California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • Senator Melissa Hurtado’s Legislation to Restore Access to Clean Water Receives 6 – 0 Bipartisan Support, Advances to Appropriations Committee

    SACRAMENTO, CA – Senate Bill 559 (SB 559), authored by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger), representing the 14th Senate District in California, and principal co-authored by Senator Andreas Borgeas (R-Fresno), Assembly member Devon Mathis (R-Visalia), Assembly member Dr. Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno), and Assembly member Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield), today advanced through the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water by 6 – 0 vote. The legislation, which received bipartisan support, will invest $400 million from the State’s General Fund towards the Friant-Kern Canal, one of the Central Valley’s most critical water delivery facilities.

    “I am pleased by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water’s commitment to support legislation that’ll restore access to clean water for California’s most vulnerable communities. Although this is only the first step to ensuring that SB 559 becomes a reality, we could not have accomplished this milestone without community advocates like Doug Deflitch of the Friant Water Authority and Bryce McAteer of the Eastern Tule Groundwater Suitability Agency who provided incredible testimonies today,” said Senator Melissa Hurtado. “This bill addresses community issues beyond just access to clean water. SB 559 is an investment that will protect the health of the Central Valley’s economy, sustain groundwater resources, and preserve America’s breadbasket.”

    “For 70 years, the Friant-Kern Canal has been the backbone of water delivery and regional groundwater sustainability on the San Joaquin Valley’s eastside,” said Jason Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Friant Water Authority. “The canal’s conveyance problem is coming at the time when we need to be expanding, not contracting, our ability to deliver water for recharge to meet the state’s goals under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Without SB 559, our communities will face even more severe real economic consequences, beginning next year when the Valley start simplementing groundwater sustainability plans.”

    “Our district receives water from the Friant-Kern Canal and uses almost all of it to recharge local aquifers that farmers, cities, and rural Californians rely on, but the canal’s pinch point has reduced our ability to do this by as much as 50 percent,” said Edwin Camp, President of Arvin-Edison Water Storage District. “By helping fix the canal’s conveyance problems, SB 559 will help our communities continue to receive the water they need. Water is the valley’s most precious commodity — it’s our lifeblood.  Without it, jobs disappear, families leave, public services are threatened and, ultimately, communities suffer.”

    About Senator Melissa Hurtado

    Senator Melissa Hurtado is an advocate for expanding access to health care, growing educational opportunities and creating more quality jobs. Representing the 14th Senate district in California, which includes cities in Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. Senator Hurtado was born in Fresno, California and raised in the City of Sanger, where she still resides with her family.

     

  • Western Growers Testifies Before House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration

    On April 3rd, Western Growers President & CEO Tom Nassif detailed the critical labor shortages facing American agriculture and laid out the case for agricultural immigration reform before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship.

    In his testimony, Nassif stated that experienced workers are aging out of the agricultural workforce with few Americans lining up to take their place, despite wages well above state and federal minimums. Farmers in all sectors of U.S. agriculture, especially in the labor-intensive fruit and vegetable industries, are experiencing chronic labor shortages, which have been exacerbated by recent interior immigration enforcement and tighter border security policies. As a result of the uncertain agricultural labor market, Nassif noted that many American farmers are either shifting toward more mechanized crops or moving their operations to other countries.

    “The simple fact is this,” Nassif articulated, “fruits and vegetables that are eaten in the United States will be harvested by foreign hands.” He continued: “The simple question for you, as members of Congress, is do you want those foreign hands harvesting your fruits and vegetables to be on farms here in the United States or do you want to see production continue to shift to farms in foreign countries?”

    After touching on the existing, flawed H-2A agricultural guest worker program, rife with burdensome regulatory red tape, Nassif outlined a two-pronged proposal for agricultural immigration reform that jointly provides a pathway to legalization for existing farmworkers and their immediate families and creates a more flexible, efficient and market-based agricultural worker visa program to ensure a sufficient future flow of labor.

    Nassif concluded that while “immigration can be among the most divisive and difficult to resolve in Washington,” this issue is decidedly non-partisan, as agricultural immigration reform is really about securing the future of American agriculture and, by extension, long-term U.S. food security.

    Western Growers appreciates the efforts of Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren and Ranking Member Ken Buck to elevate the dialogue around this vital issue, and we look forward to working across the aisle to advance bipartisan legislation that provides our country and farmers with a legal, stable and reliable source of agricultural labor.

