CALIFORNIA FRESH FRUIT ASSOCIATION ISSUES STATEMENT ON CVP WATER ALLOCATION ANNOUNCEMENT

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) has issued a statement in response to
today’s initial water allocation announcement of 35% for the Central Valley Project (CVP) by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

President Ian LeMay stated, “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. Having a reliable water supply is critical for our members to continue to be able to grow fresh fruit for our nation. However, 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.”

CFFA will continue to advocate for needed changes to water regulations, along with additional water conveyance and infrastructure solutions at the federal and state levels to ensure that our members are able to provide the freshest fruit to the nation and world.

California Ag Today2023-02-23T07:44:21-08:00February 23rd, 2023|

California Fresh Fruit Association Announces Mentors’ Award Recipient and Keynote Speakers for Upcoming 87th Annual Meeting

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) is pleased to announce the recipient for the Mentors’ Award along with the speakers that will headline the Industry Workshops during its upcoming 87th Annual Meeting on March 12-14, 2023, at The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

The Association will honor Harold McClarty, of HMC Farms with the prestigious Mentors’ Award, which is bestowed to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the California fresh grape, berry, and tree fruit communities through their leadership in the industry. McClarty is one of the leading family owned, vertically integrated tree fruit and table grape operations in California. He has served on the Western Growers, California Table Grape Commission and CFFA Board of Directors and has contributed to the future of agriculture by supporting programs at the local community college.

This year’s Industry Workshops will feature two sessions, one on Monday and another on Tuesday. On Monday, March 13th, the Industry Workshop will feature Ron Barsamian of Barsamian & Moody Attorneys at Law, who will provide an update on California labor issues.

On Tuesday, March 14th, attendees will hear from Lorren Walker of Elias Walker LLP, on the priorities taking place in Washington, D.C., as preparations begin for the 2023 Farm Bill. He will also discuss trade priorities within the Biden-Harris Administration and what we can expect from the new leadership in Congress following the midterm elections.

CFFA President Ian LeMay stated, “The Association leadership and staff is looking forward to the 87th Annual Meeting in La Jolla. We are excited to recognize Harold McClarty for his many contributions to the fresh fruit industry as well as to CFFA. Additionally, the Industry Workshops will each offer a vibrant discussion on the key issues the Association is focusing on behalf of the California fresh fruit industry.” Information regarding CFFA’s 87th Annual Meeting can be found here.

California Ag Today2023-02-15T12:05:50-08:00February 15th, 2023|

California Fresh Fruit Association Applauds the Introduction of Senate’s Affordable and Secure Food Act

By Ian LeMay and Courtney Razor, California Fresh Fruit Association

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) applauds the introduction of the Affordable
and Secure Food Act that was announced in the United States Senate today. The California agriculture
industry is the nation’s top producing region in the world. However, ensuring a reliable workforce has
remained a constant issue.

CFFA President Ian LeMay stated, “On behalf of the California Fresh Fruit Association, we would like
to thank Senator Bennet for his leadership in introducing this bill. The agricultural industry has waited
many years to have a reliable, legal workforce. This legislation will address the critical need to provide
a pathway to legal status for current, undocumented employees, while also improving the existing
guest worker program. The agricultural industry in California and across the country prides itself on
being able to provide a safe, and secure food supply to the nation and the world. However, this can
only be accomplished with a dependable workforce. There is no doubt that agriculture has waited
many years for immigration reform, and we are optimistic that this bill will finally accomplish this
goal.”

CFFA is encouraging the Senate to pass this bill to ensure that our domestic food supply will last long
into the future. The Association will continue to engage on this issue to ensure that California’s fresh
fruit industry’s needs are addressed.

California Ag Today2022-12-22T12:38:23-08:00December 22nd, 2022|

California Fresh Fruit Association Reacts to the Signing of AB 2183

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) is disappointed in Governor Newsom for
signing AB 2183 (Stone), card check legislation that will strip agricultural employees of their right to
an impartial secret ballot election and employers of their due process rights when they challenge
alleged violations.

