California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • DMI Names Harden to Lead Global Environmental Strategy

    Krysta Harden, former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has been named Executive Vice President of Global Environmental Strategy of Dairy Management Inc. (DMI). At a time when telling the story of U.S. dairy’s positive environmental contributions has never been more important, Harden will be tasked with driving the dairy checkoff’s environmental sustainability strategy.Krysta-Harden

     
    “Dairy farmers are the original environmental stewards and by creating this position we will continue to ensure that U.S. dairy is well-positioned to meet the heightened demands of the global marketplace,” said Barb O’Brien, president of DMI and the Innovation Center. “With her background and leadership, Krysta is the ideal person to not only share U.S. dairy’s positive environmental story and progress to date from farm to table but to also chart a path that reinforces the vital role dairy and farmers can and will play in global and sustainable food systems.”
     
    Harden will report to O’Brien and will collaborate with DMI and Innovation Center leadership to define an inspiring vision, strategy and plan forward for U.S. dairy’s environmental commitment. She will also provide executive leadership on the Innovation Center’s Environmental Stewardship Committee. The committee convenes the dairy value chain including farmers to identify priorities, goals and metrics, align on best practices, identify gaps in science and innovation, and develop resources and outreach to accelerate adoption and report progress.
     
    “Coming from a farm family, I’m excited to work on behalf of dairy farmers who have demonstrated for generations stewardship of land, animals and other natural resources,” Harden said. “This is an opportunity to share their story – the 24/7, 365-days-a-year commitment to leaving the land in a better place for future generations. Moreover, it’s an opportunity to work with farmers and the broader dairy community to identify new research, technologies and partnerships that will accelerate and build upon U.S. dairy’s long-standing commitments and positive impact.”
     
    Harden most recently served as senior vice president of External Affairs and chief sustainability officer for Corteva Agriscience, an agriculture division of DowDuPont. Before joining DuPont, Harden spent nearly three years as deputy secretary for Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, helping to shape food and agriculture policy.
     
    Visit www.dairy.org to learn more about the dairy checkoff and www.usdairy.com to learn more about the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

  • Organic stakeholders gather in D.C. to talk politics, trends, challenges, and more!

    From an insider’s look into the upcoming presidential race, to opportunities for organic with the legalization of industrial hemp, to how organic can be accessible and affordable for more of our changing population and still fetch a fair price for producers, the Organic Trade Association’s Bold Ideas + Critical Conversations conference later this month will challenge and energize participants during Organic Week May 20-23 in D.C.

    The organic industry gathers in Washington every year at Organic Week to meet, network, and advocate for organic with congressional and agency representatives. This year marks the Organic Trade Association’s first-ever Influencer Program at Organic Week. Eight widely followed social media influencers have been chosen to cover the conference and other activities to get a behind-the-scenes look at organic advocacy in action.

    To be held Wednesday, May 22, above the bustling Union Market in D.C., the Bold Ideas + Critical Conversations conference will be the centerpiece of the week of organic advocacy and collaboration. The list of speakers and leaders is impressive, from Naomi Starkman, founder and editor-in-chief of Civil Eats; to Rudy Arredondo, president and CEO of the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association; to Jeff Huckaby, president and CEO of Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms; Ambassador Darci Vetter and many more. Also participating will be government officials, including Bruce Summers, Administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.

    Political landscape

    David Wasserman, one of the nation’s most influential political analysts who serves as U.S. House Editor and Senior Election Analyst for the non-partisan The Cook Political Report, will share his spot-on insights and deep knowledge of today’s political landscape as a keynote speaker.

    Mainstage events will take place on Dock 5, a creatively repurposed open layout warehouse space at Union Market. Breakout sessions, meanwhile, will be at the Autoshop and Lab 1270–two locations just a block from Dock 5–in addition to Dock 5.

    In afternoon breakout sessions, participants will take part in critical conversations centering around how the industry is delivering access and equity for increasingly diverse shoppers, what it looks like to scale up with integrity, how political activism aligns with brand strategy, and how to set the stage for an Organic Label that evolves, grows and meets the needs of consumers today and the future.

