California Ag Network

Category: Ag Economics

  • Fresno Livestock Commission Receives National Honors

    The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor of the Beef Checkoff, announced the winners of the 2023 Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Awards, sponsored by Cargill. The National BQA Awards, funded in part by the Beef Checkoff, annually recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers, marketers, and educators.

    “The 2023 winners exemplify high-quality animal care and handling principles as part of their day-to-day operations and are continually improving through BQA,” said Josh White, senior executive director of producer education and sustainability at NCBA. “As good stewards of the cattle industry, they also encourage others to implement BQA principles.”

    The 2023 BQA Award winners are:

    2023 BQA Cow-Calf Award
    Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch, Nebraska
    Located on the western edge of the Nebraska Sandhills since 1888, the family behind the Wilson Flying Diamond Ranch has passed down its forward-thinking mindset for generations. The ranch is now owned and operated by the family’s fourth and fifth generations, Blaine Wilson and his daughter Jaclyn. The Wilson family has transformed its operation of more than 800 head of Red Angus and composite cattle into a quintessential example of proper conservation and environmental management. The ranch adheres to strict stewardship principles focused on pasture rotation, facilitated by computer programming and mapping. The ranch also uses year-round grazing management to ensure they are continuing to improve the land in the fragile Sandhills.

    2023 BQA – Dairy FARM Award
    Temme Agribusiness, Nebraska
    The Temme family dairy operation started in 1956 with its first milking parlor and 65 cows. Through multiple upgrades and barn additions focused on enhancing cow comfort, the herd has grown to 850 today. Since its inception, the operation has also fed cattle, bought feeders to raise for beef and raised Holsteins as herd replacements. Throughout the years, continuous improvement has driven the business to seek more ways to utilize and develop the workforce’s talent, which has helped provide the best possible animal care. As they hired more employees, Temme Agribusiness established a system of training them in BQA and FARM Animal Care guidelines to produce quality milk and beef.

    2023 BQA Feedyard Award
    Darr Feedlot, Nebraska
    Founded in 1982 as a 2,500-head custom feedlot by local beef producers, Darr Feedlot has grown extensively over the years, now operating two main yards with a current feeding capacity of 48,000 head. The team at Darr Feedlot recognizes its responsibility to protect and promote the integrity of the beef industry and meets that challenge head-on by advocating for the adoption and implementation of the BQA program. From the basics of training employees on the significance of health management to developing facility designs, BQA principles are at the core of daily operations. Darr Feedlot not only executes BQA practices in their operation but also encourages their customer cattle suppliers to do the same.

    2023 BQA Marketer Award
    Fresno Livestock Commission, California
    Owned and operated by father-daughter pair Phil and Cindy Tews since 1990, Fresno Livestock caters to the small, everyday grower selling ten or fewer calves per year. With a passion for advocacy, Cindy takes a hands-on approach to implement BQA at Fresno Livestock. Located within a county that has one million people, Fresno Livestock Commission also has the notable opportunity to educate and engage with a diverse population. Cindy and her staff spend untold hours visiting with buyers and sellers alike. They help facilitate relationships with veterinarians, haulers and even provide a BQA-certified crew for hire during branding, vaccinating, shipping and other activities.

    2023 BQA Educator Award
    Dr. Tom Noffsinger, Nebraska
    As a long-standing industry leader and one of the first “Train the Trainers” in the state of Nebraska, Dr. Tom Noffsinger, DVM, has a well-established history with BQA. Dr. Noffsinger acts as a veterinary consultant for the company he founded in 2009, Professional Animal Consultation (PAC). In his role, Dr. Noffsinger works with other employed consulting vets to push the BQA message and demonstrate how adopting BQA’s best management practices help producers’ bottom lines. Throughout his practicing and consulting career, Dr. Noffsinger works to explain the “whys” of veterinary medicine and how the “why” can influence beef quality.

    Award winners are selected by a committee comprised of BQA certified representatives from universities, state beef councils, sponsors and affiliated groups, who assess nominations based on their demonstrated commitment to BQA practices, their service as leaders in the beef industry and their dedication to promoting the BQA message to grow consumer confidence. For more information about each of the award winners, visit https://www.bqa.org/about/bqa-awards.

