California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • Saving Money on Sustainable Farming with Sonoma’s Dutton Ranch

    Sonoma County farmers have been outstanding examples of moving towards new and innovative sustainable practices on their farms. Sustainability takes many forms though, and accounts for the health and prosperity of both the land and the steward. There are costs with implementing sustainable practices on the farm, but many of these can return savings to the farmers as well, such as apple and wine grape grower Steve Dutton’s recent investment in renewable energy. Watch this brief interview and read more about sustainable farming in American Vineyard and California Fresh Fruit Magazines.
     
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Meat Purchases and Confidence at Record Highs

    Americans are buying more beef, pork, poultry, and lamb than ever as increased time at home during the pandemic sent meat grocery sales soaring by 20% (IRI) from 2019 to 2020.

    The national analysis released today shows that three out of every four Americans agree meat belongs in healthy, balanced diets (up by nearly 20% since 2020), and 94% say they buy meat because it provides high-quality protein.

    Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts commented, “Americans feel better than ever about choosing meat as part of healthy, balanced diets. With COVID-19 deepening demand for convenient, affordable food that tastes good and matches Americans’ values, meat fits the bill.”

    Nearly all American households (98.4%) purchased meat in 2020 (IRI), and 43% of Americans now buy more meat than before the pandemic – primarily because they are preparing more meals at home.

    The proportion of meals prepared at home peaked at 89% in April 2020 and remained at 84% in December (IRI), considerably above pre-pandemic levels and particularly impacting Millennials who were previously most likely to eat out.

    The number of meat shoppers who purchased groceries online grew 40% in 2020, and the majority of online purchasers (59%) expect to continue purchasing about the same amount online in 2021, suggesting food shopping habits may have changed permanently.

    Americans are also embracing new cooking methods (ownership of air fryers increased 24%) and turning to digital sources for recipe inspiration (YouTube use is up 50%) and promotions (consulting digital circulars for promotions increased 33%).

    “Shoppers are cooking more at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and their confidence in cooking and preparing meat has increased,” said Rick Stein, Vice President of Fresh Foods for FMI—The Food Industry Association. “Further analysis also shows convenient meal solutions are key and that food retailers have opportunities to provide more choices, along with more information and education on consumer priorities like nutrition and meal preparation – building up what we call consumers’ Meat IQ.”

    The Power of Meat study was conducted by 210 Analytics on behalf of FMI—The Food Industry Association and the Meat Institute’s Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education and released during the American Meat Conference.

    Top Findings of the Power of Meat 2021

    1. The pandemic showed us just how popular meat and poultry still are.
      With consumers cooking at home during the pandemic, meat department dollars increased 19.2% and volume 11.0%. This was due to more meat trips and greater spending per trip, while household penetration remained high, at 98.4% (IRI).

    2. The pandemic brought more home-cooked meals with meat, with the shopper’s eye turning to convenience and variety. An important silver lining of the pandemic is greater meat preparation knowledge, which is likely to benefit the retail meat industry for years, if not generations, to come. But the initial cooking enthusiasm is making way for a quest for variety and convenience. Value-added meat/poultry sales grew based on greater household engagement and increased frequency of use.

    3. More than three-quarters of shoppers changed something about their meat purchases during the pandemic.
      Driven by lunch and dinner, 43% of shoppers bought more meat and poultry, greatly impacted by the work-from-home trend. Additionally, four in 10 shoppers bought differently, whether different types (42%), cuts (40%) or brands (45%).

    4. Online meat shopping increased during the pandemic.
      While supermarkets easily remained the biggest outlet for meat, 56% of shoppers purchased groceries online in 2020. Up from 19%, 31% of shoppers ordered meat online in 2020, and those that ordered meat did so more often.

    5. Consumers look for meat sales/deals more often, but fewer sales were made on promotion during the pandemic.
      More shoppers looked for promotions across stores (68%) or at their primary store (78%) as they shifted to buying in bigger quantities to freeze and use over time. The digital circular gained big, but in-store signage remained the most popular way to research meat specials.

    6. Consumers’ perception of case-ready reaches a study high 81% favorability.
      Shoppers have a positive impression of case-ready with 26% believing it is better than meat that is cut/packaged in-store and 55% believe it is equally good.

