California Ag Network

Category: Featured Post

  • NO FARMS, NO FOOD, NO FUTURE: AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST RELEASES NEW REPORT ON THE LOSS OF FARMLAND

    Today, American Farmland Trust releases the most comprehensive assessment ever undertaken of the loss of U.S. farmland and ranchland. “Farms Under Threat: The State of America’s Farmland” sounds a stark warning: The loss of farmland is serious and will accelerate unless we take action. Among the report’s key findings:

    • Between 1992 and 2012, almost 31 million acres of farmland were lost, equal to all the farmland in Iowa,
    • Nearly twice the area of farmland was lost than was previously shown,
    • 11 million of those acres were among the best farmland in the nation,
    • Development disproportionately occurred on agricultural lands, with 62 percent of all development occurring on farmland, and
    • Expanding urban areas accounted for 59 percent of the loss. Low-density residential development, or the building of houses on 1-to-20-acre parcels, accounted for 41 percent.

    “Farms Under Threat: The State of America’s Farmland” is the first step in a multifaceted initiative. This national report will be followed by a separate report later this year that analyzes past farmland loss state by state and looks at the effectiveness of state farmland protection policies. Then AFT will assess a range of future threats, forecast potential impacts to 2040 at a county level and recommend effective policies at all levels that help conserve agricultural land.

    AFT is working with Conservation Science Partners, a nonprofit conservation organization, to ground the report’s findings in reliable data and science. Both financial and technical support has been provided by the USDA National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)—an agency that provides technical assistance to farmers and land owners and is responsible for improving, protecting, and conserving natural resources on private lands through a cooperative partnership with state and local agencies. A National Advisory Committee provides additional guidance.

    “Farmland is critical infrastructure, akin to roads and bridges,” said John Piotti, AFT’s president and CEO. “Without farms, there’s not only no food, but there’s no future. We need farmland to feed us and sustain our economy—but also to help restore our planet.

    “Action is needed now because lost farmland is irretrievable,” he continued. “Farmers are aging, and the land they steward must be passed on to the next generation. If the trends of the last two decades continue over the next two decades, America will face a future with too few farms.”

    American Farmland Trust’s goal with the release of this study is to get people to appreciate the urgency of the situation, help them see the importance of farmland to our society and understand what can be done to stem the loss. Allowing large-scale farmland loss to continue imperils our ability to feed our growing population. It challenges our economic prosperity. Agriculture accounts for one trillion dollars of the U.S. GDP, each dollar stimulating $1.27 in additional activity. It protects wildlife and helps reduce air and water pollution. Farmland sequesters carbon in soil and plants, holds more water in drought, suppresses fire and provides for flood control in extreme weather conditions. And farmland contributes to the lifestyle we all treasure—as well as scenic views, open space and recreation.

    “Maps of the contiguous United States released as part of the report show actual patterns of farmland loss within counties,” said Dr. Ann Sorensen, AFT’s research director. “It identifies the best agricultural land nationwide by determining which land is most productive, most versatile and most resilient.”

    Plenty can be done to slow the loss of agricultural land, much of which already falls under American Farmland Trust’s day-to-day mission. However, more support is needed from federal policymakers, farmers and landowners, local and state planning authorities and the public if we are to slow the current trends. The report shares AFT’s recommendations for effective action.

    American Farmland Trust is the only national organization working across the aisle and across the country to protect farmland, support farmers, and improve farming practices. AFT’s innovative work is leading a national movement to save the land that sustains us. From the beginning, AFT’s work has been about much more than farmland protection. Saving acreage is not enough. We also need to save the soil and to support the farmers who steward the land. AFT recognizes the powerful interplay between the farmland itself, soil-building farming practices, and the farmers who make it all happen. This holistic approach has enabled AFT to have an outsize impact.

    Anyone who cares about the future of food and farming in the U.S. can contribute directly to American Farmland Trust’s efforts by visiting http://action.farmland.org/FarmsUnderThreat.

    Full report can be obtained at www.farmland.org/FarmsUnderThreat.

