FRESNO –
Today, U.S. Senator D. Kamala Harris toured the Fowler Packing Company
in Fresno and held an agricultural roundtable discussion.
Harris heard directly from agricultural and local leaders about their
priorities, including the reauthorization of the Farm Bill.
“I
am here today to continue the conversation with our growers to make
sure that when I’m addressing these issues in Washington, I am in touch
with the real concerns of the folks in this community,”
Harris said. “What came out of our meeting includes and
reinforces what we know is a real issue for California in terms of our
agricultural community, which is that we’re losing workers. So I’m also
proud to be cosponsoring a bill with Senator Dianne
Feinstein, the Agricultural Worker Program Act, which will give
folks who are working on the farms protections around their document
status and allow them to work and get on a path towards citizenship.”
The
Fowler Packing Company is one of the largest growers of fresh table
grapes and citrus in the entire nation and leads the agricultural
industry in the most advanced non-invasive farming practices available.
The Fowler Packing Company also uses cutting-edge drip irrigation
systems, eco-friendly pest management programs, and has one of the
largest solar installations in California. Additionally, they offer
on-site cafeterias where free meals are available to all
employees, and provide a health clinic for employees and their
families.