California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • What CA Dairy Producers Should know about SGMA

    California farmers continue to face disappointment after disappointment with economic and regulatory issues, but now is not the time to bury your head in the sand.  The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is coming into fruition, and farmers need to not only be aware of how this will impact them, but getting involved in their local water agencies will be critical as plans are solidified.  Geoff Vanden Heuvel from the Milk Producers Council addressed this at the recent California Dairy Sustainability Summit in Sacramento.  Watch this brief video with Geoff and read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.

  • Reducing Cow Emissions with a Seaweed Diet

    Could seaweed be the saving grace California dairy producers need to meet the State’s demands in reducing methane emissions from dairy cattle 40% by 2030? Not necessarily, but check out this brief interview with Ermias Kebreab from the Department of Animal Science at UC Davis who provided an update at the inaugural California Dairy Sustainability Summit on their research that has proven a seaweed supplemented diet to reduce cow emissions. Watch the video and read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.  Don’t currently receive the magazine?  Subscribe FREE today at https://malcolmmedia.com/california-dairy-magazine-subscriptions/

  • CDFA’s Work to Regulate Antibiotics in Livestock

    A report issued last week by a consortium of environmental groups on antibiotics in the meat supply chain highlights the importance of work being undertaken by California Department of Food and Agriculture as the first state in the nation to regulate the use of antibiotics in livestock. The report touched on CDFA’s efforts but it is important to clearly state what is being done to implement the legislation in collaboration with sister agencies and a broad, diverse set of stakeholders.

    As of January 1st, 2018, California became the first state in the nation to require veterinary oversight for the use of all medically important antibiotics used in livestock (not just in feed or water). The state law also prohibits growth promotion use and goes above and beyond the federal requirements to prohibit the use of medically important antibiotics in a regular pattern for disease prevention unless necessary for surgical or medical procedures. This is currently the only legislation that requires data collection from willing participants to monitor antibiotic use practices, assess trends in antibiotic resistance, and to inform the development of antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and best management practices to effect change in antibiotic usage.

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture has hired experienced and qualified staff to work with multiple state and federal partners, as well as university researchers, to collect information across California’s diverse livestock production types, coordinating with existing systems and efforts where possible. In less than two years, the Antimicrobial Use & Stewardship program’s efforts, through in-house surveys and contracted studies, have developed data from  nearly 1,400 operations, representing more than half a million animals across 55 counties in California, and- reflecting antibiotic use and management practices across beef and dairy cattle, sheep, and backyard poultry operations.

    Additionally, the Antimicrobial Use & Stewardship program has initiated on-farm sampling, covering a population of more than 50 operations and 128,000 animals in California that will voluntarily be sampled over time. Data collection efforts are ongoing and will continue to expand as the program moves forward.

    CDFA is committed to fulfilling the requirements of state law and continuing to work with all stakeholders to achieve a safe, secure, and bountiful food supply, while reducing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

  • Presidential Order Restores Western Water Supplies

    Today’s order by President Trump will provide welcome relief to Western farmers, cities, rural communities and wildlife refuges that have struggled under water supply rules that are long overdue for an update. Prioritizing national interest and the value of California food production, the president’s order requires the re-consultation of the biological opinions to be completed and fully implemented by August 2019. The deadline will bring to a close the review of rules governing the long-term operation of the federal Central Valley Project and California State Water Project. The review has been underway since August 2016, a process today’s order requires to be concluded by Aug. 31, 2019.

    The president’s action today fulfills his campaign commitment to help solve the state’s water supply shortages and will greatly benefit Central Valley communities and the environment. Since 1992, water supply restrictions have caused severe economic consequences for farms and the people who depend on them for work. Many of the state’s most disadvantaged communities have suffered due to scarce water supplies. Wildlife refuges that are a critical component of the Pacific Flyway have had insufficient water to meet the needs of millions of ducks, geese, shorebirds, songbirds and endangered animals in large parts of the Central Valley and the Klamath Basin. An ongoing review of the rules governing these critical water supplies only delays the ability of these important areas to recover.