President Ian LeMay stated, “On behalf of the Association, we express our disappointment with the
signing of AB 2183 today. Since the veto of AB 616, a similar card check bill last year, there has been
zero engagement with the agricultural industry from Governor Newsom and his administration to find
a solution that best serves California farm employees. AB 2183 will not only eviscerate an employee’s
previously sacred right to a secret ballot in a unionization election. It will also erode the property
ownership and First Amendment rights of agricultural businesses across California. CFFA is also
concerned with the idea of a legislative ‘fix’to the issues in AB 2183 being drafted behind closed doors
with no opportunity for input by all stakeholders. If this is any example of how this bill will be
implemented, agricultural employees throughout California will have no say in their future. Today is
a sad day for California agriculture and California farmworkers.”

LeMay continued, “While the proponents of AB 2183 purported the focus of this bill is on “vote-by-mail balloting” for agricultural employees, it is not. Rather, the only beneficiary of AB 2183’s passage is a specific interested party looking to bolster their diminishing relevance. CFFA is disappointed that Governor Newsom succumbed to pressure from leaders in Washington, D.C. that voiced support for AB 2183. Their opinion on this issue was unwelcomed and should have had no bearing on his decision.”

Lastly, LeMay stated, “The Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA) has long protected the right of
agricultural employees to a secret ballot election supervised by the ALRB, free of intimidation and
influence by any interested party. The enactment of AB 2183 takes away the right to a free and fair
election process for all farmworkers and could change how agriculture operates in California going
forward.”

California Ag Today2022-10-04T10:41:57-07:00October 4th, 2022|

HMC Farms Vaccinates Farm Employees

HMC Farms Delivers COVID-19 Vaccinations to Agriculture Workers

HMC Farms, based in Kingsburg, has announced the successful distribution of 450 COVID-19 vaccines to agricultural employees in California’s Central Valley.

HMC Farms recently hosted vaccination clinics that distributed hundreds of COVID-19 vaccines to employees of HMC and several nearby businesses in the ag industry. More vaccinations are on the way as the first recipients near the second dose time frame.

HMC Farms is a family-owned and operated business, and the McClarty family values their employees as an extension of that family. Sarah McClarty, Chief Financial Officer of HMC Farms, stated at the event, “To watch every employee in our organization who wants a vaccine receive one over the last two days has been the biggest win in what has been an extremely challenging twelve months. Partnerships with the California Farmworker Foundation and Elite Medical that were in place prior to the pandemic have played a huge part in HMC’s continued efforts to support our employees’ health and well-being, and are what made this week’s event possible.”

At the vaccination event, it was clear to see that people were relieved to have vaccines available to them. Several employees were seen having their photos taken while receiving the vaccine to share with friends and family. “This is such a relief,” said one employee as she received her shot. Another employee commented, “The distribution process for vaccines has been confusing. It’s so helpful that HMC was willing and able to bring vaccinations directly to us.”

The past year has been difficult for people and industries around the globe, and the ag industry has felt the weight of keeping employees safe and healthy while maintaining the food supply. Speaking about the partnership with the California Farmworker Foundation which helped make the vaccination even possible, Harold McClarty, owner and Chief Executive Officer of HMC Farms, expressed gratitude. “We have all struggled during these very difficult times,” said McClarty. “We are very grateful and supportive of all the work that this organization has done for farmworkers. It gives us some hope that we will persevere and continue to move forward with our work to support the nation’s food supply.”

HMC Farms is located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, and has been family-owned and operated since 1887. All of their produce is grown sustainably, protecting the land, water, and people who make it possible to deliver delicious peaches, plums, nectarines, and table grapes year after year. To learn more, visit https://www.hmcfarms.com/

California Ag Today2021-05-13T16:11:22-07:00March 4th, 2021|

New Director of Trade At CA Fresh Fruit Assoc

Caroline Stringer is New Director of Trade. at CFFA

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) is pleased to announce the hiring of Caroline Stringer as its new Director of Trade. Ms. Stringer comes to the Association after serving as a Public Affairs Representative at Pacific Gas & Electric. Prior to her role with Pacific Gas & Electric, Caroline served as the Senior Specialist on Global, Technical and Regulatory Affairs for the California Almond Board.

The Chairman of the Board for the Association, Randy Giumarra of Giumarra Vineyards Corp., stated, “We are very pleased that Caroline has agreed to become a part of the team at CFFA. Her personal background and education, as well as her extensive experience working in the area of trade will bring immense value to our membership.”