    About Beef Quality Assurance
    Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is a nationally coordinated, state implemented program funded by the Beef Checkoff that provides U.S. beef producers guidelines and certification drawn from common sense husbandry techniques and accepted scientific knowledge on how to raise cattle under optimum management and environmental conditions. BQA reflects a positive public image and instills consumer confidence in the beef industry. When producers implement the best management practices of a BQA program, they assure their cattle are the best they can be. For more information on BQA, visit http://www.bqa.org/.

    About the Beef Checkoff
    The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents of the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

    About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
    The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

  • USDA-FSA Helps Farmers and Ranchers Tackle Challenges

    Under the Biden administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has worked to assist distressed borrowers, improve land access for underserved producers and provide disaster assistance and relief for producers impacted by natural disasters. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) also gave producers and landowners tools to help with climate-smart land management and made great strides in supporting USDA’s priorities of improving equity in program delivery and helping producers rebound and recover after natural disasters, the pandemic, and other challenges in the past two years.

    “Although we are always considering ways to improve our programs and looking for growth opportunities, I am extremely proud of the extra effort and ingenuity our employees have put forth over the past couple of years – exceptionally difficult years defined by an economic-crippling pandemic and catastrophic natural disasters – to ensure agricultural producers received the quality service they have come to expect and deserve from FSA,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux.  “For 2023, FSA remains committed to continually evaluating how we can deliver our programs in a manner that is meaningful to the farmers and ranchers we serve and demonstrates our ongoing dedication to improving customer service and enhancing equity in program delivery.”

    Key highlights from the past two years include:

    • In 2022, FSA provided nearly $800 million in assistance to distressed borrowers with direct and guaranteed loans to help cure delinquencies and resolve uncollectable farm loan debts. Section 22006 of the Inflation Reduction Act provided $3.1 billion for USDA to deliver this relief for distressed borrowers and to expedite assistance for those whose agricultural operations are at financial risk. FSA is currently working with borrowers to address complex cases and help producers with cashflow challenges. In 2023, additional opportunities for financially distressed borrowers to receive payments will begin. FSA will start by contacting direct borrowers, or a guaranteed borrower’s lender, to validate payment amounts.
    • The Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access Program invests up to $300 million in funding to support projects that enabled underserved producers to access land, capital and markets. Land access is critical to the success of agriculture. Underserved producers have not received the amount of specialized technical support that would benefit the launch, growth, resilience and success of their agricultural enterprises. USDA accepted applications for the program through Nov. 18, 2022 and anticipates announcing selections in 2023.
    • In 2022, USDA launched the Loan Assistance Tool to help farmers and ranchers better navigate the farm loan application process. FSA experiences a high rate of incomplete or withdrawn applications, particularly among underserved customers, due in part to a challenging and lengthy paper-based application process. This uniform application process helps to ensure all farm loan applicants receive equal support and have a consistent customer experience with FSA regardless of their individual circumstances. Access the Loan Assistance Tool at farmers.gov/farm-loan-assistance-tool.
    • FSA administers several programs designed to help agricultural producers recover from the impacts of natural disasters including drought, winter storms, hurricanes and more. Over the past two years, FSA has paid more than $3.5 billion through these disaster programs and has made several policy enhancements to better meet the recovery needs of producers who have suffered significant production and physical losses on their operations.  FSA expanded the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program to provide program benefits to producers of fish raised for food and other aquaculture species as well as cover above normal expenses for transporting livestock to forage and grazing acres and to transport feed to livestock impacted by qualifying drought. FSA also updated the Livestock Indemnity Program payment rates to better reflect true market value of non-adult beef, beefalo, bison and dairy animals. In the wake of devastating tornadoes and derechos in 2021, FSA designed a new program to deliver direct assistance to producers who lost critical grain storage facilities and struggled to meet their on-farm storage capacity needs. USDA also just announced expanded program benefits and improvements to several conservation, livestock and noninsured crop assistance programs to ensure these programs are reaching all producers in need including underserved producer groups.  Read the Jan. 10, 2023, news release.
    • Building on the existing suite of USDA disaster assistance programs that help offset losses and manage risk incurred as a result of natural disaster events USDA rolled out the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP). In 2022, FSA implemented ERP Phase One, which delivered more than $7 billion in payments to commodity and specialty crop producers. FSA also delivered more than $600 million through ELRP to livestock producers who experienced losses to drought and wildfire in calendar year 2021.  USDA recently announced additional relief through ERP Phase 2 for producers who suffered a decrease in allowable gross revenue in 2020 or 2021 due to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event. Read the Jan. 9, 2023 news release.
    • In 2022, FSA took steps to improve coverage through the Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), especially for small- and mid-sized dairies. This included offering a new Supplemental DMC (SDMC) program and updating its feed cost formula to reflect the actual costs dairy producers pay for high-quality alfalfa hay. For 2022, SDMC paid producers nearly $3 million.  DMC provided $76.6 million to dairy producers who had coverage in 2022, and the signup for 2023 closed on Jan. 31, 2023. In additional safety-net support, FSA provided more than $2.1 billion in critical support through the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs to mitigate fluctuations in either revenue or prices for certain crops.
    • FSA updated the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) to improve their environmental benefits while expanding the reach of the program. In 2021, FSA added a Climate-Smart Payment Incentive and higher payment rates for CRP as well as tweaked CREP to allow for added staffing capacity and to better include organizations including Tribes. Just this past year, FSA enrolled about 5.6 million acres into the CRP through its General, Continuous and Grassland signups in 2022. This surpassed the 3.9 million acres expiring this year. Grassland CRP had its largest signup in history, enrolling 3.1 million acres.

