California Ag Network

Category: Featured Post

  • CA Milk Advisory Board Launches California Dairy Innovation Center

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), the marketing order representing California dairy producers, today announced the development of the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), a collaborative effort to further product-oriented innovation and enhance productivity for California dairy. The CDIC will feed dairy innovation efforts for the number one dairy state with collaborations between California dairy producers, processors, and universities.

    “The ‘center’ is not a physical building or organization, but rather a cooperative effort to leverage the tremendous brain trust of our California colleges and universities as well as the California dairy industry as a whole to support our mutual goals,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB.

    The CMAB is currently in the recruitment process for a CDIC Director who will unite industry professionals to meet innovation goals, while providing vital leadership for the California dairy industry. The Director role will also include coordinating pre-competitive research projects, as well as educational trainings to meet these goals. The Director will be a point of contact for researchers, educators, and business development representatives, as well as for processors interested in innovation efforts. This position will also serve as an advocate for the dairy community by promoting innovation, product development, and workforce support; in addition to implementing competitive advantages for the dairy industry.

    California is the nation’s leading milk producer. It also produces more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. The state is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made exclusively with sustainably produced milk from the state’s dairy farm families.

    About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

  • Merced Dairy Farmer Donates Easement to Mitigate for School Building

    The California Farmland Trust (CFT) is pleased to share that another property in Merced County has been permanently protected. Simon and Christine Vander Woude, have donated a conservation easement on their property in Merced. The Vander Woude’s nearly 65-acre parcel of farmland is currently planted in field crops for their dairy operation and will forever remain in agriculture.

    “I served on the building committee for the development of Stone Ridge Christian High School,” shared Simon Vander Woude. “The school is a project we were very passionate about. When it was determined that the school would need to mitigate for the land they were building on, I was pleased that we had a parcel that could be utilized for such purposes. Given our interest in the school, we were happy to donate the value of the easement and know that the land would forever be protected,” Vander Woude added.

    The property, located on the westside of Merced, met the mitigation requirement as defined by Merced County, and that’s where CFT stepped in. As a land trust focused on farmland, CFT worked with the Vander Woude’s and the school, to ensure this property would be protected and monitored forever. The agricultural conservation easement (ACE) complimented the Vander Woude’s other sustainability efforts, which include a solar field, as well as other efficient and regenerative water and farm management practices.

    “No two easement projects are the same, but this is unique because Simon and Christine felt so strongly about donating the value of the easement to help the school fulfill the mitigation requirement. Foregoing compensation for the development rights isn’t an easy choice, but we commend their decision,” said Charlotte Mitchell CFT Executive Director.

    The Vander Woude property compliments the existing 34 easements and more than 11,000 acres, that CFT has worked with landowners to permanently protect in Merced County.

    The California Farmland Trust is a California Non-Profit 501(c)(3). Our mission is to help farmers protect the best farmland in the world. To date, we have protected 16,708 acres of farmland on 77 family farms. To learn more visit us: www.cafarmtrust.org.

  • CA Raisin Crop Update & Wildfire Impact

    With smoke-filled skies and ongoing wildfires in forested areas, one may wonder just how the California raisin industry may be impacted by all this.  As harvest continues through the pandemic year, what should we expect from the 2020 crop?  Watch this brief interview with Rick Stark from Sun-Maid growers to find out and read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • What to Expect from the 2020 California Wine Crop

    Wildfires and smoke exposure aside, what is the 2020 wine grape crop looking like.  Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers reports that the crop could be much smaller than expected with supply and demand returning to a more balanced state.  Watch his brief interview now and be sure to attend Jeff Bitter’s State of the wine grape industry address at American Vineyard’s virtual Central Coast Grape Grape Expo on Nov. 6th and the Central Valley Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo on Nov. 13.
     
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Reality of the Wildfire Impact on the 2020 Winegrape Crop


    Many of our wine grape industry friends and families have been impacted by the recent wildfires, and our hearts and prayers go out to them. Although vineyards tend to act as fire breaks helping to mitigate the spread of these wildfires, growers and winemakers are concerned about what the smoke exposure impact will have on the 2020 vintage.  Please watch this brief interview with Jeff Bitter from Allied Grape Growers as he corrects some misconceptions about smoke exposure and clarifies the most likely impact the wildfires will have on the 2020 California crop — and how grape growers should proceed to finish up harvest.  Read more about it in American Vineyard Magazine.
     
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • An Insider’s Guide to California’s Wine Harvest

    California’s annual winegrape harvest is underway, and wineries across the state are humming with activity as they transform the grapes into wine. Despite this year’s challenges, vintners are pleased with the quality of the 2020 vintage. As a tribute to this special time, Wine Institute presents eight lesser-known facts about California’s winegrape harvest.

    Want to experience California wine country‘s harvest? California Wines is offering free Zoom backgrounds of winegrape harvest scenes—from picking to crush. Just download the images and select a California harvest backdrop for your next Zoom session. For instructions, see Zoom’s support page.

    California harvest: largest in the U.S. California produces more than 80 percent of U.S. wine and isthe world’s fourth-largest producer. More than 90 percent of all California wine is produced in a Certified California Sustainable winery.

