PrintLodi growers step up pace to match a crop that’s coming on early and fast
Effective control of caterpillars starts with a good monitoring program
An early start to the season includes plenty of frost protection activity for Mendocino County grower
They estimate that more than 95 percent of the California wine grape supply is contracted on template agreements written on behalf of the winery, mostly by attorneys. In buyer-grower contract negotiations, some wineries will change the contract to accommodate grower concerns; others may not.
Some contracts are written by grower representative organizations, including AGG.
“Sometimes growers see the price on top, the length of the term, and then sign the contract,” DiBuduo said. “In doing so, growers sometimes give up their rights.”
Producer’s lien
Dale Stern, an attorney with Downey Brand in Sacramento, works with agricultural clients on contract issues. He said one of the newer efforts is to get growers to waive their rights to a producer’s lien. This is a legal mechanism created by the California Legislature that Stern says protects producers if a processor fails to pay the producer.
That lien is important, Stern says. It puts the producer near the front of the line in getting paid should a processor file bankruptcy or otherwise fail to pay a grower.