    About Western Growers:
    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.

  • American Farmland Trust Awarded Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant

    American Farmland Trust, the organization behind the national movement No Farms No Food®, was recently awarded a Professional Development Program grant from the Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Administrative Council. The grant will support AFT in expanding its existing work scaling up the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices among farmers by demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits realized from successful soil health management practices in wine grapes, wheat and other crops. The project, entitled “From Classroom to the Field: Soil Health Bottom Line: Expanding Adoption of Healthy Soils Practices by Quantifying the Economic and Environmental Benefits to Growers,” will focus in AFT’s California and Pacific Northwest regions.

    The dual strategies of keeping land in farming and managing it with good stewardship practices offers a viable and encouraging solution to climate change. No other approach to combat climate change yields the vital combination of abundant food, clean water and sustainable landscapes.

    “Healthy soils offer many benefits, including resiliency to extreme weather, nutrient and water storage and carbon sequestration,” says Hannah Clark, AFT’s Pacific Northwest regional director. “Growers want to improve soil health, but lack of information on the economic outcomes can be a barrier. Through this grant, we aim to help arm growers with the knowledge they need to make decisions around soil health based on economic and environmental impacts.”

    AFT’s scope of work entails delivering ten train the trainer workshops in ten major agricultural regions throughout Washington, Oregon and California. The workshops will provide agricultural service providers as well as staff from conservation districts, NGOs and land trusts with training on technical tools to assess and communicate the economic and environmental benefits of soil health practices in wine grapes, wheat and other crops. Following the workshops, select participants will create case studies featuring the economic and environmental benefits regional farmers realized from the implementation of these practices. The case studies will serve as a critical tool in providing motivation to other growers to adopt soil health practices on their own farms.

    Through these resources and trainings, AFT aims to grow a network of professionals with an enhanced understanding of the multiple benefits of healthy soils and a capacity to apply relevant technical tools. This network will support the expansion of soil health management systems in the west.

    “Climate-smart agriculture is fundamental in the fight against climate change,” says Kara Heckert, AFT’s California state director. “Realizing a sustainable future means investing in a strong foundation of service providers and farmers that can build the health of our soil, making it more productive and capable of absorbing vast amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.”

  • Leading Farm, Conservation, and Wildlife Groups Unite to Protect Conservation Funding

    Having succeeded in protecting funding for the Conservation Title in the 2018 Farm Bill, more than 140 leading farm, conservation, and wildlife groups are once again joining together to protect those hard-fought conservation funds and programs in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations process.

    In a letter delivered recently, the groups, which include the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC), National Farmers Union (NFU), National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), National Wildlife Federation (NWF), and American Farmland Trust (AFT), called upon appropriators to respect the funding decisions made in the 2018 Farm Bill and reject any cuts to farm bill conservation funding through the appropriations process.

    Farm bill conservation programs, including the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), play a vital role in helping farmers, ranchers, and landowners to keep their lands sustainable and profitable for generations to come.

    “America’s farmers and ranchers worked hard to ensure that the 2018 Farm Bill included support for the conservation programs they rely upon,” said Alyssa Charney, NSAC Senior Policy Specialist. “The Agriculture Committees listened when farmers told them what they needed to thrive, and now we are asking congressional appropriators to do the same. The farm bill process is closed; appropriators should seek to build upon the foundation laid by the 2018 Farm Bill, not attempt to undercut it. Appropriators have protected these programs in their last two funding bills, and we now ask them to continue to do so in FY 2020.”

    “As America’s farm and ranch families endure significant environmental and economic challenges, it is as important as ever that we maintain funding for voluntary, incentive-based conservation programs,” said Roger Johnson, President, NFU. “Congress just last year passed a farm bill with strong provisions and mandatory funding for conservation programs. Appropriators should reject changes that were settled in the process of crafting the Farm Bill and provide adequate funding to NRCS staff to fulfill their important role in ensuring the sustainability of family farms across the country.”

    “Farm Bill conservation programs are critical to addressing America’s wildlife crisis,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We call on lawmakers to reject any efforts to cut mandatory funding for Farm Bill conservation programs. These effective and widely supported programs give farmers and ranchers the tools they need to voluntarily restore important habitat for wildlife across America’s working lands and proactively recover at-risk wildlife populations.”

    In their letter, the 146 organizations also urged appropriators to protect funding for conservation technical assistance.