    7. Better-for-you gains appeal as shoppers focus on health and nutrition.
      Food has become more than just fuel and shoppers look for meat/poultry items they believe are better-for-me/their family. Many (71%) are putting effort into choosing nutritious and healthful meat and poultry choices. High interest in these areas expresses itself in vastly different protein choices, including purchasing claims-based meat, blends, alternatives and eating a little less of it.

    8. Environmental sustainability is a rising platform driving dollars across categories, including meat/poultry.
      Many (49%) consider sustainability factors when making meat purchases including better for the planet (34%), the worker/rancher (29%) and the animal (27%). Sixty percent of shoppers try to do their part for the environment and 43% believe that ranchers take steps to protect the planet. The 37% share of consumers who are unsure about environmental measures taken signal an important education opportunity for the meat retailing industry.

    9. Animal welfare remained important during the pandemic and is a multi-faceted concept in the eyes of the consumer. Fifty-five percent of shoppers say having information about how and where the animal was raised and processed is important. Consumers’ definition of animal welfare involves many aspects of animal living, feeding and care conditions, including how animals are handled during slaughter (60%), access to outdoors (60%) and the amount of living space (58%). More people believe the meat they buy came from humanely-treated animals (44%) but 40% are simply unsure.

    10. Plant-based meat alternatives grew 83.9% but remain just 0.6% of combined meat/alternative dollar sales.
      At $475 million, refrigerated plant-based meat alternatives experienced robust growth. Just shy of 10% of households bought alternatives in 2020, but 40% did so only once. (IRI) Vegetable/meat blends, such as mushroom burgers, have greater appeal, and can be a bridge between continued meat consumption and providing benefits people look for in plant-forward eating.

    Download your report copy, top 10 and slides from the conference platform HERE.
    -For study information/questions, please contact Anne-Marie Roerink at aroerink@210analytics.com
    -For questions about NAMI, please contact Ann Wells at awells@meatinstitute.org
    -For questions about FMI, please contact Rick Stein at rstein@fmi.org

    About Meat Institute’s Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education

    The Foundation for Meat and Poultry Research and Education (Foundation) is a non-profit research, education and information foundation established to identify strategies that enable the meat and poultry industry to produce better, safer products and to operate more efficiently. The Foundation engages leaders from industry, academia and government to advance scientific understanding related to food safety, nutrition, the environment, animal welfare and worker safety, among other issues. The Foundation does not engage in policymaking but provides scientific evidence and context to governmental agencies as needed. The Foundation also provides resources to consumers to empower them with information to select and prepare safe and nutritious meat and poultry products for their families. For more information, visit: http://meatpoultryfoundation.org/pages/about.

    About FMI

    As the food industry association, FMI works with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier and more efficient consumer food supply chain. FMI brings together a wide range of members across the value chain — from retailers that sell to consumers, to producers that supply food and other products, as well as the wide variety of companies providing critical services — to amplify the collective work of the industry. For more information, visit: www.FMI.org.

  • Fresno County Dominates CA Processing Tomato Production

    The USDA-NASS Pacific Regional Office surveyed California’s tomato processors for their final acreage and tonnage for the 2020 season. The reported data is summarized by county and listed with final 2019 acres, yield and production for comparison.

    In 2020, there were 234,000 acres of processing tomatoes planted in California, a decrease of 1,000 acres compared to 2019. An estimated 228,000 acres were harvested in 2020, unchanged from the previous year. Total 2020 production was 11.31 million tons, 1.1% higher than the 2019 final production of 11.19 million tons.

    Fresno County continued to be the top California county with 3.62 million tons produced. The remaining top five counties include Yolo, Kings, Merced and San Joaquin, accounting for 74% of the total 2020 processing tomato tonnage for California. 

  • Viral Lettuce Disease Threatens Western Growers

    A recent report of viral disease on lettuce from our neighbor (Yuma, Arizona) caught our attention since this is highly relevant to our production system (please find information on the first link below). The name of the virus is “Impatient Necrotic Sport Virus” (INSV), which is a tospovirus, similar to the virus that attacks tomato to cause tomato spotted wilt virus symptoms. This virus (INSV) was first reported affecting lettuce crops in Salinas Valley of California in 2006. Subsequently, it was reported to cause crop loss in 2012 and 2015 in the same area. This virus is transmitted by western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), which is very common and abundant in the low desert region. Early symptoms of infection by INSV are brown to dark spots and dead (necrotic) areas on leaves, which is often mistaken as chemical burn as shown in the picture below on the left-hand side (Photo Credit: Steven T. Koike, UCANR). As the disease progress, multiple leaves could be affected and result in distorted, twisted and dwarf plants (picture on the right). Most of the lettuce types are susceptible to this virus. Several weed species also believed to be the hosts of this virus. Thrips, that also feed on the alternate host weeds can facilitate INSV transmission to lettuce and other crops.

