California

California Eyes Ample Supplies for Summer Fruit Promotions

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 00:34:52 GMT

With favorable crop conditions reported for California fruits like berries, citrus and melons, some major grower-shippers in the state are gearing up for promotions to help boost summer sales. Here’s a crop outlook from a few of those companies and a look at the best time to promote.

California Giant Berry Farms

California blueberries will be available from early May until late June, says Brad Peterson, director of business development for California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, Calif.

They’ll peak during the last two weeks of May and the first week of June, which will make an ideal promotion window, he says.

Organic blueberry production will experience a large jump with the addition of a San Diego growing region, Peterson says.

Supplies of California raspberries and blackberries should be stable “outside of the tips and tails of the season,” he says, with the highest volumes available in August, September and October.

“Data from the International Fresh Produce Association and retail analytics firm Circana confirm that the Fourth of July generates massive sales spikes for fresh berries,” he adds.

The company’s conventional volume will be similar to past years with a slight increase thanks to continued trade-ups in raspberry varieties, Peterson says.

“Quality has been good so far for California blueberries,” he said in early April. “Caneberries are shaping up nicely and are anticipated to produce high-quality fruit.”

Growing weather in California has been unique so far “with minor subpar conditions,” he adds.

California mandarin season for Wonderful Halos will run through May before transitioning to a summer import program to ensure year-round availability, says Zak Laffite, president of Wonderful Citrus, part of Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Company. The company also offers navel and valencia oranges, minneolas, lemons and grapefruit during the summer.

(Photo courtesy of The Wonderful Company
)

The Wonderful Company

Summer is an important sales period for Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Company, which has operating divisions that market POM Wonderful beverages and Wonderful Citrus items.

“For POM Wonderful, we prioritize social and retail promotion of our pomegranate beverages during the summertime,” says Jennifer Hirano, vice president of marketing.

“Our lineup of POM Wonderful juices, which includes POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, POM Wonderful Blueberry 100% Juice and POM Wonderful Cherry 100% Juice, offers a deep ruby red color and refreshing pomegranate flavor,” she says.

The company’s lineup of POM Antioxidant Super Teas is featured throughout the season as well. They offer the antioxidant quality of pomegranates with a blend of gently brewed teas and come in five flavors, she says.

On the citrus side, California mandarin season for Wonderful Halos will run through May before transitioning to a summer import program to ensure year-round availability, says Zak Laffite, president of Wonderful Citrus.

The supply of Wonderful Seedless Lemons continues to be strong, he adds. The company also offers navel and valencia oranges, minneolas, lemons and grapefruit during the summer.

Legend Produce

Well over half the cantaloupes and honeydew melons grown in the U.S. come from California, and Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Legend Produce LLC, one of the nation’s leading year-round melon producers, sources nearly 100% of its melons from the Golden State during the summer season, says Justin Bootz, sales manager.

Most of the state’s melons are grown in central California, where the agricultural community of Mendota is known as the “Cantaloupe Center of the World.”

Legend Produce LLC, Scottsdale, Ariz., one of the nation’s leading year-round melon producers, sources nearly 100% of its melons from California during the summer season, says Justin Bootz, sales manager. The company introduced its Kiss brand melons last year and plans to increase acreage this year.

(Photo courtesy of Legend Produce LLC
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Most growers and retailers plan watermelon promotions for the Fourth of July, and melon availability typically remains high well into summer, Bootz says.

Legend Produce, which offers popular Origami melons, is a year-round melon shipper and offers California-grown cantaloupes, honeydew melons and seedless and mini watermelons from July through mid-October.

The company introduced its Kiss brand melons last year and plans to increase acreage this year.

The Kiss line includes Sugar Kiss, similar to a cantaloupe; Honey Kiss, similar to a hami melon; and Summer Kiss, similar to a galia melon, Bootz says.

Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms offers peaches and a wide range of other organic fruit during the late spring and summer months, says Stephen Paul, deciduous category director.

(Photo courtesy of Homegrown Organic Farms
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Organics Thrive in Summer

The organic category is a crucial part of California’s summer fruit program, and Porterville, Calif.-based Homegrown Organic Farms has a strong seasonal program lined up, says Stephen Paul, deciduous category director.

“During the late spring and summer months, we offer a wide range of organic fruit, including berries and stone fruit such as blueberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots and apricots,” he says.

The firm’s summer lineup also includes citrus like grapefruit, lemons and valencia oranges along with organic grapes. Fresh figs will come on later in the season.

Blueberries and stone fruit are the company’s most popular items at this time of year and drive strong demand throughout the summer, he says.

“We’re also seeing growing momentum around products tied to regenerative organic practices as consumer awareness continues to build,” Paul says. “Fresh figs are another exciting category as we enter our second season, and we’re seeing strong enthusiasm from customers.”

The company expects strong quality across its summer fruit programs despite some early-season weather variability.

The summer season runs from May through September and is highlighted by strong promotable volumes of stone fruit from late June through early August, along with domestic berries at key points throughout the California and Oregon seasons, Paul says.

“Beyond those core drivers, the season is supported by a steady mix of citrus, grapes and fresh figs, giving retailers the flexibility to build a dynamic, evolving summer fruit set from start to finish,” he adds.

New at Homegrown Organic Farms is a fully redesigned website that better reflects the company’s product offerings and sustainability commitments, Paul says.

And this summer, the company will expand its Regenerative Organic Certified program to include Oregon-grown blueberries, building on its already-certified ROC stone fruit program, he says.

Golden State Crops Show Promise

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:57:32 GMT

Summer’s just around the corner. That means consumers soon will be treating themselves to mouthwatering summer fruits like strawberries, grapes and a full lineup of stone fruit from California.

Early Start for Strawberries

Actually, strawberry season is already underway, says Chris Christian, vice president of market insights for the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission.

“There has been an early start to the season this year, driven by warm and dry winter weather,” she says.

April through September is peak season for California strawberries with ample supplies to support promotions, she adds.

The commission projects weekly volume to be 7 million to 8 million trays through August.

“Retailers can maintain sales velocity best by promoting or offering price reductions for multiple consecutive weeks around spring and summer holidays,” Christian says.

Though warm, dry weather is conducive to pest pressure, farmers have been managing any issues and continue to harvest top-quality fruit, she says.

“We project an increase in overall fresh production compared to 2025, based on a slight increase in acreage and the new varieties now in production,” Christian says.

Fresh production was more than 236 million trays in 2025, which was 4.4% higher than the five-year average. California produces about 90% of U.S.-grown strawberries.

To celebrate the International Year of Women in Farming, California Strawberries is spotlighting women shaping the future of the industry, Christian says.

“This year we are focused on elevating these voices and stories, highlighting the vital role women play in producing one of the most vibrant, nutritious fruits enjoyed around the world,” she says.

Nearly all of the U.S. commercially grown table grapes come from California, says Ian LeMay, president of the Fresno-based California Table Grape Commission. In 2025, California shipped approximately 92.5 million 19-pound boxes of table grapes.

(Photo courtesy of California Table Grape Commission)

Table Grape Expectations

California’s table grape season should kick off in May in the Coachella Valley, says Ian LeMay, president of the Fresno-based California Table Grape Commission.

By the end of July, the harvest moves north to the San Joaquin Valley, where California grapes can be harvested into December with promotable volume available through January.

Any time is a good time for retailers to promote California grapes, LeMay says.

“In the early part of the season, it is important for retailers to stock and promote California grapes to let their shoppers know that California grapes are available,” he says. “Through the summer and fall, California grapes fit into any promotion, whether it’s summer celebrations, back-to-school grocery shopping or festive fall gatherings.”

LeMay says 99% of the U.S. commercially grown table grapes come from the Golden State.

In 2025, California shipped approximately 92.5 million 19-pound boxes of table grapes, which is above the five-year average, LeMay says.

The commission plans to launch an extensive global marketing plan for 2026 that will target the U.S. and 23 export markets around the world, LeMay says.

“The campaign motivates the trade — including retailers, wholesalers and importers — to stock and promote California grapes with a variety of incentives such as contests, digital promotions, merchandising, point-of-purchase materials, sampling and a retail registered dietitian program to motivate the sale of California grapes,” he says.

Up to 85% of U.S.-grown stone fruit comes from California, says Courtney Razor, director of member services and communications for the Fresno-based California Fresh Fruit Association. California apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums are available from mid-April to November.

(Photo courtesy of California Fresh Fruit Association)

The State of Stone Fruit

California stone fruit — including apricots, nectarines, peaches and plums — is available from mid-April to November, says Courtney Razor, director of member services and communications for the Fresno-based California Fresh Fruit Association.

Up to 85% of U.S.-grown stone fruit comes from California, she says.

“California’s combination of climate patterns, fertile soils, water supply and availability and unique growing regions creates ideal conditions for producing high-quality stone fruit over an extended season,” she says. “Each season, consumers have come to expect California-grown stone fruit to deliver exceptional quality, consistently offering outstanding flavor, vibrant color and peak freshness.”

This year should be no exception.

Though there’s a lighter snowpack in the mountains, most growing regions received adequate rainfall and chill hours through the winter, Razor says.

“Our growers will continue to play an important role in helping Americans reach their necessary vitamin, mineral and fiber intakes, especially as new federal dietary guidelines encourage us all to consume more fresh produce,” she says.

In addition to supplying their U.S. customers, CFFA growers use USDA market development grants to promote stone fruit exports to Japan, Mexico and Vietnam, Razor adds.

Unprecedented Heat Pushes California Grape Harvest Toward a Record-Early Start

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:22:00 GMT

California’s table grape country is witnessing a historically early bloom that has the industry gearing up for harvest weeks ahead of schedule.

With temperatures consistently hovering 10 to 15 degrees above average, early spring has turned to summer, pushing the grape cycle 14 to 16 days ahead of its typical pace, Pete Hronis, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Hronis Inc., told The Packer.

One of California’s top table grape growers, Hronis Inc. farms about a dozen table grape varieties, including reds, greens, blacks and specialty varieties like candy grapes on more than 6,000 acres in Delano, Calif.

Hronis says this full assortment ensures its customers are supplied with grapes from the start of the season through the end of December.

“Normally we start harvest here around the first week of July, and now we’re on track to be probably either the week of the 15th of June or the week of the 22nd,” says Hronis. “Obviously that can change a little bit if it cools down. And if it cools down, it can push that back a little bit. But we’re so early that even if we get a little bit of cold weather, I don’t see it pushing back to our normal start time. It’s still going to be early.

“When the grapes are ready, they’re going to want to come,” he adds.

One of California’s top table grape growers, Hronis Inc. farms about a dozen table grape varieties, including reds, greens, blacks and specialty varieties like candy grapes on more than 6,000 acres in Delano, Calif.

(Photo courtesy of Hronis Inc.)

Hronis says the summerlike weather has created a phenomenon in which even some late-season varieties are outpacing the early ones.

Across the border, Mexico’s table grapes are also early.

“Mexico is just as early as we are,” he says. “The Mexico deal is going to start the first of May, instead of the middle of May or the 20th of May. So, it’s all just been moved forward.”

But Hronis says he doesn’t see an early and extended season for California and Mexico table grapes becoming the new norm.

“We’ve just had very abnormally high temperatures for California this year,” he says. “But this is really a good thing. We’ll just have that many more California grapes already harvested and through the system. So, we see it as a win for everybody.”

Ready to Promote a Moneymaker

With California table grapes coming several weeks early this year, retailers should prepare to clear shelf space and get ready to promote.

“Get ready to have some big displays,” says Hronis. “We’re going to move a lot of grapes.

“This is a good thing for retailers,” Hronis continues. “Retailers make more money on California grapes in the summer than any other item in their produce department. It’s not the most sold. The most sold are bananas, but the most money made is from grapes.”

Hronis expects the retail opportunity to promote and sell California grapes for 27 to 28 weeks, versus the usual 25 weeks, will translate to strong rings at the register.

“Having more sales days of California grapes on their shelf is a win for them, because they sell more California grapes than they do other grapes other times of the year,” he says.

The even better news for retailers and consumers alike, says Hronis, is that crop quality looks solid and the surety of supply is set.

“This is really shaping up to be a terrific season,” he says. “The size of the crop looks great with lots and lots of promotable grapes coming. So, I’m recommending to my customers, we could probably have a great Labor Day push and even a Veterans Day push.”

Your next read: California’s Cherry Season Shifts Into High Gear Weeks Ahead of Schedule

West Pak Offers Tips for Retailers to Maximize California Avocado Season

Mon, 13 Apr 2026 00:09:30 GMT

West Pak Avocado encourages retailers to capitalize on the strong projected volume of the California avocado season. The global avocado supplier says strategic programs with seasonal storytelling, bag initiatives and premium variety differentiation can drive category performance and meet consumer demand.

