NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2025
INNOVATION DETERMINATION HOW JOHN DEERE'S AGTECH BUILDS ON 187 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE
Sean Sundberg, Business Integration Manager for High Value Crops at John Deere
WESTERN GROWER & SHIPPER Published Since 1929 Volume XCVI | Number 6
To enhance the competitiveness and profitability of Western Growers members
Dave Puglia President and CEO Western Growers davep@wga.com
Features
P. 20
INNOVATION DETERMINATION How John Deere's Agtech Builds on 187 Years of Excellence
Editor Michelle Rivera 949.885.4778 | mrivera@wga.com Contributors Ann Donahue 949.302.7600 | adonahue@wga.com Emily Gengler egengler@wga.com Isa Glassen iglassen@wga.com Taylor Lauson 949.634.3624 | tlauson@wga.com Cory Lunde 949.885.2264 | clunde@wga.com Emily Lyons 831.272.0661 | elyons@wga.com Michael Escañuelas michael.escanuelas@gmail.com Circulation Marketing 949.885.2248 | communications@wga.com Advertising Sales Dana Davis 302.750.4662 | dana@tygermarketing.com
P. 26
INTRODUCING THE SUSTAINABLE PRODUCE PACKAGING ALIGNMENT INITIATIVE (SPPA) A New Era in Sustainable Produce Packaging
P. 30
FIGHTING FOOD WASTE WITH BABÉ FARMS AND VEGGIE RESCUE
Articles
P. 44
WGCIT RESIDENT PROFILE PROVISION ANALYTICS RESHAPING FOOD SAFETY IN FRESH PRODUCE
Departments
TOGETHER.
4 President’s Notes 6 Agriculture & the Law 8 Advocacy | California 10 Science 12 Innovation 14 Finance 15 Human Resources 18 WG Health 19 Health and Wellness 37 Director Profile
39 Member Profile 40 WG Member Welcome & Anniversaries 43 WG Leadership Program 46 Updates from the WGCIT 47 WG News You Can Use 48 Connections 49 Contact Us 50 Farm Dogs and Barn Cats of Western Growers
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Western Grower & Shipper ISSN 0043-3799, Copyright © 2025 by the Western Grower & Shipper is published quarterly by Western Grower & Shipper Publishing Company, a division of Western Growers Service Corp., 6501 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 100, Irvine California 92618. Business and Editorial Offices: 6501 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 100, Irvine California 92618. Accounting and Circulation Offices: Western Grower & Shipper, 6501 Irvine Center Drive, Suite 100, Irvine California 92618. Call (949) 863-1000 to subscribe. Subscription is $25 per year. Foreign subscription is $50 per year. Single copies of issues, $2. Periodicals postage is paid in Irvine, California and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Western Grower & Shipper, PO Box 2130, Newport Beach, California 92658.
3 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
A MOTH, A TRACTOR AND THE BIGGER PICTURE By Dave Puglia, President and CEO
A long time ago as a college student, I took a course on bureaucracy. That one word constituted the entire name of the course, which felt a little like Dante’s warning: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” Friends who had taken other political science courses with me now waved off; not one of them dared dedicate an entire semester to something so mind-numbing as “bureaucracy.” These days that feeling of hopelessness is as pungent as ever, thanks to the intransigence and impenetrability of California’s bureaucracies. This came to mind recently during a Western Growers membership meeting in Salinas, where several growers once again pleaded for help with the Diamondback Moth (DBM), a small but destructive pest that causes billions of dollars in losses every year, particularly for growers of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts and other brassicas. Specifically, growers pointed out that California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is slow- walking approval for the usage of a new product to combat the DBM, showing none of the urgency the federal government is to get effective pesticides through the bureaucratic tangle. While a biological solution on the horizon shows some promise, the here-and-now reality is that California’s growers are losing significant crop production to the DBM. As in so many other areas of regulatory policy, California stands alone among the states. Farmers in the other 49 states operate under the pesticide regulatory regime of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); that federal science-based system of evaluation and registration of crop protection products is among the most stringent and conservative of its kind in the world. But California just has to be different, requiring crop protection companies to produce and submit research and data tailored to California’s unique requirements and then wait for years to hopefully gain regulatory clearance. It is not uncommon for farmers elsewhere in the nation to utilize a crop protection tool for years before their Golden State counterparts gain approval to use the same product. Despite all our pleas and pressure to act on the Diamondback Moth, the glare of common sense fails to illuminate in Sacramento. In a similar frustrating manner, while California’s political class boasts of the state’s leadership in
technological innovation, the state’s regulatory apparatus today stands athwart the most common-sense innovation awaiting farmers: the autonomous tractor. The state’s occupational safety board (Cal-OSHA Standards Board) has for years refused to allow farmers to deploy autonomous tractors, citing a 47-year-old regulation intended to protect employees from injuries that could result from jumping off a moving tractor. Of course, today’s autonomous tractors operate without employees and thus there is no one to jump off. But union-aligned activists on the Cal-OSHA Board have for years claimed the risks are just too great. Meanwhile, other states (such as another WG state, Arizona) have come to the common-sense conclusion: Autonomous tractors are here, they’re safe and they can help farmers struggling with soaring labor costs stay in business. Come to think of it, even some very progressive California cities have reached a similar common-sense conclusion, giving autonomous taxi company Waymo the green light to deploy thousands of driverless Jaguars in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Surely someone in Sacramento must understand that a driverless car winding its way through streets crowded with cars, bicycles and pedestrians presents a higher safety concern than a tractor on a lonely field in farm country. And yet we suffer increasing economic losses from a destructive pest while sitting on solutions, and we suffer from the unavailability of cost-saving technology that farmers around the country and the world are rapidly deploying. This should be cause for embarrassment in the state capital. And for the state’s chief executive, it should be more than that. In midwestern and southern states where agriculture is the dominant economic sector (rather than one of several major economic contributors as in California), these California-only regulatory shackles are unlikely to be welcomed. A deliberate and outcome-motivated initiative to cut away the bureaucratic thickets that have ensnarled the state’s agriculture industry would demonstrate a real understanding of regulatory overreach and the economic imperatives of a common-sense approach to fast-changing conditions in the private sector economy. It feels to me like that would sell well in Iowa. Looking at you, Governor Newsom.
