California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • Farm Bureau Releases Fire Policy and Legislative Recommendations

    Napa County Farm Bureau — The recent wildfires in Napa County have had a dramatic impact on the way we live and work and have once again demonstrated the need for better fire prevention practices to mitigate the impact subsequent fires have in our region.

    The Napa County Farm Bureau has consistently addressed this issue for the last two years and recently developed strategic and substantive legislative policy recommendations as a way to create meaningful change in the way we approach fire prevention in Napa County. The Napa County Farm Bureau partnered with UC Cooperative Extension and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and presented a Fire Prevention and Policy Workshop with elected leaders, community leaders and the public and developed specific proposals for lawmakers, which are restated below.

    The devastating effects of the recent fires have created urgency to increase our understanding of vegetation dynamics, fuels management and policies that can help communities in their fire prevention efforts.

    As these recommendations reflect the concerns of our members and residents in general, the County of Napa is already implementing a number of these suggestions and we look forward to continuing to work with the county on these issues.

    The Napa County Farm Bureau’s ongoing fire prevention policy work has covered topics on post-fire recovery and management of natural lands, fire behavior, vegetation management tools and options, financial incentives and grant programs for vegetation management, historic land-use patterns and changes, and current policies that affect fire prevention strategies.

    The content presented in our presentations has been broad, tailored to local situations, and inspired constructive conversations on wildland fire issues.

    Our last public policy workshop concluded with a facilitated brainstorming session to solicit input and ideas on fire safe planning, strategizing, implementation and policy directions.

    The following is a summary of the brainstorming session outcomes and suggested directions for policy makers at the county and state levels to consider in helping communities create more fire-safe regions. Again, these suggestions reflect the concerns of our members who desire to appropriately address them and we applaud the County of Napa for already implementing a number of suggestions.

    The content can be categorized into four themes: Goals, Strategies, Values and Actions.

    Goals

    Our policy work has clearly identified three goals meant to provide guidance to Napa County, its residents and policymakers over the next ten to twenty years. The first goal encompasses the most frequently repeated comments during our presentations.

    Goal 1. Expand information sharing, communications and education of the importance of wildland fire prevention, practices and community strategies. Education activities (in communities and in schools), communications and general community awareness about wildfire issues were identified as areas of concern.

    Goal 2. Have communities, especially those in high-risk areas, fully engaged in wildfire prevention awareness, activities and information sharing. Absentee landownership, which can be common in Napa County, exacerbates the difficulty in engaging people on wildfire issues. An opportunity exists for the County of Napa, cities, Cal Fire and fire safe councils to collectively explore incentives to encourage community participation and engagement and develop effective communication networks that include social media tools.

    Goal 3. One of the most important and paramount goals is to develop and implement strategic wildfire fuel reduction plans that reduce potential harm to life and property from wildfires and balance ecosystem and conservation priorities. Fuel reduction plans should apply the most appropriate and feasible vegetation management practices, including prescribed burning, livestock grazing, mechanical methods, herbicides and other recommended practices.

    Strategies

    Strategy 1, Education and Information Sharing. Education and information sharing was an important identified strategy to increase awareness of wildfire issues, exchange ideas on practices and strategies, and strengthen community / neighborly connections. Members and the public have suggested that fire safe tours be organized for residents to visit properties and communities with implemented fire safe practices, much like a peer-to-peer exchange. Tours and other activities, such as information seminars, can be informational and build neighborhood and community networks around fire safe and other community issues.

    Our policy work has indicated a need for general educational seminars around historical ecology and the role of fire and natural processes in the Napa Valley ecosystem. Written material can be mailed to rural landowners (in moderate/severe wildfire zones) included in their property tax bills or similar mailers since absentee landowners are often the hardest to reach.

    Strategy 2, Financial Assistance. A common suggestion was the need for more financial assistance to better enable fuel reduction and fire prevention practices. Fire safe councils are able to solicit grant funds, but often lack time and expertise among its active members to write grant proposals and administer grant-funded projects.

    Strategy 3, Property and Community Planning. Several suggestions have been proposed to improve wildfire planning on individual properties and on a community level. These suggestions ranged from activities that provide property owners assistance to County-enforced regulation of fuels management.

    Wildfire risk assessment and risk reduction are two suggestions that have been proposed. A need was identified for Cal Fire to expand its current risk assessments, focused on structures, to include broader vegetation / fuel management assessments for property owners. The recent fires revealed the need for wildfire fuel management beyond the defensible space guidelines, especially in high-wind wildfire events that can carry embers hundreds of feet. Strategic vegetation management on a broader scale can slow wildfire intensity and speed, saving lives and improving firefighters’ ability to combat a fire. Another suggestion has been for relevant County departments to actively work with communities in developing long-term strategic fire safe plans that address wildfire prevention and disaster preparedness.

    A creative idea has been suggested for property owners to brand or promote their properties as “fire safe” or “fire ready” much like agricultural operations are branded for elements of sustainability. A branded program would require a certifying body with developed standards and practices for wildfire readiness, something that currently does not exist in Napa County. A branded program could raise awareness of the importance of wildfire preparedness and promote the implementation of fire prevention and preparedness practice.

    Values

    When engaging members and the public, we have asked members and residents to discuss and provide values they are trying to maintain or change, with respect to wildfire issues. The discussions on values have revealed underlying principles that guide approaches to addressing wildfire issues.

