Agricultural Consulting & Compliance Services

Practical, Defensible Agricultural Guidance for Northern California Producers

California agriculture operates at the intersection of some of the most demanding regulatory, environmental, and market conditions in the world. From water quality mandates and food safety certifications to organic compliance and sustainable winegrowing standards, producers face a continuous and evolving compliance burden that requires expert navigation.

Wegner Consulting serves agricultural operators across Northern California — including Lake County, Red Bluff, Redding, and Calistoga — as a hands-on compliance partner and owner’s representative. We do not hand you a report and walk away. We execute: building the systems, writing the documentation, managing the agency relationships, and standing beside you through every regulatory interaction.

The California Agricultural Regulatory Landscape

Agricultural operations in California are subject to oversight from multiple state and regional agencies, each with distinct requirements, timelines, and enforcement mechanisms. The primary regulatory bodies affecting our clients include:

• State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) — Water diversion reporting, discharge permits, and agricultural water use compliance
• Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) — Water quality protection for agricultural operations, including enrollment, Farm Water Quality Management Plans, and annual reporting
• California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) — Pesticide use reporting, organic registration, and commodity-specific regulations
• CCOF & National Organic Program (NOP) — Organic certification, system plan development, and annual renewal compliance
• Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) / Produce Safety Rule — Federal food safety standards for produce growers, including water testing, worker training, and recordkeeping
• GlobalG.A.P. / Harmonized Produce Safety Standard (HPSS) — Third-party food safety and sustainability audits for domestic and export markets
• California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) — Sustainable winegrowing certification and self-assessment programs
• County Agricultural Commissioners & Planning Departments — Local land use, pesticide permits, and agricultural operation approvals
• Regional Water Quality Control Boards — Waste discharge requirements, stormwater compliance, and site-specific permits

Our Agricultural Consulting Services

We specialize in turning complex, multi-agency compliance requirements into structured, manageable, and defensible systems. Our agricultural services span the full spectrum of regulatory compliance, certification management, and operational strategy.

Water Quality & ILRP Compliance

Water quality compliance is one of the most consequential and technically demanding obligations facing California agricultural operators. The Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) requires enrollment, ongoing monitoring, and annual reporting for virtually all irrigated agricultural operations. We manage the entire process on your behalf:

• ILRP enrollment and coalition membership coordination
• Farm Water Quality Management Plan (FWQMP) development and annual updates
• Water and sediment sampling coordination and laboratory management
• Annual monitoring report preparation and submission
• Best Management Practices (BMP) identification, implementation, and documentation
• SWRCB water diversion reporting and water right compliance
• Waste discharge requirements and Regional Water Quality Control Board coordination
• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) development and compliance
• Irrigation system efficiency assessments and water conservation planning

Organic Certification (CCOF / NOP)

Organic certification is a significant market advantage — but maintaining it requires meticulous recordkeeping, annual system plan updates, and consistent documentation of all inputs, practices, and field activities. We manage the full certification lifecycle:

• Initial CCOF organic certification application and Organic System Plan (OSP) development
• Annual OSP updates and renewal submissions
• Input material review and approved substance verification
• Field activity recordkeeping systems and audit-ready documentation
• Parallel production and split operation compliance management
• Inspection preparation and inspector liaison support
• Non-compliance response and corrective action plan development
• Transition planning for conventional-to-organic conversion

Food Safety Compliance (FSMA / Produce Safety Rule)

The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule imposes mandatory standards on covered produce farms for agricultural water, worker health and hygiene, biological soil amendments, wildlife and domesticated animals, and equipment sanitation. We build and maintain your compliance infrastructure:

• Farm coverage determination and exemption analysis
• Agricultural water testing program design and management (pre-harvest and post-harvest)
• Water quality profile development and microbial die-off calculations
• Worker health, hygiene, and training program development (FSMA-compliant)
• Biological soil amendment (BSAA) compliance documentation
• Equipment, tools, and building sanitation standard operating procedures
• Recordkeeping system design and ongoing maintenance
• FDA inspection preparation and response support
• Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) Grower Training coordination