  • Lodi Wines Named Exclusive Wine Sponsor for the 2018 Amgen Tour of CA

    Lodi Wines recently announced it has been named the exclusive wine sponsor for the 13th annual Amgen Tour of California, America’s premier professional cycling stage race which takes place over 645 miles across the state of California May 13 – 19, 2018.

    Photo from Lodinews.com

    Lodi’s local wine producers, Michael David Winery, LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards, Klinker Brick Winery, and Estate Crush will feature many of their signature wines and newest releases at various high profile hospitality areas throughout the week-long event. The VIP Hospitality tents at each day’s  the finish line and the Team Presentation event will serve wines from Michael David Winery, LangeTwins Winery and Vineyards, and Klinker Brick Winery, and Estate Crush wines will be featured at the exclusive Chairman’s Dinner on May 12.

    “Lodi, a popular destination for wine lovers with a community of avid cyclists, is thrilled to be a part of the action,” said Stuart Spencer, Executive Director of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. “The Amgen Tour of California attracts renowned cyclists and fans from around the world and Lodi is excited to have the opportunity to showcase our award-winning wines with this world-class event.”

    “The Amgen Tour of California was first introduced to the wines of Lodi when the city served as a finish city in 2015 and then a start city in 2016,” explained Kristin Klein, president of the Amgen Tour of California and Executive Vice President of AEG Sports. “Each time we had the opportunity to sample one of the wines produced in Lodi we were immediately impressed.  It became a natural next step to have Lodi come on board as our official wine sponsor. We are proud that California’s biggest and most important cycling event can help to showcase the renowned wines created in one of California’s most significant appellations. The Amgen Tour of California is so pleased to have Lodi Wines on board.”

    The four Lodi wineries that are part of the Amgen Tour of California Lodi Wine sponsorship:

    Michael David Winery

    “Michael” and “David” are Michael and David Phillips, brothers whose family has farmed fruits and vegetables in the Lodi region since the 1850s and cultivated wine grapes for nearly a century. Michael and David constitute the fifth generation of grape growers in the Phillips family, with the sixth generation already on board.

    The Phillips family likes to emphasize the importance of quality wines with unique and fun labels. Winemakers Adam Mettler, Derek DeVries and Jeff Farthing specialize in producing Lodi’s famous Old Vine Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Ancient Vine Cinsault for Michael David Winery.

    Farming with future generations in mind, the Phillips have adopted some of the most progressive sustainable farming practices in the state. All 800 acres of the family’s vineyards are third-party certified, and the state’s first per-ton bonus was issued for contracted growers to follow in the family’s footsteps.

    LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards

    As part of a generational farm family dating to the 1870s, twin brothers Randall and Brad Lange grew up with the family passion for farming. Today, their ranch is a benchmark winery and vineyard in Acampo, just north of the city of Lodi. In addition to quality wines, LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards is focused on sustainability and habitat restoration. They have been recognized for their efforts by several organizations and are recipients of the 2006 Leopold Award and the 2014 International BRIT Award. Part of their sustainable program is noticeable while you visit – from the habitat restoration to the solar arrays.

    Klinker Brick Winery

    The Felten family owns and manages Klinker Brick Winery and is a sixth-generation farming family crafting world-class wines since 2000. They own and manage 15 individual vineyard blocks of Old Vine Zinfandel that range in age from 40 to 120 years. In the 1990s, the family began to market its Zinfandel in the bulk market and in 2000, produced its first vintage of Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel. They continue to produce wine from all their vineyard blocks, culling only the very best lots for their bottlings.

    Estate Crush

    Founded in spring 2009, Estate Crush is owned and operated by Bob and Ali Colarossi and focuses on small-lot, custom-crush for premium wine production. The Estate Crush team makes wine for more than 50 different brands and more than 100 of Estate Crush’s wines have been selected as medalists in prestigious competitions.