    This action will also help address water shortages that have occurred across the West as the result of federal regulations overseen by multiple agencies. It offers hope to farmers and ranchers served by federal water projects in the Pacific Northwest, including the Columbia Basin and the Klamath Basin. The president’s order places the responsibility of operating the federal water projects with the Department of the Interior, to be supported by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The action prohibits any impacts to threatened or endangered species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act.

    This issue has been scrutinized by the Executive Branch as far back as 2011. At that time, President Obama observed that the Interior Department is in charge of salmon while they’re in freshwater, but the Commerce Department handles them when they’re in saltwater. Those overlapping jurisdictions have only slowed efforts to help the fish.

    A committee convened by the National Research Council also studied this matter a few years ago. The NRC found that the lack of a systematic, well-framed overall analysis between the two services is “a serious scientific deficiency, and it likely is related to the ESA’s practical limitations as to the scope of actions that can or must be considered in a single biological opinion.”

    Improved coordination between federal agencies will promote more efficient, effective and coordinated management of all ESA responsibilities for anadromous and freshwater fish in Western watersheds, from the highest reaches of our headwaters to the Pacific Ocean.

    “This action is an important and common-sense move that will benefit Western farmers and ranchers whose livelihoods depend on federal water projects,” said Dan Keppen, executive director of the Family Farm Alliance. “It’s a practical and assertive change to Western water management and species recovery that our membership strongly supports.”

    California’s GOP congressional delegation from the Central Valley played an important role in identifying the problems in the state’s water system and worked closely with the Trump administration to produce a solution that is consistent with federal law and will improve the water delivery system.

    “There’s no question that the Central Valley has lagged behind the economic recovery experienced in other parts of the state. We’re optimistic that these changes will not only help improve water supplies for farms, farm-related businesses, and disadvantaged rural communities, they will provide the incentive to put science-based solutions to work to help recover iconic native fish species that have suffered under the existing regulatory approach,” said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.

    “This is a common-sense improvement to a process that has been abused in the past by regulatory agencies seeking to impose a scientifically-unsound regime on water users that ultimately, by design, de-irrigates some of the highest quality farmland in the world. This move by the Administration simply ensures that the process of revising the rules governing Delta water operations will be less vulnerable to regulatory abuse,” said Tom Nassif, president of the Western Growers Association.

    “Implementation of the Endangered Species Act can be better for both species and people, and the president’s action moves us in that direction,” California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson said. “It’s time to grow beyond the culture of conflict that has governed California water for too long. We need streamlined solutions that benefit species and that benefit both the farmers who provide California-grown food and farm products and everyone who depends on those products.”

    Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of the Nisei Farmers League shared, “We want to thank President Trump, Congressman Devin Nunes and the entire Valley delegation for their efforts that will improve the lives of many, especially in the San Joaquin Valley. There will be a strict timetable for rewriting the biological opinion that caused millions of acre feet of water that would have been used in the San Joaquin Valley to be flushed out to the ocean. This action prioritizes building water storage projects that are badly needed. ​It is a good day for California, for our hard-working families,and for our communities.

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  • A REPORT ON CALIFORNIA’S BROKEN WATER SYSTEM – Westland’s Food for Thought

    The Silent Squeeze on Agriculture

    If you had to guess what percentage of the total US production of broccoli came from California, what would you guess? How about almonds, artichokes, celery, dates, figs, garlic, kiwifruit, olives, processing tomatoes, pistachios, plums, prunes, processing strawberries, or walnuts? 
     
    If you answered between 95-100% for each product, you would be correct; this is not to mention all the other fruit, fiber, and vegetables of which California is the principal producer.

    And yet, due to restrictive water policies, California agriculture is facing an existential threat. Water supply shortages during the 2013-16 drought were exacerbated by policies adopted for the putative protection of fish.  The efficacy of many of those policies are being reevaluated by the United States Department of the Interior, but the State is pursuing new programs that could further reduce water supplies, even during average or wet hydrologic years. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) is considering mandates that would increase river flows and Delta outflow with its proposed updates to the Water Quality Control Plan. If the SWRCB adopts the proposal made by its staff, even more water will be taken away from farms, businesses, and communities. 