4 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
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FINALLY, A REAL BREAK FOR AMERICAN AGRICULTURE By Jason Resnick, Senior Vice President and General Counsel
For years, the Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) has been the single biggest policy lever driving H-2A labor costs up while squeezing growers’ margins. Since 2005, the average AEWR has roughly doubled. That run-up was untethered from job requirements and blind to the value of housing that H-2A employers are legally obligated to provide. The Department of Labor’s (DOL) new interim final rule, effective Oct. 2, 2025, finally fixes both problems, and it deserves praise. This is the most important positive correction to H-2A economics in a generation. If it holds, it will restore balance to a system that was pricing out lawful, domestic food production. The rule’s core ideas are simple and sensible. First, the new rule uses Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) data and sets wages in two skill tiers tied to the duties and qualifications in the actual job offer. In California, for example, most farm jobs will slot into Level 1 at $16.45 or Level 2 at $18.71 per hour. Add the new $3.00 housing adjustment (more on that below) and the wage for most H-2A field jobs lands at the state minimum wage of $16.90, down from $19.97 in 2025. Occupational titles that fall outside the “big five” (formerly “big six”) like drivers and mechanics, will generally price a bit higher under Level 2. But pay will be tied to real job content, not to a stray high-skill task, and fixes the old “highest duty wins” distortion. The new rule uses a “majority of the workdays” test, which still needs to be fleshed out. Second, for the first time, the wage calculation recognizes a fact that is well understood, but not heretofore appreciated: H-2A employers build, maintain or rent housing that would cost workers real dollars in the market. Treating that zero-cost benefit as worth nothing never made sense. The new housing adjustment factors that value into what employers must pay in cash when housing is provided to H-2A workers. Wages must still clear statutory protections, and workers remain whole. But the rule stops pretending that a free bed, utilities and transportation to work aren’t valuable. These two changes move AEWRs toward what the law actually requires: preventing adverse effect on the wages of U.S. workers similarly employed, while keeping the program usable. Courts have long recognized that DOL has room to choose a reasonable methodology to meet that mandate. The new rule sticks to reliable labor- market data, ties pay to actual job content and accounts
for non-wage benefits that the program itself mandates. DOL is on solid legal ground. Critics will say this is a giveaway to employers. It is not. It is a correction to a policy that had drifted far from reality. When a wage floor increases over 21 percent in five years with no link to skills or total compensation, the result is not fairness. It is consolidation, fewer domestic acres and more imports. Rebalancing AEWRs toward skills and total comp pushes in the other direction. It keeps jobs in the U.S., supports farm communities and protects consumers from higher prices caused by policy, not by productivity. Labor advocates will likely sue to block the rule. We have seen this movie. Litigation followed the last several attempts to rationalize AEWRs. The difference this time is the Department’s footing. By choosing a transparent, skill-based structure grounded in OEWS data, and by acknowledging the value of employer-provided housing, DOL is executing the discretion Congress gave it to prevent adverse effect without destroying program usability. That is the right reading of the statute, and it is consistent with modern administrative law. Western Growers will join industry allies to help defend the rule in court. Credit where credit is due. The Administration heard industry’s concerns and took a tough, politically noisy problem and produced a workable fix. It targeted the right pressure points, kept worker protections intact and gave growers a fighting chance to compete with imports that do not face American labor standards. This is not an academic rewrite. It is a practical re-set that can halt the offshoring of our produce aisle. And when the nation’s farm workforce policy aligns with economic reality, consumers win at the checkout line. Now the job is to keep it. The rule needs a strong legal defense and prompt, predictable implementation. Western Growers stands ready to support both.