    The good news is that this virus has not been reported from Imperial Valley to our best knowledge. However, we must keep an eye on anything unusual, especially the symptoms shown in the pictures below.

    If you observe similar symptoms on your lettuce or related crops, please bring to our attention, contact us at (442) 265-7700 or bring the sample to our office, 1050 E Holton Road, Holtville, CA 92250.

    For more information:

    https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/agricultural-ipm/vegetables/vipm-archive/vipm-plant-view/impatiens-necrotic-spot-virus

    https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=7309

    https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=17351

    -By Apurba Barman & Oli Bachie, UC Cooperative Extension

  • New UCCE IPM advisor in Imperial County

    Apurba Barman joined UC Cooperative Extension as low desert integrated pest management advisor on Jan. 11, 2021. He will be headquartered at the UCCE Imperial County office, which adjoins the UC Desert Research and Extension Center in Holtville.

    “I am very excited for my new role as an IPM advisor based in Southern California and for the opportunity to serve one of the most important vegetable production regions in the state,” Barman said. “The diversity and intensity of crop production in this region demand targeted research to solve pest management issues and effective extension programs to reach diverse clientele. I feel prepared for this job with my experience and passion to serve the community.”

    Barman earned a bachelor’s degree at Assam Agricultural University in India, and master’s degrees in Indiana and at Texas Tech University, Lubbock. In 2011, he completed a doctorate degree at Texas A&M University in College Station, where he developed a research program to understand the extent of damage and management of thrips in the Texas High Plains region.

    Barman comes to UC Cooperative Extension from the University of Georgia, where he led a whitefly monitoring and management progress across cropping systems in the southern region the state.

    Barman can be reached at (209) 285-9810 and akbarman@ucanr.edu. His Twitter handle is @Ento_Barman.

  • Celebrating Seed Week – Food Security and Hope

    To bring awareness to the importance of seeds, the Crop Science Society of America is celebrating Seed Week March 22-28, 2021.Seed week logo

    Anyone who plants a seed is investing in hope. That’s one of the attractions of seeds. For the gardener, it could be hope for a beautiful flower, or perhaps a delicious zucchini squash. For our farmers, seeds are the hope of this year’s yields of produce, cash crops or forage. No matter the size or shape of the seed, they all can bring forth new life.

    Seeds also are crucial for the food security of the human population. Scientists keeps seeds in seed banks in case of disaster. They use seeds from different cultivars to breed new crops that are disease resistant. Other attributes for new varieties like drought tolerance and improved shelf life start with the genetic material contained in seeds. Sometimes genetic diversity needs to be stored in other ways, but the large majority of the genetic information of our crops is contained in seeds.

    The content collected for Seed Week includes:

      • Seven new blog posts just for Seed Week, in addition to ones previously published on the Sustainable, Secure Food Blog. Topics include:
      • A collection of CSSA news stories about seed science.
      • A video about a crop scientist who studies seed germination.
      • Science research from journals published by CSSA.
      • A variety of K-12 activities to learn about seeds.
    Seeds in being inspected at the USDA (Photo by Scott Bauer)

    American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America, Crop Science Society of America: Collectively, these Societies represent more than 12,000 individual members around the world. Members are researchers and professionals in the areas of growing our world’s food supply while protecting our environment. Together we work toward solutions to advance scientific knowledge in the areas of agronomy, crop science, and soil science.

