California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • Drier La Niña Winter Conditions Can Contribute To Sudden Freezes

    California Avocado Commission — Although the California avocado growing regions are expected to experience a moderate La Niña phase with warmer average temperatures through spring 2021, the lower rainfall amounts associated with this climate phase can lead to sudden cold spells or freezes. As Dr. Ben Faber noted in a recent blog post, some of California’s most severe freezes have occurred during weak La Niña phases.

    Advection and radiation freezes pose the most threat to California avocado groves. Advection freezes are caused by the movement of arctic air into the region. Radiation freezes occur at night when clear skies and calm conditions are present that allow cold pockets of air to settle in low areas of the grove.

    To prepare for potential frosts or freezes, it’s important to remember that different prevention measures may be used for a frost versus a freeze. A frost is caused when objects cool at night and radiate their heat loss, thus chilling the surrounding air. In Southern California, warm air is typically close to the ground due to a low ceiling, thus causing a temperature inversion that protects orchards. However, windy conditions can disrupt this inversion and press cold air to the ground. In comparison, a freeze occurs when cold air moves in and the air temperature decreases at both high and low levels.

    • To prevent damage when cold weather events are in the forecast, consider the following.
    • To protect against frost or freeze, orchard heaters can be used to distribute heat. The downside of heaters is the cost of running them and possible fire hazards.
    • Wind machines should only be used in frost, not freeze, conditions and should not be used when it is windy. This economical option can be paired with orchard heaters to improve effectiveness.
    • If frost threatens and no temperature inversion is present, the best practice is to run microsprinklers during the day and turn off the water prior to sunset. If the temperature drops below freezing, restart the water and run it until sunrise. If ice forms on the fruit or leaves, heat will be released as the ice melts and protect the plants.
    • If watering the entire grove prior to a cold weather event is cost prohibitive, it is recommended that growers opt to water only those portions of their groves that tend to be coldest.

    If your grove is affected by a frost/freeze event, please view Post-freeze Avocado Grove Management on the California Avocado Commission’s website. For more complete information, visit the Commission’s online library of frost/freeze protection articles.

  • Using Satellites to Improve Sustainability, Yield

    Two of the nation’s great agricultural regions are the focus of new research that aims to head off emerging threats and improve sustainability.

    Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are joining colleagues to create and use artificial intelligence to help farmers in the Colorado River Basin and Salinas Valley, CA, improve their management of irrigation, fertilization, and pests. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture funded the University of California, Riverside-led project with a 5-year, $10 million grant.

    “This project will integrate multiple satellite and meteorological data sets to help farmers in the Southwestern United States,” said Ray Anderson, a research soil scientist with the ARS Agricultural Water Efficiency and Salinity Research Unit in Riverside. Anderson leads the ARS portion of the study, working with ARS scientists Todd Skaggs and Andrew French.

    ARS has three primary roles in the project: To calculate project area crop water use and anomalies with crop water use across the entire region; develop tools that help growers avoid salinity damage while minimizing the leaching of fertilizer; and to gather field data to validate satellite algorithms.

    Researchers will take advantage of advanced satellite technology to provide more frequent, detailed information to farmers than ever before. The plan is to integrate high-resolution commercial satellite data with established government satellite platforms and meteorological data.

    A major advance with this work will be the use of daily, high-resolution (12-foot) satellite imagery, Anderson said. Previously, data have only been available every 1-2 weeks at 60- to 100-foot resolution and were too infrequent or coarse to provide timely and actionable information to farmers.

    “By combining the new satellite data with artificial intelligence, we will be able to discover and create tools that will help farmers pinpoint areas that need better irrigation, nutrient, and pest management,” Anderson said.

    “One of the major advantages to this project is that the outputs – recommendations and highlights on a smartphone app – will be accessible to all farmers,” he said. “Previously, farmers had to pay for aircraft and specialized processing to get this level of imagery and detail. Soon, high resolution satellite imagery, machine learning, and cloud processing will be available to smaller producers in one easy-to-use tool. These algorithms will help farmers with their field scouting so that they can catch problems early, before significant yield reductions occur.”

    Agriculture in the Colorado River Basin and Salinas Valley employs more than 500,000 people and generates roughly $12 billion annually in revenue. Farmers in the regions grow fruits and vegetables that are shipped around the country all year round, particularly in winter.

