Food Safety In the Produce Supply Chain

Food Safety is Paramount in Produce Industry

By Tim Hammerich, with The Ag Information Network of the West

Food safety is something everyone in the produce industry is concerned about, from growers all the way through the supply chain.

United Fresh Produce Association is a trade group that exists to empower produce industry leaders to join forces to shape sound government policy. California Ag Today’s Patrick Cavanaugh caught up with United Fresh President and CEO Tom Stenzel at the association’s Fresh Start Conference in Tucson.

“We’ve got to do a better job in traceability We’ve got to be able to get to the source of these issues right away. You know, our products are grown outside in nature,” said Stenzel. “There’s no kill step. We don’t cook our salads. So we’re probably never going to get to zero, but we’re going to keep getting better in prevention and then we’ve got to do better tracing it back.”

That traceability aspect can be a challenge in complex supply chains like those of some fresh produce. But Stenzel says their members are committed to finding innovative solutions.

“So the grower/shipper community, they’re trying to figure out how do I prevent food safety issues. And we’re learning a lot. Every time there’s an outbreak, as tragic as it is, we learn from it. And that’s really what the growers are trying to do right now, is to take every possible step of precaution in how they use water; or how they use compost,” said Stenzel. Making sure that we’re not contributing to contamination. Wholesalers, retailers, everybody’s got to work together on those things.”

Stenzel said just about every meeting they had around the Fresh Start Conference addressed some aspect of food safety.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:45-07:00February 10th, 2020|

UC Davis Will be at World Ag Expo!

Associate Dean Oberbauer to join UC Davis agricultural experts at World Ag Expo

(Pictured are UC Davis Aggie Ambassadors, who will on hand to greet expo-goers.)

Associate Dean Anita Oberbauer with the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will gather with fellow scientists, staff and students at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, February 11-13, to chat with farmers, prospective students, alumni and leaders throughout the agricultural industry.

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the 53^rd annual event, where 1,400 exhibitors display cutting-edge agricultural technology and equipment over a massive 2.6 million square feet of show grounds.

“I’m delighted to take part in this incredible agricultural exhibition,” said Oberbauer, who is associate dean of agricultural sciences for the college and a professor in animal science. “I look forward to discussing the college’s latest development in agricultural research, meeting prospective students and reconnecting with alumni and friends from the Central Valley and beyond.”

Professor Oberbauer will be at the UC Davis booth—located in the Ag Career and Education Center—from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13. She will be joined by Christopher Glick, associate dean for development and external relations, who will attend the expo all three days. The UC Davis booth has been expanded this year to provide extra space for alumni and others to gather.

Throughout the event, various college experts in livestock, nutrition, plant pathology, engineering, economics and more will be available to discuss agricultural issues and visit with attendees. Aggie Ambassadors and undergraduate student advisors will be on hand to answer questions about UC Davis majors and campus life.

“Prospective students can learn about our majors and the career paths they provide,” said Sue Ebeler, associate dean of undergraduate academic programs and professor in viticulture and enology. Ebeler will be at the UC Davis booth on Feb. 13.

In addition to Associate Deans Oberbauer, Glick and Ebeler, college experts attending the expo include:

Deanne Meyer, Cooperative Extension specialist in livestock waste management, who will be available all days
Rachael Goodhue, department chair and professor in agricultural and resource economics, who will be available Feb. 11
Florent Trouillas, assistant Cooperative Extension specialist in plant pathology, who will be at the expo Feb. 11
Farzaneh Khorsandi, assistant Cooperative Extension specialist in biological and agricultural engineering, will be available Feb. 11 and Feb. 12
Gerado Mackenzi, associate professor of nutrition, will be available Feb. 12
Patricia Oteiza, nutrition professor, will be available on Feb. 12.

UC Davis is ranked first in the nation for agriculture, plant sciences, animal science and agricultural economics. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences enrolled more than 2,000 new students in the fall of 2019, many of them from California’s Central Valley. The college offers 28 majors—everything from agriculture to nutrition to global disease biology.

“The World Ag Expo is an incredible event,” Ebeler said. “We get to meet with leaders from around the world, as well as with the passionate young people who are the future of agriculture.”

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:05:01-07:00February 7th, 2020|

California’s Trucking Industry Hurting with Regulations

Regulations Put Trucking Industry in Peril

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

The trucking industry, moving California agricultural crops from processors to distributors around the country, is facing many uphill challenges.

Tejinder Singh Mehta, also known as TJ, owns InTrade Industries based in Fresno. His company only focuses on a refrigerated fleet handling sensitive perishable commodities, and other refrigerated cargo from California, across the states, and also backhauls.