    Seeds hold the clues. Along with measuring the fruit’s sugar, acidity and pH levels, California winemakerscontinually taste the grapes—making sure to chew the seeds—in the days leading up to harvest. That’s because as grapes mature, their seeds turn brown and become less bitter. By chewing the seeds, winemakers can tell when the grapes have reached perfect ripeness.

    Sparkling wines go first.Harvesting early—typically in late July or early August—helps the state’s wineries maintain refreshing acidity in their sparkling wines. While just about any grape variety can be used to make sparkling wine, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are the most common choices.

    The grapes come in after dark. Wineries typically harvest between midnight and early morning because the cooler nighttime temperatures help concentrate and preserve the fresh fruit aromas and flavors and stabilize sugar levels. Night harvesting also saves energy in the winery because it eliminates the need to cool down the grapes after they have been picked, and it provides more comfortable working conditions for vineyard crews.

    Falcons help at harvest time. As part of their sustainable farming practices, many California vintners recruit trained raptors to scare away flocks of starlings and other birds that swoop in to eat ripe winegrapeshanging on the vines.

    Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon: state’s top grapes. Chardonnay is the number grape by tons harvested in California, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon.

    118+grape varieties. The state’s diverse climate and soils provide a hospitable home for dozens of winegrape varieties from Albariño to Zinfandel.

    One ton of grapes = 63 cases. On average, one ton of winegrapes produces about 63 cases of wine, or 756 (750 ml) bottles.

  • California Citrus Acreage Report: Increase in Lemons & Mandarins

    The Pacific Regional Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts an acreage survey of California citrus growers as funding is available. The purpose of this survey is to provide bi-annual citrus acreage, which includes information on new plantings and removals. It is the continuation of a long series of industry-funded Citrus Acreage surveys.

    Users are cautioned that this report consists of two parts:

    – Table 1 shows estimated statewide bearing acreage for the 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 seasons.

    -Tables 2, 3, and 4 show detailed acreage data by type, variety, and year planted — as voluntarily reported by citrus growers and maintained in NASS’ database.

    With perfect information, the estimated statewide bearing acreage and the detailed acreage data would be the same. Generally, this will not be the case for the following reasons:

    -A voluntary survey of approximately 5,400 citrus growers is unlikely to ever attain 100 percent completeness.

    -It is difficult for USDA/NASS to detect growers who are planting citrus for the first time. 

    PROCEDURES

    The major source of the citrus detailed acreage data was a questionnaire mailed to all citrus growers currently on NASS’ database. The mailing was made in January 2020 to approximately 5,400 citrus growers. The questionnaire contained previously reported crop, variety, and acreage information preprinted. Producers were asked to update the information with new plantings, removals, and any other corrections; and new growers were mailed a blank questionnaire. Growers were given about eight weeks to respond by mail. A telephone follow-up was then undertaken. Field personnel were unable to personally visit large growers who did not respond by mail because of social distancing requirements that have been in effect since March 2020.

    To arrive at the estimated statewide bearing acreage, the NASS citrus acreage database was compared with pesticide application data maintained by County Agricultural Commissioners and the Department of Pesticide Regulation.

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    Thank you to the many orchard operators, owners, and management firms that provided their acreage information. Funding for the survey was provided by the California Citrus industry.

  • CA Navel Orange Forecast Down 5%

    The initial 2020-21 Navel orange forecast is 84.0 million cartons, down 5 percent from the previous year. Of the total Navel orange forecast, 81.0 million cartons are estimated to be in the Central Valley. Cara Cara variety Navel orange production in the Central Valley is forecast at 7.0 million cartons. These forecasts are based on the results of the 2020-21 Navel Orange Objective Measurement (O.M.) Survey, which was conducted from June 15 to September 1, 2020. Estimated fruit set per tree, fruit diameter, trees per acre, bearing acreage, and oranges per box were used in the statistical models estimating production.

    This forecast includes production of conventional, organic, and specialty Navel oranges (including Cara Cara and Blood orange varieties).

    Survey data indicated a fruit set per tree of 319, unchanged from the previous year but b e l o w the five-year average of 363. The average September 1 diameter was 2.198 inches, below the five-year average of 2.218 inches. The Cara Cara orange set was 251 with a diameter of 2.232 inches.

    SURVEY SAMPLE

    A sample of 785 Navel orange groves was randomly selected proportional to county and variety bearing acreage, and 733 of the groves were utilized in this survey. Once a grove was randomly chosen and grower permission was granted, two trees were randomly selected. The Navel orange sample included conventional, organic, Cara Cara, and Blood orange groves.

    For each randomly selected tree, the trunk was measured along with all connected branches. A random number table was then used to select a branch, and then all connected branches from the randomly-selected branch were measured.

    This process was repeated until a branch was reached with no significant limbs beyond t h i s p o i n t . This randomly-selected branch, called the terminal branch, was then closely inspected to count all fruit connected to this branch, as well as all of the fruit along the path from the trunk to the terminal branch. Since each selected path has a probability of selection associated with t h e p a t h , a probability-based method was then applied to estimate a fruit count for the entire tree.