    Twitter: @ASA_CSSA_SSSA & @SSSA_soils | Facebook: ASA, CSSA & SSSA | Instagram: @sustainablefoodsupply & @iheartsoil

  • Biopesticides: Categories and Use Strategies for IPM and IRM

    Biopesticides contain active ingredients of natural or biological origin that include plant extracts, microorganisms, microbial metabolites, organic molecules, minerals, or other such natural materials that have pesticidal properties.  Pests such as herbivorous arthropods, pathogens, parasitic nematodes, mollusks, rodents, and weeds cause significant crop damage when they are not managed.  Pest suppression is a critical part of crop production to maintain plant health, prevent yield losses, and optimize returns.  As agriculture advanced from subsistence farming to a global enterprise, crop protection also evolved over millennia.  When farming was less organized, nature maintained a balance and provided solutions initially.  Then natural solutions were actively implemented until industrialization led to the use of synthetic inputs in the 20th century.  While synthetic fertilizers and pesticides contributed to a tremendous improvement in the yield potential, the indiscriminate use of some of them and the resulting damage to the environment and human health steered food production in the recent past towards organic farming with the use of nature-based solutions.

    Although biopesticides have been around for a few decades, the growth of organic farming gave an impetus to the biopesticide industry during the past few years resulting in the development of new active ingredients and improved formulations.  Now, biopesticides are considered an important part of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies in both organic and conventional systems.  With a considerable industry investment in research and development, the quality and efficacy of biopesticides have also significantly improved.  This has also contributed to optimizing the cost of some formulations.  However, there is still a need to fill the knowledge gaps in biopesticides and their use.  Depending on the active ingredient, the mode of action for biopesticides, their target pests, their storage and handling, and the use strategies are quite diverse, and a thorough understanding of these aspects is critical for their successful use.  As emphasized in the new IPM model (Dara, 2019), while biopesticide use is an integral part of crop protection, understanding the pest biology, using biopesticides appropriate for the target life stage of the pest, applying them at the right time and rate using the right technology, avoiding incompatibility issues, building and sharing effective use strategies, and continuously investing in research and outreach are essential elements of biopesticide use.  Biopesticides also play an important role in insecticide resistance management (IRM) to address resistance issues associated with synthetic pesticides.  This article provides an overview of various biopesticide categories and general strategies for their successful use for IPM and IRM.

    Biopesticides can be used for managing arthropod pests, bacterial or fungal pathogens, plant-parasitic nematodes, weeds, and snails and slugs.  Some formulations or active ingredients have multiple roles and can be effective against more than one category of pests.  While some active ingredients are very specific to a particular pest or related species, others have a broad-spectrum activity.  Based on the source, biopesticides can be placed in four broad categories: i) botanicals, ii) microbials, iii) toxins, and iv) minerals and other natural materials.

    Botanical extracts: Plants are a rich source of numerous phytochemicals or secondary metabolites that have a wide range of properties including pesticidal activity.  Acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, and terpenoids in plant extracts or oils obtained from seeds and other plant parts are some of the compounds present in various biopesticides (Pino et al., 2013).  Azadirachtin, BLAD (polypeptide from sweet lupine seeds), citric acid, essential oils, pyrethrins, soybean oil, and extract of the giant knotweed are used for their acaricidal, insecticidal, fungicidal, nematicidal, or herbicidal properties.

    Microbials: Some of the microbial pesticides have live microorganisms (such as entomopathogens, Bacillus spp., Streptomyces spp., and Trichoderma spp.) while others (such as Burkholderia rinojensis and Chromobacterium subtsugae)have heat-killed microorganisms and fermentation solids as the active ingredients.  Entomopathogenic microorganisms [Bacillus thuringiensis (bacterium), Beauveria bassiana and Cordyceps fumosorosea (fungi), Heterorhabditis spp. and Steinernema spp. (nematodes), and granuloviruses and nucleopolyhedroviruses] primarily kill their hosts through infection; microbe-based fungicides antagonize plant pathogens through competitive displacement and production of toxic metabolites; nematophagous fungi parasitize plant-parasitic nematodes; and plant pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses infect and suppress weeds.  Bacteriophages, which are viruses that parasitize bacteria, are used against the plant pathogenic species of Clavibacter, Erwinia, Pseudomonas, Xanthomonas, Xylella, and other genera.

    Toxins and other organic molecules: There are multiple examples of toxic organic molecules derived from various organisms.  Avermectins from the bacterium Streptomyces avermitilis and spinosad from the bacterium Saccharopolyspora spinosa, strobulurin from the mushroom Strobuluris tenacellus, and cerevisane from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisae are some of the microbial toxins that are effective against insects, plant-parasitic nematodes, or snails and slugs.  A venom peptide from the Blue Mountains funnel-web spider, Hadronyche versuta, from Australia is a recently developed insecticide active ingredient with its unique mode of action class.  Chitosan, a polysaccharide from the exoskeleton of shellfish, is a fungicide.

