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Ag Leadership Program Alters Career Path From taking the family operation in-house to expanding acreage, Loren Booth builds Booth Ranches into a citrus powerhouse.
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W E S T E R N G R O W E R & S H I P P E R
10 SHOP TALK : The Behind-the- Scenes Champions Driving Ag Evolution 14 Meet Your Future Volunteer Leaders – Colby Pereira 16 Meet Your Future Volunteer Leaders – Rocky Hampton 28 Varietal Research: Still a Laborious Effort… Albeit on a Faster Track 42 Low-Income Californians Must Help State Set Climate Change, Economic Justice Goals 44 WGCIT STARTUP : Novihum: Making Soil Better
WESTERN GROWER & SHIPPER Published Since 1929 Volume XCII | Number 3
DEPARTMENTS 4 President’s Notes 6 Director Profile 8 Member Profile 18 Federal Government Affairs 20 Arizona Government Affairs 22 Trade Practices 24 What’s Trending 26 Member Welcome & Anniversaries 32 Legislator Profile 36 Agriculture & the Law 38 Western Growers Assurance Trust 39 Western Growers Insurance Services 40 Science 41 Western Growers Financial Services 43 Innovation 46 Update from the WGCIT 48 Connections 49 Contact Us 50 Inside Western Growers
To enhance the competitiveness and profitability of Western Growers members
Dave Puglia President & CEO Western Growers davep@wga.com Editor Tim Linden Champ Publishing 925.258.0892 | tlinden@wga.com Contributors Cory Lunde 949.885.2264 | clunde@wga.com Stephanie Metzinger 949.885.2256 | smetzinger@wga.com Production Diane Mendez 949.885.2372 | dmendez@wga.com Circulation Marketing 949.885.2248 | marketing@wga.com Advertising Sales Dana Davis Tyger Marketing 302.750.4662 | danadavis@epix.net
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Western Grower & Shipper ISSN 0043-3799, Copyright © 2021 by the Western Grower & Shipper is published bi-monthly by Western Grower & Shipper Publishing Company, a division of Western Growers Service Corp., 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618. Business and Editorial Offices: 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618. Accounting and Circulation Offices: Western Grower & Shipper, 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618. Call (949) 863- 1000 to subscribe. Subscription is $18 per year. Foreign subscription is $36 per year. Single copies of recent issues, $1.50. Single copies of issues more than three months old, $2. Single copies of Yearbook issue $4. 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.
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Big Leagues for California Ballot Initiatives By Dave Puglia, President and CEO, Western Growers Remember Big Green? Probably less than 1 percent of all Californians do. But I bet many of you remember the 1990 ballot initiative sponsored by environmental activists. The Big Green Initiative (Proposition 128) proposed an aggressive suite of far-reaching regulations and restrictions on several sectors of California’s economy—especially agriculture.
Whether you remember Big Green or not, its rejection by California voters by a nearly two-to-one margin is worth reexamining, because the result came about only after the state’s agriculture industry rallied together to raise money and fan out across hundreds of communities to talk to their fellow Californians about the dangers of this overreaching initiative. As a very young and very green (pardon the pun) political campaign aide working for a statewide candidate in 1990, I remember the veteran consultants around me predicting Big Green would be rejected due to the potent opposition campaign. They were right. It was a major victory for the state’s agriculture industry. And yet it is also true that agriculture raised less than a quarter of the opposition campaign’s war chest. The bulk was contributed by other threatened industry sectors, such as energy producers. So, why this walk down memory lane? Last year, California agriculture again came together, dug deep and contributed significantly to the defeat of Proposition 15, the labor union-backed ballot measure that would have removed the property tax increase limitations on commercial property established by the historic Proposition 13 (1978). While Prop. 15 exempted working farm land, it did not protect any improvements on that land or any other commercial agricultural properties, such as processing, cooling and packing facilities, irrigation systems, trees and vines, and more. It was a very close call. Too close: Prop. 15 was defeated by a slim 4 percent margin. Two agriculture industry-sponsored committees raised $3.5 million for the fight. The main No on Prop. 15 committee (comprised of commercial property and other business interests) raised about $70 million. We can and should be proud of our collective efforts, especially since it appears every bit was needed to prevail. Nonetheless, we should also be clear-eyed about the reality that in the current era, ballot initiative campaigns are decided with tens of millions being spent by both sides. Should we in agriculture deem it necessary and desirable to take a major policy question directly to the voters, or to ask voters to reject a hostile ballot initiative, $3.5 million will be the opening ante. The last election has barely faded from view and already
