Western (U.S.)

Widespread Warmth, Lingering Drought Dominate Early November Outlook

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 16:07:21 GMT

It’s been an unusually warm start to November, a trend that’s gripping the West and preventing moisture from reaching areas that need it. But that trend could shift later in the month, at least in terms of temperatures.

Several parts of the U.S. experienced their warmest November days on record in 2025, including Denver, Colo., and Tucson, Ariz. Other locations like Goodland, Kan., Sidney, Neb., and La Junta, Colo., also set daily record highs. But just how high are we talking?

Denver : Broke its all-time record November high, reaching 83°F and significantly exceeding the previous record of 78°F
Tucson : Set a record for the hottest day of the year on Saturday with 88°F, then broke its own record the next day with 92°F
Cheyenne : Recorded its latest-ever 70°F
San Jose : Reached 80°F

Meteorologist Brian Bledsoe, of Brian Bledsoe Weather, says through the first half of November, he expects above-normal temperatures across the western two-thirds of the country, with the Southeast seeing slightly cooler conditions.

“The western two-thirds of the country are just going to be a blowtorch,” he says.

Not Good News for Chances of Rain

It’s not just the warmth, but also the lack of moisture in the forecast. Bledsoe says rain chances will stay limited for most regions, especially the Mid-Mississippi Valley and the Gulf Coast, where below-normal precipitation is likely. The Pacific Northwest and parts of the Northern Rockies are the exceptions, potentially seeing wetter-than-average conditions.

“We’re continuing to build on some of these dry areas that have expanded across much of the country,” Bledsoe says. “If you look at the current drought monitor, there’s still a good bit of the country suffering from drought.”

The most recent look at the U.S. Drought Monitor paints a troubling picture heading into winter.

(U.S. Drought Monitor )

He notes that drought persists in the Southwest, where the monsoon season failed to deliver consistent rainfall. Washington, Idaho, and northwest Montana are also struggling with dryness, while parts of the Corn Belt — and even sections of the Northeast — remain abnormally dry.

“Absolutely, we have areas we need to work on,” he says. “But the current pattern just isn’t conducive to big storms bringing widespread moisture.”

Ridge Holds Firm Across the West

Bledsoe explains a strong ridge of high pressure anchored over the interior West — covering Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico — is pushing most storm systems northward.

A look at how the warmth will shift in November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

“That ridge is basically diverting the storm track,” he says. “Meanwhile, farther east — across the eastern Great Lakes and into the far eastern Corn Belt — we’ll be under the influence of a trough of low pressure. That brings a few chances for colder air and maybe some brief moisture, but it’s not a setup for big storms.”

Pattern Shift Possible Later in November

There is some hope for change as the month progresses. Long-range European models show the upper-level ridge beginning to weaken, opening the door for a more active storm track.

“As that ridge gradually breaks down, we’ll start to see less of the drier-than-average pattern,” Bledsoe says. “Areas farther north will likely see moisture first, and then hopefully that extends farther south into the Plains.”

Precipitation outlook for the first half of November.

(Brian Bledsoe )

Snow in the Forecast?

While the heat was the headline to start November, and continues to be the case in the western U.S., there will be a blip of not just cooler air, but much colder air that could bring snow to the central and eastern parts of the country. But it won’t last long.

AccuWeather says you’ll need to brace for a big change this weekend and early next week in the central and eastern United States . AccuWeather meteorologists warn the weather pattern indicates a surge of cold air and at least one storm capable of producing a band of accumulating snow across parts of the Midwest, followed by lake-effect snow and perhaps a bit of snow in portions of the Appalachians to the south.

AccuWeather says cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast.

(AccuWeather)

AccuWeather is calling it “Christmastime cold” that’s on the way.
Their meteorologists say a large push of cold air arrives this weekend, which will cause conditions to drastically change.

A significant dip in the jet stream is forecast to begin this weekend for the Central and Eastern states.

“Temperatures will feel more like mid-December or even Christmastime in many places by next week,” AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok says.

A storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

(AccuWeather )

But the cold air will fail to gain a lasting foothold for the remainder of this week, with significant temperature swings from one day to the next in the Midwest and Northeast, according to AccuWeather.

It may be temporary, but the colder air will bring chances of accumulating snow in areas of the Midwest and the Appalachians that are farther south and rather low in elevation, according to AccuWeather. The storm is forecast to track along the boundary of the advancing cold air from this weekend in the Midwest to early next week in the Northeast.

“As we see it now, the most likely time for snow showers in Chicago that can bring a small accumulation is late Saturday night to Sunday morning,” Pastelok says. “Around Detroit the most likely timing for accumulating snow showers is from Sunday morning to Sunday midday.”

While an excessive accumulation of snow is not anticipated on the roads, AccuWeather says the snow can fall at a heavy enough rate near the Interstate 94 and 80/90 corridor to make for slushy conditions in some areas.

Used Farm Equipment Swindle Alert: BBB Warns Virtual Vendor Vehicle Scams on the Rise

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 16:50:12 GMT

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning used equipment buyers nationwide about another sophisticated scam involving used farm equipment.

This particular grift, according to a press release from BBB, involved a fake online heavy equipment retailer impersonating a legitimate Missouri dealership, Cook Equipment & Trucking (Marble Hill, Mo.).

Buyers from across the U.S., some even from as far away as California and Arizona, reported losing a total of $223,000 after attempting to purchase heavy equipment and farm machinery through fraudulent websites and Facebook Marketplace ads.

Related: Essential Advice for Safely Buying Used Farm Machinery

Victims say they were “ghosted” after wiring money for equipment that never arrived. The BBB does not say whether the victims were able to dispute the fraudulent charges and claw back the proceeds from the scammers.

The reported fraudulent transactions include:

$45,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Oak Hills, Calif.
$32,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Hancock, Mich.
$29,500 for a trailer from a buyer in Amanda, Ohio
$29,000 for a trailer from a buyer in Greenville, N.C.
$28,000 for a skid steer loader from a buyer in Eastman, Wis.
$31,000 for an excavator from a buyer in Des Moines, Iowa.
$29,000 for a skid steer from a buyer in Blue, Ariz.

BBB says the real Cook Equipment & Trucking, a small business operating since 2010, confirmed it has no website and is not affiliated with any online sales. The impersonators registered three fake websites, the most recent on July 14, and continue to run deceptive ads on social media.

“Those shopping for heavy equipment and farm machinery online should do their due diligence so they don’t fall victim to a virtual vehicle vendor scam,” says Michelle L. Corey, president and CEO, BBB St. Louis. “If an item is priced well below market value, that’s a red flag.”

To avoid getting swept up in an online virtual vehicle vendor scam the Better Business Bureau offers these tips:

Research the business at bbb.org or call 888-996-3887
Be skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true
Verify the website and contact the business directly
Read all terms and understand refund policies
Use a credit card for added protection
Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker, your state attorney general, the FTC, and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center , and notify the social media platform where the fraud was discovered

To learn more about how to avoid online fraud in the used equipment auction world, check out BBB’s 2024 study on virtual vehicle vendor scams.

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Cantaloupe growers stitch together a steady supply through summer

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 19:45:01 GMT

Growing nearly three-quarters of America’s cantaloupe supply, California’s cantaloupe season is well underway, producing aromatic melons for shoppers to tuck into their carts and enjoy at summer picnics and gatherings across the U.S.

In terms of production, it’s the same song, different verse compared with other California crops coming out of fields in the first half of 2023. Echoing a “new normal” pattern experienced across fruit categories in the Golden State this year, growers have confirmed that California cantaloupes are lagging a bit behind schedule due to heavy winter rains and cool spring temperatures.

Despite these delays, growers are creatively filling supply gaps and triaging irregular production and yields by leveraging harvest from Yuma, Ariz., where the domestic season begins.

A cold, wet winter and spring

“We’ve obviously had a very cold, very wet winter in the West,” Garrett Patricio, chairman of the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board and president of Westside Produce, told The Packer. “We started with our plantings in Arizona in January, February and March. [The wet weather] has persisted into California and our plantings in March, April and May. Obviously, the wet weather has slowed the crop considerably.”

These factors mean that California cantaloupe producers are seeing both a shortage of supply, as well as uncharacteristically irregular planting, Patricio said.

Related news: Mexican melon markets to stabilize for peak summer promotions, forecasts grower

“We were probably a week to 10 days behind getting started in Arizona, which is where the bulk of our crop begins and includes the Imperial Valley of California,” he said.

Growers have experienced a chaotic marketplace in part because these supply changes are impacting market conditions quickly, he continued.

“But on the growing side, it’s been favorable pricewise. Irregular weather typically brings irregular germination, rain and irregular crops. You tend to get lighter yields when you have periods of chaotic weather too,” Patricio said. “It all plays hand in hand. The produce supply chain is one that can be very volatile, and supplies aren’t static; they’re not widgets.”

One of the downstream challenges resulting from the irregular weather is that the melons are at times not the right size, not the right shape or not the right color for the specific time in which they are needed. Despite this, growers do the best they can to fill in the gaps, Patricio said.

Troubleshooting gaps as the season moves north

As the California cantaloupe season migrates from Yuma, Ariz., the Imperial Valley and Southern Desert area to the San Joaquin Valley, growers stitch together a steady supply to meet melon demand.