    Water availability and use top the researchers’ priority list because prolonged drought has reduced agricultural water availability in the southwestern United States.

    “These valleys consume large amounts of irrigation water, but the amount and quality of irrigation water is decreasing,” Anderson said. “It is important to use existing supplies more efficiently and to protect water sources from nutrient and salinity contamination that can come from poor irrigation management.” — By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications.

  • Vitamin K and Flavonoids Found in Fresh Grapes are Essential

    A recent study published in the scientific journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that a lack of adequate vitamin K levels was associated with poor outcomes in COVID-19 patients. The researchers identified an increased need for vitamin K during a COVID-19 illness and noted that depletion or deficiency of vitamin K can have devastating consequences in the lungs.

    Vitamin K, a nutrient found in abundance in fresh grapes, plays a critical role in blood clotting including maintaining the balance of both pro- and anti-clotting factors. Low levels of vitamin K may upset this balance resulting in a greater tendency for blood to form clots. While COVID-19 is known first as a respiratory infection, higher instances of blood clots have been observed and worsen patient outcomes. Vitamin K is also involved in inhibiting soft tissue calcification and elastic fiber degradation. Coronary calcification is linked to a higher risk of blood clots, and elastic fiber degradation can harm the integrity of lung tissue. In addition, vitamin K is known for anti-inflammatory activity; decreased levels have been associated with an increase in inflammatory proteins.

    Other research suggests that certain flavonoid compounds found in grapes, green tea, cacao, and dark chocolate may be beneficial against COVID-19 by inhibiting an enzyme that is involved in the infectivity of the virus. This research used computer modeling techniques and a lab study to predict how certain flavonoids – specifically flavan-3-ols and proanthocyanidins – can bind to a critical enzyme that contributes to the infectivity of COVID-19 and inhibit its action.

    “Anything that may help offset the negative impact of this devastating virus is worth knowing so the findings that natural components found in grapes – vitamin K and certain flavonoids – may play a beneficial role in the fight is worth sharing,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. “These recent findings add to the substantial body of research built over 20 years indicating that eating fresh grapes can have significant positive effects on long-term health.” 

  • New Grant Cycle Opens To Fund Farmer Veterans

    One piece of equipment changed it all. Ben Martin of Forest Grove, Oregon, served in the Marine Corps. After returning home from war, he pursued a career in winemaking.

    Ben credits a grant from Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) for making the difference in his budding wine business early on. Back in 2015, FVC awarded Ben the supplies needed to bottle his first vintage of wine.

    “We were just starting out making wine in the back of a horse barn,” acknowledged Ben. “We had no sales, no exposure. And we needed to bottle the vintage of wine. But we had no bottles, corks, or labels. FVC stepped in and gave us a grant for the supplies.

    If it weren’t for FVC we wouldn’t have…well actually, I don’t know what we would have done, honestly.”

    Ben is not alone. A national non-profit that serves nearly 25,000 veterans turned farmers, FVC creates a new generation of farmers and food leaders while simultaneously offering veterans a place to heal on America’s farms. Through education and resources, FVC helps veterans with their own farming operation or with finding employment in related agricultural professions.

    The     Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund is their small grant program. It helps veterans in their early years of farming and ranching with the purchase of a piece of critical equipment. Hundreds of farmer veterans across the country who have benefitted from the grant share Ben’s sentiment.

    In 10 years, the Fellowship Fund has funded more than 600 veterans with $3 million in equipment.

    And now, a new grant cycle is underway.

    FVC has opened the     application (https://www.tfaforms.com/4870169) for their 2021 funding. This new cycle opened on the first of the year and remains active through Feb 14, 2021.

    “These farmer veterans are selfless and service-minded,” vocalizes Michael O’Gorman, who founded the organization and spurred a full military-to-agriculture movement. “They ask for very little, so we have to tell our community what the veterans need us to do for them.”

    He acknowledges that finding start-up capital is one of the biggest challenges farmers face. And that’s exactly what this grant is designed to do.

    “The Fellowship Fund is one of the most successful ways we help farmer veterans with their agricultural endeavors,” emphasizes FVC’s recently appointed Executive Director, Jeanette Lombardo. She anticipates the opportunity to directly benefit more farmer veterans in her new role and add them into the growing Fellowship family.

