SAN DIEGO, CA - Western Growers’ membership of family farmers and growers have elected Rob Yraceburu, President of Wonderful Orchards at The Wonderful Company, to serve as Chair of the Western Growers Board of Directors for a two-year term. Yraceburu’s long relationship with the organization, which represents two-thirds of America’s fresh produce, spans more than two decades going back to his many years as a senior banker at Wells Fargo focused on the agriculture industry and, more recently, more than a decade at The Wonderful Company as a grower. Yraceburu was first elected to the Board in 2016 and has served as Vice Chair since 2023.

“Agriculture is America’s single most important product and the world counts on our success, which is why the work of Western Growers will always be critically important,” said Yraceburu in the recent release. “When growers stand shoulder to shoulder, we are the most powerful voice there is and, today, our collective voice has never mattered more. My commitment as chair will be to champion the tremendous momentum we have and support our talented leadership and staff in ensuring the agriculture business stays strong for the nation. As Western Growers approaches its 100th anniversary, it’s an honor to serve as chair and as the custodian of this work.”

Yraceburu’s roots in the Central Valley run deep as he was born and raised working on his family’s small farm growing almonds and producing raisins. His 40-year career at the intersection of finance and farming began at Wells Fargo, rising to executive vice president and head of the National Food & Agribusiness Division. During that time, he partnered with Stewart Resnick to finance many of the acquisitions that shaped The Wonderful Company – from early pistachio and almond acreage to FIJI Water, JUSTIN Vineyards, and Wonderful Citrus operations.

That deep history and his aspirations to return to farming led to Yraceburu joining Wonderful in 2015 as president of Wonderful Orchards, where today he oversees nearly 160,000 acres from Bakersfield to Madera County, and from the Sierra Foothills to Paso Robles. With more than 100,000 acres planted, Wonderful is the world's largest grower of pistachios and pomegranates and one of the largest growers of almonds and wine grapes. At peak harvest, Yraceburu leads a workforce of more than 5,000 people.

In his role, Yraceburu also oversees Wonderful Bees, one of the largest beekeeping operations in the U.S. with more than 62,000 hives; Wonderful Nurseries, which specializes in the production of almond and proprietary pistachio trees; and Wonderful Laboratories, which provides agricultural analyses and supports growers across the industry.

“Our industry is facing formidable challenges but also an interesting set of potential opportunities flowing from our national dialogue around food and nutrition,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “Rob is a thoughtful and focused leader in our industry, and we are fortunate that he has committed himself to lead the Western Growers Board of Directors for the next two years. I look forward to working even more closely with Rob as he takes the gavel. I also wish to thank Stuart Woolf as he steps down as Chair. His term coincided with an unusually active period for our Association as well as the larger industry and Stuart provided exceptional leadership and counsel throughout.”

Outgoing Western Growers Chair Stuart Woolf passed the gavel to Yraceburu during the Western Growers 2025 Annual Meeting in San Diego. During the Annual Meeting, Stewart Resnick, The Wonderful Company Chairman, President and Co-Owner, received the Award of Honor, the association’s highest recognition of achievement, for his 50 years of agricultural excellence and community impact.

Besides Yraceburu, the other members of the Executive Committee of the Association are: Vice Chair Neill Callis, Turlock Fruit Company; Treasurer Don Cameron, Terranova Ranch; Executive Secretary Catherine Fanucchi, Tri-Fanucchi Farms; and Puglia. Rounding out the Western Growers Executive Committee are Past Chair Woolf, Woolf Farming & Processing; and Members at Large Albert Keck, Hadley Date Gardens and J.P. LaBrucherie, LaBrucherie Produce.

UNITED STATES - Winter decided it was done waiting.

Over the weekend, early-season Arctic air plunged south, flipping the switch from fall to full-on flakes for millions across the Great Lakes, Appalachians, and even parts of the interior Southeast. Meteorologists at AccuWeather say this is the earliest measurable snow in years for some communities, and it’s arriving with all the hallmarks of mid-season weather.

Cold west winds rushing over the still-warm Great Lakes ignited a classic lake-effect setup. Bands of snow drifted across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and western New York, stacking up fast in the traditional snow belts and catching plenty of drivers off guard. Chicago saw intense squalls late Sunday into Monday, triggering delays, closures, and a fiery crash as visibility suddenly dropped to near zero. Heavy snow showers continued farther east, sweeping into Ohio and Pennsylvania, where higher elevations reported quick bursts of accumulation.

Forecasters say this pattern isn’t just about the Great Lakes; the cold push is reaching far deeper into the Southeast than usual. Flurries are likely in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee, with mountain towns in the Carolinas staring down an unusually early chance for measurable snow. If Asheville logs so much as a tenth of an inch, it would rank among the city’s earliest snowfall events on record.

While this round starts tapering off by late Tuesday, meteorologists warn this may be the opening chapter in a busier-than-usual November.

We’ll be watching the next cold surge lining up behind it, so stay tuned and check ANUK for updates on how early winter weather could affect the roads, the holiday rush, and the fresh produce moving across the country.