    Hemp legalization a hot topic

    One timely topic will center on opportunities for the organic sector with the legalization of industrialized hemp through the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. A three-track series will sort through the marketing and regulatory details of this new market, and take a deep dive at opportunities for the organic sector to take an early leadership position in this fast-growing sector.

    Sessions will help attendees understand the evolving regulatory framework, agronomic best practices, and infrastructure necessary to bring organic hemp to market.

    Moderators and speakers include Gwendolyn Wyard (Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs for the Organic Trade Association), Rend Al-Mondhiry (Senior Counsel at Amin Talati Upadhye and an expert on ingredient and labeling issues for dietary supplements and the food industry), Steven Hoffman (Founder and Managing Director of Compass Nature), and organic hemp grower Chris Jagger of Oregon.

    Scaling with integrity and organic values

    How can organic scale up and maintain its integrity? This provocative question will be addressed in a keynote presentation and panel discussion around how the organic industry can earn and maintain shoppers’ trust even as it continues to flourish.

    Ambassador Darci Vetter, former Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative who now heads Edelman’s Washington, D.C., Public Affairs practice, will present the findings of Edelman’s Trust 2019 Barometer that measures the levels of trust of thousands of consumers in dozens of countries in government, businesses, NGOs, and the media. Organic industry leaders will learn which institutions garner high levels of public trust–and why.

    Civil Eats Founder and Editor-in-Chief Naomi Starkman will continue the discussion on how organic businesses can grow and expand without compromising values. She will talk with a panel of executives from the produce sector, the leading organic brand and a major food maker on the most challenging aspects of growing their organic businesses without sacrificing the core tents of the organic seal. The panel will include Jeff Huckaby (President and CEO, Cal-Organic/Grimmway Farms), Melissa Hughes (Chief Mission Officer and General Counsel of Organic Valley), and Carla Vernon (President of Natural of Organic for General Mills).

    Access and equity issues

    Meanwhile, there will be three sessions dedicated to examining accessibility and equity issues. How can organic be accessible and affordable for more of our changing population and still fetch a fair price for its producers? A distinguished group of national farm activists, organic producers, community leaders and advocates in the health and wellness sectors will address these and other questions and related issues.

    The Changing Demographics of Organic
    Featured  speakers will be Carlotta Mast (Senior Vice President of Content and Market Leader at New Hope Network), blogger Ari Adams (Executive Director of ShiftCon), Allie Mentzer, (Advocacy Specialist for National Co+op), and Maryellen Molyneaux (Managing Partner, NMI).

    Urban Agriculture: Where does (and doesn’t) organic fit in? 
    Discussion participants will be Stephanie Jerger (Community Outreach Director of the Baltimore Urban League), Rudy Arredondo (President and CEO of the National Latino Farmers and Ranchers Trade Association), Xavier Brown (Director of Urban Agriculture, Soilful City), Katie Naessens, Professional Staff, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee), and Cordelia June (Founder, Yon Vilaj).

    Protecting Farmer Prices
    Making up this panel led by Max Goldberg (founder of LivingMaxwell.com) will be Doug Crabtree (owner/operator of Vilicus Farms), and Ariane Lotti (owner/grower of Tenuta San Carlo).

    More breakout sessions

    Additional breakout sessions include:

    • Finding your brand’s activism strategy–how to create an action plan in line with your company’s core values for catalyzing meaningful social and environmental change, and deeper engagement with employees and consumers.
    • Strategies to Reward Farmers for Ecosystems Services and Climate Change Mitigation
    • Investing in Organic Leadership: The role of capital in endowing organic’s future.

    This dynamic program will offer attendees an inspiring day for learning and networking, while taking on challenging conversations. For more information or to register to participate, go to the conference website.

  • California Fresh Fruit Association Names Ian Lemay New President

    (May 13, 2019 Fresno, CA) – Today, Randy Giumarra, the Chairman of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) Board of Directors announced that Ian LeMay will serve as the new president of CFFA. LeMay will succeed GeorgeRadanovich, who has held the position since 2016 and will be leaving CFFA to promote sound ag labor policy inWashington, DC.

