Western_Grower_Shipper2019Mar-Apr

Western_Grower_Shipper2019Mar-Apr

MARCH | APRIL 2019 WESTERN GROWER SHIPPER As Boomers Retire, Latchkey Kids Become New Face of Farming THE FUTURE OF FARMING

WESTERN GROWER SHIPPER MARCH/APRIL 2019 WGA.COM

6 As Boomers Retire, Latchkey Kids Become New Face of Farming 12 Declining Bee Populations Ignite Swarm of Tech Innovation to Save Global Ag 16 New Members in Congress Offer Opportunities for Arizona Agriculture 20 Shipping Trends to Watch in 2019 30 GROWER’S SECRET Good For Business, Good for the Earth 31 WG Industry Relations Manager Taking SJV by Storm 32 Technology Driving Innovation at RDO

WESTERN GROWER & SHIPPER Published Since 1929

Volume XC Number 2

To enhance the competitiveness and profitability of Western Growers members

Thomas A. Nassif President Western Growers [email protected] Editor Tim Linden Champ Publishing 925.258.0892 [email protected] Contributors Cory Lunde 949.885.2264 [email protected] Chardae Heim 949.885.2279 [email protected] Production Diane Mendez 949.885.2372 [email protected] Circulation Marketing 949.885.2248 [email protected] Advertising Sales Dana Davis Champ Publishing 302.750.4662 [email protected] Stephanie Metzinger 949.885.2256 [email protected]

DEPARTMENTS 4 President’s Notes 8 Director Profile 10 Member Profile 18 CA Government Affairs 24

Western Growers Assurance Trust

26 Agriculture & the Law 28 Science & Technology 34 Insurance Corner 36 Western Growers Connections 37 Contact Us 38 Financial Services

Western Grower & Shipper ISSN 0043-3799, Copyright © 2019 by the Western Grower & Shipper is published bi-monthly by Western Grower & Shipper Publishing Company, a division of Western Growers Service Corp., 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618. Business and Editorial Offices: 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618.Accounting and Circulation Offices:Western Grower & Shipper, 15525 Sand Canyon Avenue, Irvine California 92618. Call (949) 863-1000 to subscribe. Subscription is $18 per year. Foreign subscription is $36 per year. Single copies of recent issues, $1.50. Single copies of issues more than three months old, $2. Single copies ofYearbook issue $4. Periodicals postage is paid in Irvine, California and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Western Grower & Shipper , PO Box 2130, Newport Beach, California 92658.

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WESTERN GROWERS OFFICERS – 2019

RON RATTO, Chairman RYAN TALLEY, Senior Vice Chair ALBERT KECK, Vice Chair CAROL CHANDLER, Treasurer VICTOR SMITH, Executive Secretary THOMAS A. NASSIF, President DIRECTORS – 2019 GEORGE J. ADAM Innovative Produce, Santa Maria, California KEVIN S. ANDREW Vanguard International, Bakersfield, California ROBERT K. BARKLEY Barkley Ag Enterprises LLP,Yuma, Arizona STEPHEN J. BARNARD Mission Produce, Inc., Oxnard, California BARDIN E. BENGARD Bengard Ranch, Salinas, California GEORGE BOSKOVICH III Boskovich Farms, Oxnard, California NEILL CALLIS Turlock Fruit Company,Turlock, California DON CAMERON Terranova Ranch, Helm, California EDWIN A. CAMP D. M. Camp & Sons, Bakersfield, California CAROL CHANDLER Chandler Farms LP, Selma, California LAWRENCEW. COX Coastline Family Farms, Salinas, California STEPHEN F. DANNA Danna Farms, Inc.,Yuba City, California JOHN C. D’ARRIGO D’Arrigo Bros. Co. of California, Salinas, California THOMAS DEARDORFF II Deardorff Family Farms, Oxnard, California FRANZW. DE KLOTZ Richard Bagdasarian Inc., Mecca, California SAMUEL D. DUDA Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Inc., Salinas, California CATHERINE A. FANUCCHI Tri-Fanucchi Farms Inc., Bakersfield, California DAVID L. GILL Rio Farms, King City, California BRANDON A. GRIMM Grimmway Farms, Arvin, California JOHN JACKSON Beachside Produce, LLC, Nipomo, California A. G. KAWAMURA Orange County Produce, LLC, Irvine, California ALBERT KECK Hadley Date Gardens,Thermal, California FRED P. LOBUE, JR. LoBue Bros., Inc., Lindsay, California FRANK MACONACHY Ramsay Highlander, Inc., Gonzales, California JOHN S. MANFRE Frank Capurro and Son, Moss Landing, California STEPHEN MARTORI III Martori Farms, Scottsdale, Arizona HAROLD MCCLARTY HMC Farms, Kingsburg, California TOMMULHOLLAND Mulholland Citrus, Orange Cove, California ALEXANDERT. MULLER Pasquinelli Produce Co.,Yuma, Arizona DOMINIC J. MUZZI Muzzi Family Farms, LLC, Moss Landing, California MARK NICKERSON PrimeTime International, Coachella, California THOMAS M. NUNES The Nunes Company, Inc., Salinas, California STEPHEN F. PATRICIO Westside Produce, Firebaugh, California RON RATTO Ratto Bros. Inc., Modesto, California CRAIG A. READE Bonipak Produce, Inc., Santa Maria, California JOSEPH A. RODRIGUEZ The Growers Company, Inc., Somerton, Arizona WILL ROUSSEAU Rousseau Farming Company,Tolleson, Arizona VICTOR SMITH JV Smith Companies,Yuma, Arizona KELLY STRICKLAND Five Crowns, Inc., Brawley, California RYANTALLEY Talley Farms, Arroyo Grande, California BRUCE C.TAYLOR Taylor Farms California, Salinas, California STUARTWOOLF Woolf Farming & Processing, Fresno, California ROBYRACEBURU Wonderful Orchards, Shafter, California