The California Avocado Commission forecasts the state’s 2026 harvest at 330 million pounds, marking the third consecutive year the crop is expected to exceed that milestone. West Pak says this estimate includes a crop breakdown of 310 million pounds of hass avocados and 20 million pounds of premium varieties, such as Gem and lamb hass. This forecast anticipates promotable volumes around 10 million to 15 million pounds per week, which ensures a steady supply, according to the company.

“The strong volume projected by the California Avocado Commission for 2026 is a testament to the strength of the California avocado industry,” says Mario Pacheco, CEO of West Pak. “At West Pak, we are proud to partner with our retailers, providing innovative programs and merchandising support to leverage this exceptional volume and help drive significant category growth.”

Joe Nava, vice president of sales and business development for West Pak, says the California season is the time for retailers to differentiate their produce aisle.

“We encourage retailers to showcase high-quality, locally grown fruit through the peak California months, starting now and gaining momentum into California Avocado Month in June,” he says. “Our California lineup, including California-centric bags and our Farm-to-Table PLU program, provides retailers with a roadmap for a successful season.”

West Pak says its California Gold bag, which features both conventional and organic varieties, was designed to enhance key promotional moments while meeting the rising shopper demand for value, convenience and consistent sizing.

The supplier also says its California Gem avocados bag offers a compelling trade-up opportunity for retailers, as Gem avocados are slightly larger than the popular hass variety and boast thick, dark green and easy-to-peel skin with gold flecks when ripe.

West Pak also offers its farm-to-table story to further engage with shoppers who value transparency and local sourcing. This initiative provides customized PLUs that emphasize the fruit’s California origins and a direct connection between consumers and local growers.

Other promotional opportunities include aligning merchandising and promotional strategies ahead of peak availability, particularly with California Avocado Month in June, to maintain strong category momentum throughout the season.

California’s Cherry Season Shifts into High Gear Weeks Ahead of Schedule

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:36:03 GMT

The record-setting heat dome in the West in March has pushed California’s cherry season to its earliest start, says Chris Zanobini, executive director of the California Cherry Board.

Zanobini says the season should begin in late April and end the third week of May.

“We’re expecting we won’t have any production after Memorial Day,” he says. “Really, the cherry season is going to be the last week of April through the third and a half week of May.”

He says the record heat, which was about 20°F to 30°F above average, created a compressed bloom throughout the Golden State.

“Bakersfield all the way up to essentially Sacramento bloomed at the same time,” he says. “It had a very quick bloom, so pretty much everything is going to be harvesting at the same time.”

Zanobini says this early start will likely challenge the state’s cherry logistics.

“It’s going to put a lot of pressure on the packing facilities,” he says.

And he says this early cherry season means the state’s growers will miss out on the post-Memorial Day sales. But there is a bright spot with the season ending before June, he points out.

“The upside to being early is we won’t have any overlap with Northwest,” he says.

As for whether consumers are thinking “cherries” in early April, he says the warm temperatures have consumers thinking summer.

“We were high 80s last week and then, rain on March 31, and April 1 and April 2 we’ll be in the 80s again,” he says. “So, consumers in California were prepared with the weather.”

But he says it’s not just preparing consumers for an early season; it’s also preparing retailers who buy on a calendar basis.

“I think the real challenge there is to make sure that they get that message that we need to move things up several weeks from what we typically do,” he says. “Because we’re Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, and that’ll be the bulk of the volume.”

And while this year, Memorial Day will mark the end of harvest for California cherry growers, he says in a typical season it’s the sweet spot for typically the bulk of the cherries coming out of the Golden State. And while there won’t be production after Memorial Day, depending on how the season goes, Zanobini says he suspects the state will still ship some cherries in that first week of June.

“When we’re talking about the crop, it’s much earlier than normal,” he says. “The majority of our production is in May, between May 5 and Memorial Day. We will continue to ship probably into the first week of June.”

As for now, California Cherries and the state’s growers are working with retailers on promotions, merchandising and bigger displays to get a jump on the volume coming early.

“Getting bigger displays and a higher return on square foot will help maybe drive some of the retail patterns,” he says.

And it’s also working with the export market, too, to think about cherries early. Zanobini says Canada is a big market as well as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Mexico and more.

“That first part of May is when we really look for activity,” he says.

And while the season may be early, and there’s a few more weeks till the start of harvest, Zanobini says there is a really great bright spot that retailers and consumers can look forward to.

“The quality is looking exceptional,” he says. “We don’t actually set a crop number, but it looks like we will have a good crop on the trees and that potentially will size very nicely.”

A New Era for California Avocados: Meet CAC’s First Female Board Chair

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:21:25 GMT

Leaders, strategists, stewards of the land. Women are playing an increasingly crucial role in California’s avocado industry — women like Rachael Kimball Laenen, a fourth-generation avocado farmer and the first female board chair for the California Avocado Commission, whose family farm has literally risen from the ashes to build a stronger future for the next generation.

“Her role reflects the growing influence and contributions of women across our industry and the many ways women are helping to contribute to the future of California avocado farming,” says Ken Melban, CAC president.

Kimball Ranches-El Hogar planted its first avocado trees in 1920. Nearly 100 years later, it was a victim of the devastating Thomas Fire that damaged some 70% of its orchards. Today, Laenen is focused on continual improvement, embracing change and the hard work that will preserve family farming for the next generation.

To learn more about Laenen’s vision for the future, The Packer recently connected with the industry leader on what it means to be a changemaker in the California avocado industry today.

(Editor’s Note: The following has been edited for length and clarity.)

You are the first woman to hold the position of board chair for the California Avocado Commission. What does that mean to you personally and professionally, and what do you hope to achieve on the board?

Laenen: I was elected chair of the California Avocado Commission in early December 2025. What I value most is the trust that my fellow board members and growers have put in me to lead them. I have been on the board since 2020 and have been deeply involved in a number of committees and task forces during my tenure. I’m grateful my colleagues recognize the organizational understanding, perspective and experience I could bring as chair.

I see my role as chair to ensure the board maintains a strong understanding of grower perspectives while facilitating productive discussions that lead to thoughtful decisions. Ultimately, I hope to help bring growers together with a unified voice because we are stronger when working together.

California avocado growers face many challenges from rising input costs to a tight labor market to water shortages to pests to competition from lower-priced imports and more. How does Kimball Ranches navigate these challenges? Is there a secret to your success?

There really is no secret to our success. It’s rooted in hard work, adaptability and continuously striving to improve. My father and I are committed to constantly learning and trying to do things better and more efficiently every day. While the office work can dominate our time, we try to spend as much time in the orchard as possible.

We talk a lot about our current practices and how we can improve. We attend as many seminars, meetings and opportunities to learn as we can. We’re always evaluating new technologies and if they are right for our operation.

Like most California avocado growers, we’re also paying close attention to broader industry dynamics, such as water costs, labor challenges and market conditions, because all of these factors can influence our ability to operate successfully.

Given these challenges, what are California avocado growers doing to ensure they receive economic relief from a new farm bill/the USDA’s recently announced specialty crop assistance?

The commission is always at the forefront of advocating for California avocado growers. CAC leadership works closely with federal policymakers, USDA officials and members of Congress to ensure California avocado growers are included in federal programs and policy discussions. This includes advocating for specialty crop assistance, disaster relief programs and policies that support grower viability.

Our president, Ken Melban, regularly engages with USDA and other federal agencies to ensure avocados are top of mind in conversations ranging from phytosanitary inspection practices to economic relief programs for growers. Ensuring that avocado producers have access to these resources is a critical part of supporting the long-term sustainability of our industry.

You’re a sixth-generation farmer and the fourth generation in your family to grow avocados. What do you hope your legacy will be to future generations at Kimball Ranches?

We have been farming in Ventura County since the 1860s, so we have seen a lot of change. I believe we are only stewarding the land for future generations, and my goal is to ensure my children are able to farm, if they wish.

The key to remaining a viable family farming operation is being willing to embrace change. We have adapted many times over the generations. We have grown lima beans, sugar beets, walnuts and tomatoes. While avocados are what we are growing now, we are always thinking about the future, the challenges, restrictions, climate change and what that might mean for our operation.

My favorite days at work are when my 3-year-old son comes to the ranch with me and we experience the joys and wonder of being in the orchard together. Moments like that remind me why preserving family farming for the next generation matters so much.

Kimball Ranches experienced a devastating wildfire in 2017. How is replanting progressing and are there plans for expansion?

We did experience devastating damage in the Thomas Fire in 2017. We lost our house, barn, ranch office, all our farming equipment and sustained damage to over 70% of our orchard.

We focused immediately on recovery of the orchard because without trees in the ground, there was no way we would survive financially. The fire gave us an incredible opportunity to evaluate everything in our operation, from planting density to rootstock to what variety of avocado we should be growing.

Eight years later, the recovery effort is ongoing. We have replanted about 115 acres at a higher density with clonal rootstocks. Our earliest replanting blocks are now coming into production, and it’s finally starting to feel like we are fully back in the avocado business again.

We are hoping to rebuild the barn this year and the house in the next three years. We have also been able to expand our operation through the acquisition of two additional ranches, including what was my great-grandfather’s original ranch. If the right opportunity arises, we may add additional acreage, but for the moment we are focused on growing strong and healthy trees that will produce great avocados.

You’ve shared your perspective on smaller avocado farms in California and the increasing need to scale. Is there a sweet spot of acreage that allows you to be most profitable?

With the ever-increasing cost of regulation on farming operations, as well as rising input costs, it is just not possible to support a family on a small farm anymore. In my grandparents’ generation, people were able to support themselves on 40 acres, but looking at our financials, that wouldn’t be possible anymore. We are now farming 190 acres, and having more acreage has definitely helped to spread the overhead costs.

Research has shown just how significant regulatory pressures have become. A recent Cal Poly study found that regulatory compliance costs have risen more than 1,300% over the past 18 years. That includes everything from food safety to water quality monitoring to nitrogen reporting. I spend a lot of time in the office ensuring we maintain compliance with all of those regulations, and that’s time I’m not in the orchard, observing our trees, speaking with our employees — doing actual farming.

Through the Kimball Avocados website, you also sell direct to consumer. What percentage of your business is retail versus DTC? Do you see growth opportunity with DTC?

Our direct-to-consumer business is less than 1% of our overall operations. All the rest of our fruit is packed commercially with a local packer-shipper.

Our DTC business was born out of people saying, “This is the best avocado I have ever had!” after we shared fruit with them. We pick and ship the fruit on the same day, which means the fruit is allowed to ripen naturally, free from the cold storage used by commercial distributors. Such storage, which is necessary for the mass market, interrupts ripening and can mute some of the fruit’s full flavor. However, it does mean our customers have to be patient, because it can take anywhere from a week to 10 days for the fruit to ripen.

Our customers are located all across the U.S., but we do have a surprising number here in California too. We have not expanded internationally — yet. I do think there would be demand there, but I haven’t had the time to fully explore what that would require. We may grow the DTC a little bit, but with everything we have going on at the ranch and in the industry, my focus is better spent elsewhere.

Golden State Great: California Avocado Season Set to Deliver

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 19:45:08 GMT

Each year, retailers, chefs and consumers who appreciate a premium produce experience anxiously await California avocado season — so much so that peak season, from spring through summer, has become an unofficial holiday of sorts, with retailers and consumers alike hungry for promotable volumes, new recipes and more.

“The 2026 California avocado season is shaping up to be a strong one,” says Ken Melban, president of the California Avocado Commission. “We’re forecasting approximately 330 million pounds this season, which is similar to last year and marks the fourth year in a row of substantial California volume above 300 million pounds.”

While Melban says harvesting by some California growers is currently underway, promotable volumes are expected to build through March, with peak availability running from about April through August.

“From a fruit standpoint, we’re encouraged by what we’ve seen so far,” Melban says. “Rainfall in the growing regions has generally been beneficial, supporting tree health and fruit development, and growers have also benefited from sunny conditions that help the fruit continue maturing on the tree until it is picked. As always, California’s diverse growing regions and careful grove management position us well for premium quality fruit, and we’re expecting excellent eating quality this season. Early indicators on sizing are also positive.”

Keith Blanchard of Index Fresh agrees. The Riverside, Calif.-based company, which partners with more than 300 California avocado growers farming upward of 15,000 acres statewide, sees a quality season ahead.

“This season’s crop is setting up strong, with clean fruit and good sizing thanks to ample winter rain that supported healthy canopy growth and fruit development,” Blanchard says. “While the season is getting a slightly later start, fruit maturity is not too advanced, giving growers the flexibility to stretch the harvest and time picks to market conditions throughout the spring and summer.”