    Application submissions are reviewed by an advisory committee of agricultural industry professionals. Awards will be granted in the spring. Common equipment requests include All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV), breeding livestock, fencing, and tractor implements.

    This year, funding for the grants is coming from several partner organizations – Kubota Tractor Corporation, Tractor Supply Company, Wounded Warrior Project, Tarter USA, Homestead Implements, and Vital Farms.

    FVC member Eric Grandon – who previously received a grant himself – is also giving back to the community that has supported his own agricultural journey by donating beekeeping equipment. “I now know what bees can do for anyone with any condition or problem,” the West Virginia beekeeper reveals. “As long as I continue the success of Sugar Bottom Farm, FVC will always be at the top of my list just because I was at the top of [theirs].”

    As for Ben, the Marine-turned-winemaker, he too shares a feeling common to veterans who now take on a new role of feeding their country and communities: “I’m much more relaxed these days. I feel more of a sense of a mission, a goal, something to live for, something that I appreciate and that I’m proud of.”

    About Farmer Veteran Coalition

    The mission of Farmer Veteran Coalition is mobilizing veterans to feed America. Established in 2008, its in-house programs include the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund small grant program, the nationally recognized Homegrown By Heroes label for veteran-grown products, and national and regional conferences. As the nation’s largest nonprofit assisting veterans and active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces embark on careers in agriculture, FVC has been successful in getting millions of dollars of USDA funds appropriated for farmer veteran and the groups that support them. Learn more at: www.farmvetco.org or follow along on Facebook at @FarmerVeteranCoalition, on Instagram at @FarmerVeteranCoalition and on Twitter at @FarmVetCo.

    To sponsor equipment for the Fellowship Fund, contact Rachel Petitt at     rachel@farmvetco.org. To donate to support farmer veterans directly, visit www.farmvetco.org or text GIVE and the dollar amount to 270-838-3276 (270-VET-FARM).

  • Viticulture Greenhouse Groundbreaking to be Livestreamed

    Supporters of the Department of Viticulture and Enology at Fresno State are invited to sign up for a virtual groundbreaking event for a new campus greenhouse that was made possible thanks to a fundraising campaign initiated nearly a decade ago by the Viticulture Club.

    Due to COVID-19 social gathering restrictions, Fresno State Interim President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval will keynote the virtual live ceremony that can be streamed live from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29. Attendees must register in advance.

    Other representatives detailing the importance of the new greenhouse will include Dr. Dennis Nef, dean of the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology; Dr. Anil Shrestha, chair of the Department of Viticulture and Enology; Dr. Stephan Sommer, director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center; and Dr. Sonet Van Zyl, viticulture faculty and student club adviser.

    The event will also feature supporters of the project, including former and current Viticulture Club presidents, industry supporters and project donors like John Duarte (Duarte Nursery), John Arellano, and Oro Agri.

    The 30-foot by 30-foot greenhouse will be located at the center of the campus viticulture and enology complex. It will allow students, staff and faculty to grow and graft an array of vines for industry-supported research projects and the University Agricultural Laboratory’s 120-acre vineyard.

    Construction is expected to start in February and be completed by fall 2021.

    The $250,000 fundraising goal is a collective effort that has included campus, industry, alumni and public support, and was recently completed thanks to a $100,000 gift by Oro Agri, an international agrochemical company known for its biorational crop protection products.

  • Top PPP Considerations for Farmers/Producers & Others in Ag

    Just over nine months after the CARES Act passed, President Trump last month signed the first subsequent major pandemic relief bill, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, into law. Included among the $900 billion in pandemic relief spending is $280 billion for a new round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans already being dubbed “PPP2,” which will give hard-hit PPP recipients a chance to access additional funding via “second draw” loans as well as reopen first draw loans for businesses that did not take advantage of the initial round of funds. But even those who do not qualify for the new round of funding will want to be sure to understand the changes to the program, which could affect their tax planning, loan forgiveness amount, and more. Here are some of the top PPP considerations for businesses in the ag and food sectors.

    Farmer Loan Amounts

    During the first round of PPP, loan amounts for Schedule F farmers were determined by their 2019 net income. Farmers could borrow amounts equivalent to 2.5 months of their 2019 net income up to $100,000, for a maximum loan amount of $20,833. This scheme limited the amounts that farmers with smaller incomes could borrow and meant that farmers with net losses in 2019 were ineligible altogether for PPP loans.