    About Lodi Wine Country

    Located 40 miles south of Sacramento and 90 miles east of San Francisco, the Lodi wine region benefits from a classic Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool evenings. A historic winegrowing region since the 1850s, Lodi cultivates more than 100 diverse winegrape varieties. From Iberian varietals like Tempranillo and Albariño to classic Rhône varietals such as Grenache and Cinsault, Lodi offers wines for even the most discerning palate.

    The region also serves as home to 85 boutique wineries specializing in small-lot, handmade wines that have garnered major awards at domestic and international wine competitions. In 2015, Lodi was awarded the prestigious Wine Star Award for “Wine Region of the Year” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The recent increase in critic and consumer attention paid to Lodi-designate wines has fueled an astronomical growth in demand for Lodi wines, as well as tourism to the wine region.

    Lodi is a leader when it comes to sustainable viticulture. Created in 2005, LODI RULES™ is California’s first third-party-certified sustainable winegrowing program and has received significant recognition over the years, having been awarded the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) in 2006 and again in 2014. For more information about the Lodi wine region, visit lodiwine.com and lodigrowers.com.

    About the Amgen Tour of California

    The Amgen Tour of California and the Amgen Women’s Race empowered with SRAM are Tour de France-style cycling road races created and presented by AEG. Running concurrently, the races challenge the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along demanding courses that traverse hundreds of miles of California’s iconic highways, byways and coastlines each spring. The teams chosen to participate have included Olympic medalists, Tour de France contenders and World Champions and award important, world-ranking points to the top finishers. More information is available at amgentourofcalifornia.com.

  • George Soares Addresses Legislative & Regulatory Burden on CA Farmers

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    Amidst all the political and regulatory turmoil growers deal with in California, they continue trying to do what they do best, and Ag lobbyists like George Soares who spoke at the Annual Pistachio Conference, are doing their best to relay the grower message in Sacramento to limit and reduce the overwhelming legislative and regulatory burdens placed on them.  Watch Soares’ brief interview here and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • CA Ag Legislative Update with Jim Zion

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    There is a lot going on in Ag politics right now. Other than the tariff wars going on currently, check out what Jim Zion shared in his legislative update report at the recent Pistachio Conference in this brief interview. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Announces Farm Bill Priorities

    Washington, D. C., (April 27, 2018) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations, has announced its 2018 farm bill priorities focusing on programs for a healthier America heading into Wednesday’s U.S. House Agriculture Committee meeting on the Farm Bill. The SCFBA appreciates House Agriculture Committee Chairman Conaway recognizing the importance of specialty crops in the initial draft of the legislation.

    The SCFBA legislative priorities include enhancing nutrition programs, continued support for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program, combatting invasive pests and diseases, and support for trade and research funding. In each case, these measures would assist the specialty crop industry’s ability to compete and grow in domestic and global markets.

    Specialty crop production, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery and greenhouse commodities, contributes significantly to the U.S economy, accounting for $66 billion in farm gate value and 33 percent of farm cash receipts for crops.

    The SCFBA was established to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop agriculture and improve the health of Americans by broadening the scope of U.S. agricultural public policy. It is co-chaired by the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, the National Potato Council and Western Growers Association.

    “Specialty crop producers across the nation are united in providing consumers with healthy eating options by expanding the consumption of fruits and vegetables, bolstering research and pest management and supporting grower initiatives to improve competitiveness,” said John Keeling, executive president and CEO of the National Potato Council. “For this work to continue, this next farm bill must address these priorities.”

    Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers Association, said, “SCFBA is advocating for a common set of priorities with this next farm bill, reflecting mutual objectives of U.S. growers and shippers across regions and commodities. We look forward to working with our allies in all specialty crop organizations who share many of our priorities, as well as with U.S. agriculture stakeholders.”

    Mike Stuart, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, said, “We’re encouraged that lawmakers recognize the success of past farm bill investment in the specialty crop industry. We’re seeking their continued support for our growers who work every day to provide better access to higher quality and more affordable fruits and vegetables.”