    More Information

    Producers can explore all FSA farm loan and disaster assistance options at www.farmers.gov or by contacting their local USDA Service Center.

  • Monterey County’s Winegrape Sector Delivers Total Economic Impact of $1.4 billion Annually

    The Monterey County wine and winegrape sector and the businesses that support the industry deliver a total economic contribution of $1.4 billion in annual economic activity for Monterey County’s economy, according to a new report commissioned by the Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG). (https://eir-api.guerrillaeconomics.net/reports/bd57d1aa-a44a-4340-a67e-c6bf768b7b21?)

    The Monterey County wine industry, directly and indirectly, generates 10,491 jobs and $598.5 million in annual wages and benefits. Monterey County cultivated around 42,000 acres of grapes in 2021 and has 158 vineyard and winery operations, with 75 winery licenses (Type 02).

    The local industry attracts approximately 630,000 tourists annually, who spend roughly $122.3 million. There are about 65 tasting rooms throughout the County, along the coast in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey, in the sunny and warm countryside of Carmel Valley, and the vineyards along the Monterey Wine Trail in the Salinas Valley.


    “Our local wine industry is an important economic driver, generating significant revenue and employment opportunities and driving tourism. Locally, many of our small and large wineries are still family-owned, and some have been passed down through generations.”, shared Kim Stemler, Executive Director of the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Association.“Our wine businesses have a strong connection to communities, as demonstrated by their generosity to local non-profits and a deep commitment to their employees and caring for the land.”

    The wine industry is tremendously generous, donating $291.2 million in annual charitable contributions from all California counties combined. As anyone that has attended any non-profit fundraiser knows, the local wine industry steps up to support philanthropic efforts in many ways, including the Monterey County Vintners & Growers Foundation Peter Figge Scholarship Fund.

    ECONOMIC IMPACT REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
    – Economic Impact of Monterey County Wine and Winegrapes:
    – Employment – 10,491 jobs
    – Annual Economic Activity – $1.4 billion
    – Wages & Benefits – $$598.5 million annually
    – Tourism Visits – 630,900 wine-related tourist visits annually to Monterey County wineries
    – Tourism Spending – $122.3 million in estimated wine visitor-related expenditures annually

    ABOUT THE RESEARCH
    Economic Impact of California Wine and Grapes on Monterey 2022 measures the full economic impact of the wine and winegrape industries in terms of employment, wages, output, taxes, tourism spending and visits, and charitable giving. “The Economic Impact of California Wine on Monterey County” was prepared by John Dunham & Associates. It uses a standard and widely used methodology, which includes direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts, to present the full picture. The IMPLAN model, initially developed by the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Minnesota (and now maintained by IMPLAN, Inc.), is used by many companies worldwide and government agencies such as the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Economic Research Service, and Federal Reserve Bank.