    An overarching theme of values has been expressed around non-regulatory government assistance and incentives to organize and empower landowners and communities to implement fire safe practices. Many residents have shared the view that fire safe councils provide real benefits to their communities, but need more support to achieve the their goals in engaging more community members, developing broader strategic plans, and coordinating activities and plans with other agencies and groups.

    A strong sense of community and shared responsibility in addressing fire safe issues has been another explicitly expressed value. The idea that “We are in it together” has made the point that communities can only be successful on fire safe issues if all community members assume their share of responsibility in making their properties safer for themselves, their neighbors and their community.

    Considerable discussion has proliferated around competing values that participants felt impede the implementation of fire safe practices. Other values, such as conservation, environmental protection, and air quality are important to society, but have perpetuated policies and land management decisions that prevent effective wildfire prevention practices and may exacerbate wildland fire severity.

    The policy most often cited as a hindrance to wildfire prevention is the strict air quality enforcement that severely limits prescribed burning for vegetation management and bans the burning of brush or pruning piles. Members and residents have felt that the risks to life, health, and property presented by uncontrolled wildfires are much greater to society than risks presented by prescribed burns that reduce wildfire incidences and severity.

    These discussions have included the issue of maintaining un-managed “wild” areas for conservation or environmental protection purposes and the increased wildfire risk these areas present to adjacent landowner and communities due to accumulated wildfire fuels. Rather than dismissing conservation and environmental protection values, there has been a strong desire to find more balance or common ground between these and fire prevention values with an eye towards more strategic planning based on the degree of environmental value and the degree of wildfire risk.

    Actions

    We have routinely asked members and the public to propose actions and policies that state and local policy makers can make to facilitate fire risk reduction practices. Since many of the suggested policies and actions are addressed in preceding sections, a bulleted list of action items is used to limit redundancy.

    • The Napa County Board of Supervisors should regularly re-visit fire safe issues to ensure goals and policies remain relevant and progress is realized.

    ●Re-assess state regulations regarding prescribed burning for vegetation management

    • Develop a well-researched case or position that advances the needs for more aggressive vegetation management utilizing prescribed fire, livestock grazing and mechanical methods.

    • Road improvements are needed to improve vehicular movement during emergencies and to remove vegetation hazards along roadways. Better road signage is needed to inform residence of fire escape routes.

    • Identify areas of high wildfire risk, using Cal Fire maps, and create mechanisms to ensure landowners are informed of the risk, just as landowners are informed of the right to farm ordinance. This may require the training of realtors so that wildfire risk information and resources are communicated to new landowners.

    • Develop a fire safe program or certification that can be used to communicate fire prevention and preparedness of properties to insurance companies for lower rates.

    • Create incentives (streamlined permitting, subsidies, etc.) for homeowners in high-risk areas to upgrade facilities with fire resistant materials and design.

    — A recent report from the Little Hoover Commission titled “Fire on the Mountain: Rethinking Forest Management in the Sierra Nevada” will support this effort.

    –A National Academy of Sciences publication titled “Long-term perspective on wildfires in the western USA” will also support this effort

    • Develop a strategic approach with State lawmakers and air quality regulators in finding more balance between the needs of fire safe communities and public health.

    –A 2017 research article provides evidence that wildfire emissions create a greater public health hazard compared to emissions from prescribed burning.

    –A 2018 research article describes the public health impact on adults from wildfire smoke exposure in 2015 in 8 California air basins.

    • Lastly, the County can advance fire safe efforts by writing press releases of fire safe work and success stories happening in the communities

    The Napa County Farm Bureau will continue to undertake these issues as a top priority in order to mitigate the impacts that subsequent fires will have in the region. Our region has been devastated by recent events and we anticipate that these targeted policy recommendations will make substantial impacts to the way we address wildland fires in the future.

  • Researchers are Juicing Alfalfa as a Next-Generation Aquafeed

    Cows and horses aren’t the only fans of alfalfa. Yellow perch like it, too.

    That’s what Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators concluded when they fed the fish pellets made with a protein concentrate from the legume crop’s protein-rich leaves.

    They’re experimenting with alfalfa as part of a broader effort to find suitable alternatives to using fishmeal, a protein-rich ingredient in aquaculture feeds given to “farm-raised” finfish and shellfish. Aquaculture is the fastest-growing sector of the food industry worldwide, generating $1.37 billion in U.S. sales alone. However, there’s concern that increasing consumer demand for aquaculture products will outpace what the ocean’s wild-caught stock of sardine, anchovy, menhaden and other small forage fish can supply as a fishmeal resource for aquafeeds.

    According to Deborah Samac, who leads the ARS Plant Science Research Unit in St. Paul, Minnesota, formulating aquafeeds with plant-based proteins could help lessen the need for fishmeal in aquafeeds, reducing aquaculture’s impact on aquatic natural resources. Using nutritious, affordable alternatives to fishmeal could also ease the burden on pelagic fish populations, which are important members of the marine ecosystem and its inhabitants, particularly larger predatory species.

    Deborah Samac examining alfalfa growth

    Soybean meal, barley and algae are among alternatives being explored or already commercialized. Now, many of the same qualities that make alfalfa “Queen of the Forages” (and third largest U.S. field crop) could put it on the aquafeed shortlist as well. These include a crude protein content of 15 to 22 percent and a rich assortment of vitamins, including A, B and D, as well as minerals such as magnesium and copper.