“Overall, I would say that we have typical or normal acres planted both in the desert regions of Imperial Valley and Arizona. We also have pretty regular plantings in Central California and Northern California as the deal shifts in July, August and September,” he said.

“The normal spring domestic season starts in mid-May and we’re about a week off the normal summer supply in California, which starts right around the first of July,” said Patricio. “I anticipate we’ll see a gap sometime in early July as well. It’ll be light production in the first weeks of July, but by the middle of July, everything should normalize as far as what I’m seeing and what we’re feeling.”

Compared with 2022 production, cantaloupe crops are likely five to 10 days later than last year, he continued.

Related news: Ripe or not? Solving the perfect melon puzzle

“Because of the erratic spring weather, we’ll see some supply still coming out of the Arizona and Imperial growing areas through the first until the middle of July. So, I’m not I’m not sure we’ll see big wholesale gaps or holes but there will be some, without a doubt.”

“Flooding is a big issue in the national news but in terms of cantaloupe growing regions, flooding doesn’t seem to be a problem,” said Patricio. “It’s not like we’re dealing with issues related to flooding. There are some areas where you might normally plant melons, vegetable crops or other crops that you’re not planting because the ground is not available either because it was too wet, or it was in a flood zone.”

When it comes down to acres planted, Patricio believes supply has normalized throughout the melon industry, across the board.

“There’s been a downward trend in terms of total acres and total production, but it’s kind of got us to a good place as growers because… yield obviously plays a big role in whether or not you can make profit,” he said. “You might be slightly off in terms of total yield, but overall, the prices make things normal, if you will.”

Smallhold expands into Sprouts Farmers Markets across western states

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:28:38 GMT

If you’ve noticed a recent influx in exotic mushrooms — think lion’s mane and king oyster fungi — enlivening produce displays with the standard white button mushrooms, you’re not alone.

Specialty mushroom grower Smallhold recently announced that its mushrooms will hit shelves at 192 Sprouts Farmers Market locations in California, Arizona and Nevada.

Related news: What’s so magical about (edible, culinary) mushrooms?

Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., Smallhold operates indoor mushroom farms in New York City, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. The new Sprouts partnership will increase availability of Smallhold’s fresh mushrooms on the West Coast significantly, with Sprouts receiving mushrooms grown at Smallhold’s California mushroom farm, according to a news release.

“We’re excited to partner with Smallhold, a company who shares in our mission of providing people unique, fresh and sustainable products,” Sydney Manzano, Sprouts assistant produce manager said in the release. “Smallhold’s premium specialty mushrooms, including lion’s mane and blue oyster, will be proudly available in our stores.”

With expansion into Sprouts, Smallhold mushrooms will be carried in over 650 retailers and restaurants across the U.S. Other retailers carrying Smallhold mushrooms include Whole Foods Market, Erewhon, Pavilions, Lassen’s, Imperfect Foods and Ralphs.

Breaking out of the typical mushroom offerings — often limited to button, cremini and portabellas — Smallhold provides a variety of the less-common specialty mushrooms for consumers.

“Nowadays, shoppers are demanding more variety and choice in the produce aisle, and Sprouts, a trusted grocer for anyone looking for high quality, top shelf produce, recognizes this,” Andrew Carter, Smallhold CEO and co-founder, said in the release.

Cultivating mushrooms sustainably

Smallhold’s 34,000-square-foot farm in Vernon, Calif., just outside of Los Angeles, began delivering locally grown, certified-organic specialty mushrooms in May 2022. Its California operations, alongside farms in Brooklyn and Austin, furthers the 6-year-old company’s reach across the country.

Smallhold uses technology to optimize sustainable growing practices; the mushrooms grow in technologically advanced chambers designed to optimize yield, taste and color, according to the release.

The company’s centralized sensor system can adjust the chambers’ atmospheric parameters, controlling the inputs while accounting for changes in climate. Mushrooms are grown on waste byproduct medium — primarily sawdust from the timber industry — and packed into compostable cardboard.

“People care about low impact, sustainably grown food that will help our society contend with the impacts of traditional agriculture, food waste, and climate change. Smallhold and Sprouts are answering the call,” Carter said in the release.

Western growers seek new ways to safeguard crops, secure stable water supply

Wed, 08 Mar 2023 22:14:55 GMT

In recent weeks, the collective sigh of relief from growers in California has been palpable. While the West continues to experience unprecedented extreme weather events and patterns, above-normal rainfall in recent months provided cause to celebrate.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the recent deluge has helped satiate the dryness and drought conditions across much of the Golden State. Added to this, drought monitor statistics have recently confirmed that the Sierra Nevada and mountain foothills in central California are now free of drought and abnormal dryness for the first time since January 2020.

“The rain has improved California soil moisture and streamflow levels, while the snow has increased mountain snowpack to much above-normal levels. Most California reservoirs have refilled with water levels near or above average, but groundwater levels remain low and may take months to recover,” according to the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor.

Even with the unexpected windfall, Western growers are staying vigilant, continuing to scrutinize water availability with more attention than previous seasons. Those who have been around a few seasons know better than to let their guard down.

Rolling with the punches

In early March 2023, the California Department of Water Resources announced sustainability plans for the state’s groundwater basin. The agency recommended approving plans for six California groundwater sub-basins and declared six other plans to be “inadequate.”

“Passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in the 2014 drought year was a seismic shift in California water,” California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson responded in a news release. “It was never going to be easy to transition on a timeline of just 20 years to eliminate an estimated 2.5 million acre-feet of overdraft a year in our most impacted areas of the state.”

Historic droughts in recent years have shown California farmers that they can’t simply continue the status quo; the state also must invest in a more resilient, 21st century water system, Joahansson continued.

Related news: California fruit growers relieved by projected increase to water allocation

“Our groundwater supplies are critical for California farmers, including vegetable, fruit, nut and dairy producers who account for much of America’s food supply,” Joahansson said in the release. “It is important that California carefully consider solutions that protect both our aquifers and our food production.”

North of California, growing food presents different challenges.

“One of the only constants in farming is that Mother Nature throws curveballs each year in the form of weather,” Stemilt Growers Marketing Director Brianna Shales told The Packer. “We had our coldest spring in a century last year and record heat the year before. Wildfires are something we contend [with] often in Washington state.”

Despite the unpredictable weather and wildfires, the Washington-based tree fruit grower is staying put. Even with weather challenges, the state remains an ideal place for Stemilt to grow fruit because of the arid climate and the available natural resources such as water, snowpack and clean energy from hydropower, Shales said.

“Weather is still going to present obstacles in the future, but water is still a great resource that we have in Washington state,” she said. “Modern orchards have become advanced at using water in prescribed ways, and we will continue to use technology to help us make the best decisions for the fruit and for the land.”

Monitoring water flow in the orchards and at facilities is crucial to conserving the precious resource, Shales said. Soil-moisture monitoring along with precision irrigation from drip irrigation and microirrigation systems target water in exact amounts to the specific trees that need it, she said.

Cultivating climate resiliency for Southwest growers

In the face of what the University of Arizona has called “the worst water crisis in state history,” researchers are offering new farming practices and water policies that they believe can help the Southwest agricultural industry thrive while also sustaining the threatened ecosystem and water reserves in the Lower Colorado River Basin.

The suggestions and approaches were recently presented in an action-focused report, “Toward Water-Resilient Agriculture in Arizona: Future Scenarios Addressing Water Scarcity in the Lower Colorado River Basin.” The report is among the university’s initiatives intended to support Arizona farmers.

The university and three nonprofit organizations received a $4.7 million grant from the USDA in late 2022 to from the Arizona Partnership for Climate-Smart Food Crops, a three-year project that will help farmers throughout the state more rapidly implement climate-friendly solutions that reduce costs while promoting value-added products in the economy, according to a news release.

“This agricultural water crisis is arguably the worst in the Colorado River watershed since Arizona statehood, more than a century ago,” Gary Nabhan, a research social scientist at the Southwest Center, said in a news release. Nabhan is also the Kellogg Foundation endowed chair in Southwestern Borderlands Food and Water Security.

“It is important for the university to find and implement solutions that not only help Arizona farmers, but also assist all others who may soon be impacted by scarce resources and higher prices,” he added.

Nabhan said in the release that changes in water policy have forced farmers to look toward increased groundwater pumping to meet irrigation needs, even though aquifers are already being depleted and pumping is costly. Declining aquifers, combined with rising temperatures, increased salinization of soil, and water loss through evaporation and transpiration add more stress to the water scarcity dilemma for Arizona farmers — even if they don’t rely on surface water.

“These changes are making it increasingly difficult to grow the same crops or use the same irrigation practices that farmers across the desert Southwest have relied on for more than 100 years,” report co-author Erin Riordan said in the release.

To launch a discussion about potential adaptations in the face of the growing water crisis, University of Arizona researchers sent out a 100-question survey in August 2022 to Southwest farmers, ranchers, water policy experts, agroecologists and food systems analysts.

Solutions that address key issues brought by survey respondents and stakeholders were as wide-ranging as the issues themselves and included strategies such as:

Developing a market for reallocating water among agricultural users.
Growing more climate-appropriate crops and native plants.
Developing shaded areas or using solar panels to provide shade for agriculture.

