California Ag Network

Tag: Western Growers

  • Western Growers Testifies Before House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Western Growers Hires Human Resources Veteran Anna Bilderbach

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

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

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

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

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

  • Steve Patricio Honored for Significant Contributions to Ag

    Western Growers to Present Patricio with 2018 Award of Honor on October 30

    Western Growers will honor Stephen (Steve) Patricio, who’s visionary leadership has advanced the agricultural industry by leaps and bounds, with the 2018 Award of Honor. The Award of Honor is Western Growers’ highest recognition of industry achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community.

    “Steve has been a tireless advocate for agriculture, and his ability to turn some of the most tumultuous challenges that our industry has faced over the past few decades into opportunities is unmatched,” said Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers. “He has already left a tremendous legacy as someone who shoulders the responsibility of igniting change that advances the industry as a whole.”

    Patricio is being recognized for his immeasurable leadership and contribution to the agricultural industry, making significant advancements in food safety and the protection of public health. Steve led the creation of the first-ever mandatory food safety compliance program for the California cantaloupe industry, as well as helped raise millions of dollars to fund research geared toward preventing foodborne illness. He also played an integral role in the establishment of the California and Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreements, which today have become the model for produce safety and accountability.

    “When you look at the success of California agriculture, Steve is a true representative of why the ag community is as successful as it is today,” said Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, executive director of the Center for Produce Safety. “He truly embodies passion and proactivity, and his commitment to food safety to benefit both the consumer and industry is unlike any other.”

    Patricio’s tenacity does not just stop at food safety. Patricio has spent countless hours throughout his 45-year tenure in the industry advocating for a sustainable supply of water for farmers to grow the food that feeds the state, nation and world. He has taken every opportunity, as he did when he was asked to join former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at the San Luis Reservoir, to call attention to the need for more surface water storage and stress the need for a comprehensive water solution. Furthermore, Patricio launched the industry’s first orientation program for agribusinesses that focused exclusively on water rights.

    “Steve has one of the brightest minds and quickest wit in the industry,” said Bob Gray, past chairman of Western Growers and former president/CEO of California Ag Leadership Foundation. “He is a contributor of substance, and the expertise and competence he has brought regarding food safety and water has made major impacts for the industry.”

    A Los Banos-native, Patricio is deeply involved in the community and industry. He has served as chairman for Western Growers, Center for Produce Safety, California Cantaloupe Advisory Board and Monrovia Nursery Company. He has also held leadership positions at Western Growers Assurance Trust, Monsanto Vegetable Seeds Advisory Council and the Produce Marketing Association.

    “I was speechless when I found out I was selected for this award,” said Patricio. “I never thought that, in the end of it all, I would be a farmer or involved in this honorable and wonderful world that I am so engaged in today. I often tell youth that your career chooses you, and because I followed the path life decided to take me on, I am proud to say that I am a farmer. I couldn’t imagine being in any other industry.”

    Patricio’s accomplishments and passion for shaping the ag industry will be recognized at the Award of Honor Dinner Gala at the Western Growers Annual Meeting on October 30, 2018, in Palm Desert, California.  There, Patricio will be honored by his peers, friends and family. To attend the ceremony, visit http://www.wgannualmeeting.com/.

  • Western Growers’ Statement on Administration’s H-2A Reform Initiative

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture today released a joint cabinet statement on modernizing the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program. In response, Western Growers’ President and CEO Tom Nassif issued the following statement:

    “Any effort to simplify and streamline the federal government’s visa program for agricultural foreign workers – the H-2A program – will be welcomed by our members.

    “While we do not know what the end result will be of the process that begins today, we are hopeful it will enable greater utilization of the H-2A program by the fresh produce industry. We would hope this process will lead to changes in several areas of the existing program, including changes that would accomplish the following:

    • modernize and reduce unnecessary cost of recruitment methods;
    • improve the scope and accuracy of prevailing wage surveys;
    • simplify the application process;
    • incorporate greater flexibility for movement of workers to respond to production needs;
    • clarify interpretations of seasonality; and
    • streamline the approval process for housing and transportation.
    Tom Nassif, Western Growers CEO

    “While this effort to implement administrative changes are most welcome, key aspects of the H-2A program can only be modified by statute. We have grown accustomed to fluctuations in the program’s processes with each administration. Indeed, administrative improvements undertaken by one administration can be, and are, undone by the next, as was done by the prior administration.

    “Though we do support changes to the H-2A program to make the process more efficient, we are concerned with the suggestion that E-Verify would be a part of this proposal. Changes to H-2A should be made to improve the system for the use of all, and any implication that necessary reforms would be limited to those that use E-Verify is concerning.

    “This is why we continue to call on Congress to enact immigration reform legislation that provides a workable path to legalization for our existing workforce and creates a new guest worker visa program to ensure ready access to an adequate supply of labor in the future. Only then can America’s fresh produce farmers plan for long-term sustainability.”

  • Minimizing Risks for Food Recalls & What to do During Them

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    Any grower or packer that has experienced a food recall knows how stressful things can get and all that is at stake; yet those who have never experienced them tend to be the least prepared for a recall when it occurs.  Watch this brief video interview with Rachael Dettmann Spiegel as she addressed growers, hullers and processors at the recent Almond Alliance Convention on how to prevent recalls from happening — but also how to deal with them in the event that a food recall does occur, like the one that has been all over the news recently with romaine lettuce.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!