  • Daughters of American Ag Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

    The American Agri-Women (AAW) Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2023 Daughters of American Agriculture Scholarships. The application may be found here:  https://americanagriwomen.org/scholarships. The deadline is March 1. Late applications will not be considered.

    The Jean Ibendahl Scholarship (for ages 18-23) and the Sister Thomas More Bertels Scholarship (for ages 24+) honors the memory of these courageous and adventurous women who played an essential role in serving and leading and who encouraged agricultural pursuits.

    These scholarships are available to any farm, ranch, or agri-business woman to pursue accredited courses in agriculture leadership, communications, rural sociology, medicine or other college-level studies directly related to agriculture. American Agri-Women members and affiliates maintain the scholarships.

    About American Agri-Women

    American Agri-Women     (AAW) promotes the welfare of our national security through a safe and reliable food, fiber and energy supply. Since 1974, AAW members have worked together to educate consumers, advocate for agriculture, and offer networking and professional development opportunities. Go to the AAW web site for more information and to join, www.americanagriwomen.org.

  • Consumer Demand for Beef Remains Strong Among Inflation Woes, New Report Shows

    According to the newly released “Today’s Beef Consumer” report from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, demand for beef continues to remain strong. The compilation of research from 2022, outlined below, shows that despite various challenges faced by the industry, consumers have repeatedly stated that they will continue purchasing beef, both in retail and foodservice settings.

    Consumer Insights
    Consumer demand for beef remains strong overall. In fact, more than two-thirds of consumers reportedly eat beef on a weekly basis, or more. Inflation is certainly top of mind and more than three-quarters of consumers, 78%, report noticing an increase in the price of food whether at retail or foodservice. Beef however has experienced far lower levels of inflation when compared to other proteins in the “food at home” category, which we will explore next.

    Retail
    During the pandemic consumers were forced to cook at home and many have continued to do so as it has become a popular way to make a dollar stretch and combat inflation. Analysis for the Today’s Beef Consumer report found 76% of meals are now cooked at home and 94% of consumers who are cooking more at home say they will continue to do so. In 2022 fresh ground beef accounted for 50% of volume of beef sales, likely due to the lower price point as well as a renewed consumer interest in comfort foods and nostalgic recipes, like meatloaf. In 2022, meatloaf was also the most popular page on BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com with almost 1.7 million pageviews. This trend is expected to continue as a recent survey found that 20% of consumers say they plan to purchase more ground beef in the coming year.

    Foodservice
    It is no surprise that beef sales at foodservice declined sharply in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, sales in both dollars and volume rebounded to surpass the pre-pandemic level of 2019.

    Online Shopping
    Another pandemic trend that seems to be here to stay is online shopping, both at retail and foodservice. 64% of consumers say they are ordering groceries online, with 44% of consumers including fresh beef in those grocery orders. When it comes to foodservice, online ordering has become overwhelmingly popular. 80% of consumers say they order meals online and 70% use online ordering for burgers.

    Beef Substitutes
    Fresh meat and beef substitutes continue to represent a small percentage of the market. When it comes to protein sources, consumers consistently rank beef as a top source of protein.

    As we head into 2023 demand for beef remains strong and consumers continue to purchase and order beef, whether in person or online. To view the entire study, click here or visit BeefResearch.org.

    About the Beef Checkoff
    The Beef Checkoff was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The Checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States may retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.

    About NCBA, a Contractor to the Beef Checkoff
    The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program. The Beef Checkoff is administered by the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, with oversight provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

  • 2023 UCCE Carrot Research (Virtual) Symposium

    The UC Cooperative Extension will be hosting its 2023 Carrot Research Symposium on Tuesday, February 14th online via Zoom from 8 a.m. to noon.  Attendance is free and open to the public.  The symposium will focus on the latest information in research and activities related to carrots, with 1.5 hrs. of ‘Other’ CEUs applied for from the CA Dept. of Pesticide Regulations.  Some of the highlighted topics on the agenda include: screening carrot lines for resistance to cavity spot and other traits, carrot breeding to develop/introduce improved cultivars for CA production, root-knot nematode injury prevention in CA fresh carrot production, steam disinfestation of weed seed banks in carrots, and more.  See the full agenda HERE.  Register to attend HERE.