    Alfalfa is typically fed to dairy cows, beef cattle and horses as hay, silage or a direct forage. But it can also be “juiced” for its protein concentrate, and that’s the form Samac and her University of Minnesota (UM) collaborators used for their yellow perch feeding trials.

    The actual formulation process can involve passing alfalfa leaves through a screw press, squeezing out juices and then heating and centrifuging them to produce a protein concentrate, which is then dried and processed into small pellets along with other ingredients.

    The feeding trial results showed that perch given pellets containing the alfalfa protein concentrate (APC) gained somewhat less weight than perch given fishmeal formulations. But there was little difference between their health, longevity and overall wellbeing. Their fillet yields, quality, composition and flavor were also similar, the researchers reported in a paper submitted to the journal Aquaculture Reports.

    According to Samac, alfalfa could help impart greater sustainability to the $133.5 billion global aquafeed market by virtue of the ecosystem “services” and other benefits the crop provides.

    For example, as a legume, it is a super star at naturally converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that corn and other crops can use for their growth, alleviating the need to apply chemical fertilizers. Alfalfa’s robust growth makes it an ideal cover crop, anchoring soil, retaining its moisture, helping it store carbon and controlling weeds. Alfalfa flowers are also important food for both wild and domesticated bees, contributing to the latter’s production of honey, wax and other products.

    Samac said additional studies are underway to fine-tune the APC concentrations used in aquafeed formulations, evaluate different processing methods, and expand feeding trials, which include rainbow trout. Value-added uses for byproducts of the APC juicing process will also be explored, she added.

    Her collaborators on the effort are Jessica Coburn, Scott Wells, Craig Sheaffer, Roger Ruan and Nicholas Phelps—all of UM in St. Paul—and Gibson Gaylord of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Bozeman Fish Technology Center. Collaborators on the expanded trials include Dong Fang Deng (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Matt Digman (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and animal physiologist Brian Shepherd, with ARS’ Dairy Forage Research Unit in Madison, WI.

    The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

  • Dairy Council of California Celebrates a Century-Long Legacy of Elevating Health

    Message from Tammy Anderson-Wise, CEO, Dairy Council of California — The 2019–2020 fiscal year has been one of the most rewarding, unexpected and challenging years for Dairy Council of California. We started by celebrating 100 years of empowering stakeholders and educating children and families. We enjoyed many successes in the first three quarters of the year, working toward innovating the programs, resources and work we do in schools and communities throughout California, as well as ramping up to launch a new movement. Then, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses and schools to close and families to shelter in place, impacting everyone and creating change overnight. With many challenges to overcome, we also found new opportunities. 

    Tammy Anderson-Wise, CEO, Dairy Council of California

    Despite having to move to remote work environments, Dairy Council of California staff quickly coordinated efforts and achieved impressive results. Some of these successes include expediting online access to existing educational resources and creating a webpage devoted to support educators; designing a dedicated landing page as a hub for students, parents, educators and the school community seeking free school meal sites; and innovating our popular Mobile Dairy Classroom assemblies as virtual farm tours to support ag literacy in California and beyond. Behind the scenes work by staff builds on our rich legacy of empowering children and families to make nutritious foods, including milk and dairy, a part of their daily lives.

    As the pandemic continues to disrupt lives, our country is also going through a period of civil unrest, which exacerbates existing mental, emotional, physical and financial health issues already felt by many families and communities. Along with our partners in health, education and foodservice, we understand disparities exist and that our most vulnerable populations—children, families, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities and communities of color—are more adversely impacted by the uncertain and unprecedented challenges we face. This is why all of us at Dairy Council of California are committed to listening, learning more and doing our part to help reduce and eliminate disparities that exist in the areas of nutrition education, food insecurity and food access to improve the health and health outcomes of all children, families and communities.

    Enclosed in this report is a summary of our successes and challenges in this past year. Dairy Council of California’s long-standing legacy of supporting community health through nutrition remains unwavering, and I am honored to lead the organization forward on behalf of California dairy farmers and processors. By leaning on our rich history and expertise as we embark on a new century, we can continue to innovate and expand our education outreach with new opportunities to elevate the health of children and families through the pursuit of lifelong healthy eating habits, which include milk and dairy foods.

    On behalf of all of us at Dairy Council of California, thank you for your ongoing support.

  • New Lake County Winegrowers Logo Represents Region’s Volcanic Soils, Mountainous Terrain, Sunlight

    The Lake County Winegrape Commission today announced a new brand identity for the region’s winegrowers.

    In the 10 years since the previous logo was created, the region has evolved and matured in important ways. Vineyard acreage has expanded. The reputation of its winegrowers has grown along with the quality of Lake County winegrapes. And it is increasingly seen as a premium winegrowing region with its own distinct identity, independent of its North Coast neighbors.

    The new brand identity acknowledges this evolution and better reflects the region’s meaningful attributes. Specifically, the new logo affirms Lake County as a high-elevation, mountainous region dominated by young volcanic soils and luminous sunlight.

    An additional locator tagline identifies the region as within California’s North Coast AVA and distinguishes it from the numerous other “Lake” counties across the country.

