IRVINE, CA - As an all-female writing team here at AndNowUKnow, tomorrow, March 8, also known as International Women’s Day, is a day of immense celebration. Sharing in the excitement, the California Avocado Commission (CAC) is spotlighting some female avocado farmers to showcase the role of women in the industry.

“The commission is happy to celebrate International Women’s Day and the many women involved in the California avocado industry,” said California Avocado Commission Online Marketing Director Zac Benedict. “This month, our public relations team conducted outreach to consumer media outlets to share stories of a few of these hard-working farmers.”

Women have long been active in growing California avocados, a release stated. Many of California’s avocado growers come from multigenerational farming families, and as transitions occur, women are increasingly taking on avocado grove management and ag industry leadership positions.

The female growers that CAC is highlighting include:

• Tara Axell Rosenthal, a fifth-generation California farmer and third-generation California avocado grower
• Jessica Hunter, Chief Executive Officer of Del Rey Avocado
• Catherine Pinkerton Keeling, advocate for California avocados and alternate on the California Avocado Commission Board of Directors
• Hilary Kitzman Wilkie, avocado grower at Kitzman Fair Haven

To read more about these women, click here.

“The stories of these four women are helping to highlight the roles of women in agriculture,” added Benedict. “With more female California avocado growers being available and willing to share, CAC is able to feature their stories on CaliforniaAvocado.com, social media, in marketing materials, and retail programs.”

Thanks in part to the hard work of these women, CAC’s forecast for this season is 257 million pounds, with volume expected to ramp up this month with peak availability from April through July.

Cheers to all of the women who continue to break barriers and help our industry thrive!

California Avocado Commission