    Contacts for More Information

    Registration/Logistics: PJ Kelly, anrprogramsupport@ucanr.edu or (530) 750-1361
    Course Content: Jaspreet Sidhu, jaksidhu@ucanr.edu, Vegetable Crops Advisor, UCCE Kern County

  • CA Tomato Processors Expect To Contract 12.4 Million Tons In 2023

    As of January, California’s tomato processors reported they have, or will have, contracts for 12.4 million tons in 2023, which is an increase of 18% compared to 10.5 million contracted tons forecast in the August 2022 California Processing Tomato Report. Processors estimate that the contracted production for 2023 will come from 248,000 acres, generating an average yield of 50.0 tons per acre. The contracted planted acreage forecast is 8% higher than the 2022 acreage of 229,000 reported under contract in August.

    The USDA-NASS Pacific Regional Office surveyed California’s tomato processors for their intended contract acreage and tonnage for the upcoming 2023 season. The data reported by processors was either tonnage with derived acreage, or acreage with derived tonnage.

    This early processing tomato estimate is funded by the California League of Food Producers.

  • Fresno State Seeks to Expand Diversity in California Ag, Farm Credit Helps with $700,000

    The Central Valley of California is the largest producer of agricultural commodities in the nation, and agriculture is by far the largest segment of the region’s economy. But as Dr. Sharon Freeman, an assistant professor at California State University Fresno puts it, the state’s changing demographics mean agriculture has to change as well.

    “To remain competitive, we need to encourage Latinos and other underrepresented students to continue their education through our hands-on learning programs and to become future leaders for the agricultural industry in California,” she said.

    Freeman is the program coordinator for the Jordan College of Agricultural Science and Technology’s Ag Ambassadors Program, which began some 40 years ago to promote Fresno State, the Jordan College and higher education in general. But she pays special attention to the Farm Credit Multicultural Ambassadors – five undergraduate students majoring in one of the college’s six departments who are recruited to reach out to Latino and other underrepresented populations.

    The team visits urban and rural high schools and community colleges in the Central Valley and along the Central Coast to advise prospective students about the opportunities at Fresno State and to serve as role models to motivate and encourage these students to acquire the needed skills and courses to enroll. Taking advantage of technology, the program even had a virtual session with students in Carpinteria in southern Santa Barbara County.

    “The Multicultural Ambassador Program provides recruitment activities, career fairs, farm tours, and educational days to help ensure that underrepresented students become aware of careers in agriculture and the opportunities at Fresno State,” Freeman said. In the 2021-22 school year, the program organized some 50 outreach events throughout the region, which reached 620 high school and community college students.

    The program was established by four members of the Farm Credit System – AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, and Fresno Madera Farm Credit. Since the program’s inception in 2013, they, along with Golden State Farm Credit, have donated $701,000 to support the program. The organizations are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.

    Keith Hesterberg, President and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit, said supporting diversity and equity in agriculture is a must.

    “Fresno State’s Jordan College provides agricultural programs that are preparing the next generation of agriculturalists,” Hesterberg said. “Ensuring that these programs are accessible to all students who want to attend college and better prepare themselves for employment in the agriculture industry is crucial to the future of California agriculture, and Farm Credit is proud to have taken a leadership role in this effort.”

    Current Fresno State students say participating in the program’s activities while still in high school made a profound impact on them.

    “It was eye-opening,” recalled Abelino Garza II, a freshman from Bakersfield majoring in biochemistry who is serving on the FFA Field Day Committee. “We’d take the tours of the farm laboratories and animal units and then have time to walk around the campus, which gave me a chance to see what this campus had to offer.  I could see that this was an agricultural college and that there was an opportunity to pursue a career in many ways.”

    But besides helping increase awareness of the university and about career opportunities in agriculture, the ambassadors also gain skills that will help them toward a more successful future because the ambassadors organize and lead the presentations.

    “When I was a freshman, it was intimidating to give the farm tours and provide information about the campus,” said Jocelyne Juarez, a graduate student from Wasco, 25 miles northwest of Bakersfield who is an advisor to the underclassmen. “Being part of the program has created comfort in speaking in front of people. And it’s gone from me doing the presentations to me helping the student give their presentations. Being in the program really helps develop soft skills.”