    Chairman Giumarra stated “Ian’s appointment is a reflection of our Board’s commitment to establishing long-term leadership for our industry.” Giumarra continued, “Our Board and I have worked closely with Ian over the past four years. We are confident in his abilities and look forward to his leadership. I’d also like to take thisopportunity to thank George for his time, leadership and impact that he has made over the last three years. George’sservice is greatly appreciated by our entire membership.”

    Ian LeMay

    LeMay has dedicated his career to supporting and advocating for the continued success of California agriculture. Since 2015, LeMay has served as CFFA’s Director of Member Relations and Communications. From 2011 to 2015, LeMay served as the District Director for Congressman Jim Costa who represents California’s 16th. Congressional District. As District Director, LeMay managed the Congressman’s district staff and advised theCongressman on a number of issues including agriculture, water and transportation. Prior to working for Congressman Costa, LeMay worked as a California Market Specialist for the Lindsay Corporation. LeMay is arecent graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program (Class 48).

    “I am humbled and appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve the members of the California Fresh Fruit Association in a new capacity,” said LeMay. “I came to the Association four years ago because I believe in its mission, deeply respect its history and see infinite potential in advocating for the permanent fresh fruit growers and shippers of California. I consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to observe two great Association leaders in Barry Bedwell and George Radanovich, and thank them for their commitment to bettering our industry. The challenges that face us are many. These have not been easy years for our industry, but I remainconfident in the future of California agriculture and our opportunity to advocate for meaningful policy with aunified voice.”

    LeMay will begin his tenure as CFFA President on June 1st. Ian and his wife Molly reside in Fresno with their two children, Emery Rose and Ellison James, and will welcome their third child this August.

    ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION

    For more than eighty (80) years the California Fresh Fruit Association has been the primary government relations organization serving the fresh fruit industry. It is a voluntary public policy organization that works on behalf of our members – growers, shippers, marketers and associates – on issues that specifically affect member commodities: fresh grapes, kiwis, pomegranates, cherries, blueberries, peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, interspecific varieties, plums, apples and persimmons. It is the Association’s responsibility to serve as a liaison between regulatory and legislative authorities by acting as the unified voice of our members. The challenges are. countless for growers, shippers and marketers as they strive to remain viable in an ever-changing market. Increasing regulatory requirements make it difficult to flourish, regardless of the size of the operation.

    The Association’s dedicated staff advocates daily in the best interest of our members to ensure that regulators and legislators are using sound science and accurate information when considering laws or rules that will be imposedon industry members. However, aside from the variety of issues the Association works on, there is an important networking component. As each company has its own business interest, the membership as a whole shares acommon, vested interest in the long-term health of tree fruit, fresh grape and berry communities in California.

  • Voluntary Agreement on Water Represents the Future and Deserves Prop 68 Funding

    Statement by Mike Wade, California Farm Water Coalition Executive Director: California has always prided itself on cutting-edge ideas. It is the place others turn to for new solutions to old problems. We are currently faced with a choice to continue that tradition of innovation with a fresh approach to water and environmental management or chain ourselves to outdated practices of the past.california farm water coalition logo

    Last fall, in a historic first, competing water interests came together to produce a voluntary agreement (VA) that will govern water use, habitat projects, and implement new science-based management practices. The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) says the VA would, “increase flows in rivers and the Delta and make major investments in habitat. And perhaps most important, create sustainable funding for these efforts (including fees on water diversions), while improving scientific research on and governance of restoration efforts.”

    This agreement is the result of years of collaboration between government agencies, water users and environmental interests, conducting scientific studies and projects that put the new science into practice. The VA takes us out of the slow grind of the existing regulatory process and allows us to use scientific structured decision-making to address problems as we go.

