LAS VEGAS, NV — Vic Smith of JV Smith Cos. in Yuma, AZ, was elected chairman the board for the next year at the 89th Western Growers Annual Meeting, held here Nov. 2-5.

Other highlights of the event including Gary Pasquinelli of Pasquinelli Produce Co. being presented with the group's prestigious Award of Honor, and outgoing Chairman of the Board Bruce Taylor of Taylor Farms California Inc. in Salinas, CA, challenging grower-shippers to be more collaborative and stop beating each other up over a nickel.

Smith will preside over the association for the next year, serving along with other officers including Senior Vice Chairman Larry Cox of Lawrence Cox Ranches in Brawley, CA, Vice Chairman Sammy Duda of Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Treasurer Carol Chandler of Chandler Farms and Executive Secretary Garland Reiter of Reiter Affiliated Cos.

Pasquinelli, who has served on the WGA board since 1972 and was chairman of the association more than a decade ago, was presented the Award of Honor at a special dinner on Tuesday night, Nov. 4. The veteran Yuma grower-shipper of vegetables, watermelons and other crops is the longest-serving director in the history of the association. His longtime friend, Sonny Rodriguez of The Growers Co. Inc. in Somerton, AZ, presented the award citing Pasquinelli's service to the industry and his community.

Long a deacon in the Catholic Church, Pasquinelli is noted for his charitable endeavors as well as being one of the best employers in all of agriculture. He is often lauded for treating his employees as members of his extended family.

In Taylor's outgoing chairman of the board address, he said it is "time for the industry to consider a change." While he said those in attendance have proven to be "winners" in the industry as so many others have gone by the wayside over the years, the longtime industry innovator said future success calls for a new way of doing things.

Taylor said the industry is being attacked from all sides, including its buying partners. He noted that Whole Foods touts organic produce as being better than conventional products and a Chipolte ad equates conventional product as being "fake" food. He said these attacks are undermining the public's confidence in the food supply and are not sustainable.

"We have a battle on our hands," he said.

But instead of fighting together, he believes the industry spends way too much time, energy and resources fighting each other and driving the price of fruits and vegetables down by underbidding the value of the products. He suggested the industry use the legal means at its disposal, including co-ops, to negotiate higher prices, which Taylor believes are absolutely necessary for survival.

He also believes the industry should conduct a very aggressive public relations campaign to better tell its story. Taylor said social media allows for such a campaign at a reasonable cost. He noted that the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised $120 million by creating an innovative idea and harnessing social media.

"We have terrific messages and we need to share them," said Taylor.

The Taylor Farms chief executive officer also called for the acceleration of innovation. Again, he believes collaboration is the key to solving some of the industry's issues through technology.

Taylor quoted from his grandfather's outgoing WGA chairman address, which was delivered 76 years ago. Many of the problems that the iconic Bruce Church complained about in 1938 — such as low prices and government regulations — are the same ones on the table today.

"I don't want to have the same battles 76 years from now," he said. "I want to be in charge of our own destiny."