    “Ensuring full funding of CTA and farm bill programs will continue to allow conservation districts to work hand-in-hand with NRCS at the local level to deliver conservation on America’s landscapes,” NACD President Tim Palmer said. “Farm bill conservation programs are essential to our nation’s producers, as well as the consumers of their products. We urge Congress to protect and sustain conservation funding to allow our producers to continue providing a safe, reliable food supply while emphasizing locally-led conservation solutions to improve the quality of our nation’s soil, water and natural resources.”

    The wide range of organizations signed on to the letter speaks to how significantly any cuts to conservation programs and technical assistance would be felt across the country.

    “Farm Bill conservation programs are critical to the efforts of farmers and ranchers across this country to voluntarily protect their land from development and implement environmentally sound farming practices,” said John Piotti, President & CEO of American Farmland Trust. “At a time when we are losing three acres of farmland per minute, it is absolutely necessary to save every last dollar for these programs and serve as many farmers and ranchers as possible.”

    AFT, NACD, NFU, NSAC, and NWF stand united with the more than 140 co-signed organizations in urging appropriators to protect funding for critical conservation programs and technical assistance in FY 2020.

    About American Farmland Trust (AFT):

    American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and supported thousands of farm families.

    www.farmland.org

    About the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD):

    The National Association of Conservation Districts is the nonprofit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, their state and territory associations, and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For more than 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. For more information about NACD, visit: www.nacdnet.org.

    About National Farmers Union (NFU):

    National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice.

    About the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC):

    The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities. Learn more and get involved at: http://sustainableagriculture.net

    About the National Wildlife Federation (NFW):

    The National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization, representing six million members and affiliate conservation organizations in 51 states and territories. The National Wildlife Federation works to unite all Americans to ensure wildlife thrive in a rapidly changing world. Learn more: http://nwf.org/.

  • New Governor, Wet Year, What Does this Mean For California Water Storage?

    A new governor, a new year, and lots of rain and snow!  It’s going to be an interesting year for California farmers and what kind of support they may or may not receive on the water front.  Check out this brief interview with Mike Wade from the California Farm Water Coalition for his insights and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Dairy Producers Previously Enrolled in the Livestock Gross Margin Program Now Eligible for 2018 Margin Protection Program

    WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that dairy producers who elected to participate in the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Cattle Program (LGM-Dairy) now have the opportunity to participate in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) for 2018 coverage. Sign-up will take place March 25 through May 10, 2019.

    Producers enrolled in 2018 LGM-Dairy, administered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA), previously were determined by the 2014 Farm Bill to be ineligible for coverage under MPP-Dairy, a safety net program available through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).

    “The 2018 Farm Bill included substantial changes to USDA dairy programs,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. “This includes the ability for producers with LGM coverage to retroactively enroll in MPP-Dairy for 2018. It also integrated recent improvements to the MPP-Dairy in the new Dairy Margin Coverage program, beginning with the 2019 calendar year.”

    The MPP-Dairy program offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the national all-milk price and the national average feed cost — the margin — falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producers in a dairy operation. LGM-Dairy is an insurance product that provides protection when feed costs rise or milk prices drop. The gross margin is the market value of milk minus feed costs.

    This retroactive sign-up is only for dairy producers with 2018 LGM coverage who produced and commercially marketed milk in 2018 but did not obtain full year MPP-Dairy coverage. FSA will notify eligible producers by postcard and provide a one-time payment for all of the months in 2018 that had margins triggering MPP-Dairy assistance.

    “I’m pleased that dairy producers will now be able to take advantage of enrolling in both Livestock Gross Margin and the Margin Protection Program for 2018 coverage,” RMA Administrator Martin Barbre said. “The 2018 Farm Bill gave dairy producers more options like these and when combined with the new Dairy Protection Program offered by RMA, that means more overall coverage for dairy producers.”

    Eligible producers can enroll during the sign-up period at their local USDA service center. To locate your office, visit farmers.gov.

  • Western Growers Hires Human Resources Veteran Anna Bilderbach

    Western Growers is proud to announce the recent hire of Anna Bilderbach, who will serve as the Learning and Development Manager on the Human Resources team. Bilderbach brings more than two decades of experience in HR-related training. In her role as Learning and Development Manager, Bilderbach is responsible for conducting all training for Western Growers member farmers and the agricultural community, in both English and Spanish. Additionally, she will be supporting the learning and development initiatives within the Western Growers.