discussions are underway about possible 2022 ballot initiatives that would have major impacts—positive and negative—on every agricultural enterprise in the state. Will our industry step up? The model first employed in the Big Green fight, and replicated last year, is key, if only the start. Simply put, when California’s agriculture industry truly pulls together—rising above our occasional differences of opinion—we can mount as effective a political campaign as any other industry sector. We saw the possibilities last year, with many associations sharing in the burden of funding a strong effort and working in a climate of trust. The good people of California agriculture expect their associations to pull together to not only fight against bad public policy, but also to create strategic opportunities to go on offense. And we should not limit ourselves to ballot initiatives; a unified and powerfully resourced industry coalition can and should bring the same focus to contests for elected office. A foundation has hopefully been set, in no small part thanks to the growing trust and collaboration of the leaders of our agriculture associations. In 16 years as an advocate for this industry, I have never been more encouraged by the strength of our ties across organizations. Very smart, strategic and team-minded people are leading our associations. The time has come for us to join together to get back into the Big Leagues of California politics, as a team. • • • A word here about the Copper State. As Arizona continues to shift from its not-too-distant status as a red state to a purple one, we have seen a predictable increase in the use of ballot initiatives by interest groups on the left. A quick look at the two 2020 initiatives reveals that supporters of the measures—which legalized cannabis and imposed a large income tax increase—contributed far more than what was contributed by opponents of these measures. Arizona’s agriculture community and the state’s other business interests face emerging political challenges similar to those of their California counterparts, and the need for a unified and tightly coordinated political apparatus should be apparent to all. We will do all we can to make that happen.
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Ag Leadership Program Alters Career Path Loren Booth, President, Booth Ranches, Orange Cove, CA WG Board Member 2009-2012, 2021-present
By Tim Linden O tis Booth Jr. inherited a 40-acre citrus ranch in the San Joaquin Valley from his maternal grandfather in the 1950s and became an absentee owner and investor, while he raised his family in the Los Angeles area city of Pasadena. While working for the Los Angeles Times and afterwards, Booth expanded his agricultural holdings which eventually grew to 2500 acres of citrus and a cattle operation. He was instrumental in developing the Hills Valley and the irrigation district that bears its name in Tulare County. While her father invested in agriculture, Loren Booth grew up in Pasadena without a hands-on devotion to ag, but an interest in it. After graduating from college with an ag degree and getting married, she did move to the San Joaquin Valley and got involved in cattle ranching, working for her father. She liked the business, which led her to apply to the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Her first attempt didn’t make the grade but she applied again and did become a member of Class 27 in the late 1990s. Booth says participation in that class changed her life. “I loved the people I met, and I loved their individual stories. Ag Leadership gave me confidence and showed me that there were so many opportunities out there.” She jumped into the family citrus operation with both feet and began taking the various facets in-house. “We started with the farming operation. My first hire was Bryan Harden as our PCA and he is still with us today.” They also had to buy trucks and insurance, establish a payroll system and hire many employees. In 2003, Booth Ranches brought the packing operation in-house by purchasing a packing shed. It has since added another. In 2005, she brought in a sales team and became even more vertically integrated. Booth quips that you learn by making mistakes and she made a lot of them as everything was a new experience. But they also prospered, and the acreage continued to expand. They now farm 7,500 acres of citrus throughout the San Joaquin Valley. The Booth advantage is that the owner’s name is on the box and the only fruit that goes into that box is owned by Booth Ranches. She said that gives the company a
unique advantage over its competition. “We serve a niche. If you want a good orange, buy our fruit.” Booth Ranches continues to expand and grow, and the owner continues to try new things. The company now raises show horses of the reining horse variety, and Booth is working with university
researchers on trying to use the byproduct of the horse operation to create a compost that will improve the soil for the citrus groves. Loren was elected to the Western Growers Board
last fall, which is her second stint on the board. She was on the board in the latter stages of the first decade of this century but involved on the board of the California Agricultural Leadership Program that she so dearly loved. That program was going through stepped down when she got more heavily bankruptcy and she had to pick and choose how to spend her volunteer hours. She is very happy to be back on the WG Board as she has long been an admirer of the organization and the work it accomplishes.
