The Department of Viticulture and Enology at Fresno State has a new assistant professor joining the faculty. This new assistant professor is Dr. Runze Cliff Yu. A Fresno State V&E alumnus, Yu finished his master’s degree at Fresno State in 2016 before moving on to UC Davis. He earned his PhD degree in June 2020 there and stayed for another year as a post-doctoral researcher.
Yu is excited to share his knowledge and experiences with the students in the department. Yu also has an extensive research background. Working with his advisor Dr. Kaan Kurtural for many years, his research focuses on the current issues Central Valley wine grape growers have been experiencing, such as drought, heat and labor. He is planning to conduct research around these topics.
“Teaching and research should be mutually inclusive in viticulture,” said Yu. “We need to provide our students with the latest research and innovations. They are the future of this industry and will need to be equipped to solve problems and move the industry forward.”
Yu is very happy to back in the department. “It feels like coming back home,” he said. “I look forward to working with both students and grape growers to do my part to further the success of the grape industry.”
Smoke taint has dominated the worries of the California wine industry recent years. With unsettled climate conditions and continued droughts, there is no reason to think that smoke taint will not continue to be a significant concern for the foreseeable future. In 2017 and 2020, California growers and wineries both had to scramble to adapt as they found that existing science, customs and contractual arrangements left them ill-prepared to deal with the smoke taint challenge. Avoiding a similar situation once smoke taint inevitably strikes again means understanding the problem and having a strategy in place to address it.
What is smoke taint?
Drinking smoke-tainted wine has been compared to tasting a campfire or an ashtray: most would agree that these are not desirable attributes for wine. These off flavors are caused by volatile phenols that are released by plant matter when it burns. The volatile phenols bond with sugars in the grapes, which produces glycosides. Unlike volatile phenols, glycosides are not volatile, so the smoky quality cannot be smelled or tasted.
The Problem of Uncertainty
During a typical crush, grapes are harvested in the field, delivered to the winery crush pad, inspected, accepted if there are no obvious signs of defects, and the fermentation process begins. If the winery buys the grapes from a grower, acceptance typically obligates the winery to pay the grower, with payment due shortly after harvest, or in installments, the first shortly after harvest and the second a few months later.
However, one of the biggest challenges of smoke taint is its latency. In effect, volatile phenols hibernate: Glycosides become volatile as the wine is fermented and aged and smoke can then be smelled and tasted. It is hard to predict when this will occur, making it difficult to detect, plan for and mitigate the risk of smoke taint during the usual wine making process.
Compounding the uncertainty, there is no universally accepted definition of smoke taint in the industry. Different laboratories and wineries rely on different levels of different chemical markers. Relying on taste and smell is inherently subjective, painfully obvious in some cases, subtle and hard to discern by some palates in others.
Contract Approaches
Ultimately, uncertainty breeds trust and relationship issues best solved in the grape purchase contract. Parties negotiating grape contracts should consider:
Identifying smoke taint using specific chemical markers (perhaps periodically revisited in good faith during the contract as industry knowledge evolves) or using truly neutral subjective evaluators
Using tiered pricing depending on the levels of chemical markers found
Incorporating processes that recognize smoke taint’s latency by delaying acceptance of suspect grapes
Allowing suspect grapes to be processed for the grower’s account
Including a holdback of some portion of the purchase price
Some combination of the above
Don’t Overlook Insurance
Growers and winemakers should review their insurance policies in detail before and after smoke taint strikes and consider working closely with a broker or lawyer to determine whether, when, and how to make a claim.
Understanding how insurance works with smoke taint now can help prepare you after smoke taint strikes. One of the trickiest issues is determining which insurance policy will cover a potential loss. As a general matter, crop insurance will cover damage to grapes while they are on the vine while other forms of property insurance will cover “damage” to grapes after they have been harvested. Growers with healthy crop policies should encourage field inspections before harvest to enable timely claims.
However, since it may not be clear when the grapes were “damaged,” steps taken under one type of policy could impact a claim under a different type of policy. If it is not clear when the grapes were damaged, potential claimants should review their policies carefully and work closely with their consultants, lawyers and brokers to determine the best approach to a potential loss.
Taking the time now to understand your policies before smoke taint hits can help make the claim process less stressful and ensure that no important steps are missed. Grape growers and winemakers should review their insurance policies to determine the supporting documentation required to file a claim. Some policies, for example, may require information about when the grapes were affected, where they were affected, and for how long.