“The trucking industry is going through a lot of problems. The biggest problem that we are facing now is the extreme shortage of drivers, noted Mehta. “Even if we get drivers, they are not qualified enough to take the challenge, which includes safety regulations and timely deliveries. So that is the biggest issue right now

There is also AB5, which restricts independent contractors in California. “AB5 is affecting the trucking industry in a big way, because earlier small operators, could be hired by midsize fleet companies for outsourcing some freight jobs,” said Mehta. “Because if you have some business that needs to be taken care of, some contracts to be taken care of, you cannot hire independent contractors. They’re so hard to find. In the given situation, we cannot add on to more trucks on our own.”

“Because of the shortage of drivers, if we cannot hire independent contractors, it’s going to affect the industry in a big way,” he noted. “And since California has more trucks, it gets struck by these regulations, which can affect the whole nation in a big way.”

Another significant regulation is the Electronic Logging Device (ELD), which restricts drivers operating more than eight hours.

What happens is that a driver gets close to a destination, and his eight hours restrict any more driving time. The driver cannot continue for even 10 minutes or 15 minutes to go and deliver the load. “This is affecting the efficiency of the job. This is going to affect the actual time for the driver. This impacts the entire trucking industry across the nation, including shippers and receivers,” Mehta said.

Mehta said that the California trucking industry needs a good dialogue between the regulatory authorities, with the truckers at the table, and take on these problems head-on “before they snowball and paralyze the whole industry,” he said.

California Ag Today2020-02-05T08:41:14-08:00February 7th, 2020|

The Impact of Regulations For Farmers

Regulations Affect California Farmers in a Big Way

By Tim Hammerich, with The Ag Information Network of The West

Most Californians will tell you they enjoy the local and diverse amounts of produce available in this state. High labor costs and other heavy regulations are encouraging some farmers to shift more focus on crops that are less labor intensive.

“So with a minimum wage going up, with the overtime rules ratcheting down, we’re kind of caught in a vice,” said Cannon Michael, President of Bowles Farming Co and the 6th generation of his family to farm the land near Los Banos. “And to put one wage across an entire state where you really have different costs of living in different counties, it’s pretty drastic differences, really makes it difficult,” he added.

“And then when you couple that with the fact that the Federal minimum wage is much lower in a lot of other producing areas of the country that compete with us, don’t have even close to what the minimum wage that we have,” said Michael. “And they don’t have the overtime because they have the federal exemption for overtime.”

And then so not only that, but you look outside of the U S and there’s Mexico and some of our close competitors there, which have no regulatory standards. “They do not have the standards that push up our fuel prices, chemical costs, really every single input that we have is a higher cost here.”

We are always looking for the right mix of crops that we can grow, that deliver the highest value while again, just not stretching our folks too hard, and too far. “Because it is hard as you diversify into a lot of different things, it gets to be challenging,” he said.

Even though the regulatory pressure is there, Michael said he is very committed to making it work, but the regulatory environment is certainly a challenge.

California Ag Today2020-02-04T17:19:41-08:00February 6th, 2020|

Meet Rose Tyron, New CWA President

California Women for Agriculture Welcomes 2020 with New President and Platform

Del Norte County native, Rose Tryon is a passionate advocate for agriculture and has officially stepped into her new role as president of the California Women for Agriculture (CWA). This step up in leadership comes after a decade of involvement with both CWA and its parent organization American Agri-Women (AAW).

“As a young girl, I watched my father struggle to keep our family farm and could never understand why a profession so noble was so difficult to maintain,” stated CWA State President Rose Tryon. “Even as a child, I knew that something had to be done to help farmers, and that eventually led me to join CWA.”

A retired District Attorney Investigator, Tryon specialized in sexual assault and child abuse investigations. She currently resides in Paradise, California with her husband and two dogs and is working to rebuild her home after she lost it to the 2018 Camp Fire. Tryon eventually plans to reopen her business that assists farmers, ranchers and small businesses with business management and regulatory affairs. In addition, she also has her eyes set on executing several goals as CWA’s newest president.

“Rose is a visionary and is totally committed to the mission of the CWA,” stated Past CWA State President and current Federal Legislation Director Carol Chandler. “We are so fortunate to have such an outstanding leader for our all-volunteer advocacy organization.”

When asked about her plans for the CWA, Tryon noted that she’d like to connect members with the California State Women’s legislative caucus to help bridge the gap between the agriculture industry and our state legislators. She also plans to help educate urban neighbors about issues affecting agriculture, as well as continue to help CWA’s mission to uplift women in agriculture.