“We hope to demonstrate that there are already potential solutions at hand that will help farmers cut input costs while garnering better prices for their harvests,” Nabhan said in the release.

The report also highlights sources of technical, legal and financial support available to help farmers adapt to an ever-changing climate as well as to shifts in water and energy availability in Arizona.

Nabhan said in the release that the agricultural industry needs to invest in a transition to water- and fuel-efficient practices that serve as economically viable adaptations to long-term water scarcity “and not just in Band-Aid remedies that don’t move the needle.”

“If we can stabilize or increase crop value per acre while cutting water and energy costs, everyone stands to gain over the long haul,” he added.

California fruit growers relieved by projected increase to water allocation

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 15:13:27 GMT

The California Department of Water Resources announced modest increases in forecasted State Water Project deliveries this year, in part because of early gains in the Sierra snowpack. The department now expects to deliver 35% of requested water supplies, up from 30% forecasted in January, according to a news release.

According to the department, record-breaking atmospheric rivers that flooded the state in January gave way to a mostly dry February that saw less than an inch of precipitation statewide.

The Fresno, Calif.-based California Fresh Fruit Association expressed relief in response to the initial water allocation of 35%.

“After two years of receiving an initial 0% allocation, the California Fresh Fruit Association and our members are grateful for the 35% that will go to the Central Valley Project contract holders,” Ian LeMay, president of the association, said in a news release.

Having a reliable water supply is critical for California’s fruit growers, packers and shippers to continue growing fresh fruit for the nation, LeMay added. The association said in the release that it will continue to advocate for needed changes to water regulations, along with additional water conveyance and infrastructure solutions at the federal and state levels.

Related news: Will There Be A Lettuce Shortage This Year As Parts of Drought-Plagued California Are Now Flooding?

“After experiencing significant rainfall in December and January, it has been made even more apparent California’s need for improvements to our storage and conveyance infrastructure, as well as changes to the regulations that manage our water systems. I cannot help but wonder how much higher this allocation could have been with the ability to capture more water during the wet periods,” LeMay said in the release.

The California State Water Project will continue to optimize water storage in Lake Oroville to support environmental needs in the summer and allow for carryover storage for next year if the spring becomes extremely dry, according to the release from the state water resources department. Additionally, the forecasted allocation could be lowered if extreme dry conditions warrant.

“We’re hopeful that more storms this week are a sign that the wet weather will return, but there remains a chance that 2023 will be a below average water year in the northern Sierra,” California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth said in the release. “Careful planning and the use of advanced forecasting tools will enable the department to balance the needs of our communities, agriculture, and the environment should dry conditions continue this spring and into next year.”

Plenty makes plans to dive into R&D at new Wyoming facility: A Q&A with Nate Storey

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 13:09:40 GMT

Scaling up doesn’t always mean building up and out; sometimes it can involve investing in the capacity to dive deep into research and ask the right questions.

Case in point: California-based indoor grower Plenty Unlimited Inc. has spent nearly a decade learning the ropes and evolving its approach to indoor agriculture and recently has jumped on an opportunity to grow by making a big investment in R&D.

Plenty has confirmed that it’s building the world’s largest and most advanced vertical farming research center in Laramie, Wyo., slated to open in 2025. The project is supported in part by a $20 million grant from the state of Wyoming through the Wyoming Business Council to the city of Laramie to help with construction and infrastructure costs. Additional funding, land and support for the project is being provided by the city of Laramie and the Laramie Chamber Business Alliance.

“Creating this new center of excellence greatly expands Plenty’s ability to transform indoor agriculture,” Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai said in a news release. “We’ve already built one of the top indoor farming research ecosystems in the world in Wyoming. ... This continued commitment to innovation is what’s needed to push indoor farming forward and make fresh food accessible to everyone.”

Related news: High-tech or traditional, organic or conventional, growing indoors takes a tailored approach

Built on 16 acres, Plenty’s new research center is projected to span 60,000 square feet. The new facility will double Plenty’s research space compared to its previous Laramie facility that it has occupied since 2016. What’s more, the new research facility will diversify the grower’s research environments and support the transition of new crops to commercial farms.

To learn more about Plenty’s recent investments into R&D, its plans for a new center and what this means, The Packer recently connected with Plenty co-founder and Chief Science Officer Nate Storey.

The Packer: How does this new R&D facility in Laramie, Wyo., fit into Plenty’s strategic growth plan?

Storey: Plenty’s mission is to provide fresh food to everyone, everywhere. At the heart of how we make progress toward that mission is our research and development. Expanding our plant science research work with this new center will expand our capability to grow the widest variety of crops and accelerate our pipeline, which is key to unlocking the potential of this category and addresses a major limitation for the industry today.

The new facility will also support the transition of new crops to commercial farms by incorporating areas that more closely mirror Plenty farm environments. We’ve grown 1,400-plus cultivars in our system thus far and will continue pushing to perfect and commercialize a wider variety of crops through the work done in our plant science research center.

What makes this new plant science research center so innovative?

With plans to span more than 60,000 square feet, the new research center will be the world’s largest vertical farming research center. It will double Plenty’s research space, which is already one of the top indoor farming research ecosystems. It will also diversify Plenty’s research environments, including more closely mirroring its farms to support the transition of new crops to commercial farms.

Beyond leafy greens, what are the first crops you plan on trialing the new facility in Laramie, Wyo.?

In our current plant science research center in Laramie, working toward commercialization of strawberries and tomatoes is our primary crop focus, but we’ve grown more than 50 different crops in our vertical grow systems so far.

Doubling our research space will give the ability to expand our efforts on both commercial crops and new crop research, so I expect we’ll be experimenting with an even wider variety of crops in that new space. We’ll have a lot more learnings by the time this space opens in 2025, so time will tell which specific crops will make up the bulk of our initial focus in the new space.

When do you anticipate the R&D facility will open its doors?

We plan to begin construction later this year and open the facility in early 2025. Our team and research work will transfer to the new facility from our current Laramie location once it’s completed.

What direction do you see indoor agriculture evolving over the next few years?

Compared to field agriculture, indoor farming is still in the very early stages — particularly vertical farming.

I think indoor farming has tremendous potential to create stable, regional supplies of fresh, healthy food for all communities. In my opinion, companies in our space will have to put R&D at the heart of their operations to drive the diversification and unit economics needed to scale.

Can you share some insight on Plenty’s grant process with the state of Wyoming?

This project was developed over time in close partnership with the Wyoming Business Council, the city of Laramie and the Laramie Chamber Business Alliance. All were instrumental in developing the proposal and helping garner the support necessary to secure the grant, as were our partners at Hickey and Associates.

Is this expansion towards the middle of the country a signal that Plenty will continue to expand across the U.S.?

We’ve had an R&D base in Laramie since our inception. While the work we do there makes it possible to expand the diversity of crops we grow and optimize them for commercial production, we look at our Laramie location separately from our commercial farms.

On the commercial front, we’re expanding to the East Coast, with the world’s largest indoor vertical farm campus near Richmond, Va. We’ve broken ground on the campus’s first farm, which is the world’s first indoor vertical farm to grow strawberries at scale. Together with our partner Driscoll’s, we expect to have berries in the market from that farm next year.

Do you foresee commercial production taking place at your Compton, Calif., facility exclusively, or do you plan to add additional facilities in the future?

Compton is just the start of our commercial production. We’ve already broken ground on our next farm near Richmond, Va., which will be focused on growing strawberries. We expect to have strawberries in the Northeast market with our partner, Driscoll’s, next year.

We’re working to expand access to fresh food, so we’ll continue to explore opportunities in communities both nationally and internationally where we can have the greatest impact.

What are you most excited about for Plenty in 2023?

Plenty has big ambitions to change the future of food by making affordable fresh food accessible to everyone, everywhere. This is just the beginning of Plenty’s work to scale its impact by expanding its footprint, diversifying the crops it grows and teaming up with some of the biggest names in retail and produce.

What challenges do you anticipate navigating in the coming year?

Indoor growers have the potential to take some of the strain off outdoor field growers and increase the stability of the food supply chain. Plenty is working to solve two critical problems for the vertical farming industry: scale and variety.

Over the coming year we’ll be focused on making progress there by fully ramping our Compton facility, completing our Virginia strawberry farm, commercializing new crops and leveraging our tech to continue driving down costs.

California Avocado Commission unveils season forecast and media strategy

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 13:35:45 GMT

The California Avocado Commission forecasts a 2022-23 harvest of about 257 million pounds of avocados for its California crop. The early season assessment is down from 276 million pounds in the 2021-22 season.

“The recent California rainfall has been welcomed by our growers throughout all districts,” Jeff Oberman, president of CAC, said in a news release. “Growers have related increased sizing and crucial replenishing of water sources during my recent visits to all production regions. We do not yet know if there will be any change to the expected harvest timing, however, excitement is building from our retail partners for the kickoff of the California season.”

The majority of California’s avocado harvest — 243 million pounds — is expected to be the hass variety. The remaining forecast includes a harvest of 7 million pounds of lamb hass avocados, 6 million Gem avocados and about 1 million pounds from other commercially grown varieties in California.