Many policies will also require lab tests from preapproved labs that indicate the presence of smoke taint. At present, pre-harvest tests typically focus on the presence of guaiacol and 4-methylguaiacol and are performed either on whole berry clusters or after the micro-fermentation of samples. Although post-fermentation tests can help confirm the presence of smoke taint, many policies will still require pre-harvest test results.
Potential claimants should also look for other requirements that might affect the viability of their claim. Does a policy require winemakers to segregate the juice from different lots, and should this be part of grape contract negotiations?
Carefully reviewing insurance policies and closely working with your consultants, insurance broker and lawyer may also uncover unexpected sources of recovery. For example, if crop insurance is not available or does not fully cover the loss, it might still be possible to obtain coverage for lost profits and extra expenses due to grower’s inability to harvest grapes due to lack of access or other reasons, or a winery’s inability to procure the grapes it needs to produce wine. As always, to maximize insurance recoveries, it is necessary to quickly and thoroughly gather all relevant facts, supporting documentation and relevant insurance policies, and understand (with a professional’s help, if required) how the insurance policies might respond to particular losses before deciding how one or more insurance claims should be pursued.
Next Steps
Potentially ruined grapes are bad enough: the inherent uncertainty around smoke taint’s presence, cause, and extent exacerbates the related contract and insurance problems. To reduce this uncertainty: review insurance policies and grape contracts so you understand their terms, consider negotiating grape contracts to incorporate practical procedures, and reach out to your consultants, insurance broker or lawyer with any questions about contracts, policies, or general strategy for addressing potential smoke taint damage. Anything you do now can reduce the pressures of the next fire season. – By Matthew Lewis, Tyler Gerking & MaryJo Lopez
Matthew Lewis (right) is a business transactions partner, Tyler Gerking (left) is an insurance recovery partner, and MaryJo Lopez (middle) is an business litigation associate in Farella Braun + Martel’s Wine Industry Group. They can be reached at mlewis@fbm.com, tgerking@fbm.com, and mlopez@fbm.com.
Bill Kustas, ARS hydrologist at Beltsville, MD, checks the position of a water vapor/carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor on a micrometeorological tower. The instrument measures the exchange of water, energy, and CO2 between the soil-plant system and the lower atmosphere (Photo by Peggy Greb).
Scientists with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have teamed up with NASA to use satellites to monitor the water cycle on Earth, specifically “evapotranspiration” — the amount of water that enters the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration from plants. Transpiration occurs during photosynthesis when plants take up carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
That information is especially important for farmers because the data help them get the most from their farms and ranches.
“Evapotranspiration (ET) is an integral part of the water, carbon, and energy cycle of our water, soil, plant, and climate system,” said Bill Kustas, research hydrologist at the ARS Hydrology and Remote Sensing Lab in Beltsville, MD. “Most precipitation returns to the atmosphere in the form of ET, which accounts for two-thirds of the global annual average precipitation. Knowledge of ET is critical for monitoring plant and crop water use and stress, loss of water from lakes and reservoirs, and is essential for scheduling irrigation to maintain proper crop growth and development.”
NASA’s satellites track plant growth, cover and biomass, land surface temperature, and soil moisture — all key elements to ET and plant health. ARS scientists develop models from this information to map ET and plant/crop water status so farmers can maintain proper crop growth and development.
How can a satellite collect that type of information from so far away? According to Kustas, sensors on the satellites measure both reflection and emission of electromagnetic radiation from the land using visible, infrared, thermal-infrared, and microwave wavelengths. The data from these sensors provide unique information about water, soil, and plant properties and states.
“All plants transpire liquid water into water vapor that cools the plant so it can maintain a temperature range that is optimal for photosynthesis and promote efficient plant growth and development,” Kustas said. “This leads to the production of maximum crop yield.”
If the ET rate is not high enough, the plant will undergo stress. In the worst-case scenario, without any available water, plants wilt and die. Kustas said that farmers can avoid this by irrigating crops, but this can reduce water available for other uses, like municipal use and maintenance of healthy ecosystems. Knowing the actual ET rate helps farmers to better determine how much irrigation is needed to maintain healthy crops while reducing over-application and pumping costs.
ARS Hydrologist Bill Kustas (right) and Mina Momayyezi, UC Davis postdoctoral fellow, collect leaf-level photosynthesis and transpiration rates determine vine stress levels (Photo by Nurit Agam).