    Indeed, the SWRCB staff estimates water supplies in areas south-of-Delta served by the Central Valley Project will be reduced by as much as 26%.  These reductions will be borne by irrigation water service contractors and will be in addition to water supply reductions caused by actions to implement the 2006 Bay-Delta Plan, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 

    It’s time for honesty in the very worthwhile debate about how YOUR water is being prioritized.
    Message From the Westlands Water District

  • Governor Brown Signs Legislation to Strengthen Wildfire Prevention & Recovery

    Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today signed legislation to strengthen California’s ability to prevent and recover from catastrophic wildfires, including Senate Bill 901 – authored by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) – which boosts the state’s forest management activities, updates requirements for the maintenance and operation of utility infrastructure to reflect changing climate conditions, and protects ratepayers and utility workers.

    “Wildfires in California aren’t going away, and we have to do everything possible to prevent them. This bill is complex and requires investment – but it’s absolutely necessary,” said Governor Brown.

    “This new law is the most comprehensive wildfire prevention and safety package the state has passed in decades,” said Senator Dodd, who co-chaired the Legislature’s Wildfire Preparedness and Response Conference Committee. “It will help prevent further loss of life and property while ensuring ratepayers aren’t left holding the bag. By enacting this law, we’ve laid a solid base to build on as California continues adapting to the ‘new normal’ caused by climate change.”

    “Senate Bill 901 is the right response to the devastating wildfires that ravaged our state,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden, who co-chaired the Legislature’s Wildfire Preparedness and Response Conference Committee. “The bill provides comprehensive safety solutions to protect ratepayers, makes our electric system safer, and helps stabilize the utilities.”

    Following some of the most deadly and destructive wildfires in state history last year, Governor Brown joined with legislative leaders in March and committed to making California more resilient against future natural disasters in the face of increasingly extreme weather driven by climate change. Some of the significant highlights of SB 901 include:

    • Requiring utilities to implement comprehensive fire prevention plans, including improvements to utility infrastructure.
    • Expediting small landowner incentives and projects to reduce excess fuel and remove dead and dying trees and chaparral.
    • Facilitating access to property to carry out projects to improve overall forest health and resistance to wildfires.
    • Adding a rigorous standard for the California Public Utilities Commission to oversee the allocation of utility wildfire costs and expenses, including consideration of climate change impacts.
    • Authorizing a financing mechanism so utilities can spread out wildfire costs to minimize impacts to ratepayers.
    • Adding worker protections and prohibiting utilities from charging their customers for executive compensation.

    “The Senate worked diligently this year to find commonsense solutions to wildfires that have now become a regular feature of life in California. Every Senate district is touched by the consequences of a warming climate and the wildfires that come with it,” said Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins. “Of particular significance is SB 901 which prevents future catastrophic wildfires across the state while protecting utility ratepayers from unfairly bearing the costs of wildfire impacts. I thank my colleagues in the Senate and the Assembly for the diligence in tackling this issue. And I thank Governor Brown for his engagement throughout the process.”

    “The forestry management funding in SB 901 makes broad changes that will encourage local communities to better plan for wildfires and ease landowners’ efforts to conduct fuel treatments on their land. The $1 billion provided for that effort will go a long way,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.

    “This year alone, 1.3 million acres of California have burned. The loss of life and property has been staggering. We are taking steps to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. SB 901 is a necessary first step,” said Assembly Republican Leader Brian Dahle.

    “Catastrophic wildfires have disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Californians due to decades of neglect and failure to manage our forests and wildlands. This legislation is an important step toward safeguarding lives, property and the state’s watersheds,” said Senator Jim Nielsen.

    The 2018 wildfires are already approaching last year’s total acreage burned – 1.4 million – with several months left in the calendar year. Four of California’s five most destructive wildfires on record have burned in the last 15 years.

    In addition to working with lawmakers on a solution, Governor Brown in May issued an executive order to improve the health of the state’s forests and help mitigate the threat and impacts of deadly and destructive wildfires, which hinder the state’s progress toward its climate goals. Forests serve as the state’s largest land-based carbon sink, drawing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in trees and shrubs and in forest soils. But even a single wildfire can immediately cancel all those benefits.