    The California Legislature is considering a budget this week with funds specifically earmarked for the VA that could provide additional momentum to this progress. Funding from the voter-approved Proposition 68 will help jump start this science-based process. That would mean choosing science-based rules and voluntary, holistic approaches to problems rather than the outdated regulatory status quo. The PPIC says, “What’s clear is that negotiated solutions to water conflicts are fairer and longer-lasting than top-down regulatory solutions or, worse yet, litigated solutions where judges end up trying to manage water.”

    And there’s no reason to cling to the past. It’s clear that the current outdated system isn’t working for anyone. Endangered fish populations continue to struggle; farmers face dwindling water supplies; urban users make continuous cutbacks; groundwater supplies are dangerously depleted; and current policy does not address new challenges we face from climate change.

    One of the many things this process has revealed is that helping struggling fish populations takes more than water, which is important, but not the only habitat feature fish need. It takes a combination of water at the right time plus attention to habitat, food supply and predator control.

    There are other ingredients essential to this agreement. Under the VA, change happens now. Additional water for environmental purposes and habitat restoration begins immediately. That means we reap the benefits today. The regulatory approach could take decades. Plus, in another important first, agricultural water users will pay fees to implement ongoing environmental projects. While there is a need for initial Prop 68 funding, user fees are critical to long-term success because they are an ongoing source of funding.

    In a letter to legislators in support of the VA, a group of statewide organizations, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the Bay Area Council, summed it up this way: “The Voluntary Agreements provide a tremendous opportunity to provide more water for fish, wildlife and habitat restoration and a more reliable water supply for a growing state with climate and water supply challenges. The Voluntary Agreement will replace the policy and legal conflicts that have defined the last three decades. Instead, they rely on a collaborative and adaptive management process that will move the state substantially closer to the coequal goals of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem.”

    California must choose. The Voluntary Agreement represents the future and a new path away from a failed regulatory approach.

  • California Farmers Have Raised Wages, But Still Unable to Find Enough Workers

    Statewide Survey by Farm Bureau & UC Davis Finds Farmers Turning to Labor-Saving Crops:

    Despite raising wages and increasing benefits, California farmers are failing to find enough people to pick fruits and vegetables and harvest other crops, and they are offsetting this labor shortage by changing to less labor-intensive crops and adding automation. Moreover, farmers are calling on Congress to enact agricultural workforce reform that would allow immigrants to work as guest workers legally in order to help them grow food.

    The findings come in a survey of more than 1,000 farmers statewide conducted by the California Farm Bureau Federation in collaboration with the University of California, Davis.The results are consistent with a similar voluntary survey by the bureau in 2017.“

    The farm labor supply is declining, and farmers are responding by changing their production practices,” said the study’s co-author, Zachariah Rutledge, a doctoral student in the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “These results are important because they show how big of a problem this is for California farmers, and they suggest that the problem is not going to go away in the near future.”

    The survey, “Still Searching for Solutions: Adapting to Farm Worker Scarcity Survey 2019,” was co-authored by J. Edward Taylor, professor and vice chair in the same department and affiliate faculty of the UC Davis Center for Poverty Research. This is part of a larger look at the dwindling farm-labor supply conducted by UC Davis researchers.

    Taylor recently completed a long-term study showing that fewer young people from Mexico have the need or interest to come to the United States to pick crops.

    In the recent survey, 56 percent of respondents reported that they were not able to hire the number of workers they desired at some point during the previous five years. Of those reporting recent labor shortages, 70 percent said they had more trouble hiring people in 2017 and 2018. Among the survey’s other findings:

    • 86 percent of farmers responding to the survey said they had raised wages in efforts to hire enough people
    • 61 percent reported they had hired a farm labor contractor to recruit employees
    • 37 percent said they had adjusted cultivation practices by, for example, reducing or delaying weeding and pruning
    • 31 percent of farmers reported changing the acreage of their main crop, and some of this group reported switching acreage to less labor-intensive crops

    In California alone, farmers and ranchers hire nearly 473,000 employees during peak season. Experts calculate, according to the survey, that 50 to 70 percent of the hired workers are not authorized to work in the United States.

