Agribusiness Committee

This committee provides critical information to the growers and farm workers in the Lodi area, and it is vitally important to the City of Lodi and the area around it. The Agribusiness committee created Grape Day and Farm Safety Day and holds these events annually.

Grape Day originated in 1952, and was created by a Lodi Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Chairman, Calvin Mettler, and a U.C. Davis Extension agent to provide the latest information and thinking about grape culture to harvest. Grape Day agenda topics have included:

• Information on the latest Forensic viticulture – keeping vineyards from insects and disease.
• Measures taken to keep Lodi water pure from contaminates by pesticide are foremost with the committee.
• Irrigation technologies
• Marketing information
• Information on rural crime and Methamphetamine lab dumps

Farm Safety Day was created just 5 years ago and takes place at the Grape Festival Grounds. This class was created to educate the farm workers in the community in pesticide cleanup and safety. Farm Safety Day class covers:

• Pesticide labeling
• First Aid and Health Effects of Pesticide exposure
• Leaks and spills and how to properly clean them up
• Environmental protection - how to avoid groundwater contamination
• Proper clean up and disposal of pesticides

This committee is also very active at a State and Federal level to be informed and actively participate in decisions that are made that affect the Lodi and surrounding areas.

Agribusiness Day for the Leadership Lodi Class is prepared by the committee and is always a favorite of the class. This day includes a bus tour of the greenbelt and a wine tasting at the end of the day.

The committee selects an “Agribusiness Person of the Year” annually and an award is presented at the Annual meeting.

The Committee meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7 a.m. in the Chamber conference room January through June, breaks for Harvest July through September, resuming October through December.