    “We recognized that the winegrowing region’s brand needed to more precisely represent what sets our region apart – the high-elevation mountainous landscape, the red volcanic soils strewn with obsidian and quartz, the luminous sunlight and cool evenings and the professionalism and agricultural heritage of our growers,” said Debra Sommerfield, President of the Lake County Winegrape Commission.

    Designed for Trade and Consumers

    The new logo was designed with several audiences in mind, including grape buyers and members of the broader wine trade, as well as wine enthusiasts and casual wine consumers.

    “Defining a new visual brand for a wine region isn’t an easy proposition in a world where it seems like every wine region is competing for consumer attention,” said Alder Yarrow of Vinography.com. “But the Commission and its team are focused on the essence of what makes Lake County unique: volcanic soils and mountain fruit. Now all they have to do is let them shine.”

    Acknowledgements

    “Growers in our region work diligently to deliver high-quality winegrapes, and it is a joy to work on their behalf,” said Bonnie Sears, Chair of the Lake County Winegrape Commission. “We are honored to represent a group so dedicated to quality and sustainability.”

    The Lake County Winegrape Commission would like to recognize the following individuals for their expertise in creating the new visual identity: Jason Wister of Pair Design, Cameron Mauritson of Thomas Mauritson Vineyards, Peter Molnar of Obsidian Wine Co., Bill Oldham of Oldham Vineyards and LCWC Marketing Committee Chair, Clay Shannon of Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, Alder Yarrow of Vinography and John Hyde of 26 Brix.

    “We had a high-caliber team help us define and refine the brand identity,” Sommerfield said. “We’re grateful for their contribution.”

    Learn More

    As part of this effort to further refine LCWC’s messaging and visual identity, the Lake County Winegrape Commission is working with Wine Enthusiast to present a webinar on November 17 at 12 PM PT titled, Volcanic Wines – How Soils in Volcanic Regions Create ‘Intensity of Place’. Register to attend the webinar and learn more about the influence of volcanic soils on Lake County winemaking.

  • Heat Damaged Groves MAY BE Eligible for Tree Assistance Program Funding

    California Avocado Commission— In early September much of California experienced excessive heat, including many avocado growing regions. A few growing areas reported sustained temperatures of around 120 degrees. Understandably, due to this extreme heat some trees are experiencing severe damage. The California Avocado Commission immediately contacted the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to pursue possible funding for growers under the Tree Assistance Program (TAP).

    Under the TAP, “To be considered an eligible loss: Eligible trees, bushes, or vines must have suffered more than a 15 percent mortality loss in a stand (adjusted for normal mortality) due to an eligible natural disaster.” Here is a TAP Fact Sheet.

    However, FSA has ruled “heat” is not an eligible event under the TAP program. In 2016, when a similar heat event occurred resulting in California avocado tree damage, the Commission was successful in getting FSA to include heat-related damage. Considering that FSA currently lists “freeze” (an extreme low temperature event) as a TAP-eligible event, there seems to be no basis to exclude extreme high temperature events.

    The Commission is once again strongly advocating with FSA for the inclusion of “heat” as an eligible natural disaster and therefore inclusion in the TAP. As the Commission continues to pursue eligibility for the recent heat event, FSA is asking growers to submit their TAP application if they believe they have suffered the minimum threshold of damage. At this point, pending the FSA final determination, the applications will be rejected. Growers must then ask for an appeal.

    While submitting a TAP application now —knowing it will initially be rejected — is not ideal, there is a 90-day timeline that must be adhered to for any future ruling on eligibility. According to TAP growers must apply “within 90 calendar days of the disaster event; or the date when the loss is apparent to the producer.” Thus, in order to ensure growers meet the 90-day rule, they should apply for TAP now while the Commission continues to advocate for the inclusion of “heat” as an eligible event. If growers do not apply within the prescribed 90 days of the heat event or appearance of loss, they will not be eligible for TAP in the event FSA rules in our favor.

    If you believe your grove may meet the 15% mortality loss, you are encouraged to apply. The Commission will continue to work with FSA and keep you posted as additional information becomes available. 

    Applications can be submitted to your local FSA office as follows:

    Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties:
    Santa Barbara County Farm Service Agency
    Brenda Estrada, County Executive Director
    920 E Stowell Rd., Santa Maria, CA 93454-7008
    (805) 928-9269; (844) 206-7010 Fax
    Brenda.Estrada@ca.usda.gov

    Riverside, San Diego Counties:
    Riverside County Farm Service Agency
    81077 Indio Blvd. Ste. A, Indio, CA 92201
    (760) 347-3675; (844) 206-6978 Fax
    Desiree.Garza@usda.gov

  • To all San Joaquin Valley Citrus Growers

    The ACP/HLB San Joaquin Valley Task Force called a meeting on October 8, 2020 due to the increased number of ACP trap finds in the southern part of Kern County. In the last month (September and into October), there

    have been a total of 35 ACP trap finds in the areas of the south part of Bakersfield, Arvin, Lamont, Mettler, and Maricopa. There were 15 residential and 20 commercial citrus sticky trap finds. While there have been finds in

    some of these areas in the past, the amount of detections in this last 30-day period is alarming. The Asian citrus psyllid, as a reminder, transmits Huanglongbing; the best way to avoid HLB is to control ACP which the valley has been successfully doing. 2020 has been a suspiciously quiet year for ACP finds but now, it is time to act.