    In addition to SB 901, the Governor also signed the following bills today:

    SB 30 by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) requires the Insurance Commissioner to convene a working group to assess new and innovative investments in natural infrastructure and insurance products in light of California’s worsening fire vulnerability due to climate change.

    SB 821 by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) authorizes counties to enter into an agreement to access the contact information of public utility customers for the sole purpose of enrolling county residents in a county-operated public emergency warning system.

    SB 824 by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) prohibits an insurer from canceling or refusing to renew a homeowner’s insurance policy for one year from the date of a declaration of emergency and requires insurers to report specified fire risk information to the Department of Insurance.

    SB 833 by Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) requires the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with specified stakeholders, to develop voluntary guidelines for alerting and warning the public of an emergency.

    SB 894 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) provides assistance to survivors of major disasters or catastrophic events, including requiring insurers to renew a residential insurance policy for at least two renewal periods (24 months), requiring insurers to grant an additional 12 months of additional living expenses and allowing combined payments for losses to a primary dwelling and other structures so homeowners can apply those losses as they see fit, such as rebuilding the main home.

    SB 896 by Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) extends the sunset date on the state’s aggravated arson statute to help ensure law enforcement agencies maintain a valuable deterrent to prevent arson-caused wildfires.

    SB 917 by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) requires insurers to cover a loss resulting from a combination of disasters (landslide, mudslide, mudflow or debris flow) if an insured disaster is the proximate cause of the loss or damage and would otherwise be covered.

    SB 969 by Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa) requires residential automatic garage door openers manufactured for sale, sold, or installed in California to have a backup battery that is designed to operate during an electrical outage and prohibits replacement garage doors from being installed without backup batteries.

    SB 1079 by Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) authorizes the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to make advance payments to grantees receiving funds from the healthy forest and local fire prevention grant programs.

    SB 1181 by Senator Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) authorizes the Office of Emergency Services to enter into an agreement with one or more certified community conservation corps to perform emergency or disaster response services.

    SB 1260 by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) authorizes federal, state and local agencies to engage in collaborative forestry management, creates new opportunities for private landowners to partner with public agencies to mitigate wildfire risk and enhances the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s role in identifying wildfire hazards as local governments plan for new housing and neighborhoods.

    SB 1261 by Senator Jim Nielsen (R-Gerber) ensures that one-time death benefits are provided to eligible survivors of pilots fighting an active California fire even if they fly their own aircraft or one owned by an entity other than the state.

    AB 1772 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) extends from 24 months to 36 months the period of time within which an insurance policyholder is entitled to collect full replacement benefits under a replacement cost fire insurance policy.

    AB 1800 by Assemblymember Marc Levine (D-Marin County) prohibits, in the event of a total loss, a residential property insurance policy from limiting or denying payment based on the fact that the policyholder has chosen to rebuild or purchase a home at a new location.

    AB 1875 by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) connects consumers who need residential property insurance with agents and brokers to help ensure they obtain plans and coverage that suit their specific needs.

    AB 1877 by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Goleta) requires the Office of Emergency Services to create a library of translated emergency notifications and translation style guide and requires authorities to consider using the library and translation style guide when issuing emergency notifications to the public.

    AB 1919 by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) expands the scope of criminal price gouging by including rental housing that was not on the market at the time of the proclamation or declaration of emergency and defines the rental price of housing for purposes of price gouging.

    AB 1956 by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Goleta) establishes a grant program to support fire prevention activities, including vegetation management, grazing, prescribed burns, creation of defensible space and retrofitting structures to increase fire resistance.

    AB 1981 by Assemblymember Monique Limón (D-Goleta) requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Forest Management Task Force to coordinate with the California Environmental Protection Agency to promote the use of forestry material in compost.

    AB 2091 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord) requires the Forest Management Task Force, in coordination with the California Department of Insurance, to develop recommendations to reduce the cost of conducting prescribed burns.

    AB 2126 by Assemblymember Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) requires the California Conservation Corps director to establish a Forestry Corps Program by July 1, 2019. The program would provide corps members with job training and placement in forest health projects.