Ranchers can also benefit from satellite ET mapping. “Ranchers can better manage the land’s grazing potential by moving herds or reducing herd numbers before overgrazing can affect land health and future productivity,” Kustas said.
“Water, specifically the amount and use of root zone soil moisture or plant available water, is the most critical limiting factor in agricultural productivity worldwide,” he said. “ET from satellite remote sensing is particularly important for global food security assessment, especially in water-limited regions that have little data to monitor crop conditions and project future yields.” — By Scott Elliott, USDA ARS Office of Communications
As the world’s top-ranked research institute for viticulture and enology, the University of California, Davis, is pleased to announce the newest members of its Executive Leadership Board for the department of Viticulture and Enology. The 26-member board is an important and influential advisory group for the department.
“All of our new board leaders have really unique skills to help the department achieve our strategic goals,” said David Block, professor and chair of the Viticulture and Enology department. “They bring excellent communication skills, a passion for diversifying the industry and making sure students receive a great education and fulfilling career, and a passion for wine. Past and current members will help us to reach even a higher level of teaching, research and continuing education for the industry.”
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade, three-time NBA champion and thirteen-time NBA All-Star, is co-founder of Wade Cellars in Napa Valley.
Wade founded The Wade Family Foundation to provide relief to marginalized communities in need and also helped launch the Social Change Fund United to invest in and support organizations focused on empowering communities of color. He joined the Executive Leadership Board this year and hopes his involvement will increase minority enrollment and opportunities in programs at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“I’m excited to join forces with UC Davis to support their efforts in bringing more diversity to the wine industry and make it more inclusive,” said Dwyane Wade. “Wine is for everyone, and I look forward to working with my fellow board members to create meaningful and impactful change. Together we hope to reach and inspire our community to pursue a career in the wine industry by creating a more equitable and viable pathway to achieve those dreams.”
As an influential and outspoken activist for social equality, Wade’s expertise will help the department reach new audiences and spawn interest in the wine industry among a diverse and younger demographic.
Julia Coney, founder of Black Wine Professionals, joined the Viticulture and Enology Executive Leadership Board this summer (photo courtesy of Julia Coney).
Julia Coney
Julia Coney, a Washington D.C. and Houston, Texas-based wine writer, educator and founder of Black Wine Professionals, joined the board in June. Coney is a contributing editor at VinePair, the largest online drinks platform. She was recipient of the Wine Enthusiast’s 2020 Social Visionary Award for her work in writing and speaking on diversity, equity and inclusion in the wine industry.
“I look forward to working with my fellow members, faculty, staff and students to increase the diversity of our student population and other key ELB initiatives,” said Coney. “I invite anyone who has ever considered working in the wine industry to come along on this journey.”
Coney has already become actively involved with UC Davis, providing a keynote address at the Viticulture and Enology continuing education event, “The Importance of DEI in the Grape and Wine Industries,” this past June and playing a key role in planning a virtual recruitment event with the department.
Miguel Luna
Miguel Luna, named Viticulturist of the Year in 2020 by Wine Enthusiast, now sits on the UC Davis Viticulture and Enology Department Executive Leadership Board (photo by Suzanne Becker Bronc).
Miguel Luna is a partner with Silverado Farming Company in Napa Valley and is a partner and founder of La Pelle Wines. He was named Viticulturist of the Year in 2020 by Wine Enthusiast. Luna is the first member asked to join the board as the Recent UC Davis V&E Alumnus Board Member, a position created by the ELB to provide a unique perspective on strategic plans for the department. He is recognized for his work as a mentor in the wine industry and for his commitment to transitioning vineyards to herbicide-free environments.
“I am committed to making sure students see viticulture, enology and the wine industry as a great career path,” said Luna. “I am also committed to educating immigrant parents to navigate the American school system to ensure first-generation Americans are prepared to succeed in higher education. It’s a great honor to be part of the ELB and I look forward to helping the V&E program continue to be the best in its class.”
Luna and the Silverado Farming Company team oversee farming for some of the best vineyards across Napa’s top appellations.
More about the board
The Executive Leadership Board is composed of invited industry leaders, educators, wine appreciators and selected colleagues to lend expert counsel and assistance to the department in setting and accomplishing its long-range goals. These goals include strengthening relationships with the wine and grape industries, increasing industry investment in research, building strong relationships with alumni and strengthening the department’s teaching program.
