Sunday, November 3
For any questions about tickets or pricing, please contact
Cheryl Hall at [email protected]
Schedule subject to change
12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Registration & Guest Services
Check-in with Western Growers staff to collect your badge and Annual Meeting materials.
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Welcome Reception
The Welcome Reception is the first of many opportunities to make meaningful connections with friends and colleagues.
Monday, November 4
For any questions about tickets or pricing, please contact
Cheryl Hall at [email protected]
Schedule subject to change
7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Registration & Guest Services
Check-in with Western Growers staff to collect your badge and Annual Meeting materials.
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Board of Directors Breakfast
For meeting attendees only
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Board of Directors Meeting
Open to Board Members, WG Members, and Invited Guests.
10:30 AM – 11:30 AM
Laura Ling
Kickoff Keynote
Laura Ling is an award-winning journalist and media executive. Her investigative work on E! and Z Living Networks has highlighted critical issues like teen suicide, women's rights in Turkey and internet censorship in Mexico. While reporting on human trafficking in North Korea, Laura and her colleague were detained for 140 days before returning to the United States. Don't miss out on this opportunity to hear Laura's compelling insights as the Kickoff Keynote Speaker.
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12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Bari Weiss
PAC Lunch
Award-winning journalist and author Bari Weiss will be the PAC Luncheon speaker during the Western Growers 2024 Annual Meeting.
The Western Growers Political Action Committee (PAC) provides strategic campaign support to elected officials and candidates. Proceeds from our annual PAC luncheon help amplify our members’ voices in political contests across on both state and national levels. PAC Luncheon ticket must be purchased in addition to a Full, Guest, or Single Day pass. PAC Luncheon tickets are $195 per person.
Environmental Progress, Founder & President
Michael Shellenberger, leading investigative journalist and Founder and President of Environmental Progress, will be joining the Western Growers Annual Meeting as a guest speaker at the annual PAC Luncheon. Shellenberger is the best-selling author of San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities (HarperCollins 2021) and Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All (HarperCollins 2020). Apocalypse Never has been translated into over 15 languages. He is founder and president of Environmental Progress, an independent nonprofit research organization that incubates ideas, leaders, and movements. Michael is a Time Magazine "Hero of the Environment," and Green Book Award winner. And he is cofounder of the California Peace Coalition, an alliance of parents of children killed by fentanyl, parents of homeless addicts, and recovering addicts. Along with his journalistic accomplishments, he is a leading energy expert who testifies and advises governments worldwide, including in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. He is an expert on climate change, energy policy and the environment. He is known for his thought-provoking and controversial ideas and his willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. Shellenberger ran for California governor as an independent in 2022.
Michael Shellenberger
Michael Shellenberger
Environmental Progress, Founder & President
2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Featured Session #1 - Sustainable Packaging
Join us for an insightful panel on Sustainable Packaging, bringing together industry leaders to explore the significant strides made by growers and retailers in sustainable packaging solutions. The discussion will emphasize the critical roles of lightweighting, plastic reduction, recyclability improvements and the integration of end-of-life infrastructure. With a focus on consumer demand and data-driven insights, this panel will highlight why the transition to sustainable packaging is not only a regulatory necessity, but also a vital response to market expectations. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with experts and learn about the future of packaging in the fresh produce industry.
Panelists:
- Ron Lemaire, President, Canadian Produce Marketing Association
- Jenét DeCosta, Sr. Director of Public Affairs, Driscoll’s
- Dave Podesta, Director of Quality Assurance, Sysco
- Kevin Kelly, CEO, Emerald Packaging
6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Party with the Partners - Boots and Roots Hoedown
Y’all are invited to a rootin’ tootin’ good time at our Boots and Roots Hoedown! Grab your cowboy boots and your favorite denim and join us for an evening of lively music, dancing and delicious food. It’s going to be a Country Western chic celebration, so bring a touch of bling if you like, but don’t forget to pack a jacket or sweater for when the temperature drops after sundown. We can’t wait to see you there for a night of fun and festivities!
Tuesday, November 5
For any questions about tickets or pricing, please contact
Cheryl Hall at [email protected]
Schedule subject to change
7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Registration & Guest Services
Check-in with Western Growers staff to collect your badge and Annual Meeting materials.
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Featured Session #2 - Navigating the Post-Chevron Landscape: Expert Insights on Loper Bright and the Future of the Administrative State in Agriculture
Join us for a pivotal breakout session that delves into the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Loper Bright and the end of the Chevron deference era. Our panel of esteemed administrative law experts will unravel the complexities and forecast the future of regulatory governance of the agricultural industry. In this thought-provoking session, we’ll explore the seismic shifts in legal interpretations and policy-making following the landmark ruling. Discover how the decision has reshaped the power dynamics between courts and federal agencies, and what it means for the enforcement of environmental, H-2A, and labor & employment laws and regulations on Ag. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with leading minds and stay ahead of the curve in projecting tomorrow’s regulatory framework.