Over the last ten years, Tryon has served on the AAW Foundation Board for American Agri-Women, has served as a member of the CWA North Valley Chapter, and has taken on several roles within CWA’s State Executive Board. She credits the women she has met through the organization as the reason why she remains so passionate about agriculture and plans to continue to build her relationship with the members throughout her term as president.

“There’s a phrase that our members like to use whenever they describe their involvement with the CWA: we join for the cause, but stay for the friendships,” Tryon noted. “CWA is more than just an organization, we are a family that will fight tooth and nail for the industry we love, but even more so for the relationships we create.”

Tryon joins 12 other women as part of the 2020 CWA Executive Team and has already begun to lay the foundation for some of the change she wishes to implement throughout the next few months. Interested parties are encouraged to visit the CWA’s website at www.cawomen4ag.com to learn more about membership opportunities and community events.

California Ag Today2020-02-05T08:58:35-08:00February 5th, 2020|

Almond Board Announces 2020 Almond Leadership Program

17 Industry Professionals will Embark on a Year-Long Experience to Further Their Leadership Skills and Involvement in the California Almond Industry

The Almond Board of California (ABC) is proud to announce the Almond Leadership Program Class of 2020. These 17 promising leaders represent diverse backgrounds across multiple industries, from almond growers to processors, sales representatives to regulatory consultants, researchers to pest control advisors, and more.

In this year-long program, participants will grow in their roles as the future generation of California almond industry leaders, learning from volunteer mentors who will help equip them with the knowledge and experience necessary to improve their leadership skills, the industry and their communities. The class will also complete specialized training in a wide variety of topic areas, many of which are tied to ABC activities in global marketing, production and nutrition research, food safety and more. Through monthly seminars spanning topics across all aspects of the industry, participants will sharpen their communication skills while building lasting relationships with each other, ABC staff and others through networking opportunities.

“It is an honor to go through this program with so many intelligent and like-minded people who all have the same goal: to better the California almond industry and give back to our communities. I love that the main thing connecting all the participants is our drive to make an impact on this industry,” said participant Michelle Brasil of Olam Farming.

As a kickoff to the program, the Leadership class participated in a two-day orientation that included an address from ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott and Chair of ABC’s Board of Directors Holly A. King. Waycott and King highlighted the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals and the almond community’s roadmap to achieving them, two cornerstones of this year’s Almond Leadership Program.

As they progress through the program, Leadership participants will gain a stronger understanding of how social, economic and environmental issues — combined with the current political climate — affect the industry. They’ll also learn how all sectors in the almond supply chain work together to provide a safe, sustainable product to consumers worldwide.

“It’s important now more than ever before to help pay-it-forward by empowering the next generation of talented leaders to sustain and propel the tremendous benefits of modern agriculture, making a positive contribution toward feeding and nourishing our growing and connected world,” said program mentor Nassar Dean of Bayer Crop Science, the official sponsor of the 2020 Almond Leadership Program.

Participants are also required to pursue an area of interest as part of a yearlong self-directed project that they will present to fellow classmates, mentors and the ABC Board of Directors at the end of the program. The purpose of the project is to challenge participants to take a deep dive into a topic that interests them, try a new technology or innovative practice on their operation or explore a new or novel idea that advances the industry in some capacity.

These projects will all focus on ways to improve the California almond community, and some past projects have even led to important breakthroughs for the industry. At the end of the year, one participant will be selected to present their project at The Almond Conference 2020 in Sacramento.

“This program helps mold great people into even greater leaders — the leaders we will one day look toward to shape the future of the almond industry,” said Jenny Nicolau, senior manager, Industry Relations and Communications, ABC. “Each graduate from the Almond Leadership Program has gone on to be a leader of change in the industry or their community in some capacity, and this group will be no different. They are bright and talented, and obviously problem-solvers, and we are honored to be partners on this yearlong journey.”

Over the past eleven years, the Almond Leadership Program has graduated more than 160 participants and supported many key initiatives benefiting the industry. This year’s class will continue the tradition of raising funds for California Future Farmers of America (FFA) and has pledged to raise more than $25,000 in scholarships for high school students interested in pursuing agriculture in college.

Members of this year’s class include: Nicole Assali, California Grown Nut Company; Jason Bayer, Exact Corporation; Michelle Brasil, Olam Farming; Steve Dail, T.A.D. Farming, Inc.; Jason DeGraff, Mid Valley Ag Services; Angad Dhadda, Dhadda Farms; Stephen Dotta, Poythress Farms; Eric Lahargou, Campos Brothers Farms; Daniel Lawson, Treehouse Almonds; Kyle McClintock, IB Farming/San Joaquin Fertilizer; Chris McGlothlin, Western Agricultural Processors Association; Michael Navarrete, Protect Your Nuts; Nathaniel Roberts, Wonderful Orchards; Justin Rose, Redox Chemicals, LLC; Raj Samran, Samran Sons & Farming Co. Inc.; Haley Seeger, Blue Diamond Growers; Matthew Wilson, Bayer Crop Science.