    The new relief bill changes all that. Now, farmers may use their gross income, which can often be many multiples of their net income, to calculate their loan amounts. The bill also allows businesses who received a PPP loan during the first round to receive supplemental funds if using 2019 gross income to recalculate their loan amount would result in a larger amount. Additionally, farmers that were ineligible for the first round of loans because they had net losses in 2019 are now eligible for a PPP loan if they had any gross income that year.

    Loan Eligibility

    The first round of PPP was open to all businesses with fewer than 500 employees as well as sole proprietors, self-employed individuals and independent contractors who could certify that the economic uncertainty brought on by the pandemic necessitated the loan in order to support ongoing operations. The eligibility requirements for second draw loans have been tightened and is only available to businesses with both fewer than 300 employees (down from 500 in the first round) and that also experienced a reduction in gross receipts of at least 25% for at least one quarter in 2020 compared with the same quarter in 2019. Maximum loan amounts have also decreased from $10 million in the first round to $2 million for PPP2. The precise loan amount continues to be based on 2.5 months of payroll costs, as with the first round, meaning that for many borrowers, the amount received in round two will likely be the same as round one.

    Eligible Expenses

    When the original PPP was passed as part of the CARES Act, 75% of the borrowed amount had to be spent on payroll in order to be forgiven. The other 25% percent could be spent on costs such as rent, utilities and payment of interest on mortgages. Since then, the percentage that must be spent on payroll has been reduced to 60%. And with the passage of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the eligible non-payroll expenses now include new categories such operations expenditures (mainly business software and cloud computing), property damage costs, supplier costs and worker protection expenditures.

    “Supplier costs” are seemingly the broadest category and are defined as amounts spent on procurement pursuant to contracted purchase orders. For, say, an almond processor, supplier costs might include the purchase of almonds. For an almond grower, fertilizer and water supply could potentially be considered supplier costs.

    The inclusion of worker protection expenditures as a category of covered expenses will be a particularly valuable addition for food manufacturers and processors, who have had to spend not insignificant amounts on personal protection equipment and other health and safety equipment to protect their products and employees from COVID-19 exposure.

    As has been the case since the beginning of the program, we expect additional guidance from the SBA to clarify the precise definitions for all of these new categories.

    Time Considerations

    The SBA opened the PPP loan portal for applications from community financial institutions on Monday, January 11 and will open the portal to all participating lenders on Tuesday, January 19.  The window for PPP2 applications will close on March 31 or when funding for the program runs out. With both first round PPP loans and PPP2 loans, borrowers have up to 24 weeks to spend the funds in order for the amounts to be forgiven. This timeframe within which the borrower may spend the PPP funds to be eligible for forgiveness is referred to as the “covered period.” Borrowers will want to apply for forgiveness within 10 months of the expiration of their covered period to avoid triggering repayment on the loan.

    Applying for Forgiveness

    The PPP forgiveness process, which initially appeared might be quite onerous and burdensome,  turning many off from participating in the program, has been progressively streamlined and the criteria loosened over the past few months. The Consolidated Appropriations Act further eases the forgiveness process, with a provision that forgiveness of loans up to $150,000 will only require a one-page form with borrower certifications. Loans of between $150,000 and $2 million may also see simplified requirements, as the Small Business Administration sees fit. The upshot is that if the specter of a drawn-out and arduous forgiveness process dissuaded you from participating in round one of PPP, it may be worth revisiting the new and considerably more favorable obligations.

    Tax Considerations

    After the passage of the CARES Act, the IRS took a position that expenses used to qualify for PPP loan forgiveness would not be deductible for federal tax purposes, a decision that was confirmed with additional rulings in November 2020. Thankfully, last month’s Consolidated Appropriations Act makes expenses attributable to PPP loan forgiveness fully tax deductible. This means that not only is the forgiven amount of the loan not considered taxable income, but also the business expenses funded by the PPP loan are tax deductible, thus meeting the original intent of Congress when they passed the CARES Act. Businesses should, however, note that state tax law may not conform to federal law, meaning they may experience differences in taxable income due to the PPP loan. — By Brett Hazlett, Director, BPM

    Brett Hazlett is a director in the advisory practice at BPM, a West Coast-based accounting and consulting firm that ranks among the 50 largest firms of its kind in the country, where he provides results-driven accounting and finance services to companies at all stages in the business lifecycle. He co-leads the firm’s Economic Recovery and Emergency Task Force, an agile, cross-unit group of senior BPM professionals dedicated to assisting clients with business problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic fallout.