"This is the most important positive correction to H-2A economics in a generation."
6 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
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WALK ABOUT & TALK ABOUT IT
WALKABOUT AND TALK ABOUT IT
EXAMINING SB54'S TIMELINE IN THE WAKE OF GOV. NEWSOM'S PAUSE By Melissa Koshlaychuk, California Government Affairs Analyst
California agriculture has long been a powerhouse of innovation—delivering scientific and technological breakthroughs that have transformed not only how we grow food, but also how we think about sustainability, efficiency and resilience. There’s an old saying: “If you get too good at something, you’ll be asked to do more of it.” Well, California ag, you were too good. You solved hard problems—soil health, water use, labor efficiency, yield optimization—and now, all eyes are on you again. This time, to help solve the nation’s recycling and packaging challenges. So, while we fully agree with CalRecycle that farmers, packers and shippers are not SB54 “producers” in the legal sense, we also know the ag industry won’t sit on the sidelines. California ag will do what it has always done: lead. We’ll support packaging transitions that protect food safety and quality, that are truly sustainable (not just greenwashing) and that offer cost-effective solutions for the entire supply chain, including the end customer. 2025 Key Highlights As we get closer to wrapping up 2025, we can proudly say we made some positive impacts to California’s SB54 (Allen, 2022) “Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act” regulatory landscape. Today, we are closing in on a full year past the statutory deadline, and that is a win. It has been 10 months more than we thought we had to voice our concerns, develop solutions and continue communication with CalRecycle leadership and legislators. This extra time has allowed us to sharpen our tools, hone in on where the wins are, seek legal counsel and prepare for future packaging fights. • March 7, 2025: Gov. Gavin Newsom told CalRecycle to redo the regulations. • June 3, 2025: California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) held an informational session to hear updates from agricultural organizations, policy experts and business groups concerning plastic packaging regulations. • CDFA Secretary Karen Ross stated: “We need to reduce plastic pollution in our environment. At the same time, we must consider opportunities and pathways for California’s farmers and ranchers that advance a circular economy and allows for packaging innovation that maintains quality and safety of fresh food products.” Regulations Prior and After the Governor’s Redo Directive: March 7, 2025 In December 2024, CalRecycle was working hard to publish their final SB54 Draft Regulations to meet their statutory deadline of Jan. 1, 2025. Well, that didn’t happen, and thank goodness.
SB54 Draft Regulations Details from After the Redo Directive: A Few Examples 1. Updated regulations align more closely with the statutory language of SB54. a. Most importantly, it clearly states that packaging necessary to comply with federal rules, regulations and guidelines are not covered material. b. Allows businesses to apply to CalRecycle directly for categorical exclusions and exemptions rather than with the Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO). 2. Option for CalRecycle to consult with CDFA and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regarding categorical exclusion determinations. 3. Reduced total program costs ($36 billion to $21 billion). 4. Lessened administrative burdens for producers (“monthly” reporting requirements of producers and the PRO to an annual reporting framework). 5. Section added that highlights empty packaging materials are not considered single-use plastic or covered materials for the purposes of this regulation. 6. Addition of alternative Phase-in Plans directly with CalRecycle for exemptions. What’s Next? Western Growers submitted comments to this latest Draft Regulation on Oct. 7, 2025. WG also had a meeting with CalRecycle’s Director Zoe Heller on October 8 to discuss the issues that remain, and they are still considerable. • CalRecycle may: • Make substantive changes to the current Draft Regulations, prompting another 15-day comment period. • Make no changes. • Make minor technical changes, not prompting another comment period. • Once CalRecycle publishes their final SB54 Regulation, producers will have 30 days from the publication date to register with CalRecycle. • PRO will submit their plan to the SB54 Advisory Board (Circular Action Alliance [CAA] estimates mid-2026 for submission). Then the PRO Plan will go on to CalRecycle with advisory comments for their review, and public comments. While we await the release of the final SB54 Regulations, likely in late December 2025, we sit with both hope and uncertainty.
8 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
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YOUR WORKFORCE.
THE DATA DILEMMA Is Data Driving Food Safety or Watching It Fail? By Joelle Mosso, Associate Vice President, Science Programs
Where do we start on our quest to remove food safety risk with big data? As with most grand journeys, we start at the beginning – critically thinking about what we are trying to do, and what risk we are trying to remove. We don’t start with more compliance data since it will not magically lead to intentional risk-reduction outcomes. Does overlap between compliance and risk-reduction exist? Of course. Much of the compliance data is collected around the hazards, factors and practices that matter for risk. But the overlap is incomplete. We usually miss critical data elements and continuous streams of measurement that allow us to visualize risk – capturing its dynamic, variable and context-dependent nature. The opportunity in big data lies not in checklists, but in systems capable of capturing the right signals at the right time and resolution. With this data, we can move past checklists and illuminate paths forward that prevent failures from occurring.