Association President Ian LeMay added, “We are extremely fortunate to have Caroline joining the CFFA team. The issues of trade and access into foreign markets is of paramount importance to our membership, possibly now more than ever. Caroline brings an extensive educational and professional background to this position and we are excited to see the work she does on our member’s behalf. We believe that Caroline is a natural fit, along with our current staff, to continue to bring value to CFFA members and to serve the California fresh fruit industry.”

Ms. Stringer is a graduate of San Francisco State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in International Relations. She also earned a Master of Arts in International Trade Policy from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. Ms. Stringer’s first day at the Association will be Monday, January 6th.

California Ag Today2019-12-18T13:25:55-08:00December 20th, 2019|

Teaching Kids to Cook California’s Bounty

California Farmers Donate Fruits Vegetables, Nuts and Beef to Cook

About 2,725 Consumer Science (formerly home economics) high school students at 15 different high schools will learn how to cook with locally grown produce and meat. The San Joaquin Chapter of California Women for Agriculture (SJ CWA), San Joaquin-Stanislaus CattleWomen and the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation (SJFB) have partnered to locate more than 500 pounds of cheese, olives, pumpkins, dry garbanzo beans, walnuts and beef for the students to cook this semester.

For three consecutive weeks starting October 22 and 29 and November 5, 2019, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the San Joaquin Office of Education in Stockton, each teacher will receive two commodities, recipes and handling material to share with their classes. The local agriculture organizations hope to both teach students what is grown locally and showcase the freshness of locally sourced produce.

The fresh pumpkins and dry garbanzo beans provided by the San Joaquin Chapter of Women for Agriculture were donated by local pumpkin grower, Van Groningen and Sons of Manteca (vgandsons.com) and the Rhodes-Stockton Bean Co-Op of Stockton. SJ CWA provides this “hands on educational” cooking opportunity for local high school students enrolled in consumer science courses to give them a snapshot of the variety of crops and commodities grown/raised in San Joaquin County. Teachers and students are provided with a variety of educational information regarding the nutritional value of each of the commodities along with cooking tips and recipes.

SJ CWA Chapter President, Dr. Marit Arana, said, “This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the commodities grown and raised in our county. We are grateful for the opportunity to work collaboratively with our donors and for our partnerships with both the San Joaquin-Stanislaus CattleWomen and San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation. It takes a team effort to bring an educational experience of this size and scope to so many students within our county.”

San Joaquin County Agriculture is ranked seventh in the nation in dollar value at $2.5 billion and sixth out of 58 counties in the state. California produces about 400 different agriculture commodities and about half the fruits and vegetables in the United States.

###

October 22, 2019 – CWA donation of pumpkins and dry garbanzo beans

October 29, 2019 – CattleWomen donation of walnuts and beef

November 5, 2019 – SJFB donation of table olives and cheese

Pick-Up Times – From 4:00pm to 5:00pm at 2911 Transworld Drive, Stockton, CA. under the solar panels in Stockton at the San Joaquin Office of Education

For information contact:
Lora Daniels
916-215-1494
SanJoaquinCWA@gmail.com

California Ag Today2019-11-01T16:43:07-07:00November 8th, 2019|

Cover Crops Research

Cover Crops Increase Iron Availability

By Jessica Theisman, Associate Editor

How can cover crops be a benefit to pear orchards? Juliana Wu was in the horticulture and Agronomy Graduate Program at UC Davis Study studying the benefits of cover crops.

“You’re looking at how the cover crop can benefit the pear roots and also the pear nutrition potentially as well as soil health,” said Wu.“Cover crops as well as legumes which can fix nitrogen, will help in increasing nutrient uptake in crops.”

Cover Crops in Pears Can Help with Nutrient Uptake

“I think the unique piece that I am adding is that cover crops such as legumes can acidify the soil which could potentially change nutrient availability,” said Wu. This is beneficial particularly in Lake County where their soils tend to have a lot of calcium carbonates and are more alkaline. There is low iron availability that can lead to chlorosis. “We are hoping to see that the cover crops can increase iron availability either through releasing chelators or through decreasing pH,” she said.

Wu’s main goal is to prove how cover crops such as legumes can have a benefit to pear orchards rather than compete with them for nutrients.

For more information on cover crops click here.