(Photo courtesy of Mission Produce)

While Galen Johnson, senior director of sales for Oxnard, Calif.-based Mission Produce, says the 2026 California avocado season is off to a slower start, he anticipates harvest volumes to ramp up in April and continue at a strong pace through August.

“California experienced favorable weather conditions this winter, and we expect fruit sizing to run slightly larger than last year,” he says. “Overall, fruit quality looks excellent heading into the new season.”

Avocado Growers Tackle Challenges

Add rising input costs, water scarcity and labor shortages to invasive pests and increasing competition from imports, and it’s easy to see California avocado growers face mounting obstacles. Even with these challenges, the industry continues to eye opportunity.

“California avocado growers are facing real pressure from water scarcity, rising input costs and tight labor, so building predictability into the business is critical,” Blanchard says. “Many of our growers rely on the H‑2A program, which, while still expensive, has brought more stable and predictable labor availability and costs during peak harvest windows.

“On the agronomy side, we’re investing heavily in irrigation technology and data‑driven decision‑making to get more out of every gallon and every input dollar,” Blanchard continues. “Our agronomist, Gerardo Aldunate, analyzes field data and cost structures with growers to recommend tailored strategies; there is no one‑size‑fits‑all solution, but growers can dial in inputs, substitute more economical products where appropriate and focus spend where it has the greatest impact on yield and quality.”

Blanchard says, for Index Fresh, working hand‑in‑hand with growers across the season has been highly effective in improving productivity and getting the most bang for its input buck.

At Mission Produce, Johnson says having an experienced team who can work closely with growers is essential to success.

“California growers are among the best in the business — world-class growing practices, deep expertise and a real commitment to the craft,” he says. “We’re seeing continued innovation, including expanded adoption of the Gem variety, which reflects the state’s ongoing leadership in quality and production excellence.”

Johnson says Mission’s field team also works closely with growers along the Pacific Coast to support healthy, high-producing trees, which the company anticipates will improve yields over time.

Born to Compete

California avocado growers have some of the highest production and land costs in the world, making it difficult to impossible to compete with avocado imports on price. As a result, the Golden State focuses on the highest quality and a premium eating experience — areas where it says it shines.

“Competition from imports is very real, and California growers are feeling that pressure, particularly when large volumes of imported fruit overlap with our season and create supply imbalances in the marketplace,” Melban says. “Our role at CAC is to help California growers compete by strengthening the California value proposition and ensuring that differentiation is clear to retailers and consumers.

“California avocados are locally grown, sustainably farmed, ethically sourced and harvested with care to deliver an exceptional eating experience,” Melban continues.

“When consumers clearly recognize California at the shelf and understand the value behind it, that supports premium positioning and ultimately benefits growers,” says Ken Melban, president of the California Avocado Commission.

(Photo courtesy of the California Avocado Commission)

Investing in customized retail and foodservice programs that clearly identify California origin at the shelf and in promotional materials helps support this value proposition, he says.

“We work with customers on branded display bins, signage, packaging and digital support to help shoppers quickly recognize and choose California fruit,” says Melban. “If market pressure increases due to overlapping imports, we’re prepared to strategically deploy marketing resources to help maintain movement and visibility. When consumers clearly recognize California at the shelf and understand the value behind it, that supports premium positioning and ultimately benefits growers.”

Playing up local is also integral to Mission’s marketing initiatives.

“During the summer months, California is the premier source of high-quality avocados for the U.S. market,” Johnson says. “With the value many shoppers place on locally grown produce, California avocados stand out as a premium, local offering.”

Mission also connects with its retail partners on CAC-led marketing initiatives and offers California-specific packaging designed to highlight the origin story at the point of sale.

“It’s a meaningful way to support the season and connect shoppers with locally grown avocados,” Johnson says.

Beyond marketing, Melban says CAC is actively engaged on policy and trade issues that affect grower viability.

“We are advocating for California growers as discussions continue around the USMCA [U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement] review process and are working with federal officials to explore policy tools that could help encourage a more orderly flow of imports during the California harvest window,” he says. “Oversupply during peak domestic production can significantly impact market returns, so ensuring a fair and balanced marketplace remains an important priority for the commission.”

Strong on Sustainability

Sustainability has long been a key pillar of the California avocado industry, playing a critical role on family farms and commercial operations.

Blanchard says new Gem avocado plantings allow trees to be planted more densely, producing higher yields per acre and giving growers another way to diversify and grow within a limited land and water footprint.

“Our agronomy team works grove-by-grove to provide cultural guidance that improves tree health and maximizes yields as efficiently as possible, which reduces waste and input use across our California footprint,” Blanchard says.

Index Fresh approaches sustainable avocado farming from multiple angles.

(Photo courtesy of Index Fresh)

Index Fresh growers employ practices such as no‑till or reduced‑till farming that help store carbon in the soil, limit erosion and improve long‑term soil structure, while the trees themselves capture and store carbon dioxide and release oxygen as they grow. On the water side, precision irrigation systems that take advantage of natural rainfall now serve more than 90% of California avocado acreage, driving significant gains in water‑use efficiency, he says.

“We define success as using fewer inputs to grow healthier, more resilient trees that can sustain yields over many years of production, and we track that through field‑level metrics such as yield, tree vigor, and fruit quality over time,” Blanchard says. “When growers can maintain or increase production with lower water, fertilizer and control usage, we know the sustainability work is paying off at both the grove and industry level.”

While Melban says California avocado growers engage in environmentally sustainable practices from responsible water use to careful grove management, economic sustainability is equally important.

“For us, sustainability absolutely includes environmental stewardship, but it also includes economic viability,” Melban says. “If farming families cannot remain financially healthy, the industry cannot be sustainable over the long term. That is why CAC talks about sustainability in a broader sense — supporting practices and programs that help growers remain productive, resilient and profitable across generations.”

(Each year, retailers, chefs and consumers who appreciate a premium produce experience anxiously await California avocado season — so much so that peak season, from spring through summer, has become an unofficial holiday of sorts, with retailers and consumers alike hungry for promotable volumes, new recipes and more.)

Avocados On Trend

When it comes to the trends that speak to today’s consumer, local, organic and special packaging are helping to differentiate and drive sales in the California avocado category.

“From a market standpoint, we see continued upside in special packs, bag programs and the California story, all of which are resonating with shoppers who increasingly seek locally grown produce,” Blanchard says. “Bagged avocados continue to post strong unit and dollar growth, and packaging that clearly calls out California‑grown, organic and key sizes helps retailers trade shoppers up and grow the category.”

Index Fresh says it works closely with CAC to align on retail initiatives, ad calendars and promotional support that spotlight California fruit during peak season.

“For this upcoming season, we’re entering our second year with the California Crema Gem brand and have expanded the program for deeper engagement,” says Kellen Stailey of Index Fresh. “We support retail partners with merchandising kits, a dedicated consumer‑facing website featuring recipes and ripeness education and promotional programs that make it easy to tell the California Crema story in‑store and online.”

Stailey says that while hass remains the season‑long workhorse and industry standard, the Gem variety gives retailers a limited‑time, “buzz‑worthy offering” early in the California season.

“Gems are known for their larger size, easy‑peel skin, distinctive gold‑flecked appearance and rich flavor, making them ideal for feature ads, discovery displays and premium merchandising,” Stailey says. “Our California Crema Gem line is designed as a turnkey complement to California hass, providing a programmable window with defined volumes and pricing so retailers can plan a dedicated promotion that captures consumer curiosity around this special variety.”

Campaign Focused on Growers

For the 2026 California avocado season, CAC is reprising its campaign celebrating its growers.

“We’re featuring California avocado growers and their stories across advertising because that authenticity resonates strongly with consumers,” Melban says. “It reinforces that California avocados are not just premium fruit, but fruit grown by real farming families with a deep commitment to quality, stewardship and community.”

Melban says CAC is also putting increased emphasis on customized retail support, including retailer-specific merchandising, signage, display bins, digital and social programs and seasonal content designed to inspire purchase and drive shoppers into participating stores.

“Our objective is to make the California origin message impossible to miss and to help our partners succeed during peak California availability,” he says.

California Avocado Commission Celebrates Female Growers’ Impact on Industry

Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:32:01 GMT

Within the California avocado industry, women are playing an increasingly influential role across production, handling, sales, marketing and strategic leadership. Their expanded presence reflects a broader shift toward diversified leadership and forward-looking business practices that support reliable supply, sustainability and continued category growth for retail and foodservice partners alike.

Recognizing the growing impact of women in agriculture worldwide, the United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer. The U.S.-led resolution supported by 123 countries is also backed by the California Avocado Commission as part of its ongoing commitment to leadership and sustainability in the produce industry.

Further support of women’s advancement across all fields was highlighted through International Women’s Day (March 8), which celebrated the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.

In recognition of both the International Year of the Woman Farmer and International Women’s Day, CAC is highlighting a few of California’s female avocado growers to showcase the role of women in the industry.

“Women are a driving force in California agriculture, serving as growers, business owners and stewards of multigenerational farms,” says CAC President Ken Melban. “In the California avocado industry, female farmers play a vital role in advancing sustainable growing practices, driving operational excellence and preserving family farming legacies. Their contributions are essential to the continued growth and prosperity of our industry.”

In recognition of International Year of the Woman Farmer, the California Avocado Commission is spotlighting Rachael Kimball Laenen.

(Photo courtesy of the California Avocado Commission)

Rachael Kimball Laenen

Rachael Kimball Laenen is the commission’s current board of directors chair and the first woman to hold this position within the organization. She is the sixth generation of her family to farm in Ventura County and the fourth to nurture locally grown California avocados.

Before her farming career, Kimball Laenen worked in international motorsport, managing global sponsorships for some of the world’s most valuable brands as well as delivering high-level events and hospitality. She then returned to California to work alongside her father, growing avocados on 150 acres between Santa Paula and Fillmore. Their grove was devastated by the Thomas Fire in 2017, and she shepherded ranch recovery and manages ongoing operations.

Active in the avocado industry, Kimball Laenen previously held other positions on CAC board and its marketing committee, sustainability task force and succession task force, as well as served as a member of the Hass Avocado Committee. She is also a graduate of the Hass Avocado Board BOLD leadership program and the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

In recognition of International Year of the Woman Farmer, the California Avocado Commission is highlighting the work of Maureen Lamb Cottingham.

(Photo courtesy of the California Avocado Commission)

Maureen Lamb Cottingham

Maureen Lamb Cottingham brings executive leadership experience and deep agricultural roots to her role as an avocado grower and industry advocate. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in agricultural business, she previously served as executive director of the Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance.

Today, Lamb Cottingham manages her family’s avocado and lemon groves, first planted 50 years ago. She is deeply invested in steering every aspect of the business, from operations to financial management, ensuring the farm thrives for generations to come. She is proud that their avocados are ethically sourced and that their farm is committed to sustainable practices. Her family’s legacy in Ventura County runs deep. Her great-great-grandfather is credited with establishing and naming the city of Camarillo in the early 1900s.

An engaged industry leader, Lamb Cottingham serves as treasurer of CAC’s board and has also contributed to its marketing committee and succession task force. She is a graduate of the Hass Avocado Board BOLD leadership program and serves as a grower member of the ACP-HLB Task Force.

In recognition of International Year of the Woman Farmer, the California Avocado Commission is spotlighting Catherine Pinkerton Keeling.

(Photo courtesy of the California Avocado Commission)

Catherine Pinkerton Keeling

Catherine Pinkerton Keeling grew up on her family’s farm in Santa Paula, where they have been growing California avocados for more than half a century, but that didn’t make her a farmer. After college, Pinkerton Keeling volunteered for the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, helping women become economically independent as part of a rural development program. She later became a licensed clinical social worker in the Midwest.

In late 2017, when the devastating Thomas Fire destroyed her parents’ home and about 70% of their avocado ranch, Pinkerton Keeling felt a calling to help her family rebuild their farm. A passionate advocate for California avocados and sustainable agriculture, Pinkerton Keeling has served as an alternate on the CAC board and serves on the board of the United Water Conservation District.

2026 Outlook

As the commission celebrates the women helping shape the future of California avocados, the industry is also entering the heart of the 2026 harvest season with optimism.

With improving market conditions, California avocado harvesting is now ramping up, according to the CAC. While some growers began bringing fruit to market in January and February, the majority of this year’s locally grown and sustainably farmed crop is expected to ship from April through August.

The commission currently estimates the 2026 California avocado crop at approximately 330 million pounds. At peak harvest, the commission anticipates promotable volumes ranging from 10 million to 15 million pounds per week, providing retail and foodservice partners with a steady supply of premium California avocados during key spring and summer demand periods.

California Prune Industry Honors Women Leading the Charge in 2026

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:31:54 GMT

As the world marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026, the California Prune Board is shining a spotlight on female leaders who are indispensable to the state’s agricultural success.