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The Short & Sweet The Power of Radical Kinship” by Greg Boyle. She also recommends Boyle’s earlier book “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.” Her Defining Moment: Being Part of California Ag Leadership Program. “It changed my life.” Last Big Trip: Went to France before the shutdown. The COVID Year: “We recently started a horse operation raising ‘reining horses.’ I spent a lot of time this past year with that.” She also camped out at her home in Santa Barbara.
Name: Loren Booth Title: President/Owner Booth Ranches Birthplace and Childhood Years: Pasadena, CA Education: Graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1975 with a BA in Animal Science. Family: Son Jake Sill lives in Fresno, CA; Daughter Blair Moffett lives in Scottsdale, AZ Enjoyable Pastime: Loren is an avid reader. Among her latest reads that she recommends are “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah; and “Barking to the Choir:
Fun Fact: During the Ag Leadership Program, Loren met Greg Boyle, who is a Jesuit priest, author and founder/director of Homeboy Industries, the world's largest gang-intervention and rehabilitation program. “He is an amazing man. I highly recommend his books.” Fun Fact #2: For more about Loren, listen to Episode #165 (March 30, 2021) of The Modern Acre, wherever you get your podcasts. It is titled: “Bringing Farming In-House with Loren Booth.”
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Steve Couture, Couture Farms, Huron, CA Member since May 1, 1946 (75 years)
Grower’s Past Helps Navigate the Future
(Editor’s Note: Owner Steve Couture was interviewed for this story. His comments were edited for brevity and clarity.) Background Information: My grandfather came to California shortly after the beginning of the 20th century. My father was born in 1918, and he started farming after he got out of college. In the 1940s, he came to Huron; he planted melons and watermelons in 1948 and then cantaloupes in 1949. We have been farming melons every year since! Both my mother and father lived and worked on the ranch, and now my brother and I run the farm. Aside from melons, what other produce do you grow? In 2000, we began switching crops and products over to organic.We are still planning on some melons, but we are waiting to see how much rain we get and what kind of water allocation we get from the water district. 2020 was our last year growing asparagus; we started planting asparagus in 1977. Now pistachios and almonds are our focus. What's the most interesting part of your operation today? The most interesting part of our operation right now is our new building for food safety to secure the processing of pistachios. Prior to 2017, we had a facility that was raising alarms. Although we didn’t have any problems, the proactive thing to do was to use a third-party processor. After taking our product to an outside processor for two years, we have officially built a building, and now we are ready to move equipment in and start processing our crops. Tell me about the family farm. How many generations are currently working? There’s my brother and me. I do more of the office work while my brother stays in the field. My brother’s son helps him on the farm and my daughter helps around the office. My wife helps a bit with sales and that makes up our family farm here in the Central Valley. As you introduce the next generation of farmers to the operation, have you identified any similarities or differences in operating styles between your father and your generation? There is a lot of continuity—in both crops and ethical standards—that my father started for us. He was quite an
exceptional man. He grew up in the farming business and loved to build packing sheds and buy motors and wire. He was constantly working and planning new things. My brother and I are just a little bit more removed from some of that work. We have an excellent team to share those responsibilities with. What is your favorite part of the job? My favorite part of the job is being in agriculture— everything changes with the seasons, from asparagus to melons to trees. They come up at different times and you’re watching slightly different problems. It’s a joy to have that sort of variety. When things grow well, you kind of stand back in awe of a nice crop and how it all works. You must pay attention to the weather and hope for rain at times, but that’s Mother Nature. My father would never get upset or blame Mother Nature; to him, it was never her fault. So, we learned how to cope with the many ups and downs that come with farming. As a Western Growers member, how has your operation benefitted from the services our organization provides? We have been members of Western Growers for what seems like forever. My father was on the board many years ago and it’s a relationship I take advantage of every day. Everything from notifications about positive things in farming, to Western Growers’ aggressiveness in trying to protect us from poor legislation, and to outreach in helping organizations be presented in the best possible light. It’s a challenge. I personally see that the Board of Directors has concentrated heavily in many ag-related areas with higher productivity. I have great respect for Western Growers. Our farm has used Western Growers to help with trade conflicts with buyers. We’ve seen benefits with using the organization for insurance, not to mention understanding legislation. I still think every day that Western Growers has done a lot for me whether I’ve made the call to them or not. What’s next for your operation? We are well aware of the idea of succession, but we are not forcing our children to step in our footsteps. I do believe there is a good future for young people in agriculture, while also acknowledging that doesn’t always involve an ownership position. There’s a lot of potential for organic growing, people wanting to eat well and feel better. That presents a great opportunity for the future of Couture Farms.