We live in an era where we recognize that data is currency, enormously valuable and spoken about with such grandeur and mystique that it might as well be the Holy Grail…or perhaps Pandora’s Box. Food safety data has that aura – it draws us in, tempts us with the idea that more data will solve our most elusive challenges. But does current food safety data offer these outcomes? Current systems for food safety are trapped in the box of compliance – checklists, audit scores, deviations and repetitive corrective actions. Yet, if there is one thing I have learned, compliance data does not equal risk data. I have seen flawless compliance programs fail catastrophically, while horrible compliance systems never falter into a crisis. Here’s the main point — food safety risk doesn’t care what your checklist performance is, or your last audit score. Risk can be independent of compliance. Risk doesn’t need to be measured to exist, but measuring it is an essential first step to resolving it. And therein lies the conundrum – leaning more strongly into “compliance data” as if it were “risk reduction data” is unlikely to unlock sweeping solutions in produce safety. Don’t misunderstand me, compliance data has its place. It verifies adherence to standards and provides measurable metrics as evidence of best practice controls. These are all critically important. But compliance data primarily does one thing — it lets you know if you are meeting the program, standards and/or regulations you’ve chosen to follow. When we talk about food safety promises from big data, we must recognize that solutions will come from the right data, and that checklist data will likely leave us wanting.
Western Growers’ GreenLink®, and our broader data efforts, represent much more than compliance. It’s our collective effort to leave the reactive compliance loop – unlocking a risk-based and sustainable solution to fresh produce food safety. Where are we going? Anywhere we choose…and that choice, powered with the right data, is where the true promise of food safety innovation lies.
10 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
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OUR NEXT MOVE IN AUTOMATION By Walt Duflock, Senior Vice President, Innovation
Over the past five years, Western Growers has made some big moves in automation. Since launching the Global Harvest Automation Initiative (GHAI) in February 2021 in Tulare, Calif. with the goal of automating 50 percent of specialty crop farm labor in 10 years, Western Growers and our partners have made some meaningful progress on our automation efforts—but there is still lots of work to be done. Here are the highlights as we approach mid-field—the five-year mark on a 10-year program.
1. WG developed automation events to help growers and startups talk more. We have found more ways to get growers and automation startups into the best place for them to have real conversations—at live field demonstration and field trial events in the dirt with the people building and supporting the robots. First, we launched FIRA USA with our partners at GOFAR and UC ANR. We went to Fresno (2022), Salinas (2023) and Yolo County Fairgrounds in 2024 and 2025. Each year, we have added new robots and more growers started coming in part because as of 2024, growers get into FIRA USA for free. FIRA USA is a three-day conference with in-room content and live demos on production acreage. Second, we launched the Desert Difference with our partners at YCEDA. This is a two-day event focused specifically on desert growing conditions and solutions. These events have served as a launching pad for international startups like Ecorobotix and Niqo Robotics to enter the U.S. market and as a great starting place for sales conversations with growers. 2. WG developed WG Case Studies to help growers identify success stories. We understand that the biggest challenge for growers is not whether startups can build automation solutions that do the job. Rather, the big challenge is often whether it can do the job at economics that work for the grower. Based on that, we launched two case studies (and more are on the way) around specific automation solution providers—Carbon Robotics and Stout Industrial. For Carbon Robotics, after extensive data collection and analysis done in conjunction with Braga Fresh and JV Smith, we compared 3,200 acres of eight certified organic crop types in year one and found a total labor cost for weeding of $2.1 million, then looked at year two when the robot was added and the cost was $1.3 million. It turns out you pay for a Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder ($1.4 million and support and maintenance) by saving $800,000/year on labor weeding costs. Then we took it one step further and released grower economic templates to help growers do their own comparison, because the results will vary based on whether growers are weeding conventional or organic crops, domestic or H-2A labor and owning or leasing tractors to
drive the weeding robots. The case studies help the growers understand what data to collect, and the economic templates help them understand how to analyze the data around an ROI opportunity. 3. WG partnered with Reservoir Farms to give startups a place to demo and trial. One of the biggest opportunities to help automation startups was to help them reduce the time and capital they needed to get to their first product. Many automation startups need $50 to $100 million in capital and five to seven years (or more) to get to commercial scale. One of the ways to reduce both of those numbers was to provide a real-world working farm, where startups could have shared R&D work space, shared ag equipment and shared acreage feet away from the R&D space. This is why WG is a key strategic partner for Reservoir Farms. Their initial facility provides all of the above with 40 acres of commercially grown crops in Salinas, and John Deere tractors are available to help the R&D teams test out their equipment any time they want on the crops they selected, grown the way WG members grow them. And once the machines work, they can use the acreage for demos for growers and partners like OEMs and distributors. Reservoir Farms and WG members working together can help startups achieve first product status in less time and with less capital. 4. WG did some analysis on the factors increasing the need for automation. First, we published two Global Harvest Automation Reports with Roland Berger to give a global view on automation efforts, what was working and not and what factors were having a positive impact (or not) on the growth of automation. Second, we collaborated with Professor Lynn Hamilton at Cal Poly on the labor economics created from regulatory cost increases on specialty crop growers—from $109/acre/year in 2005 to $1,600/acre/year in 2024. In addition, Hamilton helped us determine, that for the 850 million hours of farm labor California growers hire, two-thirds are for harvest and one-third are for non-harvest (weeding, thinning, spraying, harvest assist, planting) with a high variance by specialty crop type (i.e. strawberries are 80-90 percent harvest with long harvest windows).