    We are now in the late part of the season where most spray programs have already been executed. A coordinated spray is not recommended at this time. Kern County growers are encouraged to use an ACP effective material if they have not done so in the last six weeks. It is prudent for all growers to use ACP effective materials when treating other pests. Regarding the residential finds, CDFA is at various stages of treating them. Prior to these finds, CDFA had released Tamarixia radiata in certain residential areas of Kern County. Future Tamarixia releases are scheduled.

    The task force wants to convey the seriousness of what is being seen and what it means to our industry. Unfortunately, the suspicion is that these finds in commercial citrus are spilling over from residential properties. It is up to the citrus industry to deal with this threat. San Joaquin Valley citrus growers have done a good job using ACP effective materials when treating. The cooperation shown by growers during coordinated treatments reflects their commitment to keeping ACP suppressed. Nevertheless, task force members wished to highlight what should be done to help control the Asian citrus psyllid here in the valley.

    It is even more imperative to control the psyllid due to the find of a CLas positive ACP in commercial citrus down in the Riverside area. That was a wake-up call. We cannot, as an industry and in good conscience, dismiss that find. Growers and Pest Control Advisors need to be diligent. The following best practices must be a part of the regime tending to citrus groves.

    What do Growers and Pest Control Advisors need to do? It is easy to say, “follow the best practices”, but there are key elements that the task force believes is important. All the guidelines should be adhered to, but these are the key elements:

    A. Know When and Where Asian citrus psyllids might be present.
    – flush is what attracts the psyllid. Nice, tender leaves and stems. Like candy to an ACP.
    – citrus varieties matter. Lemons flush constantly. Grapefruit, oranges, and mandarins will have fewer flush cycles.
    – know when flushes occur. Spring, late summer for established trees. Younger trees have extensive, prolonged flush. Topping and hedging will produce flush. Spraying with kaolin stimulates flush also.

    – temperature determines how long a flush will last. Hot temps lead to quick hardening of the plant growth. Cooler temps prolong flush.

    1. Scout for Asian citrus psyllids (Yellow sticky traps are a passive method to determine presence of ACP).

      – use both visual and tap surveying.
      – survey along the borders, psyllids tend to not go deeper into groves unless the population is high (they do not like each other very much). If very wide plantings or very wide wind machine rows exist, then check along them too. Younger trees and shorter trees will allow the psyllids to travel farther into the grove.
      – do more frequent surveys during flush. Monthly surveys work when the vegetation is hardened off, unless the trees are close to a find, then sampling frequency should increase.

    2. Be aware of inadvertently transporting ACP.
      – clean equipment used before moving to the next property. Applies to anyone working in a grove; especially picking crews, trimming crews, irrigators, Pest Control Advisors, and the growers themselves.
      – check clothing and vehicles for insect hitchhikers. Shake out hats, bags, clothing. Sweep down vehicles.
      – do not park vehicles in the rows, park outside of the grove.

    3. If possible, use ACP effective materials when treating other pests, following label instructions.

    4. Follow the requirements when moving bulk harvested citrus.

    5. Be aware of developments!
      – receive newsletters from San Joaquin Valley Grower Liaisons.

    Fresno County Northern Tulare County Southern Tulare County Kern County

    – subscribe to industry publications.

    Sylvie Robillard Teri Blaser Jessica Leslie Judy Zaninovich

    FresnoACP@yahoo.com TBlaserSCI@ocsnet.net jess.leslie@hotmail.com jleslie@msn.com

    These were felt to be the most important points of the voluntary best practices. The ACP/HLB San Joaquin Valley Tack Force felt it was important to write this letter to all the valley citrus growers because as of this moment, the valley has not discovered a CLas positive Asian citrus psyllid or a CLas positive tree. The members of the task force believe that the industry must operate under the assumption that there are positive psyllids and trees in the valley; they just have not been found yet. If the industry relaxes its vigilance that is when Huanglongbing will become established and cause havoc. Thank you for taking the time to read this and may each and all stay safe and well.

    Sincerely,

    The ACP/HLB San Joaquin Valley Task Force 

  • SLO County Wine Industry Award Winners

    The San Luis Obispo County wine industry comes together annually to honor leaders of the local wine community. Typically, this awards ceremony takes place in the summer at the California Mid-State Fair. This year the ceremony took place online on October 16 and streamed live on Facebook. These awards recognize dedication, stewardship, innovation, and leadership demonstrated in the San Luis Obispo County wine community. The 2020 San Luis Obispo County Wine Industry Awards go to – Winegrape Grower of the Year, William and Derryal (posthumously) John, John Vineyard Applications; Winemaker of the Year, Joe Barton, Grey Wolf Cellars and Barton Family Wines; Wine Industry Person of the Year, Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, Ancient Peaks Winery.

    The Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in partnership with the San Luis Obispo Coast Wine Collective, the Independent Grape Growers of the Paso Robles Area, The Vineyard Team, and past award recipients worked together to vote on the 2020 industry award winners. The honorees are evaluated on their leadership and accomplishments in California’s third-largest wine region, San Luis Obispo County. The Winery of the Year is determined by the Central Coast Wine Competition based on a winery’s overall performance of wines through the competition. CCWC judging is currently underway with wine awards being announced in the coming week.