    Changing worldwide food supply

    The findings show the potential for changing the worldwide food supply as farmers move to crops that require fewer human hands to get the crops to market. One farmer commented in the survey, “We have had to abandon berry fields and row crop fields that were good harvest quality due to the unavailability of workers during critical harvest times.” Another farmer reported leaving acres of pole tomatoes and strawberries to rot because there was no one to pick them.

    Meanwhile, 57 percent of those who changed crops were planting more crops such as squashes, tree nuts, corn or cotton, which require less labor. Almost three-quarters of farmers cited rising labor costs as the reason for switching to labor-saving technology. More than 50 percent said it was because they didn’t have enough employees. Farmers reported adding technology such as a mechanical harvesters and specialized tractor attachments.

    Just under 6 percent of those surveyed said they had enrolled in the federal H-2A work visas program for temporary agricultural workers in the past five years in an effort to bring in more workers, with most saying the temporary visas aren’t practical for small growers.

    Farmers also report in this survey, echoing a nationwide trend, that their children do not want to continue in the farming business with the growing challenges of finding workers and making a living.

    By Karen Nikos-Rose

  • Tulare County Crop Report (For the week ending May 11, 2019)

    SMALL GRAINS AND OTHER FIELD CROPS:

    Winter planted dry land oats are being harvested, baled and hauled for livestock feed. Wheat and alfalfa continue tothrive. Forage crops are ready to be cut for hay and/or silage. Ground preparation continues for spring forage androw crops. Cotton and corn are germinating and showing good growth.

    DECIDUOUS TREE FRUITS, NUTS, AND GRAPES:

    Thinning of late variety stone fruit trees is ongoing. Immature stone fruit continues to develop. Early varieties ofapricots and peaches are being exported to Brazil, Taiwan, Thailand, and Canada. Cherry harvest appears strong withfruit quality stable, with domestic shipments booming. Mechanical vineyard maintenance continues with vinetraining and leaf pulling in grapevines. Immature grape bunches are developing. Meanwhile bees are being placed inkiwi vineyards during bloom. Walnuts and pistachios are still blooming. Last season’s pistachio nuts are beingexported to Europe, Italy, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Spain, and Israel. Almonds are being exported toJapan, Korea, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Israel, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Chile, Mexico,Colombia, Russia, and India.

    CITRUS, AVOCADOS, AND OLIVES:

    Late lane navel oranges are almost done. Fruit quality and demand are tapering down as the season progresses, withfruit drop and softening becoming more of an issue. Domestic and international exports for late navels are steady;with fruit being exported to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, China, Taiwan Japan, China, Korea, Southeast Asia,and Mexico. Valencia oranges continue to be harvested and exported to both the domestic and international markets.International exports for Valencia’s continue to China, Japan, and Korea. Valencia exports remain steady, and will escalate as late navels trickle to a stop. Grapefruit harvest is sluggish, but exports of Star Ruby grapefruit areconsistent to Korea, Japan, and Mexico. Seedless tangerine groves remain netted for the bloom. Mechanicalmaintenance for citrus groves continues with orchards being thinned, topped and/or skirted. Lemons continue to bebagged for Mexico. Olive tree blooms are progressing well.

    VEGETABLES, MELONS, AND BERRIES:

    Blueberry season is proving to be quite productive this week. Blueberries are being exported to Taiwan, Canada, andJapan. Strawberry season is strong, with continuous bloom and mature fruit being picked. Harvested strawberriesare being sold at roadside stands throughout Tulare County. Early planted summer vegetables are growing, with newfields being prepared for additional summer vegetable plantings.

    LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY:

    Rangeland forage is in continues to remain in fair to good condition for grazing. The fed cattle market remainssteady at $126 per hundred-weight this week.

    ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

    Mother’s day is almost here. Local wholesale nurseries remain hectic as shipments of nursery stock are supplied tolocal and domestic marketplaces. Nursery retail markets are preparing for the onslaught of crowds for the holiday byincreasing inventory of foliage plants, flowering plants and cut flowers. Bare root roses continue to be exported tovarious eastern states, but shipments have decreased to just a few per week.