The department also continues its commitment to help increase diversity, equity and inclusion in the wine industry. In 2012, the department of Viticulture and Enology established the Broadening Horizons project, which aims to increase the percentage of underrepresented students pursuing careers in all parts of the grape and wine industry. As a result of those efforts, the percentage of underrepresented students enrolled has increased from less than 10% to more than 25%. — By Amy Quinton, News and Media Relations, UC Davis
Fruit World, a family-owned, flavor-focused grower-shipper of organic and conventional fruit, has announced they expect a robust citrus season, particularly for this year’s organic lemon crop. Promotable volumes of organic lemons from California’s desert region are anticipated through early March. Fruit World will also offer a diverse citrus program throughout the season, including organic and conventional mandarins, organic oranges, and organic specialty citrus such as sweet limes and Minneola tangelos.
“This year’s organic lemon crop is looking very strong—both in terms of volume and quality—and we’re seeing exceptional taste, appearance, and juiciness,” shared Bianca Kaprielian, Fruit World co-founder and CEO. “This year’s desert volume makes for great ad opportunities through March, with our Central Valley ranches filling out availability through May.”
Fruit World also expects a strong organic specialty citrus program this year. “This is our second year offering organic sweet limes, and we are already delivering promotable volumes which should last into December,” Kaprielian added. “This variety pairs the classic fresh lime flavor with exceptional sweetness, making them perfect for juicing, as a salad topping, or even cut into wedges as a snack because they are so sweet.”
Fruit World’s flagship mandarin program will kick off in early November, starting with stem & leaf Satsumas and their proprietary Early Dulce mandarin variety. Organic Satsumas and Clementines will start in November, with additional varieties available into April.
A lighter than typical season is expected for mandarins this year, a concern seen industry-wide due to excessive heat in May and June paired with last year’s large crop set affecting this year’s bloom. “To establish high flavor and exceptional color right from the start of the season, we plan to start shipping mandarins and navels about two weeks later than usual and have a slightly earlier end to the season,” noted CJ Buxman, co-founder of Fruit World and organic citrus grower. “This shift also allows us to ensure uninterrupted supply of high-quality fruit throughout the season.”
In addition, the company has already started shipping the popular organic Rio Red grapefruit variety. “Our California-grown Rio Reds are top-notch quality and have beautiful interior color. We’ve seen strong demand, partly due to last season’s freeze in Mexico and Texas which affected the overall grapefruit supply,” said Buxman.
Navel oranges will start shipping at the end of October, followed by Minneola tangelos in early December, with the season rounding out with Cara Caras and blood oranges starting in January.
As they plan for the future, Fruit World is expanding their specialty citrus program by planting organic mandarinquats, kumquats, lemonade lemons and more that will be available in upcoming seasons. The company also has a significant amount of mandarin and navel acreage in transition from conventional to organic, including heirloom navels in their second year of transition, so coming years should see increased organic volume.
For more information or to place an order, call (559) 650-0334 or visit fruitworldco.com.
Assembly Bill 535 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom last week. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Ceclia Aguiar-Curry, establishes guidelines for how companies can use the word “California” on olive oil labels and other marketing materials.
While the OOCC does not have authority to lobby and did not take a position on this bill, the new ruling is critically important to the goals of our organization: ensuring California olive oil is accurately labeled so that customers can have confidence in the quality of California olive oil and all California olive oil is trusted and valued.
The bill was supported by a group of California olive oil producers who launched a Truth in Labeling informational campaign.
According to a press release from Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, consumers associate California produced olive oils with quality and demand has steadily increased over time. This increase in demand has led to companies using the word “California” on labels, even if the product only contains a small percentage of oil from olives actually produced in the state.
Aguiar-Curry carried the bill because she believes misleading labeling causes confusion among consumers. It also places 100 percent California olive oil farmers and producers at a competitive disadvantage because of the greater regulatory burden and higher costs, and hurts the reputation of California olive oil as a trusted product.
The guideline for olive oil labeling that Assembly Bill 535 provides consumers with clear and transparent information about the oil they are purchasing. The bill will require companies to disclose the minimum percentage of California olive oil present in their product and in the same size as the word “California” on their product label, packaging and marketing materials.
The bill does not prohibit or restrict blending oils from different sources and destinations, it only requires the term “California” be used in a way that truthfully and clearly represents the actual amount of California-grown olives used in the product.