    AB 2380 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) requires the state to develop standards and regulations for privately contracted fire prevention operations that are conducted during an active fire incident.

    AB 2518 by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to explore markets for innovative forest products and mass timber consistent with the state’s climate objectives.

    AB 2551 by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) allows the director of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to enter into agreements with landowners to conduct joint prescribed burning operations.

    AB 2594 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) extends the existing statute of limitations for a homeowner to sue an insurer from 12 to 24 months if the loss is related to a state of emergency.

    AB 2889 by Assemblymember Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) requires the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to provide assistance and develop guidance documents to reduce timelines for timber harvest plan review and approval.

    AB 2911 by Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) makes various changes to fire safety planning efforts, defensible space requirements and vegetation clearance requirements for electrical transmission and distribution lines to improve the fire safety of California communities.

    AB 2990 by Assemblymember Evan Low (D-Campbell) provides surviving dependents of a deceased firefighter or law enforcement officer free tuition and fees within the California Community College, State University and University of California systems.

    For full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

  • US Trade Mitigation Package Direct Payments for Almonds

    The Almond Alliance of California appreciates the efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish the procedures required to provide direct payments to almond growers to help offset some of the damage being incurred due to the retaliatory tariffs imposed by China and Turkey. As announced today by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, growers of California almonds are now eligible to apply for direct payments of $.03 per pound as part of the $12 billion mitigation package announced earlier this month. The damage assessment figure assigned to almonds is $63.3 million.
    The announcement is a result of the industry coming together and advocating through the Almond Alliance of California (AAC). Elaine Trevino, President/CEO of AAC said “Industry members should be proud that through a unified effort they were able to have their voices heard and be acknowledged for their contribution to the national economy, along with the significant role they play in the international market place.”
    The almond industry has been significantly impacted by retaliatory tariffs and the inclusion of the commodity in the USDA trade mitigation package is a result of a vocal industry and the support and hard work of California’s congressional delegation. Trevino noted, “The direct payment program reflects the hard work of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Chairman Jeff Denham who led the congressional effort including Congressmen Costa, Valadao, Nunes, LaMalfa, Pannetta and Senators Harris and Feinstein. Their combined efforts and leadership helped ensure that the California almond industry received direct payments within the specific program guidelines. We are thankful that our congressional delegation worked hard for our industry and acknowledged the importance of almonds to the California and U.S. economy.”
    Producers of almonds can sign up for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP), which is a direct payment program for eligible almond growers who have been directly impacted by retaliatory tariffs, resulting in significant export losses. The MFP is established under the statutory authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and is under the administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA). There are specific eligibility requirements that must be met by an applicant and the maximum payment per applicant is $125,000. Eligible almond growers may apply for MFP September 24, 2018 through January 15, 2019.
    Almonds are one of California’s top three valued commodities and the leading agricultural export.  The California almond industry exports 67% of what it produces.  With exports of nearly $4.5 billion in 2017, the California almond industry contributes significantly to the longstanding trade surplus generated by American agriculture. While the mitigation initiatives are helpful, they will not begin to approach the anticipated economic losses and long-term impact these retaliatory tariffs will have on the industry’s trade relationships and the considerable investments made over the years to create market demand in China and Turkey. Trevino pointed out, “We remain hopeful for a quick resolution to the broader trade disputes with these trading partners to ensure open and fair trade so consumers around the globe can continue to enjoy California almonds.”
    For more Information:
    For more information about the MFP program, visit www.farmers.gov/MFP or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit www.farmers.gov.
    ​​​​​​​
    About the Almond Alliance of California
    The Almond Alliance of California (AAC) is a trusted non-profit organization with a mission of advocating on behalf of the Almond industry in California. AAC actively advocates for the positions of almond growers, hullers, shellers, handers and processors, while educating the industry about upcoming and existing regulatory changes.  Through workshops, newsletters, conferences and meetings, AAC serves as a clearing house of information that informs the almond industry and continues to position the industry as an agricultural leader in the state. 