TOM NASSIF | PRESIDENT AND CEO, WESTERN GROWERS PRESIDENT’S NOTES

What To Expect From A Divided Congress If the recent, record-setting partial government shutdown is any indication, it may prove difficult to achieve much in the way of policy substance during the 116 th Congress. Despite President Donald Trump’s call for an end to the “political stalemate” in his State of the Union, there is likely little chance of that happening in advance of the 2020 elections.

President Trump faces a divided Congress— in which the House and Senate are controlled by different parties—a phenomenon that occurs less frequently than one might think. In the 230 years since George Washington first took the oath of office, Congress has been divided just 44 of those years. Historically, a divided Congress has produced a unique brand of conflict. A brief examination of several past examples may foreshadow the strategy of the House Democrats over the next two years. Twice before, in 1890 and 1910, Democratic majorities in the House were effective in blocking the Republican agenda and producing presidential victories for their party in the ensuing elections. Benjamin Harrison was ousted by Grover Cleveland in 1892 and Woodrow Wilson upended William Howard Taft in 1912. Based on this obstructionist model, the House Democrats have very little incentive to grant President Trump any significant legislative victories prior to the 2020 elections. If Democrats can successfully neutralize President Trump’s agenda, they stand a greater likelihood of retaking the White House (and possibly the Senate) in 2021. For this reason, House Democrats are unlikely to accept any legislative proposals that contain less than their full policy objectives. But beyond seeking to thwart President Trump at his every turn, House Democrats may also employ another strategy used by the Republican Party when they wrested control

of the House in 1858. With the presidency of James Buchanan already under intense public scrutiny, House Republicans immediately began investigating alleged wrongdoings of Buchanan and his administration, which included bribery and patronage. While House Republicans were not able to uncover enough evidence to impeach Buchanan, they inflicted enough damage to pave the way for Abraham Lincoln’s victory in 1860. Likewise, while the House Democrats of today may not have the power to push their agenda past the Republican-held Senate, they certainly possess the authority to investigate President Trump, and may do everything they can to undermine his bid for reelection in 2020. In what is shaping up to be a contentious political environment over the next two years, the question becomes: will there be any windows of opportunity to achieve legislative success on issues of importance to agriculture and Western Growers members? The short answer is… possibly. The truth is, Democrats and the President have similar motivation to work together (at least in some areas)—they need to get reelected. Contrary to public perception, Democrats won the House not on a wave of leftists in the mold of Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, but because they took a number of purple districts, like those in the rural Central Valley of California. It is here, in these mixed rural and suburban districts, where Democrats need to see some bipartisan success to maintain control of their seats. So let’s identify three policy areas where we

