September 2021 - 31

INDUSTRY NEWS
Wine scientists study
smoke exposure
Washington State University
(WSU) researchers are working
to find new ways to mitigate
winegrape smoke exposure.
Projects include installing air
quality sensors at vineyards,
laboratory experiments where
grapes are exposed to smoke, and
potential interventions such as
using a barrier spray to protect
the grapes.
yield for Massachusetts growers,
what I would consider an average
crop for our region based on past
performance, " CCCGA Executive
Director Brian Wick said in a news
release.
" The bloom period appeared
longer than usual, possibly
due to a late spring, resulting
in a wet tail end of bloom, "
Wick said. " The continuous
rain throughout much of the
summer has had an impact on our
growing region. It remains to be
seen if the prolonged rain and
wet conditions will impact fruit
quality this fall. "
Driscoll's installs solar
Air quality sensors are being
installed in commercial vineyards
throughout central Washington to
collect smoke density information
as wildfire season continues. The
WSU researchers plan on using
the atmospheric movement and
airflow data they collect to better
predict where to expect wildfire
smoke and where it might go next.
Part of the research efforts
involve exposing grapes to
simulated smoke. Researchers
were still processing outcomes
from last year due to COVID-19
protocols slowing down the ability
to analyze data at WSU's Wine
Science Center.
Massachusetts
cranberry crop
prediction average
Cape Cod Cranberry Growers'
Association (CCCGA) leadership
attended the Cranberry
Marketing Committee meeting
where the committee announced
its 2021 cranberry crop forecast
for the United States.
For Massachusetts, the
Cranberry Marketing Committee
(CMC) is forecasting a crop of
1.9 million barrels (each barrel
equals 100 pounds), up 5%
from the Commonwealth's 2020
harvest. Overall, CMC anticipates
the national crop to yield about
8.1 million barrels, also an
increase of 5% over last season.
" Similar to last year, our bogs
are tracking to deliver a solid crop
Driscoll's is in the early stages
of pursuing clean and alternative
energy sources for its owned and
operated coolers across North
America.
" We view this inaugural
installation as a commitment
to Santa Maria, our employees,
and our local growers, " J. Miles
Reiter, Driscoll's chairman and
CEO, said in a news release. " It's
an investment in our future
by having clean technology to
support our local operations. "
Driscoll's decision to transform
its Santa Maria facility to clean
energy is a continuation of its
50-year commitment to the
community, employees and local
grower network.
California employers
facing rules change
For the first time, California
employers with fewer than 50
employees are subject to the law
at Santa Maria facility
Driscoll's has installed 3,384 solar
panels on its 155,000-square-foot
cooling facility in Santa Maria,
California, which is estimated to
generate 1.4 million kilowatthours
of power annually.
In addition to solar power,
Driscoll's has installed a battery
storage system that can hold up
to 700 kilowatt-hours.
Together, both systems will
allow the company to offset
about 92% of the facility's energy
usage, generating a reduction
in greenhouse gas emissions
equivalent to removing more than
7,750 cars from the road over the
course of 25 years.
and need to take steps to educate
themselves on complying with
their new obligations. Larger
employers that were previously
subject to the law should also
be aware of changes to their
obligations and update their
policies to ensure compliance.
Gebbers will make approximately
$1.4 million in capital improvements
to temporary worker housing. The
company will donate $513,000 to
improve access to healthcare for
workers and their families.
It will spend $150,000 to hire a
full-time safety officer for three
years.
The California Family Rights
Act (CFRA), effective Jan. 1, 2021,
requires employers to provide
qualifying employees with up
to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for
medical and family care reasons.
They may include an employee's
illness, a family member's serious
health condition, or the birth or
adoption of a child.
Employees qualify for leave
if they have worked for the
employer for at least a year and
for at least 1,250 hours in the past
12 months. If such an employee
requests leave, the employer must
grant the request and guarantee
that their job (or a comparable
position) is available when they
return.
Employers who are subject to
the CFRA for the first time should
be sure to draft compliant CFRA
leave policies and institute leave
procedures.
L&I gets $2M settlement
with Washington farm
The Washington State
Department of Labor & Industries
(L&I) has reached a settlement
with Gebbers Farms Operations
LP following one of the largest
workplace safety and health fines
in state history.
Under the
agreement,
Gebbers
Farms will
spend
more than
$2 million
improving housing, quality of life,
safety, and access to health care
for workers and their families.
Gebbers Farms was fined
$2,038,200 and $13,200 after
two inspections in 2020 found 24
egregious willful violations - 12 for
unsafe sleeping arrangements in
temporary worker housing and 12
for unsafe worker transportation
during the coronavirus pandemic.
Two farm workers died from
COVID-19 while living and working
on the farm. Gebbers was also
cited for six other serious violations
including not reporting a fatality.
" Shoppers really deeply stocked
pantries and freezers, so lots of
categories had pretty big upticks, "
said Angela Jasiello of the Organic
Trade Association.
Sales of organic food grew nearly
13% to more than $56 billion,
according to the survey.
Organic fruits and vegetables,
which now account for 15% of the
total U.S. retail produce market,
saw notable gains. Fresh organic
produce sales rose by nearly 11% in
2020 to nearly $18.3 billion. Frozen
fruits and vegetables jumped
28.4% to $925 million. Canned
fruits and vegetables increased
24.7% to $759 million. Dried beans,
fruits and vegetables went up
18.1% to $503 million.
California continues to be " an
organic powerhouse, " she said,
ranking No. 1 in the nation with
5,077 organic businesses. Berries,
chicken, milk, lettuce and grapes
are the top organic crops in
California, she noted.
FGN | SEPTEMBER 2021 | 31
In exchange for these actions
that exceed all existing state
regulatory requirements, the fines
resulting from the citations will be
reduced to $10,000.
" Each year, Gebbers Farms makes
improvements to its temporary
housing facilities to enhance the
safety and comfort of its workers, "
said Cass Gebbers, CEO of Gebbers
Farms.
Sales of organic
products spike during
the pandemic
As people worked from home
and ventured out less frequently,
the market for organic products
jumped by more than 12%
to nearly $62 billion in 2020,
according to an annual survey
conducted by the Organic Trade
Association.
Highlights of that survey
were shared during a meeting
of the State Board of Food and
Agriculture, which focused on
California organic agricultural
production.
September 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2021