    Robert Guenther, Senior Vice President of United Fresh Produce Association stated, “We are encouraged that support for fresh produce continues to be a priority for the committee. There are areas in this bill we would like to see improved but now more than ever, it will be vital for Congress to come together on both sides of the aisle in a bi-partisan manner which historically occurs to provide the support the industry needs.”

    In a letter to the House Agriculture Committee today, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance urged the following actions:

    Enhance funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) – The SCRI was established in 2008 to address the critical research needs of the specialty crop industry. Since then, 288 research projects for specialty crops have been funded, enhancing the industry’s competitive prominence in the domestic and international marketplace. SCRI is one of the most oversubscribed research programs; current funding allows for only 10 percent of the requested projects to be funded. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to dedicate $105 million annually for the SCRI program.

    Continue the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program at a full $9 million annually.Authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, TASC addresses technological barriers that prohibit or threaten the exports of U.S. specialty crops. TASC has been responsible for more than 275 grants to address these barriers even though it has only been funded at $9 million. A new ruling by the Office of Management and Budget means all new programs will lose their baseline funding by Sept. 30. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to ensure full funding in a reauthorized farm bill or if the current farm bill is extended.

    Increase funding to combat invasive pests and diseases. The specialty crop industry strongly supports efforts to protect the domestic market from the increasing threat of harmful plant pests and diseases entering the United States. The farm bill has provided funding and direction for innovative initiatives that help identify and mitigate offshore threats and improve pest detection and rapid response. More than 1,700 projects have been funded since this program’s inception in the 2008 Farm Bill. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to continue supporting these programs at $75 million annually, with the goal of enhancing its funding in five years by a modest $7.5 million to fund the National Clean Plant Network.

    Ensure healthy eating in low-income families. The farm bill has funded the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, which will reach more than 4 million low-income elementary students nationwide this year.SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to maintain the intent of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program while clarifying all forms of fruits and vegetables are permissible only when there are hardships preventing access to fresh.

    In addition, the SCFBA supports continued funding for the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), focused on retailers that operate year-round and have more accessible hours to maximize the opportunity for healthy food purchases. The Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives (FINI) grant program focuses on SNAP families who spend 80 percent of their benefits with participating retailers. The SCFBA believes this program should only include fruits and vegetables. SCFBA supports the House Agriculture Committees efforts to increase FINI funding levels.

    Continue strong funding of Specialty Crop Block Grants.  One of the key aspects of the last two farm bills was the extension of the Specialty Crop Block Grant program through fiscal year 2018. The program is a much-needed effort to help specialty crop producer’s balance the challenges and uncertainties of agriculture production with improvements to their products and the access consumers have to those products.

    Increase access to foreign markets. Specialty crop growers face significant obstacles in the development of export markets and unique challenges because of the perishable nature of their products. The Market Access Program (MAP) assists producers in their efforts to create, expand and maintain access to foreign markets. The Alliance strongly supports continuing key programs that address sanitary, phytosanitary and marketing barriers to the export of U.S. specialty crops. SCFBA encourages the House Agriculture Committee to increase funding for the MAP program in the next Farm Bill.

  • Can We Better Prepare Hens for Cage-Free Living?

    Davis, Calif., (April 26, 2018) – Consumers are clamoring for cage-free eggs, and producers are scrambling to meet the demand.

    In 2017, nearly 16 percent of all hens in the U.S. were in cage-free production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 75 percent of all laying hens will need to be cage free by 2026 to meet market demand.

    Cage-free housing is more spacious for hens, but the extra room comes with added risk of collisions and broken bones. Many cage-free hens are developing breast or “keel” bone fractures when they misjudge the distance between perches and platforms and collide with other birds and features in their environment.

    But help is on the way. A team of animal welfare experts from the University of California, Davis, is leading efforts to explore whether complex rearing systems for chicks can reduce bone fractures. Funded by a $432,000 grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the project will measure whether an active upbringing can help chicks develop stronger bones, as well as cognitive and navigational abilities.