12 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
5. Four-year checkpoint—2-3 percent of non-harvest is automated but 0 percent of harvest. We decided at the year four mark to see how we were doing against our 50 percent automation objective. The short version is that we must split automation into two segments: harvest and non-harvest. For non-harvest, we believe that as of 2024, 2-3 percent of farm labor has been automated, and we see a clear path forward to turn that number into 15-20 percent (with upside if additional startups begin to scale) in the next five to seven years. For harvest, the results are vastly different. So far, nobody has been able to create an automation harvester for specialty crops that has reached commercialization at scale—we are effectively at 0 percent automation at this point with some promising technology out there, but nobody starting to scale in earnest. Many startups have struggled to get the right combination of robotic hand and software that can pick crops gentle enough and put them in a container without damaging them, and at the same time. AgriFoodTech VC is down 80 percent in four years and much of the capital is going to non-harvest because it is working. We are taking a new approach to try and make progress on harvest automation without venture capital.
6. In 2026, WG will launch a grower capital collaborative approach to harvest. We are still working through a lot of details, but we have decided to launch an RFP process around iceberg lettuce harvest automation. This project will have multiple phases, including a collaborative product requirements document (PRD) developed in collaboration with growers and innovators, a request for proposal (RFP) to determine the best go-forward R&D and strategic options and then more collaboration with manufacturers to build the machine once R&D is completed. This will be a completely grower-funded initiative with no venture capital participating, and growers that put up the early risk capital will receive four primary benefits: (1) input into the R&D and strategic design process; (2) shared risk capital—the risk will be spread out among multiple grower organizations; (3) most-favored nation (MFN) pricing status; and (4) exclusivity over a fixed period of time (expected to be two to three years). Once exclusivity is over, the equipment designs will be available to all via open source and all growers can work with manufacturers they choose to get the machines into their operation. It’s an exciting new direction that involves a fair amount of risk, driven in part by the need to figure out harvest alternatives in an environment where there are no current success stories and venture capital has been reduced significantly, with little chance of it coming back to 2021 levels any time soon. Look for more information from us as we work through the details on this project.
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13 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
RAISING THE BAR ON RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLANS By Karen Timmins, Senior Vice President, Human Resources
It’s no easy task for employers to find a retirement savings plan provider that brings together the triple benefit of cost savings, compliance support and white- glove service. But that’s exactly what Western Growers Financial Services (WGFS) sets out to deliver. With its Multiple Employer Plan (MEP), WGFS offers a streamlined approach to retirement planning that competitors struggle to match: a single retirement plan with pooled resources that lightens the load of administrative burdens while providing meaningful value to both employers and employees. You’ll be hard-pressed to find the same combination of benefits and services as WGFS. At the heart of WGFS’s retirement offerings comes our high-touch approach. Employers and employees alike benefit from our tailored guidance and experienced experts who understand the nuances of plan management. To make things simple and accessible, we hold open enrollment and educational meetings in both Spanish and English, so every participant can get the support they need. Our staff will even travel directly to employer locations for enrollment sessions at no additional cost. And while retirement plan regulations can seem intimidating, our team is ready to assist you in understanding the rules to keep compliant with IRS Code 404C. We provide fiduciary protection to employers by offering a broad range of investment options while giving employees control over their investments. Employers with more than 100 participants are often faced with costly audit requirements, but WGFS eliminates that expense in several ways. WGFS saves employers with the expense of an independent auditing firm’s fee, which could result in as much as $20,000 a year in savings. You can also take comfort in knowing all fees are market-leading at rates that are nearly unheard of in the retirement plan industry. Plan participants also get the benefit of consolidated audits and a single Form 5500 filing. Since all employer plans in the MEP are housed under one plan, Western Growers Family of Companies (WGFC) does the filing at no additional cost. This means employers can have the opportunity to channel more resources into their business. Another area that sets WGFS apart from its competitors is its transparency and cost structure. WGFS maintains a record of all decisions that impact the plan’s management, which includes the various investment manager presentations. Members are also invited to observe one or more of the annual
Advisory Committee meetings, further reinforcing fiduciary confidence. Plan documents are IRS-approved and provided by Northwest Plan Services (NWPS), a Raymond James Company. For employers evaluating retirement plan offerings, consider reviewing the fees your current provider charges. You’ll find our rates are unmatched and our options more comprehensive. And beyond 401(k) plans, WGFS manages a range of retirement plan options, including 457b and 409A, to align with each employer’s strategic objectives. WGFS also ensures participants have convenient access to the necessary tools they need. They’ll gain access to a dedicated, user-friendly website specifically created for WGFS, complete with a dedicated call center team.