GlobalG.A.P. & Third-Party Audit Preparation

Retail buyers, distributors, and export markets increasingly require third-party food safety and sustainability certifications. GlobalG.A.P. and the Harmonized Produce Safety Standard (HPSS) are among the most widely recognized. We prepare your operation to pass these audits with confidence:

• GlobalG.A.P. IFA (Integrated Farm Assurance) gap analysis and pre-audit assessment
• HPSS audit preparation and documentation review
• Corrective action plan development for audit findings
• Food safety plan development aligned with audit standards
• Worker training programs for audit-required competencies
• Traceability system design and implementation
• Ongoing compliance monitoring between audit cycles

Sustainable Winegrowing (CSWA)

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) Sustainable Winegrowing Program is the leading sustainability certification for California wine grape growers and wineries. We guide you through the self-assessment, certification, and continuous improvement process:

• CSWA Sustainable Winegrowing self-assessment completion and scoring
• Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) certification preparation
• Sustainability improvement planning and priority action identification
• Vineyard and winery practice documentation aligned with CSWA standards
• Soil health, biodiversity, and habitat enhancement program development
• Energy and water use efficiency assessments and improvement plans
• Pest management and chemical use documentation for sustainability reporting

Agricultural Business Strategy & Operations

Beyond regulatory compliance, we help agricultural operators build more efficient, profitable, and resilient businesses. Our strategic advisory services address the full operational lifecycle:

• Agricultural business plan development and financial modeling
• Enterprise diversification and new crop or commodity feasibility analysis
• Operational workflow design and labor efficiency optimization
• Grant identification and agricultural funding application support
• Land acquisition due diligence and agricultural suitability assessment
• Succession planning and farm transition consulting
• Crop insurance and risk management program evaluation
• Vendor and supply chain management for agricultural inputs

Stakeholder Coordination & Regulatory Advocacy

When disputes arise with regulatory agencies, neighboring landowners, water boards, or county departments, we step in as your strategic coordinator and advocate. We organize disputed information, produce defensible documentation, and negotiate on your behalf:

• Multi-agency coordination across SWRCB, ILRP, CDFA, county, and regional boards
• Administrative hearing preparation and representation support
• Regulatory enforcement response documentation and corrective action plans
• Neighbor and community relations management
• Legal team coordination and technical expert support
• Water rights disputes and diversion conflict resolution
• Land use and zoning compliance advocacy

Why Choose Wegner Consulting?

We are based in Northern California, with deep operational expertise in Lake County, Red Bluff, Redding, and Calistoga — agricultural regions with some of the most complex regulatory environments in the state. We understand the unique political, environmental, and agricultural landscapes of these communities because we work in them every day.

Our clients are not handed a report and left to figure out implementation on their own. We build the systems, write the documentation, manage the agency relationships, and stand beside them through every compliance cycle. The result is not just a passing audit — it is a defensible, sustainable operation built to last.

• 20+ years of regulatory compliance and agricultural consulting experience in Northern California
• Multi-agency expertise across SWRCB, ILRP, CCOF, FSMA, GlobalG.A.P., CSWA, and county departments
• Hands-on execution — we build, document, and deliver, not just advise
• Defensible documentation that withstands regulatory, legal, and financial scrutiny
• Local relationships with county agricultural commissioners, water board staff, and regional agency personnel
• Bilingual capability — Spanish-language support for agricultural workforce training and compliance programs

Primary Service Areas

Wegner Consulting provides agricultural consulting services throughout Northern California, with primary focus on the following regions:

• Lake County — Wine grapes, pears, cannabis, and diversified agriculture
• Tehama County (Red Bluff / Corning) — Almonds, olives, cattle, and row crops
• Shasta County (Redding) — Diversified agriculture, livestock, and specialty crops
• Napa Valley (Calistoga) — Premium wine grapes, organic production, and sustainable winegrowing
• North Coast & Sacramento Valley — Broad-acre crops, orchards, and specialty produce operations