California currently produces virtually all of the prunes grown in the U.S. This global dominance is fueled by 45,244 women producers who manage 11.5 million acres and contribute $22.2 billion in agricultural sales.

“Women are deeply involved at every level — from orchard management and research to marketing and global trade. Their leadership helps ensure the long-term success of our industry,” says Kiaran Locy, director of brand and industry communications for the California Prune Board.

Stewards of the Land

For many, this work is a calling. Sandra “Sandie” Mitchell, a grower in Yuba City, manages a multigenerational operation. Her daily life involves the grueling, year-round stewardship of irrigation, soil care and harvest.

Mitchell says this labor is rooted in a fundamental desire to provide for others.

“Women are very quality-oriented. When it comes to our families, we want the best,” Mitchell says. ”And as California prune growers, we’ve dedicated our farming operation to producing a premium product for consumers.”

Sandra “Sandie” Mitchell, a grower in Yuba City, manages a multigeneration operation. Pictured is the Mitchell family: Neil, Sandy and son, Joe.

(Photo courtesy of California Prune Board)

Innovation Beyond the Orchard

The industry’s evolution is also being driven by women who see potential far beyond the food aisle. The Taylor sisters — Allison, Jacqueline and Elaine — leveraged their family’s fourth-generation farm to launch Le Prunier, a skincare brand that repurposes plum seeds.

“The California Prune Board’s primary focus is helping growers produce a consistent, high-quality crop that delivers strong returns in the marketplace,” Locy says. “At the same time, the entrepreneurial work of the Taylor sisters at Le Prunier shows the creativity that can emerge from farming families when they look at new ways to use every part of the crop. It’s a great example of how innovation and storytelling can elevate the value of agriculture beyond the orchard.”

This spirit of advancement extends into the lab as well.

“Across the prune industry, we’re seeing women shaping innovation from research labs to orchard management,” Locy says. “Researchers like Sarah Castro at the University of California, Davis, are helping advance new prune varieties designed to improve efficiency and reduce production costs, while growers and farm managers are increasingly focused on how those innovations translate into better labor management and long-term sustainability. That collaboration between research and on-farm decision-making is critical to keeping the California prune industry competitive.”

Similarly, in California’s Central Valley, sisters Hilary Porter, CEO of Erick Nielsen Enterprises, and Heather Nielsen Reed, hospitality and social media manager, are among the many women helping lead and evolve the prune industry. Through their operational leadership, the sisters oversee custom orchard services across the state, including mechanical pruning, harvesting, brush shredding and orchard floor preparation — providing growers with specialized equipment and expertise that help orchards operate efficiently and remain competitive.

By serving both their own acreage and farms throughout the Central Valley, Porter and Reed maintain a close connection to the evolving needs of California growers. Their team has played a role in advancing harvest techniques and improving processes that support the delivery of premium California prunes to processors and markets worldwide.

California currently produces virtually all of the prunes grown in the U.S.

(Photo courtesy of Alycia Moreno for the California Prune Board)

A Resilient Future

The role of women in California prunes’ agricultural history and future is vital, and supporting women in agriculture will remain key to maintaining strong farming communities and a resilient food system.

That’s why the California Prune Board says it is committed to sharing the stories of these inspirational women in agriculture and inspiring the next generation of women to lead the industry into the future. Through features on CaliforniaPrunes.org and other digital channels, the board will continue to spotlight women growers and industry leaders and the impact they have across the California prune sector.

“The prune industry reflects the broader evolution happening across agriculture, where women are increasingly visible as leaders in orchards, research, marketing and governance,” Locy says. “Programs like the California Agricultural Leadership Program help cultivate the next generation of industry leaders, and the California Prune Board has been very supportive of that work. In my role as chair of CA Grown, I also see how important it is to elevate the people behind our food system. As we recognize the International Year of the Woman Farmer, it’s really about acknowledging the leadership women are already bringing to every part of the agricultural value chain.”

Why One California Farmer is Betting Big on Algae for Fertility

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:44:35 GMT

Rows of citrus trees stretch across the landscape under the California sun, their canopies forming neat green corridors between irrigation lines and tractor paths. Some trees are newly trimmed, others older and thicker from years of growth. It’s the kind of orchard scene that has long defined agriculture in this part of the state, where permanent crops dominate the landscape and generations of farmers have worked to coax productivity from difficult soils and an increasingly unpredictable water supply.

For fifth-generation farmer Justin Wylie , these groves are more than just another orchard to manage. They represent an opportunity to rethink how soil works on his farm and whether biology — specifically algae — can play a larger role in the future of California agriculture.

Wylie and his family farm roughly 4,000 acres across California’s Central Valley. Some of that land has been in the family for generations, while other acres are leased. Like many farms in the region, the operation produces permanent crops such as pistachios and citrus, commodities that require long-term planning and careful soil management.

“This is a long-term lease with an investment company partner,” Wylie says. “And we just entered into that lease last year. It’s a 15-year lease with a five-year extension.”

One of the ranches he’s currently working to improve came through a recent leasing agreement that gives the family time to invest in the land and experiment with new approaches. That time horizon matters. With permanent crops like oranges, orchard decisions can affect productivity for decades. The trees must be pruned, fertilized and irrigated carefully year after year, and the soil beneath them has to remain functional through increasingly hot and dry growing seasons.

When Wylie’s team first took over the ranch, some improvements were necessary before any new ideas could be tested.

“We were really lucky on this ranch,” Wylie says. “The previous guys, they did let some of the trees get overgrown, so we did have to come in and push a hedge and top and resize those trees.”

While the orchard needed structural work above ground, Wylie says the bigger opportunity lies beneath the surface. The ranch is now part of a broader effort on the farm to transition a portion of the acres toward organic and regenerative systems.

“For the majority of the ranch, as far as fertility, the soils, the condition of the ranch,” he says, “I think the big thing with this ranch is transitioning from a conventional model to an organic regenerative, which is part of our commitment in the lease. It’s part of the model of the lease here — that we transition the ranch from conventional to certified organic and regenerative.”

The transition is happening gradually. Wylie says roughly 25% of the farm’s acres are currently part of that shift, allowing the family to experiment with new soil-building practices without risking the entire operation.

But the push to explore regenerative systems didn’t begin with markets or policy. It started with a deeply personal experience.

A Personal Connection to Soil Health

Wylie says his interest in soil biology and regenerative farming took shape nearly a decade ago, around 2015 or 2016. At the time, his family was dealing with a serious health challenge involving his young son.

The experience pushed him to start researching nutrition, gut health and the human microbiome — topics that would eventually reshape how he thought about farming.

“[My son] was sick as a kid, and so we were doing everything we could to heal him,” Wylie says. “His gut ended up in the hospital a few times with an autism diagnosis.”

Doctors and therapists offered guidance, but the recommendations didn’t sit well with Wylie.

“And then at the time, the doctors and the therapist told us basically, ‘Practice acceptance,’” he says.

Instead, Wylie started searching for more information about gut health and what researchers were learning about the microbiome. Over time, he began seeing parallels between the human digestive system and the biological activity that happens in healthy soils.

“They started figuring out that autistic kids had very weak gut microbiomes,” Wylie says. “And so when you make that connection as a farmer and you start saying, ‘What are all the things I can do at home to not stress that?’”

That question eventually carried over into his work in the field. The farm’s first experiment with regenerative practices was modest.

“We started on 40 acres of pistachios, playing around with it,” he says. “What can we do here growing in a different system?”

At the same time, the regenerative agriculture movement was gaining momentum online, making it easier for farmers to explore new ideas.

“At the time, there were quite a few regenerative agronomists out there releasing podcasts and YouTube videos,” Wylie says. “So the information was there. It was never on my radar before. But once you join that community and industry, it’s pretty interesting.”

Building on What Came Before

Even as Wylie explores new biological tools, he says the farm’s current practices still build heavily on the work done by previous generations.

His father’s generation invested heavily in agronomy research and orchard management strategies, developing systems that helped the farm stay productive in California’s demanding growing environment. From pruning methods to fertilizer programs, many of those lessons still guide how the farm operates today.

Rather than abandoning those systems, Wylie says his goal is to refine them.

“It’s really a tweak,” he says. “In my mind it’s a slight change in the method, not a complete start over.”

The farm continues to rely on the knowledge accumulated through decades of conventional farming, while gradually introducing new practices aimed at improving soil biology.

“We’re just trying to make tweaks to the system that we’re already operating in on the other ranches to see if we can do this a different way,” Wylie says.

One of the biggest challenges in that transition is managing fertility.

California orchards have historically relied on precise fertilizer programs to keep trees productive. But moving toward organic or regenerative inputs can create a different nutrient dynamic, especially during the early years of transition.

Wylie says growers sometimes underestimate how sensitive orchards can be during that shift.

Managing the Transition Carefully

According to Wylie, one of the most common mistakes farmers make when transitioning to regenerative systems is reducing fertilizer too quickly.

He says orchards that have spent decades under conventional management are accustomed to intensive nutrient programs, and abruptly changing that system can cause yields to fall sharply.

On some ranches where regenerative practices have been in place for several years, Wylie says the difference in soil structure is already noticeable.

“There’s other ranches we’ve been farming regenerative for five years,” he says. “You can stick your hand in the soil and get your fingers down right there on the berms next to the trees — it’s chocolate cake.”

But he warns farmers shouldn’t assume that kind of soil health will appear immediately after switching systems.

“Until that day, do not pull back,” Wylie says.

He says the biggest mistake happens when growers assume they can immediately match their old fertility programs using organic inputs.

“That’s the mistake that growers make,” he says. “They think I’m going organic regenerative, I can match dollar for dollar, I can do the same thing I was doing conventionally.”

Instead, Wylie says the transition often produces what he calls a “J-curve.”

“You’re going to see that J-curve,” he says. “I mean, it’s going to tank.”

To avoid that, his farm relies heavily on testing.

“We pull a lot of sap samples, multiple tissues and soils per year,” Wylie says. “Kind of watching our fertility and making sure these trees are fed.”

He says growers must remember trees grown in conventional systems are used to consistent nutrient availability.

“The soil has been farmed a certain way,” he says. “These trees are used to being fed intensively in that conventional system.”

And organic fertilizers don’t always behave the same way.

“The organic fertilizers just don’t work as well,” Wylie says. “So you have to be careful.”

Introducing Algae Into the System

As Wylie searched for ways to accelerate soil improvement, one newer tool caught his attention: microalgae.

The technology comes from soil health company MyLand, which produces living algae on farms and distributes it through irrigation systems.

“We’re probably in our fourth or fifth season,” Wylie says.

The idea behind the system is relatively simple. Rather than applying microbes directly to the soil, the system produces algae that help stimulate microbial activity already present in the soil ecosystem.

Jeff Tuel says the technology centers around specialized tanks designed to grow algae on the farm itself.

“We call these APVs, algae producing vessels,” Tuel says. “And essentially, the sole purpose is to grow algae here.”

Water from the farm is stored inside the vessels, where conditions are controlled to encourage rapid algae growth.

“So for all intents and purposes, this is kind of like the algae producing container,” Tuel says.

From there, the algae are delivered through irrigation systems already used on the farm.

“And we try to keep that holding tank to a level where if the irrigator is irrigating a 12-hour set, 24, 36,” Tuel says. “Our main objective is for them to never run dry of algae.”

Production is adjusted to match the grower’s irrigation schedule.

“We harvest according to the grower’s irrigation schedule,” he says.

Another important step happens before the system is even installed. MyLand scientists collect algae samples from the farm itself, identifying native strains that are already adapted to the environment.

“The reason native is important is because it’s used to the pH, it’s used to the droughts, the floods, everything Mother Nature’s thrown at it,” Tuel says.

Because those organisms already exist in the local ecosystem, they are more likely to survive once applied to the soil.

“Its odds of surviving and actually making an impact in that ecosystem are far greater,” he says.

Microalgae also sits at the base of the soil’s microbial food web.

“Microalgae is actually the base of the microbial food chain,” Tuel says. “All the bugs and beneficials in the soil are feeding off of it.”

Rather than introducing microbes, the strategy is to stimulate the microbes already present.

“I like to say instead of a bug-and-a-jug approach, we are ringing the dinner bell for the microbes,” Tuel says. “It’s kind of an all-you-can-eat buffet for microbes to get them moving and active.”

Tackling Difficult Soils

For Wylie, improving soil biology could help solve one of the Central Valley’s most persistent challenges: poor soil structure.

Many orchard soils in the region contain very low levels of organic matter, which limits their ability to hold water and maintain structure through the growing season.

“We have about 0.5% soil organic matter,” Wylie says. “Our water holding capacity is very low.”

