With one look around the countryside, you can see our land and crops — and agricultural families they support — are hurting. Historic drought is just one of a list of challenges facing just about everyone involved in agriculture in our region. We’re in uncharted territory. 

Tough times call for all of us to lean on each other, learn from one another, listen and communicate clearly. They’re the pillars of a resilient, adaptable approach that I feel will enable us to survive until the skies are fair and the land is bountiful. We will get there. Together.  

In this newsletter, you’ll hear what we’re doing to help make that happen. That ranges from depending on one another to make ends meet in such a tough year for growers to emphasizing communication with both our grower partners and fellow Grow West employees. There are a lot of ways we can learn from one another in such a tough time. It all starts with good communication. 

Fertilizer and crop protection product availability has challenged growers since the COVID-19 pandemic threw a massive wrench in the supply chain that’s yet to be completely remedied. It’s affected your productivity and our ability to deliver what you need to achieve optimal results. But we’ve all learned from the last few years, and you’ll read later about how we’re keeping our ear to the ground, planning further ahead than ever before and working closely with our grower partners to make sure we do everything we can to help you hit your goals on every acre. We’ll continue to make progress by working together and communicating clearly.

You’ll also read about Robben Ranch and the family it’s supported for over 50 years in the Dixon area. As the family looks to bring the next generation of leadership into the diversified operation, they’re working hard — the only way the Robben family knows how to work — to find the next way to evolve the operation to ensure it’s even more resilient in the future. Theirs is a story of all the things that make agriculture uniquely resilient and adaptable.

Finally, we’ll also discuss some of our efforts at Grow West to support the mental and emotional health of our employees, customers and others in our communities. Ensuring the stress applied by things like drought and inflation doesn’t reach a breaking point starts with the simple act of listening and opening the door to communication. Having an open, honest dialog is many times the best way to erase the common stigma around attention to mental health and take action to make sure no one is overwhelmed by the angst caused by the longest list of challenges I’ve seen in agriculture in my lifetime.

Yes, it’s a tough time for agriculture, and it may get tougher. Let’s lean on each other, learn, listen and communicate openly and we’ll make it through. At Grow West, we’re as committed as ever to making sure we’re all around and in this business we love for the long haul. We’ll do it by working together. 

Best,
Ernie Roncoroni
President + CEO