    “Although the circumstance of 2020 have been unprecedented, agriculture continues in our County and these individuals’ leadership, hard work, and dedication continue to bring national and international attention to the region,” said Joel Peterson, Executive Director of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. “We were excited to utilize a new format to celebrate these passionate individuals with a much wider audience and honor their work that will continue to elevate the reputation of wines from the greater San Luis Obispo County and the Paso Robles wine region.”

    Winegrape Grower of the Year

    William and Derryal (posthumously) John

    John Vineyard Applications

    “I’m so honored that I have been awarded the Winegrape Grower of 2020 by my peers in the wine industry,” said Will John. I’ve always tried to be a good steward of the land and produce high-quality wine grapes. I’m so pleased to be recognized for my contribution to this amazing wine region and thankful for all the wonderful industry professionals who have supported me along the way. I know my father would have been equally honored and grateful.”

    Derryal John (1948 – 2020)

    Derryal John was born into a farming family in 1948 in Delano, California. His father, Francis John, was a vineyard farmer and taught Derryal how to farm vineyards from a young age. After two tours in Vietnam with the U.S. Army, Derryal moved to Shandon in 1971. At this time he planted the San Juan Vineyard for Louie Lucas. In 1990, he started Derryal John Management and continued to farm the San Juan Vineyard until 1999. In addition, he developed and managed many vineyards in the Paso Robles area. He developed 800-acre Cuesta Ridge Vineyard for Robert Mondavi, which is now owned by Ancient Peaks Winery as the Santa Margarita Ranch. Derryal was a volunteer firefighter for 25 years in Shandon and coach of many youth sports teams. He enjoyed working closely with Will and continuing to help him with many of the farming tasks as he moved into retirement. In his spare time, Derryal and his wife Lesa loved attending activities and sports games of their six grandchildren. Derryal was much loved in the community and is dearly missed by his many friends and family after he passed away in January 2020.

    Will John

    Much like his father, Will John was born into a farming family in 1975 in San Luis Obispo. He grew up on the San Juan Vineyard and worked closely with his father from a very young age. He attended Cal Poly, taking every fall quarter off to work grape harvest, and put himself through school. He met and married his wife, Jalene in 2003 and they have two girls, Quinn, 13, and Delaney, 11. Will started his own vineyard farming business, John Vineyard Applications, Inc. in 2004. He enjoys vineyard development from the ground up. He currently farms approximately 400 acres of leased and owned vineyards and also manages a handful of vineyards for clients. His newest project is a 100-acre dry-farmed vineyard, Armory in Paso Robles’ Adelaida District, consisting mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon and a few Rhône varietals. In his spare time, Will enjoys participating with his girls in the raising of their sheep flock, which they show in 4-H. He also enjoys camping, snowboarding, and drinking wine, of course.

    Winemaker of the Year
    Joe Barton

    Grey Wolf Cellars and Barton Family Wines

    “I am humbled and grateful to be in such amazing company in this Year’s Mid State Fair Wine Awards,” said Joe Barton. “This award is always a representation of those that continue to bring excellence to the Central Coast. I am so honored to be a part of the legacy of artisans who have helped to craft our wine industry. I want to thank all of my family, friends, and Grey Wolf staff members, both past and present, who along the way gave me their best. I could not have done it without you.”

    Joe Barton is the owner and Director of Winemaking at Grey Wolf Cellars and Barton Family Wines. His parents, Joe Sr. and Shirlene Barton, started the winery in 1994, following their dream of owning a winery and building a family business for future generations to come. Joe Jr. attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo as a fruit science major and was tasked at the young age of 23 with carrying on the family legacy and dream after his father tragically passed in 1998. He now operates the business with his wife Jenny and has made it his life mission for the past 25 years to create a distinct style, sourcing from dry-farmed vineyards in the Paso Robles Willow Creek, Templeton Gap, and Adelaida District AVAs. Farming is the core of his business. Understanding the unique microclimates of Paso Robles distinct AVAs identifies the best location for growing a variety of wines with regional character. Focusing on making hand-crafted wines from specific sites creates a dynamic portfolio of wines. He works with a selection of wine varieties including the heritage varietal Zinfandel, the classic Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, and both Rhône red and whites. Joe is a past board member of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and served on the AVA Committee that oversaw the creation of petitions that created the 11 new districts within the Paso Robles AVA.

    Wine Industry Person of the Year
    Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins

    Ancient Peaks Winery, Wine Speak, Dream Big Darling

    “I am deeply humbled to be named Industry Person of the Year,” said Amanda. As the fourth generation of the Central Coast, I am proud to be part of this agricultural community, for many years I have greatly admired past award recipients. I’m honored to carry on the legacy of paying it forward and creating opportunities for others. The rising tide floats all ships, and I’m blessed to be surrounded by an amazing community and work-family who make nearly anything possible. A special thank you to my husband Sam, and my two children Cooper and Cecilia who remind me every day that anything is possible if you dare to dream.”