With this bill, supporters hope to strengthen the integrity of California olive oils as a premium and trusted product. — Olive Oil Commission of California
A tiny wasp may be the solution for managing an agricultural pest causing major economic damage to fruit, vegetable, and field crops in North America and Europe.
A female samurai wasp (Trissolcus japonicus) emerges from a brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) egg. (Photo by Elijah Talamas)
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are currently studying Trissolcus japonicus, commonly known as the samurai wasp, to see if this parasitoid wasp is the right biological control agent for reducing brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) (BMSB) populations outside of Asia.
Biological control is the process of reducing or mitigating pests or pathogens by using the pest’s or pathogen’s natural enemies. The samurai wasp is a known natural enemy for the BMSB in Asia, and researchers are understanding how it behaves in non-native environments.
At the ARS Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit in Newark, DE, researchers are observing the behaviors of both quarantined samurai wasps from Beijing and local wild populations. They found these wasps have a strong preference for parasitizing BMSB’s eggs.
“Parasitic wasps have the amazing ability to detect kairomones [chemical substances emitted by one organism and detected by another organism] that are left on surfaces or in the air of their hosts,” said Dr. Kim Hoelmer, research entomologist and research leader at the Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit.
“In the field, when a female samurai wasp looks for evidence of her host in the environment, she can detect her host’s kairomones left on a leaf’s surface. The wasp increases her search when she detects the kairomones and that increases her probability of finding the host.”
The research shows promise in that samurai wasps prefer their natural hosts’ eggs over those of other species.
This finding does not surprise researchers since it is common for parasitoid wasps to have close relationships with their hosts.
“The more intimate the relationship is, the better parasitoid wasps are as biocontrol agents,” said Dr. Matt Buffington, research entomologist with the ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory, located in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
The tiny size of the samurai wasp (Trissolcus japonicus) is apparent from this dime, which has several of the insects sitting on it. (Photo by Ashley Colavecchio)
Buffington and postdoctoral ARS scientist Elijah Talamas were instrumental in correctly identifying the samurai wasp from other Trissolcus species.
“Parasitoid wasps play major roles in population regulation [of pests]. With this one species, we can explain how biological control works in our environment,” said Buffington.
But do samurai wasps exhibit the same behaviors in the wild?
In addition to laboratory studies, researchers are observing samurai wasps in natural environments, such as orchards and crop fields, where the BMSB is present. These wasps are adventive in North America, meaning they arrived accidentally without any human aid.
At the ARS Appalachian Fruit Research Station in Kearneysville, WV, researchers are studying how samurai wasps reduce BMSB populations across a landscape. The research aims to determine if samurai wasps can survive in areas with other agricultural factors such as pesticides.
According to research entomologist Dr. Tracy Leskey, BMSB populations can disperse and develop in areas outside of orchards and crop fields. The stink bugs constantly reinvade new areas, called wild host habitats, for survival.
“We hope that samurai wasps can reduce those populations in wild host habitats, so we have less pressure in our agricultural areas,” said Leskey.
The wasp is tiny; approximately 1.5 mm or the size of a sesame seed.
Even though the samurai wasp shows promise as a biological control agent, researchers must follow a rigorous process to ensure that the samurai wasp’s impact is limited to its host and is not a threat to animals, humans, and crops.
ARS researchers are in the process of requesting a permit for quarantined samurai wasps from Beijing to be approved for field release. Currently, wild populations of the samurai wasp are in 14 states. The permit would allow states without wild populations to use the wasp as a biocontrol agent for managing their BMSB populations. In addition, the permit would allow states with existing wild populations to introduce new samurai wasps in their management efforts.
BMSB has been detected in 47 states and four Canadian provinces. BMSB is responsible for crop damage costing millions of dollars each year. This pest is also causing agricultural damage abroad after its infestation in European countries.
Blue Diamond Growers Foundation is pleased to announce its 2021-2022 scholarship recipients. This year, scholarship funding is being awarded to 24 college students who are either dependents of Blue Diamond employees or are members of local communities pursuing agriculture-related fields of study at colleges and universities in California and throughout the country.
“For agriculture to succeed for years to come, it will require the dedication and hard work of the next generation,” said Dan Cummings, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Blue Diamond Growers. “We are so pleased that the Blue Diamond Growers Foundation regularly supports dependents of our own Blue Diamond employees as well as assists students whose goals are to be a positive influence on the future of agriculture and who want to make a difference in their communities.”