Panelists:
- Damien Schiff, Senior Attorney, Pacific Legal Foundation
- Lynn Jacquez, Of Council, JPH Law Firm
- Daniel Jarcho, Partner, Alston & Bird
11:45 AM – 1:45 PM
Amy Trask
Chair’s Lunch and Keynote
Amy Trask is a trailblazing sports executive and analyst. As the NFL’s first female CEO with the Raiders, she shattered glass ceilings and set new standards in sports leadership and commentary. Now an analyst with CBS Sports, Amy will share insights from her groundbreaking 30-year career in the NFL at the Western Growers Annual Meeting Chair’s Lunch.
Keynote Speaker
The future of farming is happening faster than we might think. Through the power data analytics and machine learning, AI has many potential applications for agriculture ranging from crop monitoring and management to precision farming to autonomous robots and vehicles. And the role of AI-powered systems in agriculture will only continue to accelerate. Spending on AI in agriculture was $2 billion in 2022 but is expected to grow to $75 billion by 2025. During the Chair’s Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 14, world-renowned futurist and AI expert Jim Carroll will deliver compelling insight into how AI is transforming our industry and what your company can do to stay ahead of this emerging megatrend. Carroll has spent the last 30 years on the leading edge of emerging disruptive trends and innovation, sharing his crystal ball with leading organizations like the World Bank, Walt Disney, NASA, Microsoft and Mercedes Benz, as well as familiar industry faces such as Nutrien, Farm Credit and Syngenta. Carroll has been featured in a number of international media outlets including the BBC, Reuters and AP news, and was named one of the top sources for innovation insight by Business Week. He was also a featured expert on the prime-time CNBC series, “The Business of Innovation.” Carroll is a prolific author, penning books like, “Now What: Reinvention and the Role of Optimism in Finding Your New Future;” “Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast” and “Surviving the Information Age.”
Jim Carroll
Jim Carroll
Keynote Speaker
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Award of Honor Reception
Join us for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres as we take advantage of one final opportunity to socialize with our Western Growers family before heading into the capstone event, the Award of Honor Dinner Gala.
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Oz Pearlman
Award of Honor Dinner Gala
Western Growers will bestow The Growers Company President and CEO Sonny Rodriguez with the 2024 Award of Honor. The Award of Honor is Western Growers' highest recognition of achievement and is given to individuals who have contributed extensively to the agricultural community.
Mentalist Oz Pearlman will be this year’s entertainment during the Award of Honor Dinner. A sought-after mentalist and a true entertainer, our audience is in for a night of dazzling mind reading abilities and entertainment. Prepare for a show like no other!
Stand-up comedian
With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country finding success in film, TV, radio and podcasts as well as on the live stage. He is a regular guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast and the late night TV shows. On May 12, Tom released his second book, You’re Doing Great!: And Other Reasons To Stay Alive, a collection of essays on how people really live in modern America and what’s truly good and wonderful about our lives. Tom’s first book, Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas, was released on June 5, 2018 from St Martin’s Press, making “Summer Must Read” lists from Parade Magazine to The New York Post. The comedic book takes a hilarious look at the host of characters in our families with bizarre, inescapable behavior. On February 4, Netflix premiered Tom’s fourth hour-long stand-up special, Tom Papa: You’re Doing Great! A hilarious rebuttal to our current cultural feeling of dread, Tom wants you to remember that you’re doing great; life isn’t perfect, it never will be, and that’s OK. Tom’s new podcast, Breaking Bread with Tom Papa, premiered on May 12 and features Tom and his guest for an hour of eating, drinking and enjoying life. Listeners are invited to take a seat at the table as Tom and his guests celebrate the true meaning of breaking bread with insightful, revealing and always funny conversations.
Tom Papa
Tom Papa
Stand-up comedian
8:30 PM
Election Watch Party
Join us for an Election Watch Party immediately following the Award of Honor Dinner Gala! Enjoy refreshments, snacks and dessert as we gather to watch the election coverage together in real-time.
Wednesday, November 6
For any questions about tickets or pricing, please contact
Cheryl Hall at [email protected]
Schedule subject to change
7:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Growers Cup Golf Tournament
Network with industry leaders and engage in friendly competition at the 2024 Western Growers Annual Meeting Golf Tournament. This year's tournament will be held at Camelback Golf Club's Ambiente Course, one of the club's two 18-hole championship courses. The 7,221-yard, par 72 Ambient Course was designed by Jason Straka and is set admist the rolling fairways and the Camelback foothills.
Sign-up is available during the registration process. Golf tournament registration is $285 per golfer and includes breakfast and lunch. Clubs may be rented for an additional $65.
8:00 AM – 11:00 AM
WG Pickleball Classic
Join us for Western Growers 2nd Annual Pickleball Tournament!
Sign-up is available during the registration process for $65 per player. All levels welcome!