    Ivan Trujillo, center, with his sister Desiree and Greenfield High School FFA Advisor Daniel Villasenor

    Ivan Trujillo, a senior from Greenfield, 30 miles south of Salinas, agreed.

    “Just by getting involved I was able to develop so many skills I didn’t know I had,” said Trujillo who – like Juarez – plans to become an ag teacher. “I didn’t know that I had great organizational skills and could plan conferences and organize events – things you’d never imagine doing in college. I have one more year here and I want to make the most of it.”

    Freeman said the program has been expanding. Last year, she said they hosted the first Multicultural Ambassador Presentation Day, which brings classes of students in for a half-day of events and learning opportunities. One of the programs promoted there is the Agricultural Career Readiness Skills Certificate Pathway for the 21st Century, which allows high school students to earn a transferable certificate to demonstrate they have participated in soft skills development through their FFA program.

    Fresno State last year also hosted the statewide Agricultural Ambassador Conference, which brought in 120 community college and university students from around the state to further develop personal skills and provide networking opportunities. Students from five agricultural colleges work together to put the conference together, which includes industry representatives from Farm Credit, the Tulare County Farm Bureau, Taylor Farms, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Agriculture. This year’s conference will be held January 28-30 at Fresno State.

    Then in May, the program will hold a new Aspire to Grow Conference, which will target local students from underrepresented communities to hear speakers talk about diversity and inclusion and the need for the students to pursue future education.

    She noted that Farm Credit also supports the annual FFA Field Day at Fresno State, which is scheduled for April 22. The event regularly attracts between 2,000 and 2,500 high school students from around the San Joaquin Valley.

    Mark Littlefield, President and CEO of AgWest Farm Credit, said Farm Credit was extremely pleased to see how the program is continuing to grow and reach increasing numbers of underrepresented students.

    “Farming feeds the world, but unfortunately there are many people who aren’t aware of all the careers available in agriculture – in animal and plant science, engineering and technology, along with developing better ways to grow the food the nation and the world depend on,” Littlefield said. “The Ambassadors Program has provided thousands of students with that information over the years, and Farm Credit looks forward to working with Fresno State to grow this great program even further.”

    About Farm Credit: 

    AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, 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 the Multicultural Ambassadors Program:

    The Multicultural Ambassadors program is made up of agricultural students attending California State University, Fresno. Their mission is to conduct recruitment activities to encourage underrepresented students to further their education, consider agricultural careers, and to learn about the opportunities available at the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. Recruitment activities include career fairs, high school presentations, farm tours, and leadership conferences. Through participation in these recruitment activities, the Multicultural Ambassadors develop soft skills, leadership, and career-readiness practices that prepare them for leadership positions in the agricultural industry.

  • New Director of Processor Partnerships Supports California Dairy Processors

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), the marketing order representing California dairy producers, today announced the addition ofBen Yee as Director of Processor Partnerships. Yee joins the CMAB with more than 20 years of experience at Safeway/Albertsons Companies where he held a wide range of leadership positions including Assistant Store Manager, Business Process Analyst, Category Analyst, Sourcing Manager, Senior Brand Manager, Senior Product Manager, and most recently Product Manager overseeing dairy categories. In these roles he led company initiatives to drive customer loyalty, sales and profit through quality improvement, innovation, cost savings and portfolio optimization.

    His career highlights include 12 years of management of Own Brands private label programs across store categories including dairy. Yee has led multiple cross functional teams to commercialize hundreds of new items within Albertsons’ vast portfolio of brands including Lucerne, Signature Select, Open Nature and O Organics. Yee also brings experience in strategic sourcing where he managed vendor relations and contracts, all while identifying and connecting strategic suppliers to the company.

    “Ben’s strong leadership skills and expertise in quality improvement, innovation and product optimization will greatly benefit the CMAB and our processor partners as we continue to foster these key relationships,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB.

    Yee holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Arts and Product Design from San Francisco State University. He joins the CMAB at the retirement of Jim Dimataris, VP of Processor Partnership, who created the role and held it for 15 years. California is the nation’s leading milk producer, and makes more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. California is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made with milk from the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable farming practices.