California Ag Today2019-08-01T09:58:58-07:00August 1st, 2019|

Ian LeMay is New President of California Fresh Fruit Association

Former President George Radanovich Goes Back to Washington

News Release

This week, Randy Giumarra, the Chairman of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) Board of Directors, announced that Ian LeMay will serve as the new president of CFFA. LeMay will succeed George Radanovich, who has held the position since 2016 and will be leaving CFFA to promote sound ag labor policy in Washington, D.C.

Ian LeMay

Giumarra said, “Ian’s appointment is a reflection of our Board’s commitment to establishing long-term leadership for our industry.”

He continued, “Our board and I have worked closely with Ian over the past four years. We are confident in his abilities and look forward to his leadership. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank George for his time, leadership, and impact that he has made over the last three years. George’s service is greatly appreciated by our entire membership.”

LeMay has dedicated his career to supporting and advocating for the continued success of California agriculture. Since 2015, LeMay has served as CFFA’s Director of Member Relations and Communications.

From 2011 to 2015, LeMay served as the District Director for Congressman Jim Costa, who represents California’s 16th Congressional District. As District Director, LeMay managed the Congressman’s district staff and advised the Congressman on a number of issues, including agriculture, water, and transportation. Prior to working for Congressman Costa, LeMay worked as a California Market Specialist for the Lindsay Corporation. LeMay is a recent graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (Class 48).

“I am humbled and appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve the members of the California Fresh Fruit Association in a new capacity,” LeMa said. “I came to the Association four years ago because I believe in its mission, deeply respect its history and see infinite potential in advocating for the permanent fresh fruit growers and shippers of California. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe two great Association leaders in Barry Bedwell and George Radanovich, and thank them for their commitment to bettering our industry. The challenges that face us are many. These have not been easy years for our industry, but I remain confident in the future of California agriculture and our opportunity to advocate for meaningful policy with a unified voice.”

LeMay will begin his tenure as CFFA President on June 1st. Ian and his wife, Molly, reside in Fresno with their two children, Emery Rose and Ellison James, and will welcome their third child this August.

ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION

For more than eighty (80) years the California Fresh Fruit Association has been the primary government relations organization serving the fresh fruit industry. It is a voluntary public policy organization that works on behalf of our members—growers, shippers, marketers, and associates—on issues that specifically affect member commodities: fresh grapes, kiwis, pomegranates, cherries, blueberries, peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, interspecific varieties, plums, apples and persimmons. It is the Association’s responsibility to serve as a liaison between regulatory and legislative authorities by acting as the unified voice of our members. The challenges are countless for growers, shippers, and marketers as they strive to remain viable in an ever-changing market. Increasing regulatory requirements make it difficult to flourish, regardless of the size of the operation.

The Association’s dedicated staff advocates daily in the best interest of our members to ensure that regulators and legislators are using sound science and accurate information when considering laws or rules that will be imposed on industry members. However, aside from the variety of issues the Association works on, there is an important networking component. As each company has its own business interest, the membership as a whole shares a common, vested interest in the long-term health of tree fruit, fresh grape and berry communities in California.

California Ag Today2019-05-15T14:55:48-07:00May 15th, 2019|

California Fresh Fruit Association: Top Issues in 2019

Immigration and Labor Cost are Big Issues

News Release

The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) recently announced their Top Issues for 2019. Members were surveyed in December 2018 and ranked the top issues for CFFA to concentrate on in 2019.

George Rodanovich

President of the California Fresh Fruit Association, George Radanovich, stated “As in years past, our membership has given us strong direction in identifying their top priorities for 2019. The issues of labor, water, and food safety, will lead our list of issues. CFFA will continue to serve as the primary liaison between regulatory and legislative authorities by acting as the unified voice for our members on these and many other issues.”

Here are the results:

1) Federal Immigration Policies Addressing Current and Future Labor Force

2) Increasing Wage Costs (Base Wages/OT Thresholds)

3) Water Supply Availability and Curtailment

4) Immigration Enforcement (ICE)

5) Groundwater Management Requirements (S.G.M.A.)

6) Labor Regulatory Compliance

7) Water Quality Requirements and Clean Drinking Water Liability

8) Federal and State Food Safety Compliance Requirements

9) Health Care Costs (Policy Costs/Paid Sick Leave)

10) Plant Health Materials (Pesticide, Herbicides, Fungicides, etc.)

As always, it will be the Association’s goal to work on behalf of its members to address these issues and many more, in an effort to create a better working environment for their businesses.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:50-07:00January 15th, 2019|