Two members of the California State Assembly, Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria (Fresno) and Assemblymember Jose Solache (Los Angeles) toured a cotton harvest operation and a pistachio processing facility last Friday as part of an educational visit hosted by the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA) and the Western Tree Nut Association (WTNA).
 
The tour kicked off at Ingleby Eriksson LLC in Fresno County, a fully integrated pistachio operation where Wyatt McKean, Conner McKean, and Doenitz Lopez guided the group through each step of the growing and processing process. With a focus on sustainability, technology, innovation, and strict quality standards, the Assemblymembers learned about the delicate balance between maintaining premium crop quality and managing the ongoing challenges and regulatory compliance that growers face in California.
 
President & CEO Roger Isom and Assistant Vice President Priscilla Rodriguez provided the Assemblymembers and their staff with firsthand insight into the complexity of the tree nut and cotton industries, highlighting the operational challenges and regulatory hurdles that farms and processing facilities must navigate.
 
Following the processing tour, the group visited a nearby cotton field to experience a live cotton harvest. For Assemblymember Solache, who represents an urban Los Angeles district with no direct agricultural base, the experience offered a deeper understanding of how agricultural farms operate. He had first-hand experience getting to ride along a cotton harvester and make his very first round module. Both legislators also had the opportunity to ride a tractor and participate in discing a field.
 
CCGGA and WTNA coordinated the tour as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen relationships with legislators and ensure they understand the critical role agriculture plays and also the challenges our growers face in adapting to new regulations, rising costs, and resource limitations.