    As Executive Vice President at Ancient Peaks, Amanda has helped establish Ancient Peaks as a leading national brand. Along the way, she has been a passionate advocate for Paso Robles, SLO County, and the Central Coast. Amanda has also invested heavily in employee personal and professional development, including a successful internship program has helped many graduates achieve professional growth, opportunity, and success. Amanda was on the cover on Wine Enthusiast’s 2019 “40 Under 40” issue featuring “the trailblazers who are redefining the industry as we know it.” She was also one of five nominees for “Social Visionary of The Year” at the 2019 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards. In 2017, Amanda co-founded Wine Speak Paso Robles, an annual industry trade event that is now regarded as one of the finest events of its kind in California. Wine Speak is deeply involved in community service, such as hosting young wine professionals on scholarship. In 2018, Amanda founded Dream Big Darling, a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering the success of up-and-coming women in the wine and spirits industry. Amanda is passionate about local community service and served on the boards of the SLO Coast Wine Collective (three years) and Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance (two years). Amanda is a Paso Robles native, and a graduate of Paso Robles High School, Cuesta College, and Cal Poly. She served as the girls JV basketball coach at Paso Robles High School, and also served as co-head coach with her sister for two seasons.

  • California Dairy Industry Improves Environmental Impact

    Milk is big business in California. It’s the agricultural product that brings in more farm revenue than any other in the state. It employs about 190,000 workers, and involves 1.78 million cows. Indeed, dairy has been important to California’s economy for decades, and over time innovations in animal husbandry, feeding and in growing crops that dairy cows eat have led to substantial changes in greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, Ermias Kebreab and his colleagues at the University of California, Davis, calculated exactly how much these emissions have changed in the 50 years from 1964 to 2014. Although the total emissions from the state’s dairy industry increased over that period, the state also produced much more milk, and the industry has become more efficient in terms of its emissions.

    As well as milk being important to California, California’s milk production is important to the US. The dairy industry has a long history in the state. It’s thought that the state’s export of cheese, for example, began in the year 1800, when a Russian commander called Ivan Kuskow sent produce from Sonoma to Russian settlements in Alaska. In the 25 years from 1975 to 2000, the state’s dairy industry boomed. California went from producing 9.4% to 19.2% of total US milk production, and overtook Wisconsin to become the state that produced more than any other. These days, about 40% of California’s milk leaves the state as different kinds of processed milk product, such as cheese, milk powder, butter, and whey.

    Assessing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of this activity requires a lot of data about all of the inputs and outputs of dairy farming. It also requires fairly complex modelling. The research team pulled together data to describe each aspect of four processes—feed production, enteric methane, manure storage, and farm management—as part of a life-cycle assessment (LCA). These kinds of assessments sometimes only consider carbon footprints, but Kebreab and his colleagues opted instead for a more comprehensive analysis that included water and land use. They also opted to run two different LCA models to see how different the results were for different sets of assumptions in the modelling. The first model used primary data from five Californian dairy farms. The second used off-the-shelf numbers from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Everything was inputted in tremendous detail. For example, separate dietary data were used for calves, heifers, pregnant heifers, close-up heifers, and lactating and dry cows in 1964, and further categories were added for the 2014 analysis.

    Overall, the GHG emissions for 2014 on average ranged between 1.12 and 1.16 kg of CO2e/kg of energy-corrected milk, depending on the specifics of the diet modelled. Energy-corrected milk is a standardized way of measuring milk produced, adjusted so that the milks across all cows and farms have the same fat (here, 4%) and protein (3.3%) content. In 1964, the GHG emissions were 2.11 kg of CO2e/kg of energy-corrected milk, so the GHG emissions per bottle of milk have reduced substantially. There have been improvements across the board. Emissions from enteric methane and manure have been cut in the process of producing a unit of milk, as have water use and land requirements. California’s dairy industry has fairly low emissions compared with the same industry elsewhere in the US.

    However, not every aspect of dairy farming has improved to the same extent. The team’s models revealed that methane from manure made up about 41% of the industry’s GHG emissions in 2014, compared with just less than a quarter (24.5%) of its emissions in 1964. The root cause of this appears to be the way that manure is commonly managed in the state. It is often stored in “lagoons” as opposed to in solid form, which means that the methane conversion factor from manure is higher than it could be.

    Reductions in water use—an important matter in a state that is prone to droughts—have been achieved through more careful farming of crops that comprise animal feed, as well as through genetic improvements that have led to sturdier crops that do not need as much watering. There have also been increased yields in these crops over the years. In turn, the greater yields have meant that the amount of land required to grow enough food to feed a cow for a year has come down.

    This assessment points to important successes. Yet it should be considered alongside the fact that the state’s dairy industry grew dramatically during the period studied. The number of dairy cows in California has more than doubled. Many Californians would probably agree that an industry that grows this much has a responsibility to keep asking how it could strive to further reduce its environmental footprint. The value of this study is that it brings answers to this question that farmers can take note of, and that industry organizations, and potentially the government, could take action to support. — By Anna Petherick, University of Oxford & International Milk Genomics Consortium

  • How to Assess Whether Grapes & Wines are Affected by Wildfire Smoke Exposure

    Oregon State University Extension — Vineyards on the west coast have experienced wildfires over the past few years and are currently faced with a difficult 2020 wildfire season. Vineyard exposure to smoke can lead to smoky aromas in wines. While grapes can be tested for smoke marker compounds, wines produced from micro-fermentations can yield more comprehensive information when they undergo sensory and analysis for both free and bound volatile phenols that may impact wine sensory properties. Micro-ferments are small fermentations that can be done by grape growers or winemakers as a way to evaluate smoke-derived compounds in the grapes. See the procedures for conducting micro fermentations.

