This past week, U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky, Deputy Press Secretary Alec Varsamis and Senior Congressional Adviser Veronica Wong visited Grimmway Farms headquarters in Arvin, CA.
Conducted under the leadership of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the visit to Grimmway signified one of many listening sessions the Deputy Secretary is pursuing to learn more about key issues facing California farmers. The topics discussed ranged from immigration to water rights.
Jeff Huckaby and USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky.
Company President Jeff Huckaby met with Deputy Secretary Censky to discuss concerns regarding guest worker programs, global trade and tariffs and the impact water will have on farmers as well as the entire country.
After the listening session, Huckaby led Censky on a tour of local farmland and facilities, highlighting carrot processing technology and organic vegetable harvest operations. At the fields, Huckaby shared insights on the growth of organics in the produce industry and the production developments necessary to meet the demands of this growing category.
Grimmway leadership representative Brandon Grimm also met with Censky to discuss how the Food Safety Modernization Act and the new FDA audits are being implemented at Grimmway and Cal-Organic Farms facilities.
“We were honored to host Deputy Secretary Censky to discuss the issues facing our operation and others in California,” said Huckaby. “We had productive discussions with the Deputy Secretary and were able to show him firsthand how current legislation impacts our industry and the regulatory pressures farms face today.”
Following the Grimmway Farms visit, Deputy Secretary Censky, Rep. Kevin McCarthy and legislative team members held roundtable discussions with other California farmers to continue conversations about the struggles and successes felt across the agriculture industry.