"Behind every successful product is a team of dedicated professionals."
It Takes a Village Behind every successful product is a team of dedicated professionals. The WGFS MEP is overseen by the Retirement Savings Plan (RSP) Board of Trustees, folks dedicated to ensuring proper oversight and compliance for which I owe a debt of gratitude: Mitch Ardantz, Bonipak; J.P. LaBrusherie, LaBrucherie Produce; Todd Talley, Talley Farms; Jon Alexander, WGFC; Melinda Dougherty, CFO, Hadley Date; Kate Elmore McCutcheon, Vail Farms; Gary Burk; and Steve Mangapit, COO, WGFC. More gratitude extends to Matt Lewis, Vice President Investments, WGFS; Dave Puglia, President and CEO, WGFC; Ward Kennedy, CFO, WGFC; Jason Resnick, Senior VP and General Counsel, Secretary to RSP; Grant Flannigan, Financial Planner; Lori Duquette, Investment Compliance Officer; and Silvia Aviles, Financial Operations Principal. The work and collaboration of WGFS continues to be guided by our mission: to create and preserve financial security for you, your family, your business and your employees. To learn more about how our RSP can support your goals, contact Matt Lewis, Vice President of Investments at mlewis@wga.com.
14 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
WESTERN GROWERS 2025 COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS SHIFTING
COMPENSATION IN AGRICULTURE Employers expect higher wages, new wellness programs and technology-driven cost management as the industry navigates a competitive labor market. By Cierra Allen, Program Manager
For over 15 years, the annual Western Growers Compensation and Benefits Survey has provided a detailed look into how member companies are approaching pay structures, employee retention and executive compensation. The 2025 survey shows that companies are working harder than ever to not only attract talent but also keep it, all while adjusting to new technology and workplace expectations to shape the agriculture workplace of tomorrow. Workforce and Pay Trends A key finding in the 2025 survey is that 75 percent of respondents expect pay ranges to increase in the next year. This is not surprising given the pressure of rising labor costs, the increased need for skilled workers and the attempt to keep up with inflation trends. Despite the expected pay increases, turnover remains a challenge. The survey found that for operations and field jobs, the turnover rate in 2024 was 10 percent. This percentage highlights the importance of keeping on trend with increased compensation and appealing benefits for agriculture companies where the workforce is already slim. How Employers are Hiring and Keeping Workers Companies are now finding different ways to recruit the best and brightest workers in the agriculture industry. The survey found that 38 percent of companies are now using social media to fill open positions. This percentage shows just how creative companies are becoming. Another important aspect the survey found is flexibility in the workplace, as a flexible work schedule was identified as one of the most important strategies to attract and retain employees. In a post-COVID area, flexible work is increasingly becoming an expectation. Employee referrals are also becoming more common in the recruiting space as nearly one-third of the companies surveyed have employee referral programs. To further address increasing labor challenges, employers are offering different types of incentives. Over 20 percent of the companies surveyed provide a second- shift differential, thus rewarding and acknowledging employees who take on less desirable hours. In terms of field workers, 40 percent of the survey respondents offer piece-rate pay based on quantity, thus giving workers the chance to earn more. Performance, Wellness and Benefits A core aspect of the industry’s pay practices continues to be using performance-based pay. It was reported that
over two-thirds of employers tie merit increases directly to performance, making it clear that compensation reflects the employees’ efforts. While compensation seems to be a high priority, wellness programs are increasingly becoming popular. More than half of the surveyed companies have a wellness program or are in the process of considering one. Wellness programs can range from stress management activities to healthy eating tips. While vacation policies can vary from company to company, the survey found that the typical company offers seven paid holidays per year. Executive Compensation Insights The survey also highlights several key factors in executive level compensation. For chief financial officers (CFOs), holding professional certifications such as a CPA license leads to a 42 percent higher expected compensation level when compared to CFOs without credentials. This demonstrates the desire for skilled expertise at all levels of an organization. Sales and marketing show a different trend. The 2025 survey found that top sales and marketing executives with fewer than 10 years of experience earn below- average levels compared to their peers. However, the compensation trajectory changes with time. Once the executives reach 10 to 20 years of experience, their pay is expected to increase by 22 percent. The sharp increase proves that expertise in a skilled area is highly desirable to a company. Looking Forward The 2025 Western Growers Compensation and Benefits Survey shows an industry that is in transition and learning about balance. Employers are not only increasing pay but also finding incentives like wellness programs and flexible schedules are necessary to have a satisfied workforce. Organizations are also testing out new programs like AI to combat the ever-rising labor cost issue. At the executive leadership level, certifications and experience are continuing to be big factors in compensation levels. The Western Growers Compensation and Benefits Survey is only successful and helpful to the agriculture industry if we have participants. The 2025 survey is now available to purchase on the Western Growers website. We highly encourage all members to participate in the 2026 survey (opening in January). Members wishing to participate should contact Cierra Allen at callen@wga.com or visit the agsalary.com website.