Related news: Guacamole touchdown: Avocados poised to win over Super Bowl shoppers

Weather and market conditions are key factors that determine when California avocado growers will begin harvesting. Some growers may delay picking to allow the avocados more time to increase in size. Oberman said in the release that there will likely be some avocados harvested in time for the Super Bowl mid-February, with limited volume available for local promotions.

California avocado volume is expected to begin ramping up in March, with peak availability from April through July. Volume is expected to taper off through Labor Day, according to the release.

Media plan for avocado season

“The Commission’s media plan and new creative executions are in development with an expected launch in April,” Oberman said in the release. “We are eagerly anticipating peak California avocado season in the spring and summer months with additional volume for promotions and customized marketing support.”

This year CAC is continuing its advertising campaign, “the best avocados have California in them,” but adding new creative executions to keep communications fresh, the commission said. Content will include California avocado tips, grower spotlights and new creative videos that demonstrate what’s unique about California avocados.

Customized retail and foodservice promotions with targeted customers are key components of California avocado marketing support and will include recipe and video content on social media platforms.

During the avocado harvest season, the CAC geo-targets consumers near stores that offer California avocados to keep the fruit top of mind, according to the release.

Additionally, CAC’s social media program runs year-round but ramps up leading into the season. According to the release, this year’s CAC social media strategy includes:

In February, activity with targeted and promoted retailer content supports the early harvest.
In March, as California avocado supply continues to increase, social efforts will gain momentum with support across multiple channels.
Throughout the season, CAC will showcase California avocado recipes, tap into cultural moments and reinforce the California difference through education and entertainment.

Salinas Valley infrastructure needs a makeover: Q&A with Jim White at Growers Ice

Fri, 20 Jan 2023 17:26:13 GMT

The Salinas Valley often evokes images of images of endless rows of salad greens thriving under a sunny California sky. The region nicknamed “Salad Bowl of the World” is known for producing the bulk of lettuce and leafy greens in the U.S.

Less common images of the Salinas Valley, however, include the vast stretches of cooling facilities and the complex post-harvest infrastructure that dot the region and are critical to transporting delicate greens from fields to grocery aisles with freshness and quality intact.

Jim White wants to change that perception. As CEO of Growers Ice, a real estate company that specializes in processing, cooling and cold storage of fresh produce, White runs a 400,000 square-foot cooling facility in South Salinas, and he thinks it’s high time to shine a light on infrastructure in his region.

Related news: Rain brings long-term gain but short-term harvest delays for California citrus

White met with The Packer to discuss the pressing need for infrastructure updates in the Salinas Valley, a need made more urgent by recent flooding that has tested aging facilities. With water lapping at the doorstep of businesses, White remained optimistic, crediting the benefits of long-term thinking that doesn’t rattle too easily.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Packer: I appreciate you connecting with us during what I imagine must be a stressful time for you as your business and your community face severe flooding.

Jim White: It’s busy, no question about that. We’re just implementing all the protocols that you put in place for years and then make sure everybody is following when these situations occur. We’re fine, it’s just managing everything.

As we speak, the Salinas River is probably going to start coming over [state] Highway 68, which is between Monterey and Salinas. The big issue for us — for our facilities and our people, all the grower-shippers that have processing and co-storage facilities — is the industrial waste. Salinas has their ponds, which [are] in close proximity to the Salinas River. We don’t want that to breach, because that’s where all the industrial waste starts clearing before it goes over to the processing plant in Monterey, Calif.

That said, these things have always been an issue and it’s always been an issue for infrastructure, and we’re looking to how we upgrade our infrastructure within the industry.

[Growers Ice] is in the process of upgrading and designing a new facility, which is about a $250 million investment. We’re going to be breaking ground here at the end of the year. Of course, we’re looking at the things that we can do to get ahead of the curve. We’re looking into what can we do to put in new facilities, upgrade the industrial waste, upgrade water, power and those type of things.

The recent extreme weather in the Salinas Valley puts a wrench in many companies’ timelines and plans. How has the flooding impacted your facility build out at Growers Ice?

I don’t think it’s going to impact our build out. We plan on closing the current campus, which is 28 acres in Salinas, Calif., at the end of the 2023 growing season. We’ve been master-planning this for almost five years. I don’t see any issue based on the weather issue that we’re facing right now.

As I say that, I’m going say there’s a big “however” to that statement. The however would be — what impact does this flood have some on some of our growers, as far as the ag land itself? Will the flooding affect production capabilities? This is still unknown at this point in time. We won’t know that for sure until probably March or April of 2023 at the beginning of the growing season.

There is some ag land along the Salinas River — Braga Fresh and Taylor Farms have some places in this area. But I think we’ll be okay. I don’t want to read a crystal ball, but I think we’ll be okay as far as our build out. I’m not concerned about it at the moment.

It seems like, lately, lettuce and salad mix can’t catch a break in California — there are challenges on all fronts right now.

Yes, it has been a challenging year. When you go pick up that bag of salad in the grocery store, please send a word of appreciation, because you don’t know what goes into that bag of salad. There’s a lot of effort that goes into that bag of salad.

Absolutely. What are you most hopeful about in the weeks and months ahead?

I am very optimistic from the investment community. It’s taken the about three years to really introduce institutional investors and educate them on exactly what precooling cold storage assets are. For us in the industry, the concept is pretty familiar. But if you’re not in an industry, it’s not. We have spent a lot of time and a lot of effort just broadcasting education nationwide, and I’m very optimistic because we’ve received a lot of the interest.

In Salinas alone, there’s 4,200,000 square feet of facilities that are an average age of 42 years old. We must deal with that. It’s an important time for us, but we’ve gotten a lot of interest from institutions and other funding capabilities.

I think as an industry we’ve got to continue to come together as the industry to support the education of our workers. We also have got to make decisions and invest in our infrastructure. Sometimes we ignore that, but we’ve got to start putting some money back into our industry, because it’s not going to continue to produce the way it needs to forever.

Senators urge USDA to improve drought support for Western growers

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 21:38:46 GMT

Despite early storms and precipitation this fall, drought conditions show no sign of reprieve in the Western U.S. headed into 2023. As the West braces for another year of drought and tightening water restrictions, a bipartisan group of 14 senators led by Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney is urging the USDA for federal assistance.

“The American West is in crisis. Across the major basins of the American West — including the Colorado River Basin, the Rio Grande Basin, the Great Basin, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin, the Columbia River Basin, and the Arkansas-White-Red Basin — farm and ranch families hang in the balance as they grapple with a 22-year mega-drought,” the group said in a letter to the USDA . “The acute shortage of water for Western growers threatens productive farmland across our states, which are both a pillar of our rural economies and drivers of America’s food production.”

Lost food production associated with water cutbacks resulted in an estimated $1.2 billion in lost profits, payroll and taxes in 2022 alone, an increase of 42% from last year, according to a recent study by the University of California, Merced and the Public Policy Institute of California, commissioned by California’s Department of Food and Agriculture. An estimated 19,420 California farm positions were cut because of the drought.

“California is no stranger to drought, but this current drought has hit really hard in some of the typically water-rich parts of the state that are essential for the broader state water supply,” John Abatzoglou, UC Merced professor and a co-author of the report, said in a news release.

Related: Western Growers spotlights California’s historic drought in new documentary series

In their letter to the USDA, senators sought federal support for Western farmers and ranchers to conserve water, improve water infrastructure and efficiency, protect lands at risk of erosion and provide technical assistance for growers affected by drought.

“American farmers and ranchers manage over 895 million acres of ground in the United States, giving them a vital role in combating climate change risks while continuing to feed America,” the senators said in the letter. “Congress funded $20 billion for USDA agriculture conservation programs. We believe USDA should allocate these funds for agriculture conservation equally across the country to reflect the contribution of every region, including the West.

“Many of these practices, like water conservation, cover crops and restoration of western range lands’ drought resilience, provide multiple benefits such as enhanced soil carbon storage and would be eligible for various new funding sources,” the letter continued. “Other infrastructure projects such as irrigation water efficiency may be better suited to funding streams provided to USDA through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, or through other USDA programs.”

Joining Bennet and Romney as signatories on the letter are Sens. Kyrsten Sinema, Mike Lee, Ben Ray Luján, Dianne Feinstein, John Hickenlooper, Mark Kelly, Martin Heinrich, Ron Wyden, Jacky Rosen, Catherine Cortez Masto, Alex Padilla, Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.

Fowler Packing purchases SunWest Fruit Co., expanding citrus acreage

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 19:30:23 GMT

Fresno, Calif.-based Fowler Packing Company, with backing from Ag Partners Capital, has acquired SunWest Fruit Company, a citrus and tree fruit grower in Parlier, Calif. This acquisition will add over 10,000 acres of premier farmland in coveted water districts to Fowler Packing’s holdings, according to a news release.

“Given the significant headwinds facing California agriculture, we are constantly evaluating how we can better support our retail partners, consumers, and employees,” Justin Parnagian, chief executive officer said in the release. “This is the largest acquisition in Fowler Packing’s history and represents a historic moment for our family-owned company.”

The acquisition of SunWest Fruit is part of Fowler Packing’s long-term strategic plan to strengthen the company’s position in the citrus category and California agriculture by growing total mandarin volume, expanding citrus offerings, and increasing packing capacity. Fowler Packing has thoughtfully grown and expanded over the course of its 72 year history, becoming one of the largest farming companies in the state, according to the release.