That lack of organic matter can cause irrigation problems later in the summer.

“A lot of times these soils as we’re irrigating during the season will lock up,” he says.

Early in the season, irrigation water infiltrates the soil fairly easily.

“You start with very good water infiltration in April, May, June,” Wylie says.

But conditions change as the summer progresses.

“By the time you get to July, August, when you really need it, it’s very difficult to push water down in the soil,” he says.

For farmers trying to manage water carefully in California’s dry climate, that creates a major challenge.

“These soils are not very functional for us as farmers,” Wylie says.

Tuel says stimulating microbial activity can gradually improve those conditions.

“When you get those microbes to start moving and firing, you’re going to start to build soil aggregate,” he says.

Better aggregation can help water move through the soil while also improving nutrient availability.

“If it’s a high-salt ground, we can start to leach out some of those salts,” Tuel says.

Algae may also influence soil chemistry.

“Algae is also going to help regulate the pH in the soil so we can start to free up some locked-up nutrients,” he says.

Thinking Long-Term

While installing an on-farm algae system requires investment, Wylie says he sees it as part of a long-term strategy for improving soil performance.

“In a biological system like MyLand, it’s about the same cost as a soil amendment program out here, depending on how much acreage you’re using,” Wylie says.

The difference is the system focuses on building biological activity rather than simply adding nutrients.

“But it’s a long-term solution,” he says. “It’s not going to work overnight.”

Instead, the goal is to strengthen the soil’s microbiome so it can better buffer environmental stresses.

“It’s actually creating a buffer by just supercharging the microbiome that’s in the soil,” Wylie says.

That biological activity may help address several common soil issues in California orchards.

“Everything feeds on it,” he says. “It’s overcoming high salt, high chlorides.”

Even trace mineral challenges may improve over time.

“In some cases in California, we have very high boron in some areas,” Wylie says.

He believes increased biological activity may help mitigate those problems faster than traditional soil-building methods alone.

“Microalgae being put into the system can actually overcome those salts that might take 10 or 15 years of compost and cover crops,” he says. “You can accomplish in a few years by using MyLand.”

The Pressure on California Farmers

The search for new tools is happening at a time when farming in California is becoming increasingly expensive.

Data from USDA shows the state continues to rank as the most expensive place in the country to grow crops, driven by high labor, energy and input costs.

Those economic pressures are compounded by growing regulatory expectations.

Wylie believes California farmers are already facing some of the strictest scrutiny in global agriculture.

“I think the state’s already looking at it very closely,” he says. “I think they’re going to put more pressure on farmers in California.”

Compared with other agricultural regions, he says California producers are operating under unique constraints.

“Other than the European Union, there is no one in the world that’s under as much pressure as a California farmer to change the way we do things,” Wylie says.

Because of that, he believes farmers must take the lead in finding workable solutions.

“We need to figure this out,” he says. “And I want to figure it out before the government gets involved and tries to tell me how to do it.”

Government incentive programs exist, but Wylie believes the real challenge is making soil health practices economically viable.

“They can offer me some incentives,” he says. “We have healthy soils out here. They give you a little compost and cover crop seed.”

Ultimately, though, growers need systems that work on their own.

“We need to figure this out and we need to make it economical and profitable before the state comes in,” Wylie says.

Because once regulations remove certain tools, farmers may have little room to adapt.

“Now you’re forced to figure it out with your back against the wall,” he says. “We don’t want that.”

For Wylie, the answer may lie beneath the soil surface where billions of microbes, fueled by algae, could quietly reshape how California farms grow their crops. And by doing so now, Wylie hopes he’s able to find ways to continue to grow productive crops in California, despite increased regulations.

Produce Leaders Sound the Alarm as California Closes the Window on Packaging Rules

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:55:49 GMT

The story of the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act is not a new one in the state of California. However, those in the produce industry say the regulations called for in this act have taken a sharp and alarming turn, one that would have severe consequences in the fresh produce industry.

This act calls for all packaging to be recyclable or compostable, and plastic packaging to exceed a 50% recycling rate by 2032. CalRecycle released a permanent draft of the regulations for the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, which is significantly different than its December 2025 draft, which it withdrew and replaced with a new version on Jan. 29.

Gail Delihant, senior director of governmental affairs at Western Growers, says this new draft eliminates previous categorical exclusions for fresh produce packaging, which would have allowed for compliance while also meeting food safety requirements.

Kevin Kelly, CEO of Emerald Packaging, says he has been advocating for achievable goals within produce packaging since SB 54’s inception. But he says this latest change in the regulations has definitely caught the fresh produce industry a little off guard.

“I think what surprised people is everybody thought that the language would eventually make for a gentle transition to using products in the ag sector that could be recycled or were compostable,” Kelly says. “And that we build a recycling system that could actually handle like a salad package or a clam shell. Instead, what we’ve gotten is something that still says, ‘By 2027 if your recycling rate isn’t 25%, you’re potentially banned.”

Delihant says there is an immediate need for those in the fresh produce industry to review this final draft and submit comments on the potential impacts of this regulation. CalRecycle will accept comments on this draft regulation through Friday, Feb. 13.

“We just need people to raise the alarm loud enough that they actually do change the wording and send it back out for another 15 days,” she says.

What Changed?

Kelly says SB 54 was a tough bill for the produce industry from the start, but he adds the change in these regulations has made it worse.

“It was an unreasonable bill, and these regulations now are unreasonable,” he says. “They don’t make packaging impossible, but they’re going to make it very difficult.”

Western Growers broke down the key changes and points of note, which include the addition of the word “mandatory”, which Delihant says puts additional responsibility on growers. Western Growers says growers must now prove no alternative packaging is FSMA, California law and FDA food-contact rules compliant, that liners, coatings and closures cannot resolve conflicts, that a redesign would fail safety or legal requirements and more. Western Growers’ analysis can be found online .

Both Kelly and Delihant say the original draft of the regulations had exemptions carved out for fresh produce that would both encourage progress, but not set unrealistic deadlines and standards.

“They think it would be easy for us to comply, but they have no clue what it would take to gather that information to submit,” Delihant says. “That’s why we’re asking everybody to please write to the governor’s office, write to Cal Recycle and provide comments in the hope they will fix this language.”

Kelly and Delihant say this new draft also makes the exemption process much more difficult and costly for growers. Kelly says while growers can apply for exemptions to not meet the recycle rates, but they will still need to pay the fees.

“Not only are you going to get whacked around the fees, you’re going to have to pay consultants every two to five years to go argue that there’s no possible alternative to the packaging you’re using, and the information they’re asking for is crazy,” Kelly says.

Delihant says what also makes this difficult is the infrastructure to recycle the types of material used currently doesn’t exist. So, it’s incredibly difficult to meet a 50% recycling benchmark by 2030 and the 100% by 2032. And federal food safety guidelines highlight the need for breathable packaging to prevent pathogens.

“We showed CalRecycle, that we are complying with the guidance documents, and that currently we have a hardship in that we don’t have the infrastructure for our products to be recycled yet. It went really well, until almost 15 days ago, when they issued a new draft that basically strips us of our categorical exclusion language,” she says.

Packaging’s Vital Role

Kelly says current produce packaging keeps fresh produce alive, while compostable and recycled packaging does not.

“Most compostable materials don’t breathe at all,” he says.

And Delihant says the industry has spent a lot of time, money and effort in packaging research and development to create what the industry uses today.

“We’ve come up with what we have now that you see in the produce section of the grocery store fully complies with federal rules, regulations and guidance documents for keeping food safe and keeping food fresh longer,” she says. “That’s the goal. Keep your food fresh, keep it alive, because it is alive. Keep it safe to eat and keep it fresh as long as possible.”

Kelly cites studies released by the Canadian government, which says banning produce packaging or pushing for alternatives would raise the price of produce at retail between 5% and 10%, require the hiring of more people and cause much more food waste.

“Jeff Brandenburg [president of The JSB Group and founding partner of QFresh Lab] always says, ‘We keep a living product alive.’ We’re the only packaging that has the honor of keeping a living product alive,” Kelly notes.

Kelly says plastic manufacturers in California lobbied the American Chemistry Council in the 2000s to organize and recycle plastics, but that never moved forward. He says it’s not as though the industry hasn’t worked to add compostable packaging, either — noting Emerald Packaging began offering a corn-based film to package spinach as early as 2002. But, it hasn’t been widely adopted, and that’s part of the issue with scale and capacity, which has widely remained around the same as 2002.

“The problem with all these materials is that they’re expensive, so people don’t switch to them, so the capacity is never built,” he says. “If you were to try and replace the billions of pounds of material that’s used across the United States … there’s a whole petrochemical industry that’s built around this.”

And he says this regulation will require wholesale changes to the entire fresh produce supply chain.

“The world doesn’t work this way,” he says. “There isn’t an infinite capital out there to spend on projects like this, where you’re not going to get a return.”

What Happens Next?

Delihant says CalRecycle will review and respond to all comments submitted by Friday, Feb. 13. If the fresh produce industry successfully raises the alarm, updates would have to go through another comment period.

“We’ve been told they don’t want to do that because there are dates certain in the law that must be met, and those are coming up in April and this summer,” Delihant says.

And Delihant says growers should look to Oregon and Colorado to see what’s coming as producers have received Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) invoices to mitigate the pollution caused by plastic packaging. She says this means growers are spending thousands and thousands of dollars on these fees.

She says these implications will extend way beyond Oregon, Colorado or California, but will impact any company shipping packaged produce into those states.

“You could be growing in Arizona, and packing in Arizona and shipping into Oregon and Colorado,” she says. “You’re going to pay the fees. You could be growing in Florida and shipping into California. With this regulation, you’re going to be paying fees in every single one of the states.”

Kelly, too, says he doesn’t see an outright plastics ban with this regulation as the fees gathered by Circular Action Alliance through the recycling of clamshells and flexible packaging will help fund the recycling infrastructure for the organization.

“It’s not that packaging will disappear,” he says. “It’s going to become a lot more expensive now that may chase it off the shelves. But for CAA certainly, there’s no economic incentive here for them to demand that food packaging get banned.”

Kelly also points out advocating for plastics in the specialty crop industry will not be a one-and-done type of movement. He says the industry will need to continue to be engaged. Much like the adage, of “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” that’s the role specialty crop growers will need to play in the future.

“Individual growers and shippers have to stay involved,” he says. “This rock is going to roll over people if they don’t push it uphill.”

California Avocado Commission’s Terry Splane to Retire

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 05:41:28 GMT

The California Avocado Commission announced Feb. 2 that Vice President of Marketing Terry Splane plans to retire at the end of February.

“Leading the commission’s award-winning marketing program for the past several years has been one of the highlights of my 40-year career,” Splane says. “I’m especially grateful to the dedicated CAC marketing staff, agency partners and inspirational group of avocado growers and industry leaders who made the work so impactful. My wife retired last year, and now it is time for us to pursue our postcareer journey together.”

In addition to the retirement announcement, Splane and CAC shared the commission’s annual early-season forecast of 330 million pounds of California avocados. This projection includes 310 million pounds of hass and 20 million pounds of other avocado varieties.

“Recent rain in California generally was welcomed by growers due to its help with soil and tree health,” Splane says. “Now there is hope for these sunny days to continue into spring to ensure fruit sizing.”

With nearly 51,000 acres now producing California avocados, 2026 is expected to be the third consecutive year with volume in excess of 300 million pounds, according to the commission. While some harvesting already has occurred, the peak of promotable volume is expected from April into August.

The commission says the consumer marketing program, including its advertising and social media campaign, already has been developed and is ready to launch when the harvest reaches promotable volume levels. It says this year’s campaign evolution incorporates actual California avocado growers who share what makes their fruit so special.

Customized retail and foodservice support programs are being built out for the upcoming season. These programs can include traditional trade marketing activities such as retail displays, demos, signage and foodservice limited-time offers, as well as media support targeted to specific customers’ patrons.

“Terry’s leadership and vision played a critical role in strengthening the California avocados brand and advancing the commission’s goals,” says Ken Melban, CAC president. “We are deeply grateful for his many contributions and wish Terry a well-earned and rewarding retirement.”

California Water Experts Call for Cooperation on Colorado River Impasse

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:32:08 GMT

There are just over two weeks left for the seven states that depend on the Colorado River to come to an agreement on how to manage its dwindling water resources. This water is critical to millions of people and agricultural acres across the river’s basin, as well as key sectors of California’s fresh produce industry.

If the states can’t agree on a management plan for the Colorado River by Feb. 14, the federal government may step in with its plans. Experts doubt those plans will solve the issues facing the Colorado River, however, and say it could likely result in decades of lawsuits and uncertainty.

While the states have been at an impasse for over two years now, California water and irrigation experts are hopeful for cooperation ahead of the deadline.