15 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
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A PREMIER CONFERENCE FOR HR, LABOR, AND SAFETY PROFESSIONALS IN AGRICULTURE
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN GROWERS, PRODUCE AND EMPLOYEE WELLNESS By Beth Sims, Manager, Health and Wellness, Pinnacle Claims Management, Inc.
deserve. Brazeel made a point to highlight the growers who are at the heart of this effort, the men and women who dedicate their lives to cultivating fresh produce and, through Project FoodBox, ensuring it reaches the families who need it most. Their willingness to step up, even when it meant going above and beyond during challenging times, has been nothing short of inspiring. As Western Growers members, these growers are known for growing the best medicine on earth— fresh, nutritious food that fuels healthier lives and stronger communities. The conversation also emphasized the role employer health plans can play. As Mangapit shared, companies are uniquely positioned to make a stand when it comes to supporting healthier choices for their employees. Providing access to fresh, affordable food isn’t just about wellness programs or checkboxes, it’s about strengthening the workforce, boosting productivity and demonstrating genuine care. “When employers take an active role in supporting these efforts,” Mangapit explained, “it creates an incredible opportunity to make a lasting impact on their employees and their families.” Agriculture and healthcare don’t often share the same stage, but Project FoodBox shows how deeply they are connected. By aligning growers, health plans, businesses and communities, this initiative is proving that collaboration can create ripple effects that reach far beyond the field or the workplace. It’s about dignity, access and the belief that healthy food shouldn’t be a privilege, but a standard. This podcast conversation underscores one powerful truth: feeding people well is not just a responsibility, it’s an investment in the future. When we nourish individuals with care and intention, we’re not only supporting their immediate health and well-being but also planting seeds for stronger families, more vibrant communities and a healthier generation to come. The way we choose to feed people today shapes the quality of life we all share tomorrow.
In a recent podcast conversation, Tim Cheatham, Director of Business Development at Western Growers Health, joined Steve Mangapit, Chief Operating Officer of Western Growers and President of Pinnacle Claims Management, and Steve Brazeel, Founder and CEO of SunTerra and Project FoodBox, for a discussion about one of the most pressing issues today: ensuring access to fresh, healthy food. Ensuring access to fresh, healthy food is essential for improving public health outcomes and strengthening communities. Research consistently shows that diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins lower the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity. When people have reliable access to nutritious food through local markets, community programs or agricultural partnerships, they are better equipped to lead healthier, more productive lives. Project FoodBox began with a simple but powerful idea: to bridge the gap between growers, produce and families who need better access to nutritious food. What started as a grassroots effort during a time of need has grown into a scalable, sustainable solution that benefits growers, communities, health plans and employers alike. For Brazeel, leading Project FoodBox isn’t just business, it’s a calling. His passion shines through as he speaks about the vital connection between agriculture and health. Food is medicine, he explains, and farmers play a direct role in shaping healthier futures. Too often, the people who work tirelessly to grow and harvest our food don’t get the recognition they
Catch the entire podcast by scanning the QR code and hear how Project FoodBox is changing the future of food and health.
18 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
A SEASONAL TAKE ON HEALTHY HOLIDAY EATING By Beth Sims, Manager, Health and Wellness, Pinnacle Claims Management, Inc.
The holidays are upon us, which means twinkling lights, endless to-do lists and enough food to make your sweatpants the most treasured item in your wardrobe. But before you resign yourself to a month- long cookie coma, let’s talk about a little secret weapon: seasonal produce. Yes, the same stuff you pass by in the grocery store on your way to the bakery can actually help keep you feeling festive and healthy. Eating seasonally isn’t just trendy—it’s practical. Produce harvested in its natural season tastes better, costs less and packs more nutrients. And during the winter months, Mother Nature offers us some real gems. Winter’s MVPs (Most Valuable Produce) • Brussels Sprouts: The tiny cabbages that have undergone a glow-up. Roast them with balsamic and suddenly they’re the star of the table instead of childhood trauma. • Butternut Squash: Sweet, hearty and practically begging to be made into soup. Bonus: it counts as comfort food without the food coma. • Pomegranates: Nature’s holiday decor. Sprinkle those ruby seeds on salads or desserts, and you’ve got instant sparkle and antioxidants. • Citrus: Oranges, clementines and grapefruits are at their juiciest. Think of them as sunshine in edible form, just when you need it most. • Kale & Dark Greens: Before you roll your eyes, toss them with cranberries and walnuts. Suddenly, they’re not a punishment, they’re festive.