Related news: Fowler Packing growing 3-year-old brand

What’s more, since Fowler Packing’s Peelz launch in 2019, the mandarin brand has experienced sustained growth, gained market share and increased sales in the last year by over 60%. The Peelz brand is sold in more than 12,000 stores throughout North America, according to the release.

“As we continue to grow, we remain committed to the values that have gotten us to where we are today”, Parnagian said in the release. “We strive to have the best quality product, be a strategic partner, and preferred employer while farming responsibly and sustainably.”

UC Davis receives $50M for sustainability research from The Wonderful Company owners

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 14:12:09 GMT

Co-owners of The Wonderful Company Lynda and Stewart Resnick have promised $50 million to UC Davis. This gift is the largest ever received by the university from individual donors. This pledge will support sustainability research at the land grant university as well as establish the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation on UC Davis campus.

“Thanks to this historic gift from Lynda and Stewart Resnick, UC Davis will further expand its global reach, helping to shape the future of sustainable food production,” said Gary S. May, chancellor of UC Davis, in a news release. “This gift demonstrates a continued commitment to innovative environmental stewardship and allows us to create science-based solutions that can be rapidly deployed while mitigating the impacts of climate change.”

The center is slated to begin construction in 2022 and, once built, the new 40,000-sq.-ft., LEED-certified facility will house classrooms, research spaces and a student career space.

$10 million of Lynda and Stewart Resnick’s donation to UC Davis will be allocated to fund competitive research grants through a Resnick Agricultural Innovation Research Fund. The research grants will be awarded annually to UC Davis faculty and Cooperative Extension specialists focused on identifying value-added properties in pistachio, almond and pomegranate byproducts.

“Many specialty crop byproducts are treasure troves of compounds that can promote health, improve soil quality, influence microbial ecology or be converted into valuable products,” said Helene Dillard, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, in the release. “This transformative gift will help increase the potential of these byproducts, enhance sustainability and create new markets.”

This research initiative is set up to unite experts from across UC Davis focused on five thematic areas:

identifying innovative solutions for agricultural byproducts
maximizing water and energy efficiencies
developing next generation technologies
making crops more resilient and sustainable in the face of a changing climate
expanding access to nutritious food

The Lynda and Stewart Resnick Center for Agricultural Innovation center will also provide student advising for more than 60 Wonderful Scholars enrolled at UC Davis. The Resnicks first created the Wonderful scholarship program almost three decades ago to provide college scholarships to the children of Wonderful employees from the Central Valley. Since its inception, the program has expanded to award college scholarships to other Wonderful Company affiliated education centers and neighboring schools, according to the release.

The new center at UC Davis’s goal is to explore new ways of balancing food production with innovative sustainability practices while advancing global agriculture with scalable solutions to current challenges.

The Wonderful Company is one of the largest privately held companies in the U.S., with brands that include POM Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios, Wonderful Halos and Wonderful Seedless Lemons. This pledge is one example of the Resnick’s investment in education, community development and health and wellness initiatives in California’s Central Valley.

California and Arizona citrus growers anticipate strong season, despite challenges

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 15:14:15 GMT

With October well underway, California and Arizona citrus growers forecast a strong performance for the 2022/23 season, predicting promotable volumes of large fruit this winter. This outlook from growers appears straightforward at first glance, but zooming out, this levelheaded assessment is hard-won. There are reasons to feel skittish, yet growers in the Southwest remain unflappably optimistic.

Anticipating the upcoming season

“There are no two seasons ever alike,” said Christina Ward, senior director of global marketing at Sunkist Growers , which includes over 1,000 citrus growers in California and Arizona. “With a new citrus season just around the corner, there are plenty of opportunities for retailers to celebrate every bite with our reliable portfolio of conventional and organic citrus.”

USDA reports last season was down about 19%, but citrus growers in California and Arizona are hopeful. The California and Arizona citrus crop is anticipated to rebound from 2021/22’s soft season, according to the growers who spoke with The Packer.

“This past season, California citrus witnessed a shorter crop across most varieties,” Ward said. “We are looking forward to a new season with the return of the California-grown Sunkist Navel Oranges in November, alongside the exceptionally large pummelo and Sunkist California Mandarins, followed by cara cara oranges, blood oranges and minneola tangelos.”

Ward said she anticipates citrus will peak “at the top of its game” by January with a “forecast for this season of promotable volumes and juicy flavors across all varieties.”

Keith Watkins, president of farming at Bee Sweet Citrus agreed, citing larger-than-average navel oranges that register higher-than-normal Brix levels for this this time of year for the San Joaquin Valley-based grower. “Citrus volume in California is slightly up compared to the 2021/22 citrus season,” said Watkins. Meanwhile, Florida’s harvest is substantially down, he added.

Related news: U.S. citrus estimates drop after Hurricane Ian devastated Florida

While Florida Department of Agriculture’s early estimates of the total crop damage for the state’s citrus region totaled over 80% of acres impacted, because Florida produces a very small segment of the overall fresh citrus market, Watkins believes Florida’s hurricane impact “should have a minimal effect on the California market.”

Looking ahead

At the end of the day, for citrus growers in Arizona and California, it comes down to producing high-quality fruit that exceeds fresh market expectations. Growing, harvesting and shipping fruit profitably is not for the faint of heart, but for some, the ever-changing dynamic nature of farming is also the allure.

“Farming is very fun because you encounter challenges every day. It keeps you on your toes, it makes you be creative, resourceful and adaptive,” said Limoneira’s Edgar Gutierrez, vice president of farming operations at Limoneira .

What’s more, understanding and articulating shopper data and insights to create strategic “merchandising programs that engage and resonate with consumers” is also part of growing and selling citrus.

That too, requires an adaptive, nimble mindset, according to Ward at Sunkist. “Shopper behaviors are in constant motion, and we prioritize better understanding citrus consumers, their needs and where they want to buy to position the best promotions for our retail partners,” she said.

“Consumers are looking for recipe inspiration, especially ones that can stretch the dollar. Our promotions focus on consumer education, not only on the many health benefits found in citrus but also on its shelf-ability and techniques for using the whole fruit,” Ward said. “Showing consumers how their oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tangelos, mandarins or tangerines can support their journey toward well-being helps them understand how their purchase can be a wise investment.”

Surviving megadrought, Southwest citrus growers manage water wisely

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 18:52:34 GMT

Growing fruit in the arid Southwest will keep you on your toes. Not only do California and Arizona citrus growers face the challenge of growing fruit profitably in shifting markets, but drought conditions in the southwestern U.S. continue to worsen and affect irrigation. Compounded with the recent account of fellow citrus growers in Florida suffering devastating crop loss due to Hurricane Ian, it’s reasonable to assume that there are many questions weighing heavy in growers’ minds at the start of this winter citrus season.

Navigating drought conditions

Looking ahead to 2023, extreme weather is impacting not only growers recovering from the hurricane in the Southeast, but drought conditions in the Southwest continue to worsen, with no end in sight. The megadrought that grips the Southwest has broken yet another record, according to a study just released from science journal, Nature.

According to the study, 2021’s “exceptional drought severity” tacked on another year to the prolonged, 22-year drought. From 2000 to 2022, the drought has marked the driest period in the Southwest since at least 800 A.D. with the effects of climate change intensifying the severity and adding new challenges to recover from dry conditions.

One major consequence of the drought is reduced water available for irrigating Southwest citrus crops. The Colorado River Basin which irrigates much of the Southwest, including California and Arizona, is currently weathering the effects of the megadrought, according to the Arizona Department of Water Resources. Severe drought conditions mean reduced levels in Lake Mead, located on the Arizona-Nevada border, which provides water for seven states. Drought conditions also reduce river flows along with the Lower Colorado River running along the Arizona-California border, further stressing the overallocated Colorado River.

Farmers in California and Arizona are experiencing the driest conditions in the basin and mounting water restrictions are expected to continue well into the future. According to the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, both Lake Mead and Lake Powell in northern Arizona are approaching critical elevation levels and will require unprecedented management actions to protect infrastructure in both the Upper (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) and Lower (Arizona, California, Nevada and parts of Mexico) Colorado River Basins. The shortage assessment is based on the elevation of Lake Mead, which is dependent upon releases from Lake Powell.

Responding to these extreme conditions, The Central Arizona Project, a canal system built by the federal government for Arizona farmers to tap into excess Colorado River water, implemented drought mitigation reductions for Arizona agricultural users in 2022, reducing available Colorado River water by over 60%. Central Arizona Project water users have met nearly all their targeted, Tier 1 level reductions in Arizona, but current projections for CAP users indicate that escalating to a higher, Tier 2 shortage level in 2023 will be necessary.

This means continuing deep cuts to agricultural water available, as well as increasing restrictions to include reducing water available to municipal, industrial and tribal water users.

In California, low levels on the Colorado River are compounded by reduced snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, which supplies surface water for much of the Central Valley. According to the California Department of Water Resources, milder temperatures and limited precipitation are causing early and even mid-winter snow melt. This April, the surface water reached only 38% of its historic average water level.