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WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2021 RYAN TALLEY, Chairman ALBERT KECK, Senior Vice Chair STUART WOOLF, Vice Chair CAROL CHANDLER, Treasurer VICTOR SMITH, Executive Secretary DAVE PUGLIA, President & CEO DIRECTORS – 2021 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California ALEXANDRA ALLEN Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Illume Agriculture, Bakersfield, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP, Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BARDIN E. BENGARD Bengard Ranch, Salinas, California LOREN BOOTH Booth Ranches, Orange Cove, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California RODNEY BRAGA Braga Ranch, Soledad, California NEILL CALLIS Turlock Fruit Company, Turlock, California EDWIN A. CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LAWRENCE W. COX Lawrence Cox Ranches, Brawley, California STEPHEN F. DANNA Danna Farms, Inc., Yuba City, California JOHN C. D’ARRIGO D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Salinas, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California FRANZ W. DE KLOTZ Peter Rabbit Farms, Coachella, California SAMUEL D. DUDA Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, California CATHERINE A. FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID L. GILL Rio Farms, King City, California BRANDON A. GRIMM Grimmway Farms, Arvin, California JOHN JACKSON Beachside Produce, LLC, Nipomo, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Irvine, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens, Thermal, California J.P. LABRUCHERIE LaBrucherie Produce, El Centro, California FRANK MACONACHY Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, California JOHN S. MANFRE Frank Capurro and Son, Moss Landing, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California TOM MULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California ALEXANDER T. MULLER Pasquinelli Produce Co., Yuma, Arizona DOMINIC J. MUZZI Muzzi Family Farms, LLC, Moss Landing, California MARK NICKERSON Prime Time International, Coachella, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California RON RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California ERIC T. REITER Reiter Affiliated Companies, Oxnard, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona WILL ROUSSEAU Rousseau Farming Company, Tolleson, Arizona VICTOR SMITH JV Smith Companies, Yuma, Arizona RYAN TALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C. TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California STUART WOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROB YRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California
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SHOP TALK: The Behind-the-Scenes Champions Driving Ag Evolution
By Stephanie Metzinger N ike and its iconic swoosh. Jeff Bezos and his trillion-dollar Amazon. McDonald’s and those famous golden arches. When thinking of successful companies, their logos, taglines, owners’ names and key products are the first to spring to mind. Often understated, however, are the hardworking individuals who quietly work backstage to innovate new products, cultivate relationships with customers and develop streamlined procedures to ensure that the business runs efficiently day in and day out. In 2019, 22.2 million full- and part-time jobs were related to the agricultural and food sectors across the United States. Direct on-farm employment accounted for about 2.6 million of these
jobs. Among these millions are the behind-the-scenes champions of the family farms that produce safe, nutritious and high-quality food for the nation and world. They are the scientists who think outside the box to develop new seed varieties. They are the farm managers who implement groundbreaking ideas to increase operational efficiency. They are the technologists who launch new ventures to keep the farm at the forefront of innovation. Here are a few of the faces—with their inside industry knowledge, business savvy, talent for achieving greatness, drive for going above and beyond and leadership in mentoring others—that make success possible at farms across California, Arizona and Colorado. 50-Year Leader: John Burton Company: Peter Rabbit Farms (Coachella, California) Role: General Manager of Sales and Cooler (retired) Snapshot: From loading railcars with 75-pound bags of carrots to running the third-largest fresh carrot packing facility in the nation, John Burton’s 50-plus year career at Peter Rabbit Farms is a true demonstration of his unwavering loyalty and devotion to the company and industry. Burton retired from Peter Rabbit Farms at the end of January 2021. John’s Greatest Accomplishment: “After 30 years in the plant, John Powell Sr. asked me in 1999 to come work in the sales office. This was a big change for me and my family, and, as it turned out, the best decision I ever made. The change allowed me to learn a new area of the produce business and meet many new and wonderful people.”