    “Anna is such an incredible addition to our human resources team,” said Karen Timmins, Senior Vice President of Human Resources. “Her extensive background in both customer relations and human resources has awarded her with the perfect skillset to continue pushing forward Western Growers’ mission of advancing the agriculture industry by providing the training services and resources our farmers need to thrive.”

    Having extensive experience in Financial Services, Non-Profit and Manufacturing as a career coach, project manager and trainer, Bilderbach has perfected her abilities to coach and develop talent in both small businesses and large corporations. Additionally, she has a proven track record of increasing organizational effectiveness, improving healthy company cultures and helping employees better improve customer experiences.

    “My training and background in Training/HR/Organizational Development has allowed me the opportunity to work with the entire employee life-cycle, from hire to retire.” said Bilderbach. “I’m truly excited and eager to be of service to our members and the team here at Western Growers. At the end of the day, my job is going to help employees engaged in agriculture develop personally and professionally, which is a win-win in my book.”

    Bilderbach received academic training at the University of California, Irvine, in Human Resources Management. She also studied business at Riverside Community College.

  • 100+ Water Ag Organizations Urge Congress to Address Western Water Challenges

    Over 100 organizations representing water and agricultural interests in the Western U.S. urged Congress today to use any infrastructure package under consideration to help address severe hydrological conditions in the West.

    “As a nation we must continually invest in the Western water infrastructure necessary to meet current and future demands,” the groups stated in a letter sent to key congressional committees and Western senators. “Our existing water infrastructure in the West is aging and in need of rehabilitation and improvement.”

    President Trump has said infrastructure might be one area that both political parties in the 116th Congress can agree upon. The Democratic Party’s to-do list also includes an ambitious infrastructure program. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OREGON) – one of the recipients of the letter – now chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he intends to lead efforts to produce a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure bill to fund transportation and water projects.

    “As water flows down from the Colorado Rockies – not unlike the water wheels of days gone by – it still drives the economies of thousands of communities on its way to the ocean,” said Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association President Robert Sakata. “As we ask more of this precious resource, we can’t ignore the creaks and groans from outdated infrastructure, as well as the offerings of new technologies to improve water use efficiency.”

    “The recent wet weather notwithstanding, we know that persistent drought conditions in the western United States are the new normal,” said Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif. “For this reason, our nation must invest, in earnest, in the long-term security of our water supplies in the West.”

    The letter underscores that water conservation, water recycling, watershed management, conveyance, desalination, water transfers, groundwater storage, and surface storage are all needed in a diversified management portfolio.

    “We need you to ensure that Western water users have every tool available to survive and recover from years of drought and to prepare for the hard, dry years the future may hold,” the letter states. “We call upon each of you to push forward on infrastructure and in so doing you must use any infrastructure package to not only address our nation’s chronic needs surrounding roads and bridges, but to also include water infrastructure needs for storage and conveyance.”

  • US Pistachio Exports Increase Despite International Trade Issues

    After the US pistachio industry brought in a record high pistachio crop last season, there were concerns as to how recent international trade issues would impact movement of this record crop; however, at the annual conference of American Pistachio Growers, Executive Director Richard Matoian shared positive news on recent domestic and export shipments. Watch Matoian’s brief interview and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Organic Farmers Association Announces Newly Elected Governing Council and Policy Committee