    “With improved navigational skills, hens may be less likely to collide with other birds on route to food and water,” said Maja M. Makagon, an assistant professor with the UC Davis Department of Animal Science who is leading a team of collaborators from UC Davis, Iowa State University, the University of Bristol in England and the University of Bern in Switzerland.

    When landings fail – Laying hens have experienced keel-bone fractures for decades, but the incidence is rising as more flocks are raised in open, multi-tier systems. “Cage-free” can mean different things on different farms, but typically cage-free birds flap around in large, vertical, enclosed spaces to reach food, perches and nesting areas. Today’s hens are not especially adept at flying, and sometimes their landings fail.

    Broken keel bones are likely painful. Research shows that when given a choice of feed, hens with broken bones will select feed laced with anti-inflammatory medication. There is also evidence that fractures can affect egg quality.

    Can active upbringing help? – Farmers have various ways of raising chicks in the first 16 weeks of life. Some farmers rear chicks in flat, enclosed spaces, like on a barn floor, and others raise chicks in multi-tiered systems.

    Makagon and her team will test whether birds reared in more complex, multi-tiered settings will fare better in cage-free housing.

    “We hypothesize that if you expose birds to environments that are vertical in nature, two things will happen: keel bones will develop stronger and birds will be better at navigating space,” she said.

    The team will measure the prevalence of keel-bone damage on a broad scale at commercial farms in the United States and identify the relationship between rearing environment and keel-bone strength.

    Then, researchers will conduct similar tests on a small scale at UC Davis. They will rear chicks in pens with different levels of vertical complexity and evaluate how that affects keel-bone development and a bird’s cognitive and navigational skills.

    A team effort – From UC Davis, Makagon is working with Richard Blatchford, an assistant Cooperative Extension specialist, and Kristina Horback, an assistant professor, both with the Center for Animal Welfare in the UC Davis Department of Animal Science.

    Project members also include Suzanne Millmann, professor of biomedical sciences at Iowa State University; John Tarlton, professor of regenerative medicine at the University of Bristol, England; and Michael Toscano, group leader at the Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ), University of Bern, Switzerland.

    The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is funding two additional grants to address the health and productivity of laying hens: Purdue University will test whether nutritional interventions can strengthen bones, and the University of Edinburgh will expand efforts to breed hens with stronger bones.

  • California Hosts 17th National Dairy Challenge

    College dairy students – 235 in total – from 28 different states and Canadian provinces recently traveled to sunny California for the 17th annual Dairy Challenge.® This was the first time many of the students had visited a Western dairy, which provided extra intrigue and challenge in their task as a consultant team for a local dairy.

    Visalia, Calif., was home base for the 2018 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge® (NAIDC) held April 12th to 14th, with six area dairies participating in the educational event. Dairy students from 38 colleges worked to improve their dairy management and communication skills, networked with other students, and explored industry careers.

    “It is really incredible to see the California dairy community come together to make this premier event possible for these college students – from host dairies, to agribusiness sponsors and dairy product donors, to the more than 120 volunteers that helped plan and coordinate the Dairy Challenge,” explained Chad Wright, DVM, of Bidart Dairy and NAIDC Board Chairperson.

    Dairy Challenge is a unique, real-world experience where dairy students work as a team and apply their college coursework to evaluate and provide solutions for an operating dairy farm. In Visalia, two programs ran concurrently – the 17th annual Dairy Challenge contest and the sixth annual Dairy Challenge Academy. The events were coordinated by the NAIDC Board of Directors and the Western planning committee.

    This year’s contest included 38 universities, whose four-person teams competed for awards based on their quality of teams’ farm analysis and appropriate solutions. Their farm presentations were evaluated by a panel of five judges, including dairy producers, veterinarians, finance specialists and seasoned agribusiness personnel.

    The Academy provided interactive training for more than 90 students from four-year universities or two-year dairy programs. Academy participants were divided into smaller groups including students from various schools, and dairy industry volunteers worked as Advisors to coach these less-experienced Academy participants as they assessed the dairy and developed recommendations.

    Dairy Challenge Applies Learning to a Real-world Dairy

    Over its 17-year history, Dairy Challenge has helped more than 6,400 students prepare for careers in the dairy industry, dairy production and veterinary medicine.