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might see some compromise in the 2019-2020 legislative session. First, and most obvious, is infrastructure. President Trump notably ran hard on infrastructure during his 2016 campaign, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised to deliver a “transformational investment in America’s infrastructure,” and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has committed itself to producing a $500 billion package for highways and transit, plus additional funding for airports and water projects. All of this points to fertile grounds for consensus, which could be good news for farmers. In addition to critical help on the transportation front, we may be able to use this opportunity to secure funding for much-needed water infrastructure in the West. Secondly, and one less expedient for Democrats, is trade. Both on the election trail and while in office, President Trump has aggressively pushed his trade agenda. Undoubtedly, his tariff showdown with China will soon come to a head, and Congress

still needs to grapple with ratification of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Success on either front would grant President Trump a significant political victory and momentum heading into the 2020 elections. Here, Democrats may try to thread the needle between outright concession and full obstruction, the latter of which could lead to long-term devastating impacts on industries like agriculture (and the loss of those all- important purple districts). In light of these dynamics, it seems that some progress on trade will have to be achieved, even if the President gets most of the credit. Finally, and perhaps the widest gap to close, is immigration. With President Trump’s emphasis on border security and interior enforcement, and the Democrats’ focus on a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, it is difficult to imagine a solution to the present impasse. While Democrats may stand to gain more by denying President Trump a political win, there may, in fact, be a

narrow opportunity to cut a “grand bargain” on immigration reform, and we will be ready to push our solution for agriculture should that situation arise. Ag immigration legislation will have to begin in the House and lean to the left. Hopefully, it will be taken up in the Senate with a version leaning right. Conferences are where the differences are negotiated with a goal of bipartisan legislative reform that the President can and will support. If history is any guide, we are likely in for a period of political dysfunction, and we don’t have to look very far back in the rearview mirror. Recall the gridlock that mired D.C. when Republicans controlled the House and Democrats held the Senate and White House from 2011 through 2014. During those two Congresses, fewer laws were enacted than at any other time in modern history. While Democrats may now follow suit and operate in resistance mode, we will be engaged wherever common ground on our issues can be found.

With over 900 attorneys practicing in major locations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Jackson Lewis provides the resources to address every aspect of the employer/employee relationship. *Proudly working with Western Growers, agricultural and distribution industries for years Jonathan A. Siegel 200 Spectrum Center Drive, Suite 500 Irvine, CA 92618 949-885-1362 [email protected] jacksonlewis.com

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As Boomers Retire, Latchkey Kids Become New Face of Farming

By Stephanie Metzinger W hile the time-honored to the next holds strong, the scene on today’s farm is much different than what may have been familiar in the past. These days, you are just as likely to see a young farmer swiping quickly through multiple screens on a smartphone as seated on a tractor or plowing a field. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average age of farmers has grown from 50.5 years to 58.3 years in the past 30 years. As the age of farmers and ranchers increases, so does the number of mouths to feed. Our global population is expected to exceed 9.6 billion people by 2050, and farmers will be tasked with producing 70 percent more food by then. With farmers reaching retirement age and leaving their farms, how will we meet the global demand for food? Three words: The. Next. Generation. Generation X Cultivated to Take Over There is a reason why 99 percent of the 2.1 million farms in the United States are family owned and operated. Farmers take pride in cultivating the next generation, bringing their children to play and work on the farm at a young age. They pass on the lessons they have learned over the years to keep the farm sustainable and profitable, while teaching them how to care for Mother Earth and her land. Caught between the vast waves of boomers and millennials, members of Generation X have come of age and are next in line to carry the torch of feeding the world. Gen Xers, those born between 1965 and 1980, are now applying their tradition of passing the family farm from one generation

“latchkey kids” traits, such as uber- independence, to enhance the workplace. The Nunes Company, one of the nation’s largest grower-shippers of conventional and organic fresh produce, recently elected Tom M. Nunes to serve as its president. At 42 years old, Nunes—known as “T5”—will be the fourth generation to run the company. “I grew up around the business and around a lot of family and great mentors that have been involved with the business for the past four decades,” said Nunes (T5). “When my dad and grandfather offered me a position with the family business, it was a no-brainer.” During the summer of 1999, he moved to Yuma and began his career at the family farm. Nunes worked his way up through the company, gaining experience in all aspects of the organization including harvesting, production, cooling, shipping, sales and marketing. He eventually took the reins as vice president of operations where he not only built upon longstanding partnerships with industry stewards such

as BlazerWilkinson and Peri & Sons Farms, but is in the midst of creating new ones. “Tom has always been a huge supporter of our Center, bringing the perfect blend of pragmatism and optimism when it comes to technology on the farm,” said Dennis Donohue, director of Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology. “He’s always willing to give his time to support our agtech startups and understands the value of establishing relationships with them to, together, develop tools that fill real-world needs for food producers.” Millennials Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Farm Generation Y (those who turn 23 to 38 in 2019) are also playing a significant role in the sustainability of farming and agriculture by bringing technology to the field as a solution for feeding a growing population. This generation, also known as millennials, is said to be incredibly sophisticated and tech-savvy as they have been exposed to all types of digital

Domenick Buck and Victoria Kovacevich participate in the View from the Farm: The Next Generation panel at Western Growers’ AgTechx event in Delano this past September.