California Ag Today2020-02-03T11:08:34-08:00February 3rd, 2020|

Naturipe Farms Produces Berries for Global Consumers

Naturipe Farms is Leading Growers of Blueberries in the World

By Tim Hammerich, with the Ag Information Network of the West

Naturipe Farms is a brand most Americans have seen in the supermarket. What many may not realize is that the company is actually owned by growers. California Ag Today’s Patrick Cavanaugh recently spoke to Jill Overdorf, who is Naturipe’s Director of Business Development for Food Service & their Corporate Chef.

“Producing fresh berries since 1917, Naturipe Farms is unique to the produce industry with a partnership between four highly esteemed berry growers: Naturipe Berry Growers, MBG Marketing(Michigan Blueberry Growers), Hortifrut, and Munger Companies,” said Orverdorf.

Overdorff said Naturipe is the leading grower of blueberries in the world, second in strawberries, and also produce raspberries, blackberries, avocados, and cranberries.

“Our strawberry growers had a very challenging year, but they developed some great crops,” noted Overdorff. “We also have a good breeding program. Our blueberry growers, the Mungers, are the largest growers of blueberries in California. They had a phenomenal year, and they are branching out and are enormously innovative. They’re leading our value added program with their proprietary wash process, which enables 21 days on a fresh blueberry shelf life for a snack product,” explained Overdorff.

“Our blackberries and raspberries, we have a number of proprietary varieties, including the Centennial Raspberry and the Madeline Blackberry, both flavorful and non traditional berries because of their load seed count and they’re delicious flavor,” she said.

California Ag Today2020-02-01T08:07:49-08:00January 31st, 2020|

DPR’s Dolcini to Focus on Three Pillars

Leadership, Collaboration, and People are the focus of Val Docini

Second of a series from DPR’s Director Val Docini.

By Jesse Rojas, Editor

Val Dolcini, Director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, will focus on three pillars while leading DPR. The pillars represent organization and leadership principles that will allow DPR to continue to advance its mission of protecting public health and the environment through the careful and appropriate regulation of pesticides.

First Pillar: A Focus on IPM
“I’ll be using integrated pest management as a means of organizing the work of the department and as the foundation for closer collaboration with our stakeholders, such as the Almond Board. Using IPM principles, DPR can reinforce its role as a trusted leader in the regulation of pest management tools for urban and rural communities alike,” Dolcini said. “This will allow California to become significantly less reliant on chemical means as the first line of defense against agricultural and household pests.”

Dolcini stressed that the industry would continue to deploy appropriate chemical pesticides. “Chemical pesticides are an essential part of IPM, but we also need to include more biological controls, new cultural practices, softer chemistries, and safer alternatives into our arsenal,” he said. “To get there, we will continue to streamline our internal processes for approving these tools, and to create more demand for these tools in the value chain.”

“I realize that this is a tall order, but we’re at a pivotal point in the evolution of pest management in California. Changing pest pressures, increased urbanization, the desire for sustainably produced food, the need to seek and implement safer alternatives among many other issues all drive the demand to reexamined our views on pest management, Dolcini explained. “I think that we need to be in this conversation with the end in mind, and I commit to an ongoing dialogue about the future of pest management with folks from the agricultural, landscape, and structural pest community along with conservationists, worker health advocates, growers and others,”

Second Pillar: A Focus on Partnerships
“My second pillar focuses on partnerships with all stakeholder groups. DPRs work and mission must include the voices of all Californians. I want DPR to be a place where all stakeholders, ideas, and interests are welcome, not just to those who seek to register pesticides, but to those who are concerned about the impacts of those pesticides in their communities.

Dolcini is traveling to every corner of the state, to engage with Californians on pest management issues. “I’ll hold regular stakeholder meetings with anyone who seeks me out, and I look for opportunities to join my colleagues at DPR in initiatives that support our mission of protecting public health and the environment,” he said. “This is a dialogue that must be ongoing, and not just happen when a crisis occurs because trust is essential to successful engagement on pest management issues. Building trust takes time and effort. I believe that these partnerships, this engagement, this dialogue with agricultural groups will lead to stronger relationships and more creative solutions.”

Third Pillar: A Focus on the People of DPR.