    The three-day event began with learning stations at Maddox Dairy, Riverdale, CA, where the Maddox team and their consultants helped students better understand California dairy conditions and shared details about reproduction, nutrition, cow comfort, milking protocols and other key areas. Back at the Visalia Convention Center, students enjoyed ice cream sundaes as they poured over the in-depth dairy records for their assigned dairy.

    Day two began with the on-farm analysis, with all students having just two hours to visit their assigned dairy and witness the dairy’s operations. After a question & answer session with the farm owners and advisors, the student teams developed recommendations for nutrition, reproduction, milking procedures, animal health, cow comfort, and labor and financial management.

    On Day Three, students presented their recommendations to the judging panel, visited with sponsors at the Career and Innovation Fair, and learned through presentations from top-level NAIDC sponsors. These talks were presented by:

    • Ryan Camara, Vice President-Credit and Linda Sousa, Assistant Vice President-Credit, Farm Credit West – “How to Prepare for Your Lender”
    • Brad Barham, Sales Support Manager, All West/Select Sires – “Utilizing Data to Maximize Genetic Improvement”
    • Heather Lee, Dairy Regional Account Manager and Kurtis Monteiro, Dairy Account Manager, Genex Cooperative, Inc. – “Bringing Value to the Dairy Industry as a Recent Graduate”
    • Josh Hushon, US Dairy Marketing Communications Lead, Cargill – “Farm Decision Making: Unlocking the Power of Data and Analytics”
    • Christie Underwood, Ph.D., Nutritionist & Technical Consultant, Land O’ Lakes – “Getting Your Career Started: Launching a Successful Path”
    • Jack Hippen, North American and EU Sales Director, ST Genetics – “The History of Sexed Semen”
    1st Place Team – California Polytechnic State University: L to R: Coach Vagnoni, Anthony Echeverria, Amber LaSalle, Matthew Ruby, Tony Lopes

    Eight College Teams Earn Top Awards

    At Saturday evening’s banquet, the following contest teams and students were announced as First Place winners, with each student receiving a $200 scholarship.

    • Michigan State University: Alycia Burch, Nicole Chase, Ethan Haywood, and Ellen Launstein coached by Roger Thompson
    • University of Wisconsin-Madison: Charles Hamilton, Anthony Schmitz, Logan Voigts and Connor Willems Coached by Theodore Halbach and Dave Combs
    • Iowa State University: Kassidy Buse, Brady Goetz, Cassie Krebill and Sabrina Portner. Coached by Hugo Ramirez
    • California Polytechnic State University: Anthony Echeverria, Amber LaSalle, Tony Lopes and Matthew Ruby. Coached by David Vagnoni

    Teams and students earning Second Place and $100 student scholarships include:

    • University of Vermont/Vermont Technical College:  Michelle Poulin, Julee Tellkamp, Sharron Palmer, Quentin Nelson. Coached by Wanda Emerich
    • Cornell University: Cooper Galton, Britney Hill, Jake Palladino, Keith Koerner. Coached by Mike Van Amburgh
    • University of Guelph: Andrew VanderSpek, Jeroen Slits, Matthew Wells, Michael Reijnen, Coached by Trevor DeVries, Robyn Walsh, Matt Groen
    • The Ohio State University: Jaclyn Krymowski, Hannah Meller, Alexandra Houck, Marina Sweet. Coached by Maurice Eastridge

    All Dairy Challenge contest participants received a lifetime membership to Dairy Shrine, compliments of Allflex USA and Lely North America.

    Total Industry Effort

    Five dairy farms opened up their farms for analysis and in exchange, received a wealth of ideas from students and judges. Host farms for the 2018 Dairy Challenge were:

    • Van Beek Brothers, Tipton, CA
    • Double J Dairy, Visalia, CA
    • Rancho Sierra Vista, Visalia, CA
    • Delta View Farms, Visalia, CA
    • Double Oak Dairy, Tulare, CA

    “On behalf of all the students and organizers, we sincerely thank the hundreds of individuals and organizations that made this event possible,” said Cathy Myers, Co-Chair of the event. “We look forward to interacting with these students as they continue onto careers as dairy owners, managers, consultants and the many other support roles that make dairy possible.”