“It’s important that we remember as we move forward that we’re all in this together,” says Frank Venegas, water technician for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe. “We have to develop partnerships. If we have some partnerships already, [we have] to make them stronger as we move forward into this next era of the negotiations.”

Venegas was one of several panelists who spoke during a Jan. 28 webinar hosted by the California Natural Resources Agency. Panelists spoke on the relevance of the Colorado River water to California, the challenges facing it, what has happened to address those challenges and what needs to happen in the future of its management.

Not Enough Water to Go Around

Seven states and Mexico depend on and share the water of the Colorado River. The states are divided into the Upper Basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico) and the Lower Basin (California, Arizona and Nevada).

However, much like the situation between the U.S. and Mexico on the Rio Grande , the Colorado River is overallocated.

Michael Anderson, California state climatologist, explained during the webinar that the average flow through the river from 1910 to 2000 was roughly 15 million acre-feet annually. The 1922 Colorado River Compact operated on this reality, stipulating that the Upper and Lower Basins would each receive 7.5 MAF annually. Of the Lower Basin’s total allocation, California receives the lion’s share at 4.4 MAF. This also makes it the largest single recipient of Colorado River water in the entire basin.

The 1922 compact granted any water over the states’ 15 MAF allocation to Mexico. The 1944 treaty between the U.S. and Mexico changed this, allocating an additional 1.5 MAF annually to Mexico. This brought the river’s total annual allocations to 16.5 MAF.

Since the early 2000s, however, average annual flow rates have been slightly over 12.5 MAF because of extended drought in the Colorado River Basin. Experts expect the stress on the river and its basin will continue due to climate change and continued warming in the West.

Anderson explains that a warmer West means more moisture will be pulled out of the landscape, including the Colorado River. At the same time, climate change means storms are bigger and more intense, as well as more spread out and less predictable. Warmer temperatures also mean that snowpacks, on which the Colorado River depends, are getting smaller and less dependable.

All these factors also compound on one another. For example, the drier things get, the more dust there is on the landscape.

“Dust from the deserts being blown up onto the snowpack makes it melt earlier, meaning you have that longer period of dryness in the basin to stress the landscape even further,” Anderson says. “So a lot of forces [are] working to make things more challenging in the basin, to be sure.”

California Produce Needs Colorado River Water

Challenges to the Colorado River Basin pose a threat to everyone and everything that depends on its water.

While roughly 40 million people across the entire basin depend on water from the Colorado River, the river’s water also makes specific sectors of fresh produce possible, particularly in California. Karla Nemeth, director of the California Department of Water Resources, points to the Imperial Irrigation District, which gets all of its water from the Colorado River Basin, as an example.

“Because they have such a long growing season with few days below freezing, the farmers in IID produce about two-thirds of the nation’s winter vegetables,” she says.

JB Hamby, vice chair of the IID board of directors and chair of the state’s Colorado River Board, quantifies the impact in another way, pointing to 600,000 acres “of highly productive farmland in production all-year round, some of the most high-value and productive in the basin.” He specifically names the Imperial Valley, Bard Valley, the land of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe and the Coachella Valley in his example.

Robert Cheng, assistant general manager of the Coachella Valley Water District, says the area — known for its unique produce items like dates, citrus, melons and specialty vegetables — could not survive without Colorado River water.

“We really depend pretty heavily on the Colorado River Basin,” he says, noting that Colorado River water makes up 75% or more of the area’s imported water annually. “And despite holding senior Colorado River water rights, we also very much understand the importance of working these issues out collaboratively.”

Feb. 14: Deadline to a Decision

Collaboration on the Colorado River Basin has been complicated, however.

The 2007 agreement governing how water is managed along the Colorado River during times of shortages expired at the end of 2025. The 2007 rules will remain in effect until the end of the 2026 water year on Sept. 30. In what is often called “the post-2026 negotiations,” the seven basin states have been attempting to come up with a replacement management plan that all parties agree on for the past two years.

Thus far, no agreement has been reached.

On Jan. 16, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released its own version of a water management plan for the Colorado River in the form of a draft environmental impact statement .

“The Department of the Interior is moving forward with this process to ensure environmental compliance is in place so operations can continue without interruption when the current guidelines expire,” Andrea Travnicek, USBR assistant secretary for water and science, said in the group’s announcement from Jan. 9. “The river and the 40 million people who depend on it cannot wait. In the face of an ongoing severe drought, inaction is not an option.”

The draft environmental impact statement examines five different strategies for managing Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two key reservoirs along the Colorado River. While USBR has not identified a preferred alternative out of the five, it has given the seven states a Feb. 14 deadline to come up with an agreement or it may select one within its jurisdiction to pursue.

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times , some of those alternatives are alarming for California and could “lead to lengthy litigation,” according to Shivaji Deshmukh, the general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Metropolitan is the country’s largest water district, serving almost 20 million people, and half of those who depend on the Colorado River for water.

Cooperation is Key

Deshmukh, who spoke at the Jan. 28 webinar, outlines the importance of the Colorado River water to his largely urban constituents. However, he also stresses the importance of partnership and collaborative efforts to reduce demand and cooperate with all water users.

“We have not pitted ourselves against flows of water in the environment or for agriculture, but rather figured out ways to partner, whether it is looking at ways to partner with the state on programs to better balance water supply throughout the state of California or very unique and agency-specific partnerships with our agricultural partners, including IID, Coachella Valley and the Quezon Tribe,” he says.

“We know that without a consensus approach to these negotiations, we could be left with some really severe cuts along the river,” he adds.

All other panelists and participants also call for cooperation and collaboration among the seven states.

“We’re really focused with working across states,” says Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency.

“We know that the future is going to be better when the seven states actually decide the path forward versus looking to the federal government or, at worst, getting mired in litigation, which really characterized so much water management over the last century in the basin,” he says.

Johnny Amaral Becomes CEO of Friant Water Authority

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 20:09:58 GMT

On Jan. 22, the Friant Water Authority announced it appointed Johnny Amaral as its new CEO following years of service and leadership within the organization. FWA represents 23 irrigation and water districts throughout California’s Central Valley.

Amaral joined FWA in March 2019 as chief of external affairs and was appointed chief operating officer in early 2022. In these roles, he has overseen FWA personnel and day-to-day operations, while leading FWA’s engagement on water supply reliability, water policy, legislative advocacy and communications.

As CEO, Amaral will focus on protecting the Friant water supply, safeguarding critical infrastructure such as the Friant-Kern Canal, strengthening trusted partnerships across the region and leading FWA’s experienced and dedicated team, according to the group.

“We welcome Johnny in his new role as he brings a strong understanding of Friant operations, water policy and the needs of valley farmers and communities,” says Rick Borges, chair of the FWA board of directors.

During his time at FWA, Amaral has played a central role in advancing initiatives critical to the region’s water future. His work has included expanding opportunities for groundwater recharge for San Joaquin Valley farmers and leading the Friant-Kern Canal Capacity Correction Project as FWA’s staff lead on construction activities. In this role, Amaral has worked to secure funding and develop partnerships to support long-term repairs to this vital facility, helping protect both water deliveries and the communities that rely on them.

Amaral has also led FWA’s efforts to build and maintain strong working relationships with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, community representatives, farm bureaus, commodity groups, advocacy organizations and other water agencies, recognizing collaboration as essential to achieving long-term water sustainability in the San Joaquin Valley.

Prior to joining Friant Water Authority, Amaral served as deputy general manager for external affairs at Westlands Water District for more than four years. He began his career in public service as chief of staff to Congressman Devin Nunes, where he worked on water and public policy matters for more than 13 years.

In a Tight Labor Market, Bee Sweet Citrus Appeals to Potential Employees

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 02:12:41 GMT

When it comes to citrus marketing, reaching out to consumers isn’t the only issue facing the citrus industry.

Bee Sweet Citrus, a California-based shipper of California- and Chile-grown citrus, recently launched a new commercial campaign on Telemundo in local Central Valley markets that highlights its job opportunities and the stories of its workforce.

“While it’s important to market our variety line to our customers and social media following, Bee Sweet Citrus believes it’s equally important to share the stories of our workforce with the public,” Monique Mueller, Bee Sweet’s director of communications, tells The Packer.

“Every employee within our workforce plays an integral part in growing and processing our fruit,” adds Jasmine Reynozo, Bee Sweet’s director of human resources. “Cumulatively, the work they do allows us to ship high-quality citrus, and without a strong team, the quality of our fruit would decline.”

The pair of 30-second commercials are running now through April. They highlight the employment success stories of Laura Torres and Francisco Robles Avalos.

Laura Torres, who helps run Bee Sweet Citrus’ mandarin line as one of its leading production managers, is featured in one of the company’s 30-second commercials highlighting the success of its employees.

(Photo courtesy of Bee Sweet Citrus)

“Francisco has been working at Bee Sweet Citrus for over 30 years, met his wife here, and we’ve also just hired his son as a mechanic,” Reynozo says in the company’s announcement of the segments.

“Laura started her journey as an intern and now helps to run our mandarin line as one of our leading production managers,” Reynozo says. “These are the experiences that so many of our employees share and represent Bee Sweet Citrus as a whole.”

Mueller tells The Packer that, while Bee Sweet has frequently featured stories of its employees on social media and its job opportunities in the Central Valley, this is the first time the company has used television.

“Internally, our employees feel a sense of pride when they’re recognized for their work, and externally, the public is able to get a better understanding of the work that goes into growing, packing and shipping their favorite citrus products,” Mueller says.

Rachael Laenen Elected Chair of the California Avocado Commission

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:51:50 GMT

The California Avocado Commission recently conducted board of directors elections, which were confirmed by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. On Jan 12. the board announced the results of the election, including board chair Rachael Laenen, making her the first woman to chair the California Avocado Commission board of directors.

Laenen has served on the CAC board since November 2020, with three of those years as an executive officer. She is the sixth generation of her family to farm in Ventura County and the fourth generation to grow avocados. She now manages the family’s avocado enterprise.

Before her farming career, Laenen worked in international motorsports, managing global sponsorships for some of the world’s most valuable brands as well as delivering high-level events and hospitality.

“Being the first female chair of the CAC board of directors is not what matters to me,” Laenen says. “Doing an excellent job representing California avocado growers and the premium avocados we produce is paramount. With that said, I’m proud of the contributions California’s female growers have made and continue to make in our industry.”

Also elected to the commission board executive committee were Ohannes Karaoghlanian, vice chair; John Berns, secretary; and Maureen Cottingham, treasurer. Board members serve two-year terms, and the executive officers are elected annually.

Recognizing women who farm

The United Nations declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer, a historic milestone recognizing women’s vital role in agriculture worldwide. Supported by 123 countries and led by the U.S., the resolution represents a global pledge to promote equity, visibility and opportunity.

This California avocado season, the California Avocado Commission will support the CA Grown program and its initiative promoting the role of women in agriculture. The group notes that California is home to one of the most diverse and productive agricultural economies in the world and has experienced steady growth in the number of female farmers, up 13% in the past decade, a sign that more women are stepping into roles of ownership and influence.

With 63% of California farms being female-operated, women are often leading in soil health, water conservation and long-term orchard management.

“The commission has supported the CA Grown program for many years because being locally grown and grown in California is a strong purchase driver for California avocado customers and consumers,” says Terry Splane, CAC vice president of marketing.

The International Year of the Woman Farmer highlights that agriculture encompasses more than mere production; it centers on individuals who nourish and support their communities. CAC’s support of this CA Grown initiative will include PR and social media content promoting the impact of California’s female avocado farmers, the commission reports.

More Orange County Acres added to California's HLB Quarantine

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 23:17:30 GMT

The California Department of Food and Agriculture expanded the state’s huanglongbing, HLB, or citrus greening quarantine boundary in the San Juan Capistrano area of Orange County.

The new areas are found in grids 483 and 484 of the quarantine map.

CDFA says this boundary expansion also includes the agency’s Asian Citrus Psyllid Bulk Citrus Regional Quarantine Zone 6 to reflect the new quarantine boundary.

This expansion follows additional acres in the past few months:

For specific changes to the quarantined areas in California, visit the APHIS Citrus Greening web page .

Commodity-Specific Trade War Battles to Watch for in 2026

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 20:12:01 GMT

While larger-scale trade battles dominated national headlines, different fresh produce commodities had their own trade fights to pick. The Packer covered these in detail in 2025, and it is almost certain that the ongoing issues will hit headlines in 2026 as well.

For example, The Tomato Suspension Agreement was one of the biggest examples of a commodity-specific trade fight to grace the headlines. In late November, a source told The Packer’s Christina Herrick that U.S. tomato growers might not see the impact of the termination of the Tomato Suspension Agreement until the January 2026 crop and beyond into spring.