John, in the mid-1970s, fast asleep during a fishing trip out of San Diego with a young Steve Powell.
Food Safety Genius: Cynthia DeNardo Company: Petrocco Farms (Brighton, Colorado) Title: Director of Food Safety
Snapshot: Joining the Petrocco Farms team in late 2018, Cynthia plays a key role in leading the company’s food safety initiatives. She takes tremendous pride in helping Petrocco Farms deliver quality, fresh and safe products, and her expertise has guided the farm through food safety rules and stringent compliance rules. The Latest on Cynthia: “I am proud to be serving as a board member for Salud Family Health Centers to support migrant
farmworkers and the underserved in our community. I am also currently pursuing a doctor of management degree with a concentration in environmental and social sustainability.” Cynthia’s Favorite Part About the Job: “There are always new challenges and new opportunities for learning, and I have amazing coworkers!”
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Blueberry Breeder Extraordinaire: Jessica Gilbert Company: Driscoll’s (Watsonville, California) Role: Molecular Blueberry Breeder
Snapshot: For the past 5 ½ years, Jessica Gilbert has helped Driscoll’s efficiently breed the best berries using a combination of traditional and molecular techniques. As the molecular blueberry breeder, she designs trials to determine the genetic basis of blueberry traits important to Driscoll’s breeding program, such as flavor, texture, color,
disease resistance and stress tolerance. Fun fact: she also has a passion for using wild species to incorporate genetic diversity and novel traits into Driscoll’s blueberry populations. Jessica’s Favorite Part About the Job: “ My favorite part about being a blueberry breeder at Driscoll’s has been the opportunity to collaborate with so
many smart, fun, helpful scientists to work on creative strategies to improve blueberries across the globe. My biggest accomplishments have been as part of the team to discover and develop our blueberry program’s very first molecular markers, and in deploying those markers to screen thousands of seedlings for better tasting blueberries!”
[left] Jessica helping harvest blueberries for a trial in Driscoll’s test plot in Chao, Peru. [right] Jessica hand pollinating in the greenhouse.
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Spray Savvy: Martha Ryan-Castro Company: JV Smith Companies (Yuma, Arizona) Title: Manager of the Spray Department Snapshot: Born and raised in Yuma, AZ, Martha Ryan-Castro was introduced to agriculture at a young age by her dad. As a teen, she would go into the fields with her father and quickly became an expert at cutting and harvesting romaine. Nearly a decade Bartt’s Favorite Part About the Job: “My favorite part of the job is the camaraderie. Everyone has a common goal, and it is rewarding to achieve those goals and meet our numbers for production. At the end of the deal, you end up producing this beautiful crop and it’s very rewarding because it takes that team effort—all of which speaks volumes about the team.” Bartt’s Big Win: “I appreciate having the freedom to be able to control all aspects of production without anyone looking over my shoulder and second-guessing me. The team has total confidence in me and being able to have full rein as far as production goes is something I truly value.” Ranch Master: Bartt Ries Company: Vessey & Company, Inc. (Holtville, California) Title: Ranch Manager Snapshot: For nearly 25 years, Bartt Ries has worked closely alongside the Vessey family to propel Vessey & Company into a premier vegetable operation in the Imperial Valley. He has taken a proactive, data-driven approach to ranch management, continuously discovering and implementing cutting-edge technologies to streamline planting efficiencies. As the farm’s chief expert on soil health, he has mastered risk mitigation to ensure healthy crops and profitability.
Bartt (middle) at the WG Center for Innovation & Technology when it first opened more than 5 years ago. Vessey & Co is a long-time sponsor of the Center.
later, Martha has applied her knowledge and passion for ag to now skillfully manage the spray department for JV Farms. Martha looks forward to a lifelong career in ag and continues to share her journey with other young women in hopes that it will inspire them to pursue leadership positions in the industry. Martha’s Favorite Part About the Job: “Working outdoors! I catch myself staring at the beauty nature has to offer and taking it all in. I am so lucky to have such a breathtaking office view, with no windows or walls—just me and the open air.”