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Blue Diamond Growers Foundation was established in 2011 for the purpose of providing scholarships to students who have demonstrated excellent academic performance and are pursuing a four-year college. Since 2011, the Blue Diamond Foundation has awarded nearly
150 scholarships to help students in our local communities achieve their dreams of a college education.
This year’s Blue Diamond Growers Foundation scholarship recipients include:
NAME/HOMETOWN
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
MAJOR
Ashleigh Sorensen
Sanger, Calif.
Fresno State University
Agribusiness
Ashlyn Wooldridge
Arbuckle, Calif.
Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Plant and Environment Sciences
Averie Konefat
Patterson, Calif.
Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Ag Science
Cal Muxlow
Kingsburg, Calif.
Fresno State University
Agribusiness
Gabriela Moreno
Winton, Calif.
Merced Community College then Fresno State University
Ag Education and Communications
Gunnar Kale
Merced, Calif.
Morningside University
Ag and Food Sciences (Minor in Agronomy)
NAME/HOMETOWN
COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY
MAJOR
Jane Saenz
Shafter, Calif.
Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Ag Systems Management,
Wine and Viticulture
Jenna Keller
Porterville, Calif.
Cal Poly or Cornell University
Plant Science and International Ag
Kalifornia Kindelt
Woodland, Calif.
Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Ag Communications
Kathryn Williams
Arbuckle, Calif.
Ag Communications
Lauren McEwen
Exeter, Calif.
Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Ag Communications
Lauren Schaap
Visalia, Calif.
Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo
Ag Communications
Laynee Haywood
Maxwell, Calif.
Texas Tech University
Agribusiness (Concentration in
International Agribusiness)
The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) on Tuesday presented its Business for Bees Sustainability Award – an honor reserved for standout organizations that go above and beyond to support pollinators – to the Almond Board of California (ABC) and the state’s almond farmers.
“This is about their long-term dedication to supporting all pollinators in their orchards and throughout our ecosystem,” said Kelly Rourke, executive director of Pollinator Partnership, which founded NAPPC 21 years ago. “We’ve worked with them for many years and this is well-deserved recognition of their steadfast commitment to engaging farmers in pollinator conservation on multiple levels. The Almond Board and the entire almond industry have really moved the needle to raise awareness and generate action to protect pollinators.”
NAPPC has only given out its Business for Bees Sustainability Award once before. It is given in years when there is a business taking extra special steps to protect bees and all pollinators and to advance sustainability and innovation.
“ABC’s name is on this award, but it really goes to the 7,600 almond farmers in California,” said Josette Lewis, ABC’s chief scientific officer. “Farmers understand how important pollinators are to growing almonds and to all of agriculture and the environment. They want to be part of the solution.
The reasons for the award, Rourke said, include ABC’s leadership in founding the California Pollinator Coalition, its work promoting on-farm pollinator habitat and its support of years of research and education about the best practices for providing hospitable environments for pollinators in almond orchards and in other habitats.
ABC worked with Pollinator Partnership and the California Department of Food and Agriculture last spring to create the California Pollinator Coalition (CPC) which brought together a broad array of grower organizations across the state’s ag and environmental landscape to help promote the health of wild and managed pollinators.
“The formation of the California Pollinator Coalition was such a big step,” said Laurie Davies Adams, Pollinator Partnership’s Director of Programs, who helped found the CPC. “This is a unique statewide coalition that brings together every grower, farmer and rancher group. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. It’s going to make a real difference on the ground.”
NAPPC is a collaboration of diverse partners from the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It includes respected scientists, researchers, business people, conservationists and government officials. NAPPC works to promote awareness and scientific understanding of pollinators, to find common ground for solutions and to create innovative initiatives that benefit pollinators. NAPPC is administered and supported by Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit headquartered in San Francisco with a mission to promote the health of pollinators through education, conservation and research.
The award was announced during NAPPC’s 21st Annual International Conference, held virtually this year for the second time and hosted by the Pollinator Partnership and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The conference and award ceremony were planned for the Smithsonian before being forced to remain virtual because of COVID-19.
Rourke and Adams said they would have liked to have given the honor in person to show how much they appreciate ABC’s work. “The strong effort that the Almond Board of California has mounted with the support of the almond industry to engage farmers and the entire agricultural community far beyond almond orchards is really impressive,” Adams said. “Bringing every grower group together to have an agriculturally-led coalition for pollinators is significant. It will provide building blocks for even more engagement and large results. It’s a pioneering effort that other states are seeking to emulate.”