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has a team of young employees solely dedicated to researching new and emerging technologies for the farm and developing integration strategies for scaling proven solutions. In fact, the company has already implemented and deployed numerous innovations coming out of the Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology, including WaterBit’s automated irrigation solution and HarvestPort’s

at Western Growers’ AgTechx event in Delano this past September. “Being at the beginning stage of this industry is exciting. I’m looking forward to see what the future holds and to continue working with tech startups to try to come up with solutions to our challenges,” Kovacevich remarked.

Tom "T5" Nunes

equipment sharing marketplace. Sun World Innovations, a division of Sun World International, is also looking to the millennial generation to identify new agricultural technologies that can potentially be trialed and adopted on Sun World farms. Victoria Kovacevich joined the Sun World Innovations team after graduating from Cornell University in 2017. As an agriculture technology analyst, she is responsible for identifying, validating and assessing new ag technologies relevant to Sun World’s farming pursuits and those of its licensees. “Labor and automation, especially with specialty crops, are struggles that need to be addressed. Bringing technology companies together with growers to form relationships and collaborate on creative solutions is really the way that anything is going to advance and is the way that everyone will be successful in the end,” said Kovacevich during the V iew from the Farm: The Next Generation panel

engagement since early childhood. Domenick Buck—a fourth-generation farmer—currently serves as assistant ranch manager for Anthony Vineyards, managing his family farm’s table grape operations in the Bakersfield area. At 30, he is always on the lookout for new technologies that can be game-changers for table grape production. “Table grapes are an extremely labor intensive commodity,” said Buck. “Our company estimates, from the time that we start pruning until the end of harvest, it’s roughly 700 man hours per acre to farm. Due to increasing labor costs, we have to find ways to be proactive and focus on mechanization and automation that can supplement the human element of harvesting.” He notes that the way table grapes are harvested today is “archaic,” in that those picking the grapes walk half a row (could be up to 300 feet in difficult terrain), fill their picking bins on top of a wheel barrow and walk them to the end of the row. “I estimate 15 percent of their day is just walking up and down the rows. We need to find a technological solution that is both practical and affordable. This will allow the labor force to focus solely on harvesting, which would be extremely beneficial in productivity and cost savings,” he said. Understanding how technology can play a role in battling regulatory hurdles and crippling labor shortages, companies are now creating positions dedicated to sourcing promising inventions. Bowles Farming Company, one of the early adopters of agricultural technology,

Domenick (Dom) Buck (right)

Bowles Farming Co.'s tech team deploys WaterBit’s automated irrigation solution

Tom Nunes – T4 and T5

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CALIFORNIA DIRECTOR PROFILE

Neill Callis Sales & General Management Turlock Fruit Company Turlock, CA

Director Since 2019 | Member Since 1944

From NASA to the Farm

By Tim Linden N ew Western Growers Board Member Neill Callis isn’t a rocket scientist, but he rubbed shoulders with plenty of them during a 17-year career at NASA prior to joining Turlock Fruit Company a half a dozen years ago. Callis’ story begins on the East Coast, where he was raised, educated and began his career at the Universities Space Research Association, a longtime National Aeronautics and Space Administration contractor. He grew up in Roanoke, VA, where his dad enjoyed a 27-year career with the Kroger Company in store operations. Both of his parents hailed from North Carolina, which is where the family spent many summer vacations and where Neill went off to college. He graduated from Elon University in 1997 with a degree in political science and an interest in working on Capitol Hill in some capacity. But the young man exhibited some economic savvy and decided to join NASA as a systems engineer, which had a brighter future than becoming an overworked and underpaid congressional staffer. “I worked in Washington D.C. for six years before I had the opportunity to transfer to the Bay Area in 2003,” he said. That proved to be another fortuitous decision as it was at NASA’s Universities Ames Research Center in Mountain View (about an hour south of San Francisco) where Neill met Hilary Smith, granddaughter of Don Smith, daughter of Steve Smith…and great granddaughter of the legendary Cantaloupe Smith, who started Turlock Fruit a century ago in 1918. “Hilary and I worked together on the SOFIA Mission for 10 years,” Neill said, explaining that the mission uses an airborne telescope mounted on a Boeing 747 to take pictures of the outer reaches of the universe. “Three to five times a week, the telescope uses infrared technology, 44,000 feet in the air to study the origins of the universe. It does phenomenal science,” he said, noting that SOFIA is an acronym for Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.

Callis reiterated that he was not a scientist but rather a project manager and a systems engineer that processed the >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40

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