Martha Ryan-Castro Photo courtesy of KYMA
Employees are not just a company’s backbone, they are its life force. These five brilliant individuals are just a small sample of the dedicated team members who make up America’s 2.2 million farms. As the population rapidly increases and farms need to feed more mouths with fewer resources, agricultural champions like these five changemakers will play a significant role in helping maintain a thriving and sustainable industry.
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MEET YOUR FUTURE VOLUNTEER LEADERS
Colby serves as vice president of operations at Braga Fresh Family Farms, supporting the overall farming and harvest operations. She has a keen focus on employee health and safety and has diligently led the farm’s COVID-19 response team. Colby is a proud native of Soledad, CA, and uses her extensive background in agriculture to support leading organizations such as the Monterey County Farm Bureau, Salinas Valley Chapter of California Women for Agriculture, Grower Shipper Association of Central CA, CA Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement Technical Committee and Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce Board. Journey with Colby as she reveals her biggest passions in life.
Colby Pereira Vice President of Operations, Braga Fresh Family Farms
FAMILY LIFE: My family is the most important group of people in my life. They are the most incredible support system one could ever ask for.
ADVENTURE LIFE: A shot of me doing something daring! I rode a Segway down the streets of San Francisco, conquering the traffic, hills and even curvy Lombard Street.
SPORTING LIFE: My hubby, Jeff, is my best friend, my biggest fan and the one that I enjoy doing life with. Here we are showing team pride—SF 49ers and SF Giants!
TRAVEL LIFE: I love to travel anywhere and everywhere! Pictured here is when I had the opportunity to visit Israel. I’m definitely looking forward to continuing to explore the world again soon!
WORK LIFE: Policy development and agricultural advocacy are among two of my passions. Here I am hosting a field tour for CA State Senator Anna Caballero and CA State Assemblymember Robert Rivas.
Colby is one of nine individuals selected to be in Class 6 of the Future Volunteer Leaders, a program that guides the next generation of leaders within Western Growers member companies interested in becoming more informed and effective advocates for the fresh produce industry.
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Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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MEET YOUR FUTURE VOLUNTEER LEADERS
Rocky Hampton Regional Manager/Business Development, LIDCO
Rocky Hampton, manager at Lidco, Inc., has been entrenched in the agricultural industry since graduating from Biola University in 2010. He is a sales veteran in all facets of the business—everything from promoting agronomy lab services to selling remote irrigation monitoring equipment and farm drainage systems.
Journey with Rocky as he shares more fun facts.
“ Planes were not built with me in mind. ” “
My awesome family – Jillian, Gunnar, and Colton. ” “
I’m terrible at golf. Let’s hope the next generation is better. ”
FUN “ROCKY” FACTS: Rocky is active in supporting local youth through Gateway Church of Brawley. Rocky is the very first associate member to join the WG Future Volunteer Leaders Program. At 6’9”, Rocky is a basketball all-star. He was signed by the Dusseldorf Giants of the German Basketball Bundesliga, the highest-level basketball league in Germany. He played in Fürstenfeld Austria, the top men's professional basketball league in Austria. He was named a 2009-2010 NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball First Team All-American. As a basketball stud at Biola University, he finished his career as the school-leader in blocks and fourth all-time in points and rebounds.
“
“ My wife wishes I was still this athletic. ”
It’s better to teach a man how to fish they say, but all I got was knotted lines… ”
Rocky is one of nine individuals selected to be in Class 6 of the Future Volunteer Leaders, a program that guides the next generation of leaders within Western Growers member companies interested in becoming more informed and effective advocates for the fresh produce industry.
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Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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COVID-19 Wanes but Relief Efforts Continue By Dennis Nuxoll, Vice President, Federal Government Affairs Last year around this time, I wrote about the COVID-19 crisis. Now, a year later, I write about it again. However, rather than talk about a crisis upon us, I now write about a crisis that is hopefully abating.
Over the last year, our federal government has poured tremendous resources into combating the COVID- 19 pandemic with vast sums flowing to agriculture. Money has gone to direct assistance to farmers via the Coronavirus Financial Assistance Program (CFAP) and loans via the Payment Protection Program (PPP), as well as large purchases of excess production to help Americans in need. Tens of billions of dollars were used to help agriculture in 2020, and while we appear to be turning the corner, additional efforts for 2021 are forthcoming.