    About Dairy Challenge

    NAIDC is an innovative event for students in dairy programs at North American post-secondary institutions. Its mission is to develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance progress of the dairy industry, by providing education, communication and networking among students, producers, and agribusiness and university personnel. Over its 17-year national history, Dairy Challenge has helped prepare more than 6,400 students for careers as farm owners and managers, consultants, researchers, veterinarians or other dairy professionals. The next national event will be hosted in Tifton, Georgia, March 28-30, 2019. Four regional events are held in late fall and winter; details are at www.dairychallenge.org.

  • New CA Pesticide Reporting Deadline Approaching April 30th

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor!

    With new pesticide regulations in effect this year, it’s important for growers to review the changes, as shared by Andrew Smith from the Sonoma County Ag Commissioner’s office back at the Sonoma Grape Expo.  He shared some important things to know about the new regulations for pesticide use around school sites and the April 30th annual notification deadline rapidly approaching.  Watch his brief interview for some key points.

  • Pistachio Canopy Management with Bob Beede

    Special Thanks to This Video’s Sponsor

    When do you start pruning pistachios? Topping, hedging, hand-pruning… How do you go about it? Watch this interview with UCCE Emeritus Farm Advisor Bob Beede as he shares some tips at the Annual American Pistachio Growers Conference. Read more about it in Bob’s monthly column in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!

  • Unplanned Effect of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

    Water Attorney Shortages – Advocacy & Ethical Conflicts

    The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) has led to an unintended and unpublicized effect: a shortage of water law attorneys that can provide non-conflicted representation of farmers, water districts and groundwater sustainability agencies (“GSAs”). Although in the past, water law attorneys had to bridle the ethical and advocacy wall between representing farmers and the related water districts, which often times have common and similar goals, the new environment has made it extremely difficult or impossible to be able to ethically, and with proper advocacy, represent farmers, GSAs and water districts when the goals of the GSA, which may likely just be another hat of the water district, are so adverse to the interest of the farmers.

    With the stakes so high on the potential limitation on use of well water by GSAs, can an attorney represent the GSA (i.e., likely the water district) in formulating groundwater sustainability plan (“GSP”) regulations and at the same time represent a farmer, who has critical concerns about any reduction in water use. The common sense answer is no. How can you advocate for GSA restrictions on water uses for no net loss of groundwater and at the same time represent the farmer who surely does not want any restriction or limitation on their ability to use groundwater.

    The lawyer is in the position of being disloyal and not appropriately advocating either for the water district/GSA or farmer, as it would be a rare occasion that a farmer’s instructions to their attorney is “I am fine with the rules that are generated by the GSA in order to make sure there is no net loss in underground water.” Thus, the farmer, water district and GSA are put in a position of all three needing separate legal counsel, which leads to the conclusion that there may be more of a shortage of water law attorneys in the State of California than there is underground water.

    In the upcoming year and a half, the conflict is heightened by the requirement that by January 31, 2020, critical overdraft areas, which are largely in the central part of California, are required to have developed and implemented their GSP regulations. If the regulations are not strong enough to show that they will lead to no net loss in groundwater, the State of California steps in and takes over the oversight of the development of the regulations and possibly enforcement.

    Considering the political environment of the north and south, and what they express sometimes with respect to the central valley’s farm operations and use of water, it is a scary proposition to think that the State will come in and be the drafter of such regulations and oversight without the same concerns of a local water district and GSA to the particular farming operations and regional issues. It would be great if the state understood that the central part of California produces about 90% of what Americans want to see on their table, and therefore, recognize that a nation must be able to feed its people and this is truly an area that should be protected for no other reason than national security. Unfortunately, the State seems to disregard those facts or assumes that the nation primarily just wants corn and potatoes on their table. That is a separate article in itself.