    About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department   of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

  • USDA Announces Additional Assistance for Dairy Farmers

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the details of additional assistance for dairy producers, including a second round of payments through the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program (PMVAP) and a new Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP). The update to PMVAP and the new ODMAP will enable USDA to better support small- and medium-sized dairy operations who weathered the pandemic and now face other challenges.

    “This funding was urgently needed by dairy farms in California and throughout the Western United States.  Our years of drought and low farmer pay price have already pushed many organic dairies out of the market.  We need to find better long-term solutions to keep farms out of crisis, and hope Congress will prioritize better longtime solutions in the 2023 farm bill,” says  Zach Cahill, Cahill Organic Dairy in Ferndale, California and President of Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (WODPA).

    The Organic Trade Association (OTA) also welcomes the creation of a new ODMAP to help small- and medium-sized dairy operations. OTA shared, “Unprecedented shocks to global trade necessitate action and this action is critically necessary to ensure the livelihood of many organic dairy farmers. Organic dairy farmers are facing catastrophic economic challenges as the availability of organic feedstuffs has declined dramatically, resulting in costs climbing significantly over the past 18 months. OTA and its members have spearheaded a drive in Congress to bring this urgent issue to the attention of USDA, and we thank USDA for urgently recognizing the unique needs of organic producers.

    “While losses due to the combination of unforeseen market circumstances and an inadequate Class I pricing system have not been fully remedied, USDA and congressional efforts will aid thousands of dairy producers who otherwise would have absorbed losses created by policies that didn’t work for them,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. “It’s not every day that lawmakers step up and resolve a problem that could have been left to lie. We never gave up, and we’re pleased that others didn’t either.”

    “The Biden administration continues to fulfill its commitments to fill gaps in pandemic assistance for producers. USDA is announcing a second set of payments of nearly $100 million to close-out the $350 million commitment under PMVAP through partnerships with dairy handlers and cooperatives to deliver the payments.,” said USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt. “USDA is also announcing new assistance targeted to small to medium size organic dairy farmers to help with anticipated marketing costs as they face a variety of challenges from weather to supply-chain challenges.”

    Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program

    PMVAP assists producers who received a lower value due to market abnormalities caused by the pandemic and ensuing Federal policies. As a result of the production cap increase, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will make PMVAP payments to eligible dairy farmers for fluid milk sales between 5 million and 9 million pounds from July through December 2020. This level of production was not eligible for payment under the first round of the PMVAP.  Payment rates will be identical to the first round of payments, 80 percent of the revenue different per month, on fluid milk sales from 5 million to 9 million pounds from July through December 2020.  USDA will again distribute monies through agreements with independent handlers and cooperatives, with reimbursement to handlers for allowed administrative costs. USDA will contact handlers with eligible producers to notify them of the opportunity to participate.

    As part of the first round, PMVAP paid eligible dairy farmers on up to 5 million pounds of fluid milk sales from July through December 2020. The first round of payments distributed over $250 million in payments to over 25,000 eligible dairy farmers. These dairy farmers received the full allowable reimbursement on fluid milk sales up to 5 million pounds.

    More information about the PMVAP production cap increase is available at www.ams.usda.gov/pmvap.

    Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program

    The new ODMAP, to be administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), is intended to help smaller organic dairy farms that have faced a unique set of challenges and higher costs over the past several years that have been compounded by the ongoing pandemic and drought conditions across the country. Many small organic dairy operations are now struggling to stay in business and FSA plans to provide payments to cover a portion of their estimated marketing costs for 2023. Final spending will depend on enrollment and each producers projected production, but ODMAP has been allocated up to $100 million.

    The assistance provided by ODMAP will be provided through unused Commodity Credit Corporation funds remaining from earlier pandemic assistance programs. The assistance will help eligible organic dairy producers with up to 75 percent of their future projected marketing costs in 2023, based on national estimates of marketing costs. This assistance will be provided through a streamlined application process based on a national per hundredweight payment. The payments will be capped at the first five million pounds of anticipated production, in alignment with preexisting dairy programs that target assistance to those smaller dairies that are most vulnerable to marketing challenges. This program is still in development.

    Details about the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program will be available and updated at www.farmers.gov as more details are released in a Notice of Funds Availability later this year.