    As a helpful reminder Mother’s Day this year falls on Sunday, May 12th.

    Prepared by: Tom Tucker

    Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer

  • USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Producers’ Costs for Organic Certification

    WASHINGTON, May 6, 2019 – USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that organic producers and handlers can apply for federal funds to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic certification through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Applications for fiscal 2019 funding are due Oct. 31, 2019.

    “Producers can visit their local FSA county offices to apply for up to 75 percent of the cost of organic certification,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. “This also gives organic producers an opportunity to learn about other valuable USDA resources, like farm loans and conservation assistance, that can help them succeed. Organic producers can take advantage of a variety of USDA programs from help with field buffers to routine operating expenses to storage and handling equipment.”

    OCCSP received continued support through the 2018 Farm Bill. It provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Eligible producers include any certified producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent. Eligible expenses for cost-share reimbursement include application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, travel expenses for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage.

    Certified producers and handlers are eligible to receive reimbursement for up to 75 percent of certification costs each year, up to a maximum of $750 per certification scope, including crops, livestock, wild crops, handling and state organic program fees.

    Opportunities for State Agencies

    Today’s announcement also includes the opportunity for state agencies to apply for grant agreements to administer the OCCSP program in fiscal 2019. State agencies that establish agreements for fiscal year 2019 may be able to extend their agreements and receive additional funds to administer the program in future years.

    FSA will accept applications from state agencies for fiscal year 2019 funding for cost-share assistance through May 29, 2019.

    More Information

    To learn more about organic certification cost share, please visit the OCCSP webpage, view the notice of funds availability on the Federal Register, or contact your FSA county office. To learn more about USDA support for organic agriculture, visit usda.gov/organic.

    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

  • California Ag Water: Current Regulatory Challenges

    After years of drought, the 2019 winter is turning out to be a good one for California’s water supply. Several winter storm systems in the past couple of months means there is plenty of water. In some parts of the state, more than plenty, as evidenced from flooding events. Snow pack is above average (156%) and reservoirs are sufficiently full. So, farmers can rest easy, eh? Not so fast.

    Some of you may have heard that in December 2018 the State Water Resource Board announced that up to 50% of the water flowing through Lower San Joaquin River and its tributaries – the Stanislaus, Merced and Tuolumne river will be required to flow unimpaired, i.e. without diversions. The Water Board contends this is needed to restore critically endangered fish species dependent on the flow. A second phase of the plan would see similar flow requirements for the Sacramento River and its tributaries – the Feather, Yuba and American Rivers. As you can imagine, this will have a severe impact on agriculture dependent on this water.

    However, this is not a done deal. There are other regulatory processes that must be followed before the plan can go into effect. But already, legal challenges have been made to this so called “Bay Delta Plan”. Several agricultural commodity groups, including the California Walnut Commission, have voiced their opposition. Critics of the plan argue that voluntary water sharing agreements between various stakeholders can yield better results than arbitrary unimpaired flow decisions. Furthermore, they point out that water flow is just one of the factors affecting species survival. Habitat loss is another critical factor to be taken into account. Mere unimpaired water flow would not be as beneficial to species restoration. To that end, cooperation among various stakeholder groups-agricultural water rights, urban drinking water, and environmental groups, is the appropriate way to go.

    Another regulatory issue of importance is the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). This was passed in 2014, at the height of the California drought, to avoid severe depletion of groundwater and its quality. The first phase of SGMA implementation is approaching in 2020. Local water agencies will need to start implementing Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP), which will include annual tabulation of how much groundwater is being extracted. Growers should have heard by now from their local water agencies as to which Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) they belong to and what the annual reporting requirements are.

    Regardless of the regulatory issue, the California Walnut Commission will continue to make sure the opinions of the California Walnut industry are represented.