    Minerals and other natural materials: Diatomaceous earth, mineral oil, and minerals such as sulfur are used for controlling multiple categories of pests.  Potassium salts of fatty acids of plant or animal origin, known as insecticidal soap, have insecticidal and fungicidal properties.  Organic acids such as acetic acid and citric acid are derived from plants and have fungicidal and herbicidal properties.  Since these are different from other botanical extracts, they are placed in this category.

    Except for the microbial pesticides that have live microorganisms, most biopesticides have chemical molecules of microbial, fungal, botanical, or mineral origin and work through various modes of action similar to synthetic pesticides.  Several synthetic pesticides are developed from natural molecules.  Abamectin, pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, spinetoram, and storbulurins are synthetic analogs based on avermectins, pyrethrins, nicotine, spinosad, and strobulurin, respectively, and were developed for improved stability, safety, or ease of commercial-scale production.

    Integrated pest management and resistance management: Biopesticides are very diverse in their origin and mode of action and have been successfully used in several cropping systems for managing a variety of pests.  They have complex interactions with plants, soil microbiota, pests, and environmental conditions.  It is critical to have a good understanding of the source of biopesticides and how they act on their target pests.  Certain biopesticides may have special storage and handling requirements or tank-mixing restrictions.  It is essential to refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines or label instructions to avoid incompatible tank-mix combinations, understand proper application sequences, and to store, transport, and apply under unfavorable conditions.  While it is very important to use biopesticides as a part of the IPM program and tools for IRM, caution is warranted to avoid repeated use of the same or a similar type of biopesticide.  Pests can develop resistance to biopesticides just as they do to synthetic pesticides (Dara, 2020).

    Strategies for using biopesticides: From the seed or transplant treatment to soil or foliar application, biopesticides can be used throughout crop production.  Certain combinations can have an additive or a synergistic effect on pest suppression.  At the same time, certain inputs or practices can negatively impact biopesticide efficacy.  For example, alkaline tank-mix components breakdown the protein coat of entomopathogenic viruses and Bacillus thuringiensis.  Botanical oils can be incompatible with cold water.  Some fungicides such as captan and thiram are incompatible with entomopathogenic fungi like Beauveria bassiana while several others are compatible (Dara et al., 2014).

    Investing in biopesticides: Environmental safety and resistance development are two major concerns for excessive use of synthetic pesticides and incorporating biopesticides into IPM will help address both issues.  Substituting biopesticides for synthetic pesticides will reduce the total amount of the latter during a production season and their potential negative impact on the environment and human health.  Several biopesticides are not harmful to pollinators and in some production systems, pollinators are used to deliver biopesticides to the crops they pollinate.  Adding biopesticides to the standard crop protection program will also increase pest control efficacy.  Additionally, by not continuously using synthetic pesticides, the risk of resistance will be reduced and thus their efficacy will continue to be maintained.  Although some biopesticides can be more expensive than synthetic pesticides, investing in them will be a good strategy for both the short-term benefit of effective pest suppression and the long-term benefit of a healthy and resilient ecosystem.  Since pests do not have boundaries, area-wide implementation of good agricultural practices with a balanced use of synthetic and natural inputs is necessary for maintaining the productivity of the cropping systems.

    Productive collaborations among the pesticide industry, researchers, extension educators, and the grower community are critical for successfully using biopesticides for sustainable food production.  While research helps to develop effective formulations and their use strategies, outreach helps with the implementation of those strategies. — By Surendra K. Dara, UC Cooperative Extension Advisor, Entomology & Biologicals

  • Women’s Group Effectively Speaks on Behalf of the Busy Farmer

    In 1975, a group of women concerned about challenges to California agriculture got together to “speak on behalf of the busy farmer” and educate consumers and legislators about farming issues. Today, the CWA has become one of the largest all-volunteer advocacy groups in the nation, consisting of a diverse group of bankers, lawyers, accountants, marketing professionals and consumers – along with farmers and ranchers.

    Rose Tryon, a fifth-generation rancher beginning her second year as CWA president, said it is critically important that the ag industry continues to mount education and advocacy efforts, and last year added a digital campaign to its usual lobbying efforts.

