Balanced Reporting. Trusted Insights. Saturday, July 11, 2026

Articles Tagged with ''Newsom''

Farm Hands on the Potomac WEST

Farm Hands West: Naturipe Farms staff hires & promotions, Knopf departs The Raley’s Cos., Drake promoted at California Natural Resources Agency

Naturipe Farms hired Samantha Carrico and promoted Joe Klick and Brian VertreesThe Raley’s Cos. president and CEO Keith Knopf has departed the organization. Madeline Drake of Sacramento was appointed deputy secretary for biodiversity and habitat at the California Natural Resources Agency.


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Farm Hands on the Potomac WEST

Farm Hands West: Gantenbein joins Friant Water Authority, Cruciger to lead Bonipak Family of Companies, Gunda reappointed to California Energy Commission

The Friant Water Authority appointed Julie Gantenbein as general counsel. She has been a shareholder in the Water and Power Law Group for the past 15 years where she has gained experience in water rights, regulatory compliance and statewide water policy. Her legal career includes extensive experience in non-federal hydropower licensing and compliance proceedings before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), natural gas certificate and compliance matters before FERC, and regulatory proceedings for federal water control facilities before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, according to the Friant Water Authority’s news release. 


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Trump-2024election-acceptancespeech.jpg

Year in review: Farm bill stalemate, elections, disasters and H5N1 dominate ag news

In 2024, rural America played a large role in carrying Donald Trump to the White House for a second time. Across the country, hurricanes damaged ag infrastructure in Florida, the Carolinas and the Southeastern U.S., and H5N1 spread to dairy cattle. 

After months of development, the farm bill passed out of the House Ag Committee with four Democratic votes and guarded optimism, but it never even made it to the House floor, ultimately leading to another one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill.


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01Farm Hands West

Farm Hands West: Shabazian appointed to CA Food and Ag Board; Alcocer retires; Haddad joins Fresh Del Monte

David Shabazian was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to the State Board of Food and Agriculture. Rick Alcocer, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Duda Farm Fresh Foods, is retiring after more than 40 years working in the produce industry. Genevieve O’Sullivan departed as vice president of communications at CropLife America after eight years. 

Luke Tomanelli joined UPL as head of U.S. government and industry affairs. Berries Paradise elected César Ortiz as CEO. He succeeds Roberto Samano who is departing after a decade leading the group. 


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