  • Wine Institute Applauds New Congressional Wine Caucus Leadership

    Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa Valley, CA), the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus, announced today that Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Yakima Valley, WA) has been selected as the new Co-Chair of the Wine Caucus. Newhouse, a lifelong farmer and winegrape grower, represents the premier wine regions of Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley and the Walla Walla Valley. Newhouse will serve as only the fifth Co-Chair of the Wine Caucus in its 20-year history and the first Co-Chair from outside of California.

    “Over the years, Mike has built the Wine Caucus into a bipartisan institution on Capitol Hill and an invaluable resource for the 10,000 wineries all across the country,” said Robert P. “Bobby” Koch, President & CEO of Wine Institute. “We are thrilled with the selection of Rep. Newhouse as the new caucus Co-Chair and know that he and Mike will continue to do everything they can to support and grow value-added agriculture like wine. Rep. Newhouse’s vast experience in agriculture in the Pacific Northwest will only strengthen the caucus as it pursues key industry priorities including renewal of the Craft Beverage Modernization Act and opening up critical export markets.”

    “When the Congressional Wine Caucus was founded, we had a mission to educate our fellow Members about the strong economic contributions made by grapegrowers and winemakers to our communities and to ensure they have a voice in Congress. I am proud that my new Co-Chair, Rep. Dan Newhouse, is a fellow grapegrower and knows these issues firsthand,” said Thompson. “Together we will continue our mission of advocacy and education in order to support our nation’s incredible wine community from the vineyard to the glass.”

    “I am proud to represent the flourishing, high-quality wine region of Central Washington, and I am honored to join my friend and colleague Rep. Mike Thompson to serve as the first Co-Chair of the Congressional Wine Caucus from Washington State,” said Rep. Newhouse. “Mike truly understands the priorities and concerns of the wine community, and I look forward to working with him to ensure that our nation’s wine industry – from winegrape growers to winemakers and sellers – can continue to thrive and grow.”The Congressional Wine Caucus was founded in 1999 to educate Members of Congress on the many benefits and challenges of growing winegrapes and making wine. The Caucus hosts numerous events and policy briefings throughout the year designed to foster collaboration between policy makers and grapegrowers and winemakers with the goal of promoting a vibrant and sustainable American wine industry.

    Wine Institute is the public policy advocacy association of nearly 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses working at the state, national and international levels to enhance the environment to responsibly produce, promote and enjoy wine. California wineries are responsible for 81% of U.S wine production and more than 90% of U.S. wine exports. They also contribute $114 billion annually to the U.S. economy and create 786,000 jobs across the country of which 325,000 are in California, bolstering economies through hospitality, taxes and tourism and enhancing communities through environmental and social sustainability. See: www.wineinstitute.org.

  • Governor Newsom Directs State Agencies to Prepare Water Resilience Portfolio for California

    As climate change continues to threaten the state’s water infrastructure and reliability, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order directing his administration to think differently and act boldly by developing a comprehensive strategy to build a climate-resilient water system.

    Gavin Newsom

    The order seeks to broaden California’s approach on water as the state faces a range of existing challenges, including unsafe drinking water, major flood risks that threaten public safety, severely depleted groundwater aquifers, agricultural communities
    coping with uncertain water supplies and native fish populations threatened
    with extinction.

    “California’s water challenges are daunting, from severely depleted groundwater basins to vulnerable infrastructure to unsafe drinking water in far too many communities. Climate change magnifies the risks,” said Governor Newsom. “To meet these challenges, we need to harness the best in science, engineering and innovation to prepare for what’s ahead and ensure long-term water resilience and ecosystem health. We’ll need an all-of-above approach to get there.”

    The order directs the secretaries of the California Natural Resources Agency, California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to identify and assess a suite of complementary actions to ensure safe and resilient water supplies, flood protection and healthy waterways for the state’s communities, economy and environment.

    The order directs the state to think bigger and more strategically on water by directing the agencies to inventory and assess current water supplies and the health of waterways, future demands and challenges. The agencies will seek input over the coming weeks and months through listening sessions, information workshops and other public meetings to help inform the water resilience portfolio that will be recommended to the Governor.

    A copy of the order issued by Governor Newsom today can be found here.