During late May 2020, USDA announced a direct payment program that was intended to provide farmers impacted by COVID-19 direct financial support for market losses. That program went through several iterations during 2020 and Congress reauthorized funds for it for 2021. During 2020, CFAP provided more than $1 billion to the produce industry. The 2021 version will go through a few more tweaks and we encourage anyone to sign up who hasn’t already.
We all look forward to the day when the whole country and world are totally back to normal…and that day is coming soon. In the meantime, we are working on these programs to help you through the crisis and through the recovery. With that same motivation, we are also working hard on the infrastructure package that President Biden has unveiled. It is clear that we can help the economy recover by making sure we have a robust infrastructure drive.
We know that many of you have been expending lots of resources in order to protect the health and safety of your workforce. As COVID-19 protocols evolved, you have purchased masks, gloves, and sanitizers as well as implemented engineering solutions to enhance safety. To ensure social distancing and the safety of your workforce, many of you have hired new buses to transport workers or spent more money on housing to quarantine farmworkers
During 2020, CFAP provided more than $1 billion to the produce industry. The 2021 version will go through a few more tweaks and we encourage anyone to sign up who hasn’t already.
For Western Growers, infrastructure not only mean roads and bridges but also water projects. As a result, we are pushing very hard to make sure that the final infrastructure package includes money for water systems such as water conservation and infrastructure repair, as well as funds to build new water storage and conveyance. Over the next couple of months, we will battle to secure the necessary funds as the Biden infrastructure plan mentions water but doesn’t provide much detail on it. Western Growers is working with a large coalition of more than 200 groups from every Western state on this objective, which will provide short term jobs to rural communities as well as long term stability to agriculture, rural and urban water users. We are also hopeful that rural broadband will get a jumpstart as well. Stay tuned.
exposed or infected. Some of you are paying for COVID- 19 tests for your employees as well as the copays for vaccinations. Western Growers has been working since last March to try and secure money to help offset those costs. I’m happy to report that language and money was included in the last COVID-19 relief package, recently signed by President Biden, that addresses these needs. After that effort became law, we turned our attention to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. We are working with that agency to shape the design of the relief program. We are advocating for the program to both reimburse for expenses incurred in 2020 and help pay for costs you will incur in 2021. The program likely will not cover every dollar you have spent on worker health and safety for the pandemic, but it will help. Since regulations will be necessary to implement this program, that will take some time. Look for sign up during the summer.
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Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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Arizona Legislative Session Results in Wins for Ag Community By Robert Medler, Arizona Government Affairs Manager As the 2021 legislative session nears sine die, Arizona agriculture will reap the benefits from a handful of wins.
On top of the list is SB1448, which outlines how a court should award costs, expenses and punitive damages in a nuisance action against an agricultural operation conducted on farmland. It also prohibits a political subdivision of the state (cities, towns or counties) from declaring an agricultural operation a nuisance if its operations are consistent with legal requirements and other best practices. In addition, Western Growers worked to ensure protections remained for claims involving pathogenic contamination, leaving a nuisance claim as a viable recourse. Other wins for WG members include the passage of H2441 and H2289. H2441 allows a property owner to permanently retire acreage from irrigation and substitute the same amount of acreage if those retired lands were damaged by a flood or have a limiting condition (i.e., inability to implement more efficient irrigation practices). H2289
in the future and may eventually start moving through the legislative process. Water policy in Arizona is also facing additional challenges as the western U.S. suffers increasing drought conditions. Looming on the horizon is the recently announced expectation of a water shortage being declared on the Colorado River. This would result in the largest mandatory cutbacks of river allocation. On Friday, April 2, 2021, the Arizona Department of Water Resources and the Central Arizona Project released a joint statement on Colorado River water shortage preparedness. Currently, the river is at a “Tier Zero” stage, which has resulted in Arizona proactively contributing 192,000 acre-feet to Lake Mead. This proactive approach was a result of the Drought Contingency Plan approved in 2019 to stave off further cuts. A “Tier 1” shortage declared on the river will result in an additional 320,000 acre-feet
increases the maximum fee that the Arizona Citrus Research Council is required to assess to five cents per standard carton or 40 pounds of equivalent weight in bulk bins of citrus produced. This is important since the council funds programs and projects that focus on varietal development, citrus pest eradication, and harvesting and moving produce to market. Similar legislation failed in 2020 due to its inability to garner the two-thirds majority required for a revenue increase.
cut, for a total of 520,000 acre-feet reduction per year starting in 2022.