“This is an outstanding honor for our farmers,” Lewis said, “especially considering all the good work that NAPPC and the Pollinator Partnership do. As much as anyone, almond farmers are tuned in to the importance of pollinators to their crops and our ecosystem. That’s why they work so hard to make their orchards healthy places for pollinators.”
Almond farmers across California’s Central Valley sit in what is essentially a flyway for pollinators. In recent years, almond farmers have applied to certify more than 110,000 acres of Bee Friendly Farming®, providing pollinator habitat and integrated pest management across the valley to keep that flyway healthy and create badly needed floral resources that compliment and expand beyond the annual almond bloom.
“Almond farmers have doubled the number of acres of bee friendly habit in California and in that pollinator flyway,” Lewis said. “We’re proud to help lead a broad coalition of agriculture and conservation groups to work together to promote and preserve habitat for pollinators.”
About the Almond Board of California
ABC is a Federal Marketing Order dedicated to promoting California almonds to domestic and international audiences through marketing efforts and by funding and promoting research about almonds’ health benefits, efficient and sustainable farming, food safety and more. ABC works on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, many of whom are multi-generational family operations.
About The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
For over 20 years, NAPPC has brought together stakeholders from all sectors of the pollinator issue in a collaborative partnership to support pollinator health across the North American continent. More than any other single organization, the collective effort of these 180 plus organizations has made pollinator health a feature in conservation landscape management. From its many Task Forces, NAPPC affects change and moves solid science into real progress on the ground. Managed by the Pollinator Partnership, more can be found about NAPPC at NAPPC | Pollinator.org.
Leading Harvest, a U.S. nonprofit advancing sustainable agriculture and food production through its unique universal Farmland Management Standard, announced today that it has named Kenny Fahey as the organization’s first president and CEO.
The unanimous decision by the Board of Directors recognizes Fahey’s deep commitment to advancing sustainable agriculture practices, and his success guiding Leading Harvest as its executive director since the organization launched 18 months ago.
“Kenny has led us through our early months with a strong and sure hand, and the full board is thrilled that he will continue to drive Leading Harvest’s efforts as we build on our successes in the U.S., engage with the supply chain and expand our reach in international markets,” said Oliver Williams, IV, who chairs Leading Harvest’s Board of Directors and is head of agricultural investments for Hancock Natural Resource Group.
Fahey, who came to Leading Harvest on loan from The Conservation Fund, where he served as Working Lands Principal, has successfully enrolled more than 1.3 million acres across 29 states in the Farmland Management Standard, and is guiding the organization’s expansion of its footprint internationally with a pilot program in Australia.
Fahey’s engagement with Leading Harvest began at its inception, when The Conservation Fund was asked to convene a group of farmers, investors, NGOs, and farm managers to create a universal third-party certification program for farmland management. Larry Selzer, president and CEO of The Conservation Fund, appointed Fahey to staff the group, and when Leading Harvest launched as its own organization, he was asked by the board to serve as interim executive director.
“This is a bittersweet moment for The Conservation Fund, where Kenny has been a highly respected and valued colleague,” said Selzer, vice chair of Leading Harvest’s Board of Directors. “But we know that Leading Harvest — and the future of agriculture — will be well-served by this terrific, committed leader in our conservation and sustainability movement.”
Fahey will continue his work engaging a broad stakeholder community seeking alignment with public and private sustainability strategies and initiatives, as well as collaborating with organizations such as the Walton Family Foundation, which provided a generous grant to pilot a Leading Harvest effort with farmers in the Upper Mississippi River Basin.
A graduate of Bowdoin College, Fahey holds both MBA and MS degrees from the University of Michigan.
Leading Harvest’s Farmland Management Standard is the first scalable, industry-wide solution to urgent issues facing us – from climate change and biodiversity to the resilience of our cropland’s soil and community. The rapid adoption of the Standard underscores the enormous global interest in sustainable farmland.
Fruit World, a family-owned, flavor-focused grower-shipper of organic and conventional fruit, has announced they expect a robust citrus season, particularly for this year’s organic lemon crop. Promotable volumes of organic lemons from California’s desert region are anticipated through early March. Fruit World will also offer a diverse citrus program throughout the season, including organic and conventional mandarins, organic oranges, and organic specialty citrus such as sweet limes and Minneola tangelos.