Coverage of the tumultuous trade fight in 2025 started in summer when Herrick sat down with Robert Guenther , executive vice president for the Florida Tomato Exchange, as the agreement neared the end of its 90-day implementation period.

“For decades, Mexican exporters have dumped tomatoes into the U.S. market below their cost of production, by margins as high as 273%, which are injuring American tomato farmers,” Guenther said.

“The 2019 Suspension Agreement and the previous four suspension agreements were supposed to stop this,” he continued. “Instead, it became a shield for repeated violations. It failed in its basic purposes: to shield U.S. tomato producers from dumped Mexican tomatoes and to ensure fair trade as required by U.S. law.”

Later, in mid-July, when the U.S. Department of Commerce ended the Tomato Suspension Agreement and imposed a 17% tariff on most imports of Mexican tomatoes, the reaction from the fresh produce industry was pronounced and deeply divided. Herrick and The Packer’s Jennifer Strailey covered the controversy’s sides .

On the one hand, Florida claimed victory. The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association and the Florida Tomato Exchange called the end of the agreement a victory for U.S. tomato growers and a positive movement “toward fairer competition, not only for tomato growers but for all specialty crop producers nationwide.”

On the other hand, the controlled-environment agriculture industry was “deeply disappointed,” by the move.

“Because most high-value greenhouse growers farm in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, the termination of this agreement will cause significant damage to these growers, serving as a financial barrier to new investment in U.S. greenhouses,” the CEA Alliance said.

But the situation with tomato prices, tomato trade, and prices is a nuanced one. Because they are such a staple to U.S. consumers, and supplies are dependent on Mexican-grown tomatoes, the situation begged the question: Are tomatoes poised for an eggs moment?

Other commodities faced trade threats and dumping issues

Tomatoes weren’t the only commodity to see trade war battles in 2025 that will likely continue in 2026.

For example, in mid-September, Herrick covered the growing fight over mushrooms . A group of U.S. mushroom growers accused Canadian growers of dumping mushrooms in the U.S. market below the price of production.

“These practices have resulted in significant negative impacts on U.S. mushroom growers and packers, including lost sales, depressed prices and declining profitability,” they said.

Herrick reported the trade situation between the two countries is more than a symbiotic relationship, however. Canada supplies almost all of the peat moss substrate for U.S. growers, and the U.S. supplies most of Canadian growers’ mushroom spawn, for instance.

According to the U.S. International Trade Commission , the case will extend into 2026 due in part to the government shutdown’s impact on its operation late in the year.

California’s citrus industry also found itself at the center of a pitched trade battle in 2025 as well. As Strailey reported in early October , the Golden State’s citrus growers found themselves pressured by imports exceeding exports, pest and disease threats, and tariff pains from China.

Long a desired destination for California citrus exports, China answered President Donald Trump’s first term tariff threats seriously.

“China took retaliatory measures and increased tariffs substantially,” said California Citrus Quality Council President Jim Cranney. “And since then, we’ve been operating with tariffs that are in a neighborhood of about 46%.”

The tariff fight with China looks like it will be an on-going issue in 2026. As will the question of Argentinian dumping of lemons and limes with the shifts in reciprocal tariffs on the country, among others.

Water Issues Headlined 2025 and Will Likely Stay There in 2026

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 19:29:39 GMT

The year 2025 saw several big water issues hit the news, both nationally and in some of the biggest produce-growing states. Many of these stories will continue into 2026’s headlines.

For example, EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers set a water milestone late in the year when they finally released their long-awaited updated definition of Waters of the U.S. with implementation expected in February or March of 2026.

The announcement was made Nov. 17, and the proposed rule was released Nov. 20. This update was spawned by the 2023 Supreme Court’s Sackett decision, and — according to the EPA — will bring the definition in line with that ruling .

The release followed numerous listening sessions seeking input from states, industry, agriculture and other stakeholders. A resounding theme was the need to maintain state’s rights on the one hand and streamline the WOTUS determination process so landowners can easily determine if something on their operation counts as a jurisdictional water.

The proposed rule is up for public comment through Jan. 5, 2026.

The five-year water cycle ended, but the story continues for Texas

Late October 2025 saw the end of the most recent five-year water delivery cycle from Mexico to Texas according to the 1944 treaty. As expected, Mexico did not deliver the 1.75 million acre-feet it is required to within that five-year span, only sending just over 50% of that.

However, it did deliver more than a year’s worth of water (350,000 acre-feet) between late April and Oct. 24. That is good in the short-term, but Texas water and produce experts warn that the pattern of late or non-existent Mexican water deliveries is not sustainable for the state. They worry more crops, including the Texas citrus industry, will go the way of its sugar industry .

A common refrain from Texans is that Mexico is not keeping up it’s end of the bargain, having instead built up its permanent agriculture in arid Chihuahua and capturing water that should flow to Texas for those water-hungry crops. Experts have pushed for some ability to enforce the 1944 treaty, potentially through the upcoming U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement renegotiations .

But the story is and will continue into 2026. Early in December, President Donald Trump demanded Mexico deliver 200,000 acre-feet of water on its debt by Dec. 31. Mexico’s president called that impossible but said Mexico and the U.S. are working on an agreement for the future to pay down the water debt.

California’s water woes and their impact grow

The economic value of water to California’s produce drew the limelight early on in 2025. In April, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced the Golden State had become the fourth-largest economy in the world . But that rank is tenuous and could be threatened if the state does not take action to ensure its water future.

Up to 3 million acres of farmland, 67,000 ag jobs and $39.5 billion from the economy could be lost if the state doesn’t invest in water storage and other strategies, according to a University of California, Davis study . All of this played out on a backdrop of ongoing, many say man-made , drought and disappointing water allocations even when there is water available.

As the year came to a close, California’s largest irrigation district released its economic impact review report, which found that water restrictions had wide-reaching negative impacts on the state and its people. In short, when water is cut, the production of fresh fruits and vegetables declines, more acres are fallowed, jobs and economic benefits are lost and more.

As the new year kicks off, the 2026 irrigation allocations will start to trickle in, so growers in the Golden State will know how to plan for their coming crops.

Less Ag Water Means Fewer Jobs, Deeper Poverty, More Sickness

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 22:03:19 GMT

Everyone in ag knows how interconnected every element of the ecosystem — literal and figurative — is to the wider community. But a recent report quantified just how widely the ripple effects of water restrictions in one irrigation district can reach.

On Dec. 17, the Westlands Water District released the fourth installment of its Economic Impact Report , which examined economic data from 2022 (most recent complete). While the report found the agricultural production enabled by water from WWD directly supports thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity in the area — 20,456 jobs and $2.41 billion, respectively — plus more indirectly, it also highlighted the negative impacts of water restrictions.

“Decreased water availability reduces the number of jobs and level of economic activity within Westlands Water District,” declared the report’s executive summary.

These reductions amounted to about 7,500 fewer ag jobs in WWD’s region, which includes two of the poorest counties in the state, and a decrease of almost $25 million in local government revenues in 2022 compared to 2019.

Direct economic findings

The new impact report uses data from 2022, and updates the 2022 report, which used data from 2019. A key difference between those two data years was that 2019 was a year where WWD received 75% of its surface water allocation and 2022 was a year where WWD got no surface water allocation.

The 2019 report found that WWD “is directly and indirectly responsible for some $4.7 billion dollars of economic activity and nearly 35,000 jobs across the economy.” By comparison, that number for 2022 was $3.55 billion and about 28,000 jobs respectively.

“When that water disappeared, obviously it had significant impacts on the economy,” said Michael Shires, former professor and vice dean at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy and co-author of the report, in a preview event on Dec. 16. “Westland still has a tremendous economic impact. I mean, you can’t ignore $3.6 billion and 28,000 jobs, especially in this region.”

The report credited the lack of water allocations, plus the impact of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act on groundwater growers can pump, for more fallowed acres in 2022 (227,563) versus 2019 (158,103) in the area served by WWD.

And more fallowed land means less production.

“Nationally, farms in Westlands provide 3.3% of the national production of fresh fruit and nuts and 2.8% of the national production of vegetables and melons,” the report notes. It added that the 2.8% share of vegetable and melon production is down from 5.4% in 2015.

“These are the fresh produce that we need, that we want to have in our system if we’re going to have a healthy economy,” Shires said.

More indirect, wider-reaching impacts

Reduced production also has other health impacts, according to the report. It means fewer jobs and less economic activity. Shires highlighted how this connects to poverty in the area.

“The reduction in availability of surface water has led to significant economic impacts, both in terms of economic production and overall activity, but more importantly, in the lives of the people that economic activity reflects,” he said. “These tend to be the poorest in some ways in our communities, but once they lose their jobs, they join the group of poverty.”

He noted that the 20,456 jobs directly supported by WWD represent about 42% of total farm employment in the region, and that Fresno County has roughly 50% higher rates of poverty than the state rate average.

“So, [water reductions] affect these vulnerable populations the most,” he said. “It also affects local tax revenues that you need to support those populations as they grow.”

Disease and pilot endangerment

The report also found potentially unexpected negative impacts associated with water restrictions and more fallowed land; increased disease and pilot endangerment through increased bird strikes.

During the preview event, Shires pointed out the association between the incidence of Valley Fever — a fungal infection of the lungs resulting in flu-like symptoms that is also called San Joaquin Valley fever — and the volume of fallowed acres in the area.

“When land lies fallow and dust blows, there are spores in the dust that infect people’s lungs and create health complications,” he said. “That is a phenomenon that is exploding across the state in the last 10 years especially.”

Another, more indirect health concern is in play as well, according to the report: Threats to pilots at area airports.

The path from water cuts to pilot endangerment has a few steps to it. Reductions in water availability for growers can result in both more fallowed land and more abandoned orchards. Both fallowed fields and abandoned orchards can host massive rodent populations .

“Then the owls and the hawks come and eat them. The raptors obviously then concentrate in those areas and you end up with a higher incidence of bird strikes,” Shires explained. This can be costly because a bird strike can damage or even destroy planes, including the very valuable military jets at the nearby Naval Air Station Lemoore, and risk the lives of pilots.

“Surface water has direct implications to the safety of those pilots and everybody that’s there,” Shires summarized.

Allison Febbo, general manager of WWD, echoed this perspective in the group’s announcement of the report.

“Thousands of families, small businesses and essential public services depend on the economic activity generated by agriculture in our district,” Febbo said. “This report reaffirms how central reliable water supplies are to keeping our communities strong and healthy.”

Taking a Moment with the 1944 Treaty’s Minutes

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 14:33:10 GMT

While a trickle of information was coming out on the recently announced water deliveries from Mexico to Texas, the U.S. and Mexico finalized another water-related agreement dealing with the 1944 Treaty.

On Dec. 15, the International Boundary and Water Commission, the agency responsible for applying and overseeing the boundary and water treaties between the U.S. and Mexico, announced that both governments had signed Minute 333. The agreement seeks to address the long-running issue of Mexican sewage reaching San Diego via the Tijuana River. More on that below, but first: What is a Minute when it comes to the 1944 Treaty?

Minutes are basically amendments to, or proposals of action within, the 1944 Treaty . They are also something that make the treaty “visionary” and “one of its kind in the world,” according to Rosario Sanchez, Texas A&M AgriLife Research senior research scientist at the Texas Water Resources Institute and director of the Permanent Forum for Binational Waters.

“The built in Minutes process is basically the adaptation of the treaty over the years,” she explained earlier this year . “That’s the way the treaty has evolved, and it’s pretty unique for that.”

Keeping up with the water times

So far, the treaty has been updated or amended 333 times with the signing of this most recent Minute, and it is likely there will be more soon.

While fielding press questions about the water delivery shortfall to Texas during her Dec. 10 morning address , Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said, while whole treaty might need to be renegotiated in the near future, the Minute system could prevent such a massive overhaul.

“According to all the experts, the 1944 Treaty is very favorable for Mexico,” she said. “Entering into a renegotiation process of the entire treaty might not be necessary. What does need to be done are additional agreements or Minutes, depending on the amount of water available.”

“More than renegotiating the 1944 Treaty, we need to be in constant dialogue with the United States government to address the needs of both countries, based on the rainfall cycle and how much water is actually available.”

So, what is Minute 333?

The signing of Minute 333 is not part of that dialogue as far as Texas water deliveries are concerned, but it is still part of the conversation between the U.S. and Mexico on shared water issues,” Sheinbaum added. “In this case, the Tiajuana River.