    “Last year we ran a digital campaign titled Faces of Ag, where our communications team highlighted members who work in different facets of the industry,” she said. “We wanted to point out (to lawmakers) how important agriculture is to the state’s economy, how many jobs are involved and how many women and minorities are involved in ag and make a connection about how their decisions affect women and minority populations and ag in general. Our membership is as diverse as the crops we grow.”

    Because of the importance of educating policymakers about the many issues affecting farming and ranching in California, Farm Credit associations serving California have sponsored CWA for more than 20 years. Supporting Farm Credit institutions are American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West and Fresno Madera Farm Credit – all of which are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, the largest provider of credit to American agriculture.

    “About half of the million dollars Farm Credit donates to nonprofits each year goes to preserving agriculture and raising awareness of the importance of agriculture in California,” said Timothy Elrod, president and CEO of Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit. “CWA’s 1,300 members do a great job educating decision-makers and advocating for policies that keep our state’s agriculture industry competitive and viable. We believe our contribution of $10,000 a year to support this great organization is an investment in the future of farming.”

    Tryon said Farm Credit’s support over the years has been essential in helping the organization grow.

    “We can’t continue to advocate without our sponsors, and we are so appreciative of Farm Credit’s support. They’ve been an absolutely wonderful sponsor, and we couldn’t continue without them,” she said.

    The organization consists of 21 local chapters that focus on promoting agriculture locally and providing scholarships to students majoring in farming-related majors. Tryon said her local chapter in the Chico area, for example, raises money to loan to students who can’t afford to buy an animal for FFA or 4H competitions. A student then raises the animal, shows it, and repays the loan when she sells it after the competition.

    That kind of commitment to the future of agriculture is another reason why Farm Credit continues to sponsor CWA, noted Keith Hesterberg, president and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit.

    “In our area, CWA partners with Ag One to put on the Ag Boosters BBQ each year, which raises funds to support ag students and programs at Fresno State,” Hesterberg said. “Farm Credit is proud to directly sponsor that program, which helps ensure we will have well-educated ag leaders in the future.”

    About Farm Credit: 

    American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Farm Credit West and Fresno Madera Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com.

    About California Women for Agriculture:

    The CWA’s mission is to promote and develop the interest of California women involved or interested in agriculture and to promote a strong agriculture industry in California. CWA’s efforts are guided by five principal objectives: to speak on behalf of agriculture in an intelligent, informative, direct and truthful manner; to keep CWA members informed on legislative activities pertaining to agriculture; to join forces when the need arises to deal with agricultural issues and challenges; to improve the public image of farmers and to develop a rapport with consumers, educators, and governmental and business leaders in communities throughout the state.

  • CA Walnuts to Launch Global Marketing Initiative with Coordinated “Power of 3” Events across the Globe

    The California Walnut Commission recently announced the second annual “Power of 3” global marketing campaign, which builds on the successful 2020 campaign. “Power of 3” will launch on March 3rd with a first-ever global event celebrated in the USA, Germany, India, Japan, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the Middle East to showcase how they like to get their daily handful of walnuts.

    The Power of 3:

    1. Launches March, the 3rd month of the year.
    2. Emphasizes the rich essential plant-based omega-3 ALA content of walnuts (2.5 grams/ounce).
    3. Encourages a handful a day (28-30 grams) as a simple way to improve overall nutrition.

    This campaign is a fun and engaging way to build on one of California walnuts’ core benefits as the only nut that is a rich source of plant-based omega-3 ALA (2.5 grams/ounce). ALA is an essential nutrient needed by the human body that can only be provided through the diet and has been associated with benefits for heart health, brain health and healthy aging. A one ounce serving of walnuts provides plant-based protein (4 grams), fiber (2 grams) and is good source of magnesium. Walnuts are also a good source of vitamin B6 (0.2mg/oz) and an excellent source of copper (0.45mg/oz) and manganese (0.1mg/oz) all of which contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system.

    “There was tremendous excitement around the globe for the Power of 3 campaign last year and we are thrilled to bring it back on an even bigger scale in 2021,” shares Pamela Graviet, Senior Marketing Director, International, for the California Walnut Commission. “This campaign makes it simple for consumers to remember just how easily they can improve their overall diet with a handful of walnuts.”