    The Organic Farmers Association is a national membership body of American organic farmers. The Association’s mission is to provide a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers. Its purpose is to build and support a farmer-led national organic farmer movement and national policy platform by: developing and advocating for policies that benefit organic farmers; strengthening and supporting the capacity of organic farmers and farm organizations; and supporting collaboration and leadership among state, regional and national organic farmer organizations. 
    Members of the Organic Farming Association are represented by a Governing Council, Advisory Committee, and Policy Committee. Recently, new representatives were elected to the Governing Council and Policy Committee for 2019. These representatives will serve 2-year terms, up to 3 consecutive terms (no more than 6 consecutive years). Newly elected members begin their terms at the annual meeting on March 13, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
    2019 Governing Council
    The Council includes 19 members. From each of the six regions, the council includes 2 certified organic farmers and 1 organic farm organization.  In addition, Organic Farmers Association’s fiscal sponsor, Rodale Institute, also has a seat on the council. All Council Members have identical rights and responsibilities, except that only farmer members have the right to vote. The fiscal sponsor, if it has a certified organic farm, also has a vote.
    * = Newly elected
    Farmers (Voting)
    California Farmer Representatives
    *Judith Redmond, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA
    Steve Beck, Kings River Produce, Inc., Hanford, CA
    Midwest Region Farmer Representatives
    *Dave Bishop, PrairiErth Farm, Atlanta, IL
    Joannee DeBruhl, Stone Coop Farm, Brighton, MI
    North Central Region Farmer Representatives
    *Mike Kelly, High Meadow Farm, Johnson Creek, WI
    Harriet Behar, Sweet Springs Farm, Spring Valley, WI
    Western Region Farmer Representatives
    *Nathaniel Powell-Palm, Cold Springs Organics, Bozeman, MT
    Jessica Gigot, Harmony Fields, Bow, WA
    Southern Region Farmer Representatives
    Jennifer Taylor, Lola’s Organic Farm, Glenwood, GA
    *Loretta Adderson, Adderson’s Fresh Produce, Keysville, GA
    Northeast Region Farmer Representatives
    David Colson, New Leaf Farm, Durham, ME
    *Maryrose Livingston, Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY
    Advisory (Non-Voting)
    California Organization Representative
    Phil LaRocca, Chair, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)
    Midwest Region Organization Representative
    Renee Hunt, Program Director, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA)
    North Central Region Organization Representative
    *David Perkins, President, Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
    Western Region Organization Representative
    Becky Weed, Board of Directors, Montana Organic Association (MOA)
    Southern Region Organization Representative
    *Michael Sligh, Program Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA)
    Northeast Region Organization Representative
    *Ed Maltby, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA)
    Sponsor Seat
    Jeff Tkach, Rodale Institute
    2019 Policy Committee
    The elected Policy Committee is made up of 12 voting certified organic farmer members and six advisory organizational members. Committee members are regionally diverse and reflect the national diversity of organic farms. The Policy Committee will facilitate OFA’s policy platform, created by certified organic farmer members. From its start in the fall of 2016, Organic Farmers Association has been working to build and support a farmer-led national organic farmer movement with a strong voice advocating for organic farmers.
    * = Newly elected
    Farmers (Voting)
    California Region Farmer Representatives
    *Kenneth Kimes, Greensward / New Natives, LLC, Aptos, CA
     Mark McAfee, Organic Pastures, Fresno, CA
    Western Region Farmer Representatives
    *Nate Lewis, Oyster Bay Farm, Olympia, WA
    Pryor Garnett, Garnetts Red Prairie Farm, Sheridan, OR
    North Central Region Farmer Representatives
    *DeEtta Bilek, Tom and DeEtta Bilek Farm, Aldrich, MN
    Harriet Behar, Sweet Springs Farm, Gays Mills, WI
    Midwest Region Farmer Representatives
    *Michael Adsit, Plymouth Orchards, Plymouth, MI
    Hannah Smith-Brubaker, Village Acres Farm & FoodShed, Mifflintown, PA
    Southern Region Farmer Representatives
    *Laura Freeman, Mt. Folly Farm, Winchester, KY
    Jennifer Taylor, Lola’s Organic Farm, Glenwood, GA
    Northeast Region Farmer Representatives
    *Luke Gianforte, Gianforte Farm, Cazenovia, NY
    Dave Chapman, Long Wind Farm, East Thetford, VT
    Advisory (Non-Voting)
    California Region Organization Representative
    David Runsten, Policy Director, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA
    Western Region Organization Representative
    *Cara Loriz, Executive Director, Organic Seed Alliance, Missoula, MT
    North Central Region Organization Representative
    Matthew Miller, Policy Committee Member, Iowa Organic Association, Ames, IA
    Midwest Region Organization Representative
    *Mallory Krieger, Farmer Training Program Manager, The Land Connection, Champaign, IL
    Southern Region Organization Representative
    Michael Sligh, Program Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International, Pittsboro, NC
    Northeast Region Organization Representative
    Edward Maltby, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Deerfield, MA
    ABOUT ORGANIC FARMERS ASSOCIATION
    The mission of the Organic Farmers Association, sponsored by Rodale Institute, is to provide a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers. Its purpose is to build and support a farmer-led national organic farmer movement and national policy platform by: developing and advocating for policies that benefit organic farmers; strengthening and supporting the capacity of organic farmers and farm organizations; and supporting collaboration and leadership among state, regional and national organic farmer organizations. Learn more at OrganicFarmersAssociation.org.