These expanded cuts will impact agriculture operations in central Arizona, namely Pinal County, the
Delivery of Colorado River water will be
hardest. Delivery of Colorado River water will be reduced by nearly 50% in 2022, then terminated in 2023 and thereafter. Arizona’s plan for the cuts will allow an increase in groundwater pumping within the region, but the construction
reduced by nearly 50% in 2022, then terminated in 2023 and thereafter.
of the necessary infrastructure has been slow since the state allocated $50 million toward the effort in 2019. Existing rules and agreements for management of Arizona’s Colorado River allocation expire in 2025; all eyes are on the efforts starting for 2026 and beyond. The 2021 legislative session once again exhibits why Arizona is one of the best places to live and work. Agriculture remains a critical component of Arizona’s economy and ensuring adequate water resources for agriculture is paramount. As we continue to face drought conditions, the current legislature has shown it will work to assist in the needs of agriculture throughout Arizona.
Notable legislation that WG expressed concerns over were two bills that would have severely restricted, or outright banned, the use or sale of neonicotinoids, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, and chlorpyrifos throughout Arizona. Both H2093 and S1201 never received a hearing in committee. Another bill not receiving a hearing was S1314/H2209, which would have required the use of a water measuring device on all nonexempt wells under any circumstances and in any location. Because of the political dynamic in the Arizona Legislature, it appears likely that these policy proposals will be introduced again
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Best Practices to Avoid Running Afoul of Walmart’s OTIF Policy By Bryan Nickerson, Manager, Trade Practices & Commodity Services Retailer supplier performance compliance policies have been in force for many years with varying degrees of success. However, the rigorous requirements of the Walmart policy have caused considerable concern among shippers regarding how to retain Walmart’s high volume produce business and avoid fines.
According to McKinsey & Co., the On-Time In-Full (OTIF) metric measures the extent to which shipments are delivered to their destination according to both the quantity and schedule specified on the order. Walmart introduced its OTIF policy in 2017, however, it is only recently that produce shippers have seen a substantial increase in fines. The current policy specifies that shipments must arrive at the distribution center during a specific date and time window, be properly packaged and labeled, and be delivered 98% in full. Shipments that arrive short, not as specified in the Purchase Order, early or late are subject to fines, with little room for error. While the original performance target was 70%, Walmart has steadily raised its requirements and on September 15, 2020, the target was set at 98%. Suppliers not meeting performance standards will be fined 3% of the cost of goods and repeated failure to hit the 98% mark will place future business with Walmart in jeopardy. Walmart does recognize that there can be uncontrollable disruptions in the supply chain that can disrupt shipments and will factor these events into OTIF performance measurements, including waiver of fines. For example, shippers were given COVID-19 exemptions during the early days of the pandemic, but that exemption ended last August. In February, Walmart began giving vendors the opportunity to contest fines on purchase orders they believe should be excluded from OTIF. Reasons for exclusion include item code changes, no unloading appointments available, major crop failure or natural disasters. However, most delays, including bad weather, are not recognized as acceptable reasons for fine relief. Given the draconian nature of the Walmart OTIF policy, Western Growers members should understand how it is calculated and adopt the following best practices to avoid fines. How is OTIF calculated? Take the number of cases received within the delivery window and divide by the number of cases ordered. For example: You sell 1,000 cases of product to Walmart at $10 per package. The $10 price is what you bill Walmart, whether FOB or delivered. You only deliver 800 cases on time. Your OTIF penalty calculation is as follows:
800 cases received within compliance
On Time Score 100%
window = 100%
800 cases received/1,000 cases ordered = 80%
In Full Score 80%
200 cases short x $10 per case = $2,000. $2,000 x 3% = $60
OTIF Penalty $60
Using the same example, you deliver all 1,000 cases but the shipment arrives a day late. Your OTIF penalty would be as follows:
0 cases received within compliance window = 0%
On Time Score 0%
1,000 cases received/1,000 cases ordered) = 100% 1,000 cases late x $10 per case = $10,000. $10,000 x 3% = $300
In Full Score 100%
OTIF Penalty $300
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Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
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