Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue recently toured berry and lettuce farms in Watsonville, Calif.
Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., hosted the visits, joined by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., on June 28.
The visits included talks with growers about the importance of innovation, immigration, and trade to growers and the communities on the Central Coast of California, according to a news release.
After the tour, Panetta, Perdue and LaMalfa joined local farmers, farmworkers, and others for a town hall discussion on policies and federal programs, according to the release.
Participants asked about federal investments in research, nutrition programs, trade, climate change, and immigration reform.
“I invited Secretary Perdue to our district to show him the Central Coast’s unique agriculture industry, the ways we are investing in innovation and sustainability, and to introduce him to the farmers and farm workers who make our region the Salad and Berry Bowls of the World,” Panetta said in the release.
“We heard about the importance of trade to our farmers, and I will continue to work towards ensuring that trade agreements, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, include enforceable labor and environmental provisions.”
Purdue was the headline speaker at the fifth annual Forbes AgTech Summit June 27 in Salinas, Calif.
Related articles
Ag Secretary Perdue says Georgia USMCA study “all wrong”
Jeff Huckaby receives The Packer’s Produce Man of the Year award