Holiday Hacks (That Don’t Involve Skipping Pie) 1. Balance is Better than Deprivation Yes, grandma’s pecan pie is calling your name. Go ahead and just balance it with roasted veggies or a crisp citrus salad so you don’t end up napping under the tree. 2. Upgrade the Classics Swap heavy cream for Greek yogurt in dips, try oven-roasting instead of deep-frying, or sneak in extra veggies into stuffings and casseroles. You’d be surprised how forgiving recipes can be. 3. Be Mindful The holidays are about connection, not just consumption. Slow down, enjoy each bite and put your fork down long enough to laugh at Uncle Joe’s recycled jokes. 4. Stay Hydrated Between the eggnog and wassail, don’t forget water. Your future self (and your skin) will thank you. Seasonal eating isn’t about restricting, it’s about celebrating what’s fresh, flavorful and good for you. This holiday season, consider adding some of winter’s finest produce to your plate. That way, when January rolls around, you’ll be starting from a place of balance instead of regret. Because really, the season shines brightest when your table is full of winter produce and your fork still finds its way to a piece of pie.
19 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
COVER STORY INNOVATION DETERMINATION How John Deere's Agtech Builds on 187 Years of Excellence By Taylor Lauson, Communications Manager
Joe Nino of Taylor Farms and Sean Sundberg of John Deere overseeing operations from a tablet using the John Deere Operations Center (JDOC).
In the ever-evolving world of agriculture—where technology is reshaping how crops are grown, harvested and managed—John Deere remains a trusted symbol of innovation and reliability. Its signature green and yellow colors, along with the iconic Deere logo, are etched into the American landscape, representing generations of grit, progress and agricultural excellence. As modern growers confront one of the most complex eras in agricultural history, grappling with rising costs, tightening regulations, climate change and the rapid pace of technological change, the need for practical, data-driven tools has never been greater. Enter the John Deere Operations Center (JDOC): a fully integrated farm management platform designed to help farmers monitor and analyze their field operations. Launched over a decade ago, it was created with the purpose of centralizing scattered data into actionable insights—helping farmers answer questions like: “Was that yield drop due to poor soil health or extreme weather?” or “Did I lose time because of inefficient routing or operator error?”
The Power of JDOC “Data really is power because it allows you to make more informed decisions,” said Sean Sundberg, John Deere’s Business Integration Manager for High Value Crops. Sundberg, who is approaching nearly 30 years with the company, said the JDOC experience is completely tailored to the individual user, “whether you’re an apple grower in Washington or a soybean farmer in the Midwest.” The platform acts as a one-stop shop for all your operational data—helping growers track equipment and staff locations, analyze field performance, monitor inputs and identify yield trends, among a multitude of other things. It also strengthens connectivity across the farm, enabling growers to stay linked to their equipment and workforce at all times. With pre-season planning tools and the ability to send work plans directly to machines, it offers instant progress tracking from any device. The result? Better workflows, leaner budgets and more productive fields.
20 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
Sundberg, Nino and Joe Pezzini of Taylor Farms walk through a field in Salinas, Calif.
JDOC’s open interface also sets it apart, allowing growers to integrate third-party tools and systems through an API—which lets apps communicate and share data seamlessly. “The amount of resources and R&D John Deere is investing to make a real difference for farmers and growers is incredible,” Sundberg said. “The more value we can deliver farmers through simple, manageable tools that support smarter decisions, the So how does this data-driven technology actually play out in the field? For someone like Joe Nino, who oversees everything from pipes and trucks to nearly 500 tractor units across Taylor Farms’ ag operations, it comes down to visibility and accuracy. “We have 13 different growing areas,” Nino said. “Each one has fluctuating peaks and valleys, times when they’re busy and times better off we’re all going to be.” From Insight to Action
when they’re slow. This platform allows us to plan more precisely and understand what equipment is needed, where and when, to get the job done efficiently.” As a result, Taylor Farms has reduced unnecessary tractor purchases and made smarter use of existing equipment. “We can actually put data to our decisions,” he said. Nino says it also allows them to be more proactive with preventive maintenance, leading to additional cost savings. “Instead of relying on manual inspections, we now get live updates when something’s off, like low coolant or an engine running too hot,” he said. Whether managing hundreds of machines or just a handful, this level of real-time visibility is what makes JDOC a valuable tool for operations of all sizes. Vidalia onion grower Aries Haygood, Co-owner and Operator of A&M Farms in Lyons, Ga., has been using the system for over a
A FarmWise automated weeder operator poses for a quick photo before heading into the field. An iPad used to control the machine is visible in the background.
First thing in the morning, Nino hops onto the computer to review Taylor Farms' fleet of tractors using the JDOC.
21 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2025
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