  • Raisin Bargaining Association Makes New Raisin Price Offer

    As raisin growers begin to prepare for a new season, most are still uncertain as to what their returns will be for their labors in bringing in the 2020 raisin crop.  There is a lot of uncertainty during these unprecedented times, and with their livelihoods in limbo from year to year due to delayed price agreements between the the Raisin Bargaining Association RBA) and its signatory packers, raisin growers have been have been going through some tough times.

    The RBA continues to work on their growers’ behalf in negotiating a fixed price with the processors.  Over the summer their Board of Directors met and unanimously agreed to a sliding scale fixed price offer of $1,500-$1,900/ton (depending on crop size) for the 2020 raisin crop.  As the packers have still not come to agreement, on January 15th, the RBA Board of Directors wrote a letter to the packers withdrawing their sliding scale MOU offer, replacing it with a new MOU offer for consideration at a field price of $1,500/ton. Packers will need to respond by 5 PM on January 29, 2021, or the offer will become void.

    In this agreement, packers would make an “initial payment” of 60% of the said announced RBA field price for all deliveries within fifteen days of grower’s final delivery of meeting raisins; and a “second payment” of 20% of the field price for all deliveries would be paid by April 30, 2021. The “final payment” would need to be made by July 31, 2021.

    In the RBA letter to the packers, it also reads, “In the event you do not agree to the fixed price and payment terms of this offer, then RBA recommends that we meet and confer to discuss the logistics of moving the RBA 2020-2021 crop raisins now held in memorandum storage at your location to the RBA’s receiving and storage location.”

    As growers go about their trellising/irrigation repairs and winter pruning in the vineyard, they anxiously await news of a unified price agreement that has yet to be seen.

  • USDA and Dairy Farmers Work Together to Mitigate Risk for 2021

    In an unprecedented year, USDA staff and dairy producers across the country worked together to protect dairy operations for the 2021 production year under USDA’s risk management program options – the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP), and Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Cattle (LGM) programs. Recent enrollment data for these programs indicate that dairy operations are proactively managing their risk.

    “In a year rife with challenges, our staff worked diligently to improve customer service and seamlessly deliver programs to assist agricultural producers,” said Bill Northey, USDA’s Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “Through patience and perseverance on both sides of the virtual counter, as well as added resources made available to producers and staff for operating in a pandemic, producers were able to timely participate in these programs.”

    Dairy Margin Coverage

    Administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, DMC offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.

    Nearly three-quarters of all U.S. dairy operations with established production history are enrolled in DMC for the 2021 program year. Compared with 2020 enrollment of 13,532 operations, participation for 2021 increased to cover nearly 18,500 operations nationwide – meaning an additional 4,900 dairy operations recognized the value of DMC to their bottom line.

    This enrollment success is a testament to the value of DMC to dairy operations. DMC is a cashflow-friendly program that offers enrolled operations the option to select a $4.00 catastrophic level of coverage with no premium fee or elect to buy up coverage. The premium on buy-up coverage is based on margin triggers between $4.50 and $9.50 on 5 to 95% of established production history. For coverage at the maximum margin trigger of $9.50, producers pay $0.15 per hundredweight of established milk production history.

    To date, DMC has paid out more than $500 million in program benefits to dairy operations enrolled in calendar years 2019 and 2020. Margin payments triggered seven months in 2019 and four months, to date, for the 2020 DMC program year.

    Additional Protection for Dairy

    Approximately 3,000 operations purchased additional protection under DRP, which covers 30% of the milk supply and has provided more than $400 million in payments to covered operations since 2019. DRP, now in its second year, has grown from 2,500 policies in 2019. Additionally, 200 producers purchased coverage through LGM. Both LGM and DRP are managed by USDA’s Risk Management Agency.

    While DRP insures against unexpected declines in the quarterly revenue from milk sales, LGM provides protection against the loss of gross margin (market value of milk minus feed costs) on the milk produced from dairy cows.

