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This is Ag!Author: Kirti Mutatkar
This is Ag challenges us to think differently about how we lead our lives and our organizations by learning from the inspiring and captivating stories of leaders in Ag. Language: en Genres: Business, Health & Fitness, Management, Medicine Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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44. Ruthann Anderson - CEO of CA Association of Pest Control Advisors, collaboration, education, and advocacy
Episode 44
Friday, 5 December, 2025
In this episode, I interview Ruthann Anderson, CEO of CAPCA (California Association of Pest Control Advisors). Ruthann explains that CAPCA represents licensed PCAs (Pest Control Advisors) who she describes as “plant doctors,” often recommending non-chemical solutions such as irrigation changes, soil sampling, and nutrition adjustments before turning to pesticides. They advise across agriculture, turf, ornamental, and urban environments, and CAPCA focuses on statewide education and advocacy to support the profession. She discusses challenges like public perception and inconsistent enforcement in the past. A major example is the BeeWhere program, which CAPCA helped modernize to improve communication between beekeepers and pesticide applicators to reduce bee losses, showing how collaboration across groups leads to better outcomes.We also discuss the complexity of pest management, including public health issues like rat infestations, and the misconception that agriculture uses chemicals carelessly. Ruthann mentions grant-funded work documenting over 200 examples of PCAs choosing non-chemical approaches, which CAPCA plans to publish.We also dive into United Ag’s mission to transform healthcare in agriculture: simplifying access, reducing costs, and putting empathy first with zero-copay clinics in rural communities. Ruthann highlights how thoughtful decisions, whether in farming or healthcare, lead to better outcomes, and she shares how CAPCA members can leverage United Ag’s network for reliable health coverage.CAPCA: https://capca.com/Kirti Mutatkar, President and CEO of UnitedAg. Reach me at kmutatkar@unitedag.org, www.linkedin.com/in/kirtimutatkarUnitedAg website - www.unitedag.orgUnitedAg Health and Wellness Centers - https://www.unitedag.org/health-benefits/united-agricultural-benefit-trust/health-centers/Episode Contributors - Ruthann Anderson, Kirti Mutatkar, Dave Visaya, Rhianna MaciasThe episode is also sponsored by Brent Eastman Insurance Services Inc. - https://brenteastman.comBlue Shield of California - https://www.blueshieldca.comElite Medical - https://www.elitecorpmed.comGallagher - https://www.ajg.com/SAIN Medical https://sainmedical.com/MDI Network - https://www.mdinetworx.com/about-us
