The Western Growers Board of Directors unanimously voted to endorse Senator Dianne Feinstein, (D-Calif.) during its July meeting in Irvine.

“Over the years Dianne Feinstein has been our champion on several very important issues faced by farmers in California,” Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif said. “Few in Congress have done more to help us in our pursuit to secure a reliable long-term supply of water for agriculture than Senator Feinstein. Fewer still have matched the effort made by the Senator to solve the difficult problem of reforming a broken immigration system – a system that has ignored our critical need for a stable and legal workforce.  She knows what’s at stake not just farmers, but for all Americans if the domestic supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and tree nuts get pushed offshore because farm workers can’t get visas or the legal status to work here.  Senator Feinstein has always been ready to listen, learn and act in the best interests of her constituents.  She is a true leader.”  

Feinstein, the first woman elected Senator of California, currently Chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and sits on the Appropriations Committee. She also Chairs the Energy and Water Subcommittee and sits on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, as well as several other sub committees. Feinstein has served in the Senate since 1992.

As a constant champion of the ag industry, Feinstein praised the recent passage of the Senate Farm Bill. According to a new release on the Bill, Feinstein noted that California is the nation’s largest and most diverse agricultural state.

“Our 81,000 farms produce half of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts,” Feinstein said. “The Senate-passed Farm Bill makes significant investments in California’s $38 billion-a-year agricultural industry—most notably in pest and disease management, organic farming and important research programs.”