Industry

Ventura County, in partnership with the nonprofit House Farm Workers! and all 10 County cities, will soon begin surveying agricultural employers, farmworkers and housing providers as part of its Countywide Farmworker Housing Study and Action Plan. The goal is to identify farmworker housing needs in support of a stable and healthy workforce.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops program provides specialty crop producers with financial assistance for certain on-farm food safety program expenses. The 2023 application will become available on February 1, 2023.

The California Avocado Commission Board of Directors is hosting district meetings in an effort to engage with grower constituents and participate in open dialogue and conversation about the future of the California avocado industry. On Tuesday, January 31, the Commission will host a District 2 Commissioner Grower Meeting in-person in Fallbrook, CA and online via Zoom.

The Hass Avocado Board is now accepting applications for its yearlong Board Leadership Development program. The program includes customized training to help participants prepare to serve on the boards of avocado industry organizations such as HAB and the California Avocado Commission, among others.

California avocado growers are encouraged to complete the San Diego County’s Agriculture, Weights and Measures’ 2022 Crop Report Questionnaire. The data gathered from the survey is published in the Crop Statistics and Annual Report for the County.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is distributing the 2022 Agricultural Resource Management Survey to producers across the nation between January and April 2023. California avocado growers are encouraged to complete the survey, which is part of NASS’ efforts to gather information about farm economics and production practices.

A copy of the presentation from the December 20 California Avocado Commission GEM Forum is available online. 

As GEM production continues to grow in California, the California Avocado Commission encourages California avocado growers to attend its free webinar: the Future of GEM in California. The webinar takes places on December 20. Learn more.

California avocado growers are encouraged to complete the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nationwide Farmer, Rancher and Forest Manager Prospective Customer Survey, which is designed to gather feedback concerning programs and services.