“I believe that a department of government can only be successful in fulfilling its mandate when its employees are highly engaged. The leaders must be open, collaborative, and capable of articulating a vision that people can identify with; and where the workplace is known for mutually respectful and highly ethical behavior on the part of all of its employees,” explained Dolcini.

“I believe that the basis of DPR’s success is found in its employees. It’s my job to ensure that I’m responsive to their needs and concerns,” he said. “We need to provide more training opportunities for our future leaders and ensure that our internal and external recruitment efforts reflect the changing face of California.”

Dolcini said DPR also needs to be careful stewards of our resources, but at the same time manage the department’s affairs with an eye or the future. “We are investing in our people, our programs, and the systems that support them. Working towards these broad goals will lead to increased staff morale, bring more opportunities for professional development, and innovative, effective, and thoughtful public policy solutions,” he noted.

“In short, my vision for DPR is it a high-performing department of government that relies on a well trained and highly engaged workforce that relies on robust partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, the best available science, sound management practices, and the ability to see around the corner at the possibilities that the future holds,” he said

“I have always believed in my career that when people of goodwill come together towards a common purpose, great things can and do happen,” said Dolcini.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:01:45-07:00January 30th, 2020|

Former California Dairies CEO Is Honored

Andrei Mikhalevsky, Former President and CEO of California Dairies, Inc., Receives Inaugural IDFA Laureate Award

Andrei Mikhalevsky, former president and CEO of California Dairies, Inc., was greeted by a standing ovation and the acknowledgement of hundreds of his peers from across the dairy industry when he received the inaugural IDFA Laureate Award today during the association’s annual Dairy Forum in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Presented by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the IDFA Laureate Award is given to a leader in the dairy industry who has made significant, prolonged contributions to the development and growth of dairy. Candidates from across the dairy industry as well as suppliers and academics are eligible, and the awardee is chosen by a panel of industry professionals.

California Dairies Inc. (CDI) is the nation’s second largest dairy processing cooperative. Mr. Mikhalevsky was named president and CEO in November 2011 and began serving his term on Jan. 1, 2012, retiring at the end of 2019 after 8 years leading CDI.

Mr. Mikhalevsky’s career spans more than 40 years, and he has held a variety of leadership positions within the dairy industry. Previously, he served as the managing director of global ingredients and foodservices at Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd., the world’s largest dairy exporter. Mikhalevsky built many of Fonterra’s global customer partnerships and oversaw the company’s research and innovation division and its branded business in Latin America. Prior to Fonterra, Mikhalevsky held executive positions at Campbell Soup Company, Georgia Pacific Corp. and Symrise Inc. He is a graduate of Stetson University where majored in finance and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration. In addition, he has attended the Food Executive Program at the University of Southern California.

Mr. Mikhalevsky currently serves as a director on the IDFA Executive Council and as chair of the IDFA Diary Ingredients Board.

“In selecting Andrei for this award, our panel recognized a true leader and innovator in the dairy industry, a professional who is respected by peers and competitors alike, and a partner and ally to anyone working on behalf of successful, sustainable dairy industry,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of IDFA.”

Dykes added, “For his service to our industry and to IDFA, we are proud to present Andrei Mikhalevsky with the very first IDFA Laureate Award.”

California Ag Today2020-01-26T20:14:46-08:00January 27th, 2020|

Cannon Michael: Sterile Farms?

Farms Are Not Sterile Environments

By Tim Hammerich, with the AgInformation Network of the West

As if growing a crop wasn’t hard enough, farmers are sometimes faced with regulatory interests that appear to be somewhat at odds with each other. I was speaking with Cannon Michael of Bowles Farming Company about their desire to bring biodiversity to their farm. One the the challenges? Food safety audits.

“It is challenging, I would say as a food producer, we are challenged by having a lot of the natural environment around us,” said Michael. “And I don’t think that people want to think of farms as like a sterile laboratory-type setting. But if you look at how we’re audited in the food safety space, a lot of the regulations would be contrary to a diverse ecology or biology here on the farm.”

Michael and other farmers must comply with food safety audits that seem in contradiction with consumer desires like adding biodiversity and reducing food waste.

“You would think that they would want us to have almost like laboratory conditions. Which, again, I don’t think the consumer really wants that, but there’s that push and pull between the food safety and between the reality of what it is to grow on a farm and have, native species and things running around,” noted Michael. “But we’re being pushed in a lot of ways to have no species on the farm by the way these audits are conducted. But yet we, I think, have consumers that would be horrified if they thought that, you know, a bird couldn’t land in a melon field without those melons being quarantined or thrown away.”

One example of regulations with unintended consequences for our farmers.

California Ag Today2020-01-23T06:48:47-08:00January 23rd, 2020|

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