    The campaign will employ a variety of communications tools, including a video that is a core component of the campaign and will be used across all markets. Recipes, developed by influencers in each country, will be shared across the globe providing inspiration to consumers. Other elements will vary by market including digital and social media, blog posts, sweepstakes, influencer programs, recipe tips and tricks, easy recipes, instore promotions, advertisements and more to generate awareness that a handful of California walnuts is a powerful addition to the diet.

    The Science behind Plant-Based Omega-3 ALA

    All omega-3s provide health benefits, so it’s important to get these good fats from a variety of sources. As the only nut significantly high in omega-3 ALA (2.5g per one ounce/28g), one of the easiest ways to get more ALA into your diet is to start with walnuts.

    ALA and Heart Health

    A study from Advances in Nutrition found that ALA may help improve heart health just as we have seen in studies focused on EPA and DHA1. The literature review provided evidence showing the potentially beneficial role ALA may have in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack. According to a clinical trial published in The Journal of Nutrition, eating a diet rich in omega-3 ALA, from foods like walnuts, may help to lower the risk of heart disease through anti-inflammatory effects2. Given the current promising data, there is a need for well-controlled clinical trials to clarify the effects of ALA on risk for cardiovascular disease and to determine the recommended amount of ALA to consume for heart health benefits.

    ALA and Brain Health

    A review study from Progress in Lipid Research assessed the tissue levels of omega-3 DHA formed from ALA3. They reported several important findings. The first was that ALA leads to the synthesis of EPA in some cases, and in particular, may contribute to DHA levels in the brain. Evidence from a variety of studies suggests dietary ALA may be able to fulfill the human requirement for DHA in the body when higher levels of ALA (at least 1.2g) are consumed. Assessing the synthesis of EPA and DHA from ALA in humans is limited to blood level measurements. The takeaway from this study is that through its conversion process, ALA may play a role in maintaining DHA levels in important tissues such as the brain. More research is needed to fully understand the effect of this process in the body.

    ALA and Healthy Aging

    A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2020) looked at regular consumption of foods rich in marine or plant-based omega-3s and risk of death among individuals who have suffered a heart attack4. In addition, research from one of the largest clinical trials looking at the benefits of a Mediterranean diet suggested older Spanish individuals (ages 55-80) with a high cardiac risk who supplemented a high fish diet with dietary ALA saw a reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Specifically, study participants who consumed at least 0.7% of their daily calorie intake from ALA had a 28% reduced risk of all-cause mortality.

  • Westlands Water District Awarded $1.6 Million WaterSMART Grant

    The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has announced that Westlands Water District was awarded a $1,609,000 grant from Reclamation’s WaterSMART Fiscal Year 2021 Water and Energy Efficiency Grant Program. The grant was awarded to fund the District’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Project, which will retrofit 760 manually read groundwater well meters with advanced, automated metering devices that can transmit data over a regional network. By ensuring even greater water metering precision and eliminating the need to manually read the meters, the project is expected to save nearly 103 billion gallons of water and reduce 5.3 metric tons of carbon emission over 20 years.

    “Westlands has always been a leader in agricultural water conservation and water use efficiency, and the District is grateful for Reclamation’s support to implement our Advanced Metering Infrastructure project,” said Tom Birmingham, Westlands general manager. “As part of our ongoing effort to improve climate resilience and mitigate drought impacts, Westlands is more committed than ever to maximizing every drop of water and reducing carbon emissions through innovative projects like this one.”

    In addition to installing the new, advanced meters, the project will also establish a regional network that links all 932 advanced meters in the District and a database to store daily groundwater well information transmitted by the advanced meters. Implementation of the AMI project also supports the Westside Groundwater Sustainability Plan’s groundwater allocation program, which is the primary action designed to help address overdraft in the region. Westlands anticipates that full project implementation will take approximately two years.

    To maximize water use efficiency, Westlands’ water distribution system is comprised of approximately 1,100 miles of buried pipeline and water is delivered through more than 3,000 water meters. Since 2017, Westlands has invested $14.2 million in its water infrastructure system, which measures all delivered water and minimizes losses caused by seepage and evaporation. Westlands is among the few, if not the only, agricultural water agencies that distributes water through an entirely enclosed system.

    About Westlands Water District

    Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.