    Collecting grape clusters from throughout a smoke-exposed vineyard will serve as a sample for smoke compound testing and/or micro ferments to determine if the fruit and/or wine carry the volatile phenols from the smoke — Josh Price

    How to analyze for smoke-derived compounds

    Currently there are few labs that provide grape and wine testing for smoke compounds. Due to the large number of samples that have been submitted to testing labs under the present wildfires, there is limited availability of timely service. If your vineyards have been exposed to wildfire smoke, it is recommended that you prioritize vineyard lots to sample for analysis. The most common reasons to pursue analytical testing is 1) requirement for crop insurance claims, and 2) contract negotiations with grape buyers. See “Further considerations” below. When sampling, identify vineyards that you suspect were more heavily affected by smoke exposure and collect clusters from throughout these blocks to provide a single sample that represents the area. Sampling and sample preparation protocols vary between testing laboratories, so be sure to check their specific requirements before sampling and preparing samples for shipping. Consider collaborating with neighboring vineyards in your area to collect samples from vineyards that represent the area, especially if you are under similar smoke exposure. Separate your samples based on variety, as different varieties have shown different results with the same smoke exposure intensity or duration. Reducing the number of samples to be analyzed will help you reduce the total cost of analysis across producers and provide a regional outlook of smoke impact. A list of testing labs is below (in alphabetical order). Be sure to contact the lab to determine how to collect and submit your sample. Be aware that turn-around time for sample analysis will vary, so make sure you know how long it will take to receive results and plan accordingly.

    Testing Labs

    Additional documentation may be required for shipping to Canada. Contact Davin Potts (davin.c.potts@usda.gov), 509-925-1189 for additional guidance
     
    Evaluating wines from micro fermentations

    Sensory evaluation of wines from micro fermentations may provide you with timely and actionable information. However, they must be conducted in a careful and consistent manner. How to conduct sensory evaluation of micro fermentations is outlined within the protocol for micro fermentations

    and includes the following:

    • Having multiple people (4 people minimum if possible) taste the samples. People vary in their sensitivity to the sensory impact of the smoke compounds.
    • Taste sample at least twice during a short period of time.
    • Ensure breaks of 2+ minutes between samples to reduce any carry-over effect.
    • Samples should be tasted blind, meaning coded samples with no identifiers.
    • Be aware that freshly fermented wines from a micro fermentation may taste a little bit different than what you are used to in normal production. The wines may be more acidic, astringent, and have higher amounts of solids. Focus on identifying smoky characteristics. A helpful tool is to have a heavily smoke impacted wine as a reference as well as a wine that has no smoky characteristics. Wines from previous micro fermentations that do or do not exhibit significant smoke impact could be used as a reference when tasting.

    Further considerations

    • If you have crop insurance, be sure to contact your insurance company and talk to your crop insurance adjuster before you begin sampling and/or harvesting. They will work with you to identify the proper steps in pursuing your claim.
    • If you are selling/buying fruit, be sure to work with your grower/buyer/winery to consider micro fermentations and what threshold of smoke exposure or analytical metrics will be acceptable.

  • CDFA & UC Davis Collaborate to Assist Commercial Laboratories Testing Smoke Impact in Wine Grapes

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, and the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are offering laboratory services, with limited capacity, to test winegrapes and wine for the presence of smoke compounds due to recent wildfires. In addition to commercial laboratories already performing tests, these laboratories are offering limited services to hopefully reduce testing turnaround times.

    “We are hearing many growers and grower representatives voice concern over lab turnaround time, as lab results are needed to make a decision about harvesting their winegrapes or to assess the resulting wines,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “To answer a need in our world-renown California wine industry, CDFA is proud to partner with UC Davis to offer the resources of our laboratories.”

    “The wine and grape industries of California are important to the state and to our college, “ said Helene Dillard, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at UC Davis.  “The wildfires this year have been particularly devastating, so we are very happy to be partnering with the CDFA to apply our collective resources to this important issue.”

    “Our staff members are working diligently to meet the laboratory needs of the wine and winegrape industries resulting from the unprecedented number of wildfires on the west coast,” said Gordon Burns, CEO of ETS Laboratories. “We appreciate the partnership of CDFA and UC Davis as we work together to answer industry needs.”

    CDFA’s Center for Analytical Chemistry (CAC) is offering grape analysis. CDFA’s limited testing capacity is estimated to be 30-50 samples per day, with a turnaround time of 3-5 days, as long as a backlog does not occur. If a backlog does occur and the turnaround time will be longer, CDFA will provide that information on its website.

    The UC Davis laboratories are teaming-up to provide wine analysis.

    While the analytical methods of the CDFA and UC Davis labs have been validated and are accurate, the methods are not ISO 17025 (International Organization for Standardization) accredited. Therefore, growers should verify with insurance providers and/or legal counsel that the results will be acceptable before submitting samples. The laboratories will measure seven smoke-related compounds (guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, o-cresol, p-cresol, m-cresol, syringol, and 4-methylsyringol).

    To submit grape samples, visit the CDFA laboratory website for sample submission instructions, or contact CDFA at CDFA.CAC_receiving@cdfa.ca.gov or (916) 228-6844. Price per grape sample is $246.

    To submit wine samples, visit the UC Davis laboratory website for more information. Price per wine sample is $150.