate change.

    With research and development funds provided by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service’s (FAS) Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program, FAS and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service are working to produce compostable PLU labels. FAS and ARS are collaborating with the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) and Sinclair Systems International to meet the EU standards. The goal is to develop adhesives that are both food-safe and compostable. When achieved, this will allow American companies to export fruits and vegetables as usual while helping to decrease food waste and methane emissions.

    Scientists at the USDA Western Regional Research Center in Albany, CA apply test and control PLU labels to grapefruits and sweet potatoes to evaluate their effectiveness (photo by James McManus).

    To date, the research team has tested more than 100 formulas to determine the top three adhesives that produce the desired biodegradation process. The team is performing final tests to confirm that these bio-based adhesives pass the home-compostable degradation test. They will then tackle scale-up adhesive coating trials as a key milestone toward commercialization.

    USDA has also coordinated closely with the IFPA on outreach and education to U.S. produce exporters to demonstrate the benefits of greener, environmentally friendly PLU labels and adhesives. Once implemented, the new PLU labels and adhesives will solve a sticky problem for U.S. exporters and ultimately help reduce methane emissions, another step towards more sustainable agricultural production and trade.

  • Growers Spend $500,000 Per Year on Automation

    Growers are now spending an average of $500,000 a year on automation in response to the persistent ag labor shortage, according to the Specialty Crop Automation Report released today and commissioned by Western Growers.

    This is the second year the Specialty Crop Automation Report has been released by WG in collaboration with consultants at Roland Berger. The report, which tracks and measures industry progress in harvest automation across the fresh produce industry, is part of WG’s Global Harvest Automation Initiative, which aims to accelerate ag automation by 50 percent in 10 years.

    “This year’s report takes a deep dive into some new areas: The European market, Controlled Environment Agriculture, and the innovator’s side of automation,” said Walt Duflock, VP of Innovation at WG. “We found progress from a fundraising and traction perspective in key areas like weeding, spraying and harvest assist – and less progress in other key areas, notably harvest.”

    Among the report’s findings:
    • Around 70 percent of participating growers indicated that they had invested in automation in 2022, with an average annual spend of $450,000-$500,000 per grower. This shows a considerable increase since last year when average investments in automation were around $350,000 to $400,000 per grower per year.
    • Most progress was made in the weeding and harvest assist segments; market-ready solutions are able to meet grower economic targets and alleviate key challenges, such as lack of labor availability. Growers reported ROIs for weeding solutions of less than one to two years depending on the type of crop and technology used.
    • Growers want more trained agtech personnel, with 50 percent indicating that they had internal employees who dedicated the majority of their time to the integration of automation investments. This suggests that the process of elevating and upskilling the agriculture workforce is well underway.
    • The time it takes to build automation solutions is getting shorter and the costs are getting smaller thanks to overall advances in robotics and nonagriculture fields that benefit agtech startups, as well as the increasing talent pool that agtech startups are able to add to their teams.The Specialty Crop Automation Report is available for download by clicking here.

      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 Twitter and Facebook.

  • Hartnell College Foundation Presents Annual Western Food Safety Conference, May 3-4

    Nearly 500 people with a professional stake in the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed worldwide will gather at Sherwood Hall in Salinas on May 3-4 for the 18th Annual Western Food Safety Conference.

    The conference will be held at Sherwood Hall at 940 N. Main St., in Salinas, and will focus on the theme, “Food Safety: The State of the Industry” through speakers,  intensive dialogue and education concerning how to keep consumers safe and maintain their confidence.

    The conference will provide participants with current produce safety information, research, and regulatory developments in the fresh produce industry that they can apply to today’s environment. The event features industry-leading scientists, executives, and professionals for the latest science-based industry information and networking opportunities. Speakers and panelists include experts in water quality, data science, sustainable agriculture and state and federal regulation.

    The May 3 keynote speaker will be William (Bill) Marler, attorney and national expert in food safety with Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm. The May 4 keynote speaker will be Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

    Topics for the 2023 conference include:

    •  FDA Field Sampling
    • Rethinking Recalls and Communication in the Supply Chain
    • Technology Advancements for Enhanced Traceability
    • FSMA Inspections
    • Ag Water Regulation Update
    • Field Equipment Sanitation

    Who should attend this conference:

    • Executive Management: growers, shippers, processors, cooling facilities, shipping facilities, and suppliers
    • Food safety directors, managers, and supervisors
    •  Quality assurance foremen and crew leaders
    • Recall team and farm labor contractors
    • Auditors
    • College students

    Registration fees and sponsors’ support in 2022 helped raise $15,000 for scholarships for Hartnell College agricultural students, adding to more than $100,000 previously shared as a result of the conference.

    The Western Food Safety Conference is committed to the inclusion of people with disabilities participating in the event. Online activities are designed to be accessible, meeting the Rehabilitation Act (Section 508). If a person with a disability is requesting reasonable accommodations due to a disability to participate in the event, requests need to be sent to Hartnell College Foundation, (831) 755-6702.  Requests for disability accommodations received three business days in advance of the event will be given priority, although an attempt to fulfill all requests will occur.

    Registration and sponsorship opportunities can be found on the conference website at: https://thewesternfoodsafetyconference.com/.