    If you are a farmer or water district, you may be saying to yourself “well it seems to be working ok currently, my water attorney has represented both the water district in this process and me.” That may be correct, and as I said, that may have been fine for the past SGMA items, which related largely to the formation of the GSAs. The GSAs are primarily made up of the water districts, so not very controversial and most farmers would prefer that the GSAs be made up of the water district, as the people sitting on the water districts’ boards are usually farmers.

    However, now the GSAs are mandated to create GSP regulations which will have as their main purpose to restrict your ability to use groundwater, and heaven forbid you are near a river or tributary to a river and it is concluded that you are drawing water from such flow by your proximity within two miles, half a mile, who knows. In such cases, you will probably be prohibited from drawing any water from your well (unless you have riparian rights), because they will assume it comes from a source created by the river or its tributary.

    We do not fully know what will be acceptable to the State as regulations. However, a review of SGMA and the various commentator statements on the same suggest regulations, especially in critical non-attainment areas, to include, but not be limited to, the following: well registration, investigation of water rights for those suspected of not complying, reporting of extractions, reporting of surface water storage, well spacing requirements, limitations on groundwater extractions, related fees and assessments, enforcement actions for noncompliance, fees on groundwater extraction, and even the possibility of jail time if you go over your allotment.

    Over the next year and a half, the GSAs will be holding public hearings and allowing for comments on the GSPs, and this is a critical time if you are a farmer for you to be properly, and with strong advocacy, represented in such process. Even representing more than one farmer could be a serious advocacy problem. Different farms in areas under the same GSA have different concerns and problems. Mentioned above briefly, the issue of how close you are to a river or tributary to a river, as opposed to those that will not have to advocate regarding such issue. Since the outcome of such an issue may not be purely based and likely won’t be on good science, the adjacent farmer who is outside the distance, whatever that be, from the river, would see it as an advantage for the neighbor not to use its well as it potentially could affect their usage on their farm just across the property line. Many other examples regarding such conflicts between farmers are not too hard to contemplate. At the same time, the water districts/GSAs are going to want to make sure that their regulations are strict enough, so that the State does not take over the entire process and enforcement.

    In my opinion, an attorney representing both the farmer and water district/GSA in such matters has to be disloyal to either one or both of such parties in any negotiations on the development of the regulations. You also need to understand that once these regulations are in place, they are in place, and there are very limited appeal or challenge rights with respect to the same. Thus, sitting back and seeing how things develop, is truly pennywise, pound foolish, or should I say ounce wise, and acre-foot foolish.

    For the legal professional, the consequences are fairly clear and understood with respect to providing representation in such a highly conflicted area: inability to provide the highest level of representation, a smear on their professional integrity, state bar disciplinary consequences, malpractice consequences (breach of fiduciary duty/duty loyalty or confidentiality), reputational consequences and disqualification. The consequences to the farmer for such dual representation could be more significant in that the regulations could have been better tailored to that farmer’s particular operation causing the farmer to lose valuable water, removal of permanent crops, and of course, a loss in revenue. If the dual representation attempts to be “fair” to both sides, especially in a critical non-attainment area (i.e., central California), there is a strong possibility that the State may come in and take over the regulatory process and enforcement. This would not be good for the farmer or the water district.

    What does all of the above mean for you now if you are a farmer? It means the next year and a half are critical for you to be involved and have an advocate that is only on your side in monitoring and advocating on the new regulations that are being formulated by the GSA. The thought that there is some advantage to a farmer, because his attorney also represents the GSA/water district, is a fallacy, because of the competing interests and that attorney is prohibited from providing services that utilize his knowledge of the water board/GSA that have been obtained during representation of such entities – a direct conflict with an attorney’s sworn oath of loyalty to clients.

    Any questions regarding this article or SGMA can be directed to Christopher A. Brown, Esq., Real Estate and Environmental Law Department Chair at Dowling Aaron Incorporated at cbrown@dowlingaaron.com or 559-432-4500.