    In the last week of the survey period, fruit diameter measurements were made on the right quadrant of four trees surrounding the two trees of every third grove. These measurements were used to estimate an average fruit diameter per tree. Of the 733 utilized groves, 11 were in Madera County, 125 were in Fresno County, 436 were in Tulare County, and 161 were in Kern County.

    SURVEY HISTORY

    A Navel Orange Objective Measurement Survey has been conducted in the Central Valley every year since the 1984-85 crop year, except for the 1991-92 season due to a lack of funding. The data from the first two years were used for research purposes in developing crop-estimating models. The Cara Cara forecast was undertaken at the request of the California Citrus Advisory Committee. 

     

  • CA Prune Board Sees High-Quality Fruit in Short Crop Year

    The California Prune harvest wrapped up on schedule this year and growers have worked through the challenges of wildfires and market disruptions caused by the pandemic to harvest premium quality fruit consisting of an optimum range of sizes,setting up excellent opportunities to market the sweet, larger prunes for which California is famous. With early industry projections of a short crop, growers and handlers can now estimate production of 45,000 metric tons (50,000 short tons) of California Prunes, a decrease of 37% from the previous year.  Combined with the carry-in from 2019, handlers should have sufficient supply for the new selling season.

    As markets globally adjust to a “new normal” the California Prune industry remains focused on maintaining balance of supply and demand and reliably delivering the premium fruit that the world expects. Prune growers in California play an essential role in producing a premium product that offers health benefits, great taste, versatility, and shelf stability, all vital to what consumers desire in the current environment.

    Data reported to growers and handlers at the recent conclusion of the 2019 crop year (July 31, 2020) underscored consumer desire for California’s best-in-class prunes, as shipments to export markets jumped 17% and domestic shipments improved by 12%, as compared to the previous year.

    “While the pandemic has fueled consumers’ focus on healthy foods, the California Prune industry regularly promotes the nutritional profile and invests in nutrition research that elevates the health benefits of prunes,” said Donn Zea, Executive Director of the California Prune Board. “We are grateful that so many consumers have chosen California Prunes during this time. We plan on doing everything we can to earn and keep their trust.”

    California is the largest producer of prunes, producing about 40 percent of the world’s supply, bringing quality prunes to market from 40,000 acres concentrated in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.

    ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA PRUNE BOARD

    Created in 1952, The California Prune Board aims to amplify the premium positioning and top-of-mind awareness of California Prunes through advertising, public relations, promotion, nutrition research, production research, and issues management. The California Prune Board represents approximately 800 prune growers and 28 prune, juice, and ingredient handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture.

  • CAWG Addresses Grape Grower & Winemaker Smoke Exposure Challenges

    Last month’s widespread lightning storms resulted in multiple fast-moving and devastating wildfires that affected many regions of the state. More than 1 million acres have burned, resulting in lives lost, damaged structures and property, and smoke-filled days. These wildfires have produced unprecedented challenges for California’s winegrape growers and wineries.

    Growers and wineries have been challenged to determine with certainty how smoke from the state’s many fires has affected this year’s winegrape crop. With that in mind, California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) President John Aguirre issued the following statement:

    “Numerous growers have reported that wineries will not schedule delivery of grapes under contract until laboratory test results are available to indicate the grapes are unaffected by the presence of certain smoke compounds. The few commercial labs serving the industry are backlogged, with wait times of three or more weeks to test and report the results for new grape samples. In other instances, wineries are delaying harvest and grape deliveries pending the completion of small-batch or micro-fermentations of grapes and resulting analyses. These delays – in addition to wineries demanding test results – mean many growers face the prospect of significant crop losses and economic injury. This is unacceptable.

    “Unless specified in a contract, no buyer should believe they are entitled to reject a grower’s grapes based on concerns over smoke damage without corroborating evidence to indicate those grapes have, in fact, been damaged. It’s important to acknowledge a key fact: the presence of smoke in a vineyard, even if heavy at times, does not mean the grapes from that vineyard will invariably be smoke damaged. The challenges posed by recent smoke exposure events do not provide license to buyers to cast aside their contractual obligations to growers.

    “CAWG urges California’s wineries to work with their grower partners to address the shared risks resulting from smoke exposure events. We ask wineries to consider the following:

    • Communicate as soon as possible the standards and conditions, consistent with contract terms, that will be used to decide the acceptability of grapes.
    • Decision-making should be transparent to the grower and determinations regarding the quality status of grapes should be based upon or corroborated by test results from a third-party, accredited laboratory.
    • When data regarding grape quality is unavailable, wineries should discuss with growers, prior to harvest, risk sharing arrangements that are fair and equitable to both parties.
    • In the absence of express contractual authority to do so, wineries are not entitled to impose upon growers’ terms and conditions related to smoke damage risks after accepting and processing grapes delivered under contract.

    “CAWG recognizes the timing of recent wildfires presents exceptional challenges for growers and wineries. We are confident that growers and wineries will unite to overcome current and future challenges, protect the California brand and ensure our wines meet consumers’ expectations for quality and value.”