The most recent drought in California that began in 2020, worsened when California’s Central Valley faced its driest January and February in recorded history. The seasonal pattern that worked so well to supply water in past years relied on storing water from mountain snowpack to release slowly during California’s dry spring and summers. These snowpack reserves are no longer guaranteed.

“This significant decrease in snowpack has a direct impact on water supply for Californians,” according to the California Department of Water Resource. “The warming climate already is making it harder to grow food in some parts of the world, like California , which depends on snow piling up in the Sierra Nevada mountains for irrigation. Climate models predict more serious disruption to global agriculture a few decades in the future because of shifting rainfall and extreme weather.”

Responsible water management

Sunkist has dedicated careful long-term planning as a key component of its sustainability plan, according to Christina Ward, senior director of global marketing at Sunkist Growers . “We remain focused as water supply will continue to be a concern going forward, and labor increases and cost pressures continue to put added pressure on our industry,” said Ward.

Related news: Resourceful farmers adapt to a changing climate, finding new ways to combat pests and conserve water

“Responsible water management is key,” Ward continued. “Citrus farmers have long used the most advanced technology with soil moisture monitors and micro-sprinklers to water trees for just what it needs.”

At Bee Sweet Citrus, “water supplies have been tight, but adequate,” said Keith Watkins, president of farming at Bee Sweet Citrus . “Costs for producing and watering this year’s crop are substantially higher than historic [averages].”

Growers constantly ask themselves “how do I change our practices to accommodate this?” according to Edgar Gutierrez, vice president of farming operations at Limoneira , a lemon grower with ranches in both California and Arizona. What’s more, Gutierrez says responding quickly to changing prices and “scarcity of water, fuels and fertilizer” is necessary to stay competitive.

“All of a sudden, a factor in the product you were selling for a certain price changes and you must quickly adapt to be profitable. But changing practices in the field takes time,” said Gutierrez. “One of the biggest challenges in the farming industry is how do we adapt quickly in the cost model, in order to stay efficient?”

California Giant Berry Farms expects strong fall strawberry harvest

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 20:19:44 GMT

California Giant Berry Farms forecasts a strong fall strawberry crop for both organic and conventionally grown strawberries, leading with the Santa Maria growing region on California’s central coast as early as early to mid-October.

“Plant development and production cycles were off to a great start, trending to be an above-average production season before we ran into the recent heatwave,” Kevin Dwyer, district manager at California Giant Berry Farms , said in a news release. “Despite the heat — and the recent rains changing our production curve — we’re still on track to deliver strong volumes of the high-quality fruit California Giant is known for.”

Giant’s strawberry production is currently located in Santa Maria, Watsonville and Salinas growing regions. Salinas and Watsonville regions are expected to continue harvest through the end of October. Peak volumes of conventional and organic strawberries from Santa Maria are expected this fall pending unforeseen, extreme weather events.

This prediction is in line with California Giant’s mission and goal to produce a year-round supply of sustainably grown, high quality fresh berries.

In addition to year-round strawberry supplies, California Giant grower partner, Satsuma Farms became the first strawberry grower to achieve a Sustainably Grown certification from SCS Global Services in 2020. The Sustainably Grown certification addresses a broad range of issues related to economics, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. Satsuma Farm’s Sustainably Grown pilot program has inspired other California Giant growers to become Sustainably-Grown certified with the strategic goal to increase sustainability certifications by 50% of California Giant acreage in the next few years.

To avoid a recall, FDA spot-checks lettuce growers

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:07:47 GMT

September is National Food Safety Education Month, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rises to the occasion, revealing plans to spot-test Salinas Valley leafy green growers for contamination this fall.

Keeping its foot on the gas when it comes to food safety, the FDA targets farms and ranches identified with potential microbial risk in a recent report. The FDA’s Microbiological Surveillance Sampling Report revealed three positive samples of a human pathogen — one instance of salmonella and two of E. coli — out of the 498 lettuce cases tested in the Salinas Valley during the 2021 harvest season.

While the overall contamination rate was less than 1%, even a low rate of leafy green contamination with salmonella or E. coli could result in a significant foodborne illness outbreak, according to the FDA.

“The [Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement] and its members are fully committed to food safety, and we support efforts to prevent foodborne illnesses. As always, lettuce growers and shippers are cooperating fully [with] the FDA. In concert with Western Growers and Grower-Shipper Association, we asked FDA for clarification on the program elements, and encouraged them to share testing data and learnings with the industry,” said Tim York, CEO of LGMA.

The Food Safety Modernization Act has been in place for 11 years, and it’s been over three years since the FDA secured mandatory recall authority under FSMA. In addition to spot-testing, the FDA promotes food safety improvements through root cause investigations, technical assistance, and public and private collaboration.

While notable advancements have been made since FSMA was enacted — such as traceability, modernization and strengthening the safety of imports — a future without recalls will require continued advocacy from growers, retailers, processors and consumers alike. To learn more, view the FDA Leafy Greens Shiga toxin-producing E. coli Action Plan . And read more about Food Safety Education Month on the C enters for Disease Control and Prevention’s website .

Taylor Farms installs clean energy microgrid to move off California power

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 15:26:40 GMT

Anyone who’s lived through a power outage has likely experienced the stomach-churning anxiety of flipping a breaker box, hoping for the steady reassurance of lights blinking on and appliances thrumming to life. Large and small-scale power outages have become increasingly commonplace in recent years, whether due to grid issues, rolling blackouts, extreme weather or other challenges.

Salinas-based Taylor Farms is taking energy security into its own hands, moving one of its California food processing facilities completely off the traditional energy grid. What’s more, this project is another step toward decreasing the carbon footprint of its salad production.

The California Independent System Operator estimates that the state faces an energy capacity shortfall of 1,700 megawatts, which could be as high as 5,000 megawatts if California is hit with multiple extreme events at the same time, such as wildfires and heat waves. If Taylor Farms successfully transitions its vegetable production facility off the grid and secures low-carbon energy resilience, it will have made a compelling case for how to scale clean energy solutions while avoiding reliance on strained power grids.

“We are looking forward to the energy stability this will provide our San Juan Bautista, Calif., facility,” Bruce Taylor, chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms, said in a news release. “Fresh food reliability is essential for our customers, and it’s more critical than ever to provide quality, fresh foods to North Americans.”

Taylor Farms is achieving energy independence in this 450,000-square-foot facility through a combination of fuel cells, solar power and battery deployments. Taylor Farms is installing 2 megawatts of solar power at one of its food processing facilities in San Juan Bautista. Additionally, with support from Bloom Energy, the company is adding 6 megawatts of fuels cells, along with a 2-4-megawatt battery designed specifically to power the entire facility, according to the release.

“Our partnership with Taylor Farms and Ameresco is a landmark demonstration of the capabilities that innovative, clean energy companies have to provide uninterrupted, low-carbon power to large-scale facilities,” Sharelynn Moore, executive vice president and chief business development and marketing officer of Bloom Energy, said in the release. “Our decade-long relationship with Taylor Farms is culminating in this leading application of what a microgrid can do — enabling America’s largest producer of packaged produce to maintain and improve the reliability of their power.”

Building a microgrid not only protects the salad producer from rolling blackouts and surges, but also “disconnects Taylor Farms from the regional power grid amid price escalations and reliability challenges,” according to the release. If successful, this project demonstrates one clever approach for producers to adopt reliable energy sources, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the same time.

Backyard Farms lettuce expands into new markets in Florida and Colorado

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 14:38:32 GMT

Kingsville, Ontario-based Mastronardi Produce is launching a locally grown greenhouse lettuce line under its Backyard Farms brand that will support growers in Florida and Colorado.

The company recently partnered with two family-owned lettuce greenhouses that were serving local markets but facing challenges. One grower — Naples Fresh in Naples, Fla. — was looking for a strong marketing partner to fuel its lettuce sales, while the other — Spring Born in Silt, Colo. — was forced to idle its operations late last year due to insufficient retail presence, according to a news release.

Both facilities are new and feature high-tech growing systems for leafy greens, according to the release. Mastronardi said it will support Naples Fresh and Spring Born in marketing and distributing their products under its new Backyard Farms lettuce line, driving growth for the businesses.

“We have relationships with growers spanning decades, and we highly value them,” Dean Taylor, vice president of business development for Mastronardi Produce, said in the release. “We have always fostered relationships that are win-win, so we are thrilled to partner with Naples Fresh and Spring Born to launch our Backyard Farms lettuce line while supporting both the local workforce and food supply at the same time.”

Related news: Growing under glass: Talking indoor ag with Revol Greens’ Tom Thompson

Backyard Farms has a loyal consumer base and long history of providing locally grown tomatoes in Maine, the company said. The brand has expanded in recent years to New York, Michigan, Ohio and Colorado. Naples Fresh and Spring Born will expand the Backyard Farms brand to the southeastern and western U.S., producing an anticipated 2 million pounds of greenhouse-grown lettuce per year, according to the release.

“Mastronardi Produce is an industry pioneer with innovative spirit,” Nicholas Martins, managing director of Naples Fresh, said in the release. “This partnership supercharges our ability to serve the community in our backyard — in Florida and the greater Southeast region.”

“The entire team at Spring Born is eager to partner with the leader in produce,” Charles Barr, CEO of Spring Born, said in the release. “Our greenhouse was built to serve high volume customers, and we could not have found a better partner to serve the Colorado market.”