For several decades, raw sewage from Mexico has been carried by the Tiajuana River to Pacific Ocean beaches, including in San Diego. Minute 333 seeks to address this issue through a variety of means, including:

Conducting feasibility studies on adding to, expanding or repairing existing Mexican wastewater treatment facilities
Completing the building of a the new Tecolote-La Gloria Wastewater Treatment Plant by Dec. 2028
Creating new sediment management systems and finding appropriate cost-share opportunities for existing sediment and trash management projects
Creating a new account at the North American Development Bank to provide for Mexico’s ongoing operations and maintenance of sanitation infrastructure

“Thanks to the leadership of Presidents Trump and Sheinbaum, I am proud to be signing Minute 333 today,” said Chad McIntosh, U.S. Commissioner of IBWC in the group’s announcement of the agreement.

McIntosh’s Mexican counterpart, Adriana Reséndez, described the new minute as a continuation of Mexico’s commitment to “resolving the border sanitation problem at San Diego-Tijuana, pursuant to the provisions of the 1944 Water Treaty and to benefit the environment and the health of residents on both sides of the border.”

San Diego Farms Appoints New CEO

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:44:17 GMT

San Diego Farms (Fresh Origins, BrightFresh Microgreens) announced Dec. 9 that it has appointed Greg Cyr as CEO, succeeding Norma St. Amant, who is retiring after decades of service to the company. Cyr brings over 25 years of leadership experience, having served some of the country’s most notable brands in the consumer-packaged goods industry, with a focus on the produce and grocery sectors.

“This is an extraordinary time to join San Diego Farms,” Cyr says. “With its trusted brands and unmatched product quality, the company is well-positioned for accelerated growth. I look forward to helping drive the momentum while ensuring we continue delivering exceptional value to our partners.”

“Greg brings a powerful combination of experience, leadership and innovation that make him the right leader to propel the company forward,” says Matthew Garff, chairman of the board of directors at San Diego Farms. “His strategic approach and operational expertise will play a key role in expanding capabilities and elevating the customer experience.”

California Giant Achieves B Corp Certification

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 19:39:28 GMT

California Giant Berry Farms says it is now a Certified B Corporation, which demonstrates its commitment to meeting the high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

“Our vision is to be the most sustainable fresh berry company in the world, because we believe that’s the only way to provide premium berries for generations to come,” says Joe Barsi, president and CEO of California Giant. “Becoming B Corp Certified is a significant milestone on our sustainability journey, as it holds us publicly accountable for real, lasting progress.”

Since its founding in 1983, California Giant says it has been a family-owned, purpose-driven company. As part of its sustainability road map, the company recently announced several key milestones, including:

Enhanced grower partnerships through Fair Trade USA and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) verification programs
Company-supported volunteer hours, as well as reinstating its Green Team that provides employee education on California Giant’s environmental and societal impacts
A materiality assessment informed new sustainability metrics and goals for internal and external benchmarking
Named as the Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County 2024 Food Donor of the Year
Installing a solar array at its Santa Maria, Calif., cooler, expected to offset 50% to 60% of the facility’s grid electricity use

The company says this B Corp certification is part of its broader “Berries with Purpose,” which is an ongoing commitment to nourishing communities, protecting the planet and delivering great berries for generations to come.

“With our Berries with Purpose commitment,” Catherine Campbell, director of sustainability at California Giant Berry Farms, says, “we’ve formalized our purpose, set strategic targets and openly shared our progress through our Sustainability Report. Becoming a B Corp is the result of our team’s incredible achievements to date. We’re honored to join the B Corp community as we continue to grow our positive impact in the berry industry.”

California Ag Leaders Honored With Young Farmers & Ranchers Awards

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:29:31 GMT

A program manager, a farm manager and a specialty crop grower have been awarded top prizes for their commitment to the California Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers program. The YF&R Excellence in Agriculture, Achievement and Discussion Meet awards were announced at the 107^th California Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Anaheim in conjunction with the California YF&R State Conference.

YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award

Leah Groves, a program manager in Trinity Center, in Trinity County, is the winner of the California YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award.

Groves graduated from California State University, Fresno, with a master’s degree in viticulture and enology in 2023. She has been the program manager for agriculture and innovations at the Siskiyou Economic Development Council since 2023. She also manages marketing, customer engagement, social media and on-site events for her family’s winery.

She currently serves as a board member and secretary of the Trinity County Farm Bureau.

YF&R Achievement Award

Ben Abatti, a farm manager in Holtville, in Imperial County, is the winner of the California YF&R Achievement Award.

Abatti graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with a bachelor’s degree in bioresource and agricultural engineering. He worked for the Boswell Co. as a shop engineering manager before returning to his family’s farm.

He serves as a board member and is a past YF&R chair for Imperial County Farm Bureau.

YF&R Discussion Meet Award

J.P. Beall, a farmer-owner of a specialty crop company in Redlands, in San Bernardino County, earned top honors in the California YF&R Open Discussion Meet. During the contest, Beall spoke about the impacts of urban sprawl on farmland, how digital engagement can improve member-policymaker communication, how to enhance access to succession-planning resources, and strategies to help members better understand and use Farm Bureau benefits.

Beall emerged as the winner of the $6,000 first prize in the competition held Dec. 8. He will represent California in the national contest during the American Farm Bureau Federation annual conference Jan. 9–14 in Anaheim.

The Open Discussion Meet featured YF&R participants from across the state. They advanced to the final competition from earlier rounds in which they were challenged to demonstrate their abilities in exchanging ideas and offering detailed opinions on important issues for agriculture.

Jynel Gularte, from Gonzales in Monterey County, is controller and compliance officer for Rincon Farms Inc. She was first runner-up in the meet, receiving $2,000. The other finalists were Brendan Black of Clovis, in Fresno County, and John Tamayo of Holtville, in Imperial County, winning $1,000 each. Black is an agriculture teacher at Clovis East High School. Tamayo is relationship manager at AgWest Farm Credit.

A significant investment by El Dorado County farmers Jim and Normita Spinetta supports the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet through a fund established by the California Farm Bureau. Kubota awards the Achievement Award winner a one-year lease on a tractor of their choice. The Farm Credit Alliance also sponsors YF&R awards.

“Action 5” to Increase Water to California’s Central Valley

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:02:21 GMT

Late on Thursday, Dec. 4, the Bureau of Reclamation announced it was adopting Action 5, an updated operation plan for the Central Valley Project and the State Water Plan in California.

Among other things, the plan is projected to increase annual water deliveries to central and southern California, will remove seasonal protections for the Delta smelt, and will require that any actions that restrict the water supply “provide a material benefit to listed species.”

“Action 5 represents a forward-looking approach to water management that balances the needs of California’s communities, agriculture and ecosystems,” said Andrea Travnicek, Bureau of Reclamation assistant secretary for water and science, in the group’s announcement.

According to the Record of Decision for Action 5, the updated operations plan will increase annual CVP water deliveries by 130,000 to 180,000 acre-feet, and SWP deliveries by 120,000 to 220,000 acre-feet, “depending on hydrologic conditions and subject to the state’s adoption of Action 5.”

Praise for the plan

The move was welcomed by agricultural voices in the Golden State.

“These changes will help ensure that our growers have the water they need to support local communities and the nation’s food supply, while also protecting California’s wildlife,” said Allison Febbo, general manager of Westlands Water District, in a statement. The district delivers water to the southern portion of the San Joaquin Valley and has experienced disappointing allocation levels this year , despite comparatively good water supplies.

Westlands expressed gratitude for the rapid development and adoption of Action 5. It additionally estimated that, for its service area specifically, the updated plan is expected to deliver an average of 85,000 acre-feet per year of additional water. Such an increase will help keep more Central Valley agricultural land in production and reduce reliance on groundwater, the group said.

Western Growers also welcomed the updated plan.

“Considering the fact that the farms that pay for the Central Valley Project have only received 45% of their contracted allocations over the last 20 years, totaling many millions of acre-feet of water cutbacks, this modest potential rebalancing represents a welcome return of common sense,” said Dave Puglia, Western Growers president and CEO, in a statement.

What is in Action 5?

Action 5 is an update of a CVP operations plan adopted in December 2024 in light of President Donald Trump’s Jan. 24 executive order . The order directed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum “to operate the CVP to deliver more water and produce additional hydropower including by increasing storage and conveyance and jointly operating federal and state facilities, to high-need communities…”

Among the key operational changes in Action 5 compared to the 2024 plan were a pair of species-focused changes:

Removing Delta smelt protection — Action 5 removes the Delta Smelt Summer-Fall Habitat Action , which California’s Delta Stewardship Council called “a critical component” of the SWP for Delta smelt survival. Action 5, however, cites U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service findings , asserting that the protections are not expected “to have observable effects on Delta smelt survival.”
Water restrictions require proof of benefit — Any actions that restrict water supply must show a material benefit to listed species in Action 5. It adds that this can be by using predictive tools for real time assessment of environmental conditions.

Not everyone is on board with the plan

Not everyone in California is happy about Action 5, however.

Prior to the final signing of Action 5’s Record of Decision, which occurred Dec. 2–4, several California state organizations raised concerns with the then-proposed plan in their comments. For example, California Department of Water Resources deputy director John Yarbrough said Action 5 could have “adverse consequences” on the SWP’s ability to deliver water.

“If Reclamation implements Action 5 in a way that harms the SWP’s ability to deliver water to its contractors and customers, the CVP export increase would be at the expense of all SWP water contractors and, due to the different water purposes the SWP and CVP serve, disproportionately impact Californians’ water supplies,” he wrote.

He additionally described Action 5 as “vague in how it will be implemented” and incomplete in its analysis of impacts. Similarly, Diane Riddle, assistant deputy director of California Water Boards Division of Water Rights, called many of Action 5’s claims about the impact of its changes on fish in California unsupported.

California Walnuts Launches Campaign to Drive Holiday Sales

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 15:41:00 GMT

California Walnuts’ “Be Merry. Feel Good.” holiday campaign in the U.S. market is targeting shoppers during the year’s peak walnut purchasing period and creating new opportunities for retailers to capture incremental sales as consumers seek ingredients for seasonal recipes and entertaining.

The campaign builds on the industry’s “California Walnuts. Feel Good.” consumer initiative, which aims to modernize the image of California walnuts and reposition them as a must-have ingredient, according to a news release. Complete with a fresh, energetic visual identity, the industrywide effort is expanding the target audience to include millennial and Gen Z shoppers while enhancing engagement with those who already know and love California walnuts.

“The holidays are a critical time for the nut category, and this campaign helps ensure walnuts remain highly visible and top of mind as shoppers make purchase decisions,” says Christine Lott, director of integrated communications for the California Walnut Board and Commission. “With many gatherings of friends and family over a meal this time of year, California walnuts are a great fit, providing a feel-good ingredient that can elevate holiday dishes. The pairing of seasonal promotions and in-store activations with consumer awareness efforts shows shoppers how walnuts can elevate their holiday recipes and entertaining, while helping retailers drive sales.”

For retailers, California Walnuts is offering comprehensive merchandising support, including seasonal displays, retail-tagged ads, in-store promotions and shopper marketing programs designed to maximize sales. These efforts are reinforced by consumer-facing media that drives awareness and traffic, including connected TV, YouTube, social platforms, podcasts and consumer publications, the release says.

Beyond the store, influencer partnerships in cooking, wellness, lifestyle and entertaining highlight walnut versatility in the formats younger consumers engage with most. Experiential events add real-world touch points, giving shoppers opportunities to taste walnuts and learn about their flavor and nutritional benefits.

FreshXperts Welcomes Dennis E. Kihlstadius

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:17:05 GMT

Consulting consortium FreshXperts LLC announced Nov. 17 that Dennis E. Kihlstadius has joined its team of experts advising the fresh-produce and perishable foods industry.

The group describes Kihlstadius as a highly respected authority in postharvest science, ripening technology and fresh produce handling.

“Dennis brings a depth of technical expertise rarely found in our industry,” says FreshXperts founder Anthony J. Totta. “His knowledge of ripening science and postharvest handling is unmatched, and we are excited to offer his capabilities to our clients. He elevates our consortium and strengthens our mission to serve the entire fresh produce supply chain from grower to consumer.”

FreshXperts says Kihlstadius has spent over two decades as an instructor at the University of California–Davis’ Postharvest Fruit Ripening Workshop and served as an instructor at the Produce Academy for 13 years under lead instructor Ronnie De La Cruz. He has also launched or helped launch ripening programs for the National Mango Board and California’s avocado industry, as well as worked in ripening, conditioning and handling programs for tomatoes and pears in California.

Kihlstadius’ areas of expertise and past experience include, according to the group:

Postharvest assessments and system optimization.
Ripening-room design, operation and training.
Reducing shrink and maximizing shelf life.
Field-to-retail quality control systems.
Technical education and training for staff at all levels.
International sourcing, market entry and supply chain alignment, especially cross-border technical support for Asian, North and South American markets.