WAPA Hosts Assemblyman Josh Hoover
This week, the Western Agricultural Processors Association hosted Assemblyman Josh Hoover (7th Assemlby District) at ShoEi Foods in Olivehurst. The site visit was part of a larger tour that included visits to Grow West, and ag products and service retailer in Yuba City, and a rice farm, Van Dyke Farms in Wheatland. While visiting the walnut processing operation Operations Manager Dwight Davis and Plant Manager Richard Alcantar explained the walnut processing operation while also discussing challenges with electric infrastructure, and other regulatory issues. Participating in the site visit was Association President/CEO Roger Isom, Assistant Vice President Priscilla Rodriguez, and Director of Technical Services Christopher McGlothlin. Partnering organizations included the California Rice Commission and the Western Plant Health Association.
Association President/CEO Isom Addresses UC Merced Air Quality Conference
Presenting this past week at the Air Quality and Health Conference, sponsored by the Health Sciences Research Institute and the Department of Public Health at the University of California Merced, Association President/CEO Roger Isom stated “We all need to work together to help support programs like FARMER to keep financial incentives coming to the Valley”. The two-day conference was held at UC Merced on October 17 and 18, 2024, and according to the Institute was intended to bring together the many people working on air quality across the San Joaquin Valley and California to share current research, discuss new research directions, and discuss what policies, actions, and education are needed to improve air quality and public health. Attendees included community members and organizations, university and government scientists, policymakers and regulators, and senior leadership from local and state health and environmental agencies. As expected, environmental justice advocates took the opportunity to attack and criticize the ag industry and lamented that agriculture should be “forced to accept a mandatory replacement tractor rule,” as voiced by one activist. Isom responded “agriculture is different from other industries in the fact we have no way to pass along the cost due to the world marketplace. Buyers will simply buy from another country that can supply the product at a cheaper price”. To which the crowd stated, “we want to see your profits!” Also maligned was the Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) by activists demanding more action against pesticide applications. Activists criticized CDPR for not having enough air monitoring stations, misstating facts and poisoning farmworkers. For a conference designed to bring people together it only served to further the divide.
WAPA Talks Food Safety to APG LeadOn Leadership Program
Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom and Assistant Vice President Priscilla Rodriguez spoke to the American Pistachio Growers LeadOn Leadership Group this week. Isom and Rodriguez provided a tag team presentation on Food Safety including an overview of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the specific rules that impact the tree nut industry including the Produce Safety Rule, the Preventive Controls Rules for Human Food and Animal Food, Sanitary Transportation, and Intentional Adulteration. The APG LeadOn Leadership Program is designed to educate and motivate diverse industry members into becoming future leaders of the U.S. pistachio industry and American Pistachio Growers. It is a year-long program designed to provide a unique experience, consisting of leadership training and industry education seminars led by APG and industry leaders, hands-on educational opportunities that build upon the knowledge base provided by seminar presenters, field experience and a firsthand view of how the Committees/Board work, in order to prepare participants for Committee/Board selection.
Association Hosts Assemblywoman Lori Wilson at Walnut Huller and Pistachio Processor
This week, Assemblywoman Lori Wilson (11th Assembly District) visited Summerfield Farms Walnut Huller in Hanford, and Horizon Nut’s pistachio processor in Tulare. At the walnut huller, owner David Stanfield walked Ms. Wilson through the entire process discussing how the plant operates and some of the regulatory challenges they face. While touring the pistachio processor WAPA 1st Vice Chair Kirk Squire and Raw Production Manager Eloy Viveros toured Ms. Wilson through all of the various processing operations while highlighting challenges in labor, energy and air quality affecting their operation. The tour was part of a day long tour which also included visits to an agave and pistachio farm, and a cotton gin. Accompanying the Assemblywoman on the tour was Association President/CEO Roger A. Isom and Director of Technical Services Christopher McGlothlin.
WAPA Board Member Nominations Open
It’s time for Director Elections for the WAPA Board of Directors. First up are nominations of those who are interested in serving on the Board of Directors. Nomination Forms including Candidate Statement Forms are being mailed out this week and are due Wednesday, November 27th, 2023. There are 5 sitting directors’ terms expiring this year. Current directors whose regular 3-year terms are expiring this year are: Don Barton, Mark Kazarian, Michael Kelley, Kim Keyawa-Musselman, and Jonathan Hoff. There are currently these five (5) positions up for election out of a total of sixteen (16) board positions. These Director positions are important, and the Association is seeking only those candidates truly committed to serving the Association. Please take time to nominate and make sure that the candidate or candidates of your choice agree to their nomination by filing the Candidate’s Statement Form required to get on the ballot for the upcoming election. Thanks for your cooperation and participation in the process.