The greenhouse-grown lettuce from Naples Fresh and Spring Born will supply butterhead, red leaf, green leaf, romaine and organic spring mix blends to the new lettuce line.

Retailers attending the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure trade show received a first look at the Backyard Farms lettuce, demonstrating strong support for the new line, according to the release. Fresh Florida and Colorado lettuce is growing now and will be available through retailers and foodservice operators this spring, the release said.

From fresh berries to lettuce, what we now know about potential California crop losses from flooding

Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:33:54 GMT

California farmers are facing another round of flooding , with fields still bearing fresh scars from January’s flood event . An area known for the production of fresh berries, as well as leafy greens, is bracing for the worst, and officials expect the March flooding to spread over more acres than January.

The Monterey County Ag Commissioner’s office conducted an assessment of the January floods, which projected the flood waters covered 20,000 acres in Monterey County, which is home to the Salinas Valley. The losses were pegged at $330 million, and that was at a time when the majority of the spring crops hadn’t been planted yet.

“Now we have March flooding, so those farms adjacent to the Salinas River, and in other low lying areas, which are at most risk for flooding again, I think the difference this time is kind of two-fold,” says Chris Valadez, the president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California . “One, you had crops planted in the ground for the upcoming spring harvest. So, there is direct crop damage this time more so than there was and would have been in the January event, and two, not only did you know virtually all of the 20,000 or so acres, flood again, but this weather system and the resulting flood and volume of water that was coming down the Salinas River and spilled over laterally into farm fields was more aggressive.”

Related Story: California Strawberry Commission shares update on devastation from river flooding

This week, the atmospheric rivers are having a larger cut due to a levee breach. The water is impacting fields planted in fresh berries, like strawberries and raspberries. Some of the low-lying area are also home to leafy green production like lettuce. While the damage will be severe for those in the flood water’s path, Valadez says the entire area includes close to 360,000 acres of productive farmland, most of which is expected to still be harvested this year.

“There are an array of different row crops, vegetables, and others that that are planted in that will be harvested and shipped come this spring. That is just kind of the good news, if there’s any to share from this event,” he says. “The bad news is there’s more acreage there’s going to be more direct crop loss, there’s going to be more negative impact onto the agricultural economy, families and farm workers that will continue kind of suffering through this region.”

Residents in the rural community of Porterville, California, say it took 15 minutes for floodwaters from a broken levee to devastate their homes. Some are now wading through the murky waters to feed their animals, as they say they had no warning that the flood was about to hit pic.twitter.com/UEjVyHUgTo
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 17, 2023

Valadez says this March flood event will have a negative impact on the farming communities, as well as the farm families and employees who rely on the production each year. That’s a concern Supervisor Luis Alejo of the California State Association of Counties in District 1, also told CNN.

“The pain is going to be prolonged for many weeks and months. This should have been the beginning of the harvest season,” says Alejo.

Related Story: California farm groups praise governor’s actions to recharge aquifers

There are concerns about what any crop loss will do to overall supplies this year, and the damage is still unknown.

“There will be more crop losses as areas that have not experienced flooding now are now experiencing it for the first time,” says Norm Groot with Monterey County Farm Bureau.

Valadez says if previous flood and drought events have taught the area one thing, it’s farmers in that part of California are extremely resilient, but Valadez says the weeks and months ahead will be hard for those producers, and they’re going to need help.

“In some cases, they’re going to need people to get out of the way, we’re going to need to cut some red tape at the local level, perhaps at the state level as well, regulatory speaking, to get berms and levees back up so that the river can handle appropriate water levels getting from point A to B, so that they’re not as at risk to flow laterally and on to ag fields,” he says. “And so reducing red tape, allowing farmers to kind of put the pieces back together and really allow them to rebound because they are naturally resilient and history has shown they’ll come back stronger than ever.”

Valadez says the area is confident they will be able to work together and overcome the challenges Mother Nature is throwing their way, as the ultimate goal is to get farms back to a healthy state so those fields can start producing valuable crops again.

Why water is the new oil for landowners

Fri, 11 Aug 2023 10:00:30 GMT

There are signs that water is the new oil.

This is a question sent in by U.S. Farm Report viewer David Marshall of Lafayette, Indiana: “You’ve covered the subject of foreign land ownership and rightly noted that it’s a very small percentage. I think the issue that we really need to address, especially in the southwestern states, is the purchasing of farmland by corporate entities that have nothing to do with farming but who solely want to obtain the water rights that the purchase of the ground includes. Their main reason for purchasing the land is to have a resource that they can sell to the highest bidder. How long before hedge funds and corporations own all the water rights and the farmer and the public are left to be the highest bidder or do without the needed resource?”

As Mark Twain said, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.” While our arguably arcane water rights laws have provided thousands of billable hours for water lawyers in the West, I don’t think we’ve seen anything yet.

“First in time, first in line” may have seemed like a good idea centuries ago when rivers and groundwater appeared inexhaustible, the enormous use by modern agriculture — about 80% of our nation’s resources — is testing the practicality of those laws. I can’t imagine modern lawmakers reforming our laws with the needed speed, so the backup method of acquisition for water consumers is to buy the water needed from agriculture.

Bluntly put, there is a price for every gallon, and many farmers are just now realizing how extremely valuable those gallons are.

As I have argued in every land-use debate — from solar panels to suburban development — with rare exceptions due to location or unique qualities, the rights of landowners should be preeminent to allow the market to redistribute those assets.

Consider the rapidly growing cities of the Southwest, like Phoenix. Spending millions to buy water rights from nearby farmers currently growing alfalfa in the desert to feed dairy cows, when milk is being dumped in Wisconsin, looks to me like an inefficient market hampered by regulation and unable to rationally allocate assets.

Between our outdated milk pricing programs and water laws, the outcome you describe is capitalism’s way of solving a problem. Farming may always be the optimal use for our ever-scarcer water.

I think not, but I think this is a problem being solved by accountants, not lawyers.

National Mango Board hires retail account manager-West Coast

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:41:02 GMT

The National Mango Board has hired Michele Hoard as retail account manager for the West Coast.

Hoard has more than 20 years of experience in the produce industry, with a background in field marketing, business development, strategic marketing and account management, according to a news release. She most recently was retail and foodservice account manager for the New York Apple Association , and before that was the senior North American marketing manager for Zespri International Ltd. , New Zealand’s kiwifruit exporter.

Hoard has also had sales or merchandising roles at the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion Committee, Frieda’s Specialty Produce and World Variety Produce Inc.

She has worked with retailers across the U.S., including Sam’s Club, Publix, Safeway and Whole Foods.

“Michele’s long produce industry career and retail partnerships will play a vital role in strengthening our retail team and developing remarkable strategies for our partners,” Valda Coryat, director of marketing at the National Mango Board, said in the release.

“They understand the unique balance in the produce industry of relationships, data-driven information and effective marketing tools in building strong promotional partnerships,” Hoard said in the release.

She succeeds Katie Manetti, who was with the National Mango Board since 2008, according to a news release.

Related stories:

UPDATED: Industry votes in favor of adding frozen to mango program

Meg Buchsbaum joins National Mango Board

National Mango Board appoints officers

PMA appoints Richard Owen to Western U.S.-Canada position

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:08:20 GMT

The Produce Marketing Association , Newark, Del., has appointed Richard Owen to vice president of membership and engagement for the Western U.S. and Canada.

Owen, previously vice president of global business development at PMA, will also see those duties elevated, as PMA’s global trade and policy expert, according to a news release. That will include providing industry insights on tariffs and other trade issues that affect the fresh produce industry.

Owen joined the PMA in 2009 as director of global business development and served as a senior leader for the past two years, according to the release.

In his new role, Owen will support PMA’s efforts in the Western U.S. and Canada.

“It’s very important for us to continue to have strong PMA leadership focused on our members in this area and Richard will help us to connect members to our year-long value and to each other,” PMA CEO Cathy Burns said in the release.

Joe Watson is PMA’s vice president for the Eastern U.S. and Canada.

“I am excited to transition into this new role of building and supporting an important market for PMA,” Owen said in the release. “I am also looking forward to focusing more on global trade policy and how it impacts the produce industry and our members.”

Steve Lutz, PMA’s previous vice president for the Western U.S. and Canada, is leaving the association in early August and opening a marketing and communications company.

Related stories:

North American trading relationships are key

Lutz to leave PMA, start marketing venture

Revol Greens launches four salad kits with greenhouse-grown lettuce

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:28:40 GMT

Tehachapi, Calif.-based Revol Greens has launched four new salad kits using greenhouse-grown lettuces that will hit shelves along the West Coast in early October.

Each kit contains two servings and includes salad dressing, according to a news release.

Revol Greens’ lettuce varieties follow the company’s proprietary Grown Clean and Green process. The salad kits will be offered in two styles, including organic for the West Coast and conventional in the Midwest.

“Whether at home or heading back into the office, busy consumers have recently driven a double-digit increase in demand for bold, fresh flavors and convenient, healthy solutions to keep things interesting while making meal preparation easier,” Brendon Krieg, vice president, said in the release.