    More Information

    Enrollment for 2022 coverage for DMC will take place in the fall of 2021. For more information about DMC and to use the online program decision tool, visit the farmers.gov DMC webpage, or contact your local USDA Service Center. To locate your local office, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator.

    All Federal crop insurance policies are available from Approved Insurance Providers (AIP). To learn more about DRP and LGM and other crop and livestock insurance products, contact your local AIP. A list of AIPs is available at all USDA service centers and on the RMA website at the Agent Locator Page.

    All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools. More information on working with our Service Centers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus

    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

  • Vaccination Update for Agriculture Workers

    The Almond Alliance has been in touch with County Health Officers about the number of vaccinations available in each county and to gather information on how the vaccinations are being distributed.  As you have heard and read, the process of vaccination has differed in each region and in many cases has been confusing.  

    Vaccinations are being distributed categorically as defined by the California Department of Public Health with input from the Community Vaccine Advisory Committee. Given the limited supply of COVID-19 vaccines, CDPH recommends balancing the prioritization of these scarce resources to maximize the goal of achieving community immunity for all Californians. 

    Vaccine Supply is Limited, But Preparations Are Underway for Phase 1B

    Preparations are underway to begin rolling out vaccines to those eligible in Phase 1B as soon as possible but that is dependent on vaccine availability.  For those eligible in Phase 1B, including educators, public safety, social services and food and agriculture workers some counties are evaluating and/or planning for worksite vaccinations, so you should expect that employees may start making inquiries.  The next phases of COVID Vaccine Distribution are as follows:

    Both federal and state distribution of vaccines has been delayed. As of January 13, a total of 971,829 vaccine doses have been administered statewide. As of January 13, a total of 2,948,350 vaccine doses, which includes the first and second dose, have been shipped to local health departments and health care systems that have facilities in multiple counties.

    Vaccination plans for each county are available at county websites. Find your county’s COVID-19 website, Click Here.

    It has also been reported that Phase 1B may be divided into two tiers. The first could include 1.4 million education and child-care workers including teachers, 1.1 million emergency services workers, 3.4 million food and agriculture workers including grocery store workers and 2.6 million people who are 75 or older.

    Recommendations from the Almond Alliance in preparation for food and agriculture vaccinations.

    1. Know your County Health Officer and Ag Commissioner (we can provide contact information and introduction). We are strengthening those relationships for our industry and are happy to share what we know. It will be critically important to familiarize yourself with your county’s vaccination plan and you should expect it to evolve as we move through initial phases of vaccine roll-out, e.g. the recent move-up in priority of those 65 and older.  It is likely there will be multiple vaccination pathways for you and your staff including worksites (mentioned above), community vaccination sites (e.g. schools, churches or fairgrounds), community clinics, pharmacies and healthcare providers

    2. Offer you site and a location to administer the vaccination if it makes sense.

    3. Provide your workforce educational materials about the vaccination.

    4. Make sure your workers understand what information they will need to receive the vaccination. No officials’ instructions have been provided, but we recommend the following:

    Staff should be prepared to show one or more of the following four pieces of identification to prove they are food and agriculture workers:

    • Employee badge with photo, OR
    • Professional license AND a photo ID, OR
    • Signed letter from employer on facility letterhead AND a photo ID, OR
    • Payment stub from employer with your name AND a photo ID.

  • CDFA Seeking New Grower Representative for Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Committee

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is seeking a grower representative with operations in the Fresno County area to sit as a member on the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee. The Committee advises the CDFA Secretary on activities associated with the statewide citrus specific pest and disease work plan that includes – but is not limited to – outreach and education programs and programs for surveying, detecting, analyzing, and treating pests and diseases specific to citrus.

    Committee members receive no compensation but are entitled to payment of necessary travel expenses in accordance with the rules of the Department of Personnel Administration. The term for one grower representative from Fresno County expires on Sept. 30, 2023. Applicants should have an interest in agriculture and citrus pest and disease prevention. Individuals interested in being considered for a committee appointment should send a resume by Feb. 15, 2021 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, California 95814, Attention: David Gutierrez.

    For additional information on the committee vacancy, contact: David Gutierrez, Branch Chief, Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division at (916) 274-6300, or e-mail David.Gutierrez@cdfa.ca.gov.