The Greenhouse Grown Salad Kit flavors include:

Southwest Baja: Baby green leaf, romaine, shredded Monterey jack cheese, tri-color tortilla strips and dried sweet corn with Southwest dressing;
(Green) House Caesar: Green leaf, romaine, arugula, shredded sharp Parmesan cheese and garlic Parmesan croutons with Caesar dressing;
Sesame Ginger Fusion: Spring mix, green cabbage, shredded carrots, honey sesame sticks and sliced almonds with ginger carrot vinaigrette; and
Sweet Poppy Kale Blend: Baby kale, butter lettuce, sliced radicchio, sliced almonds, and dried cranberries with lemon poppyseed dressing.

Revol Greens grows more than 13 million pounds of lettuces annually. For more information, visit www.revolgreens.com and follow Revol on social media @revolgreens.

California governor outlines water strategy for hotter, drier state

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 21:07:08 GMT

Hotter and drier weather conditions spurred by climate change could reduce California’s water supply by up to 10% by the year 2040, according to state officials. In an Aug. 11 address at the Antioch Brackish Desalination Project, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state’s latest actions to increase water supply and adapt to more extreme weather patterns caused by climate change.

The announcement follows $8 billion in state investments over the last two years to help store, recycle, de-salt and conserve the water the state will need to keep up with the increasing pace of climate change, generating enough water in the future for more than 8.4 million households by 2040, according to a release from Gavin’s office.

The actions, outlined in a strategy document published by the administration called “ California’s Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future ” call for investing in new sources of water supply, accelerating projects and modernizing how the state manages water through new technology.

“The best science tells us that we need to act now to adapt to California’s water future. Climate change means drought won’t just stick around for two years at a time like it historically has — extreme weather is the new normal here in the American West, and California will adapt to this new reality,” Newsom said in Antioch. “California is launching an aggressive plan to rebuild the way we source, store and deliver water so our kids and grandkids can continue to call California home in this hotter, drier climate.”

California takes action

To help make up for the water supplies California could lose over the next two decades, the strategy prioritizes actions to capture, recycle, de-salt and conserve more water. According to a release, these actions include:

Creating storage space for up to 4 million acre-feet of water, which would allow California to capitalize on big storms when they do occur and store water for dry periods;
Recycling and reusing at least 800,000 acre-feet of water per year by 2030, enabling better and safer use of wastewater currently discharged to the ocean;
Freeing up 500,000 acre-feet of water through more efficient water use and conservation, helping make up for water lost because of climate change; and
Making new water available for use by capturing stormwater and desalinating ocean water and salty water in groundwater basins, diversifying supplies, and making the most of high flows during storm events.

Industry leaders applaud strategy

Industry leaders, including Western Growers and the California Fresh Fruit Association, are praising the water strategy.

“We applaud Gov. Newsom’s bold and comprehensive water infrastructure and management strategy,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “Our farms are in distress due to water insecurity, increasingly placing millions of Californians in our agricultural regions at great risk of economic harm.

“To adapt to climate realities, the governor’s plan recognizes the urgent need to build new and improve existing infrastructure and to streamline and improve the practicality of the regulatory processes that govern them. Critically, that means new and expanded surface and groundwater storage to capture wet-year flood flows that are too infrequent to be missed.”

While the statement from Puglia indicated that the Irvine, Calif.-based Western Growers would likely have questions about the water strategy as it unfolds, he added, “We echo the governor’s sense of urgency and look forward to working with his administration in good faith to turn this plan into action.”

The California Fresh Fruit Association, Fresno, Calif., also expressed a desire to work with the Newsom administration to implement the water supply strategy.

“We appreciate the efforts the Newsom administration has taken to address the critical need for water investments to guarantee the continued sustainability of California agriculture,” CFFA President Ian LeMay said in a release. “This plan recognizes the need to expand on existing surface and groundwater infrastructure while streamlining the process to get construction started on new storage projects.

“Every person in our state, nation and world relies on agriculture, and the association appreciates Gov. Newsom’s action to ensure that California continues to be able to have a safe and resilient food supply. Our state and industry cannot survive without a reliable water resource,” added LeMay. “CFFA looks forward to working with the Newsom administration to implement this vital water action plan to address our state’s water supply and prepare for future drought years.”

The actions to capture, recycle, de-salt and conserve more water also appear in the Newsom administration’s Water Resilience Portfolio — the state’s master plan for water released in 2020 — but state officials say they will be expedited “given the urgency of climate-driven changes.”

Bobalu hires John Knappe as procurement manager

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 18:57:24 GMT

Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berry Farms has added to its staff someone who will help streamline packaging, supplies and inventory management throughout all growing regions.

John Knappe has been hired as Bobalu’s procurement manager. In his new role, Knappe will work with Michael Cleugh, vice president of operations for Bobalu and processing company AgriFrost LLC., according to a news release.

Knappe has been in the produce industry for nine years, specifically working in packaging supply and inventory management within the berry industry. This experience allowed him to begin at full speed in his first week, the release said, in a role the company added to keep pace with current and future customer demands in packaging, pricing and availability, sustainability, and private-label needs.

As Bobalu continues to grow, with increased acreage, seasonality and packaging mix, a dedicated team member such as Knappe, focused on procurement, was a necessary and welcome addition, the company said.

Related: Bobalu Berry opens new office

“John has the experience and product knowledge to seamlessly step right into the role and provide support to operations, sales and management,” Cleugh said in the release.

Knappe said he was looking forward to working with a company that has such a strong history behind it. Bobalu is currently celebrating its 60th year of farming fresh strawberries in California, according to the release.

“I am excited to be part of a company with a long legacy of family growers,” Knappe said in the release. “Our exceptional-quality fruit deserves reliable packaging to preserve it from the farm to the consumer’s table.”

Knappe, who was born and raised in the Salinas, Calif., area, will work from the company’s Monterey, Calif., sales office.

California's Supreme Court rules bees and insects protected

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 21:10:19 GMT

SACRAMENTO, CA—The California Supreme Court rejected a petition by agribusiness and pesticide industry groups, leaving a lower court decision that insects and other invertebrates can be protected under the state’s Endangered Species Act.

The recent decision upholds a May 2022 Court of Appeals ruling that insects and other invertebrates can be protected by the California Endangered Species Act, or CESA. This includes four species of native bumblebees that the Center for Food Safety petitioned the state of California to protect in 2018, along with the Xerces Society and Defenders of Wildlife.

“We are thrilled that the Court of Appeal’s decision that insects can be protected under California’s Endangered Species Act will be left in place,” Jenny Loda, staff attorney at CFS, said in a news release. “Insects, including bumblebees and other pollinators, are declining in California and worldwide, and need all the help they can get. With today’s news, protections can soon be restored for the four imperiled bumblebee species, and they will return to being the first insects included on CESA’s candidate list.”

Native bumblebees are essential to agricultural production and native ecosystems. More than one quarter of all North American bumblebees risk extinction, according to Xerces and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Bumblebee Specialist Group.

“With one out of every three bites of food we eat coming from a crop pollinated by bees, this court decision is critical to protecting our food supply,” Rebecca Spector, west coast director at center for food safety, said in the release. “Today’s decision codifies that insects such as bees qualify for protections under CESA, which are necessary to ensure that populations of endangered species can survive and thrive.”

About one-third of all food production depends on pollinators, and 75% of all fruits and vegetables produce higher yields when visited by pollinators. According to the release, California accounts for more than 13% of the nation’s total agricultural value and protecting these four bee pollinator species is key to protecting California’s agricultural legacy. Across the U.S., native insects contribute an estimated $70 billion each year to the economy through their pollination services.

Protecting these vital species has been delayed the past four years due to legal actions by industry groups, according to the release.

Timeline of legal action:

In 2018, CFS, Xerces and Defenders petitioned the California Fish and Game Commission to list the four species of native bumblebees as endangered under CESA;
The commission began the listing process in 2019, but was sued by a consortium of California agricultural interests;
In 2020, the trial court sided with the agricultural groups; and
In February 2021, conservation groups, CDFW and the CFGC to launched an appeal.

The recent California Supreme Court ruling upholds the 2022 Appeals Court ruling that these insects and invertebrates are protected by the state’s Endangered Species Act.

Produce veteran Angie Thomas joins National Mango Board

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 15:07:54 GMT

The National Mango Board has added Angie Thomas to its team as a new retail consultant serving West Coast mango markets. Thomas will work alongside retailers of all sizes to support mango marketing and merchandising in the produce aisle.

The mango group’s mission is to drive awareness and consumption of mangos in the U.S. marketplace for both domestic and imported fresh mangos. The board’s vision is to expand the consumer perception of mangos as being an exotic fruit to a staple in U.S. households, was.

Thomas comes to the National Mango Board from Oppy and Turners & Growers, where she managed North American sales planning and activation for Envy and Jazz apples. Prior, she was director of category development at Category Partners, overseeing Walmart’s potato and onion categories, and business development marketing manager for Organic Girl and Oppy.

Thomas brings with her a wealth of experience with over 15 years of strategic planning, sales management, data analytics, and marketing experience within the produce industry. She has worked on both the retail and grower sides, including supply chain.

Thomas’ produce career, to date, is rounded out by her experience as the communications manager for the California Avocado Commission, marketing manager for Christopher Ranch, and a journalist for The Packer.