  • Understanding the Heat Illness Prevention Regulations

    By Anna Genasci, QAL, Assistant Director of Education, AgSafe

    Don’t be fooled by end of the summer cooler temperatures.  Harvest is still underway for many ag commodities, and heat stress is still a major concern for our farm employees.  It is important to understand not only the precautions to take to keep employees safe while working in the heat, but also the elements of compliance.

    According to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, Cal/OSHA, their most frequently cited violations in agriculture under the Heat Illness Prevention Standard are failure to have a heat illness prevention plan in the field, a lack of heat illness prevention training, and a failure to provide adequate shade and water.  If that’s the case, it begs the question of what exactly does the standard require?

    #1 Heat Illness Prevention Plan:

    A company needs to have a written Heat Illness Prevention Plan with the following elements, and include specific details as to how you will ensure that the provisions are met:

    • The designated person(s) that have the authority and responsibility for implementing the plan in the field
    • Procedures for providing sufficient water
    • Procedures for providing access to shade
    • High-heat procedures
    • Emergency response procedures
      • Don’t forget your lone workers (g.irrigators)
    • Acclimatization methods and procedures

    When drafting your plan, it is important to consider the size of your crew, the length of the work day, the ambient temperatures, and any additional personal protective equipment (PPE) that contributes as an additional source of heat.   The plan needs to be in English and also the language understood by the majority of the employees and must be located at the worksite and accessible to employees.

    #2 Heat Illness Prevention Training Topics:

    Employee training needs to be done before an employee begins work, which could result in the risk of heat illness.  Training should cover the following information:

    • The environmental and personal risk factors for heat illness, as well as the added burden of heat load on the body caused by exertion, clothing, and personal protective equipment.
    • The employer’s procedures for complying with the requirements including the employer’s responsibility to provide water, shade, cool-down rests, and access to first aid as well as the employees’ right to exercise their rights.
    • The importance of frequent consumption of small quantities of water throughout the workday.
    • The concept, importance and methods of acclimatization.
    • The different types of heat illness, the common signs and symptoms of heat illness, and appropriate first aid and emergency responses to the different types of heat illness, and that heat illness may progress quickly from mild symptoms to serious and life-threatening illness.
    • The importance to employees of immediately reporting to the employer, directly or through the employee’s supervisor, signs or symptoms of heat illness experienced by themselves or their co-workers.
    • The employer’s procedures for responding to signs or symptoms of possible heat illness, including how emergency medical services will be provided should they become necessary.
    • The employer’s procedures for contacting emergency medical services, and when necessary transporting employees to a point where they can be reached by an emergency medical service provider.
    • The employer’s procedures for ensuring that, in the event of an emergency, clear and precise directions to the work site can and will be provided as needed to emergency responders. These procedures shall include designating a person to be available to ensure that emergency procedures are initiated when appropriate. 
    Training must include the different types of heat illness, the common signs and symptoms of heat illness, and appropriate first aid and emergency responses to the different types of heat illness, and that heat illness may progress quickly from mild symptoms to serious and life threatening illness.

    Supervisor training needs to be completed prior to supervising employees and include the following topics:

    • All of the topics covered during employee training.
    • The procedures the supervisor is to follow to implement the heat illness prevention plan procedures.
    • The protocol a supervisor is to follow when an employee exhibits signs or reports symptoms consistent with possible heat illness, including emergency response procedures.
    • How to monitor weather reports and how to respond to hot weather advisories.

    #3 Adequate Shade and Water:

    The amount of shade present shall be at least enough to accommodate the number of employees on recovery or rest periods, so that they can sit in a normal posture fully in the shade without having to be in physical contact with each other.

    Shade

    Adequate shade means blockage of direct sunlight. One indicator that blockage is sufficient is when objects do not cast a shadow in the area of blocked sunlight. Shade is not adequate when heat in the area of shade defeats the purpose of shade, which is to allow the body to cool. For example, a car sitting in the sun does not provide acceptable shade to a person inside it, unless the car is running with air conditioning. Shade may be provided by any natural or artificial means that does not expose employees to unsafe or unhealthy conditions and that does not deter or discourage access or use.

    Shade needs to available when the temperature exceeds 80-degrees Fahrenheit. How do you know when temperatures hit 80 degrees? Cal/OSHA urges employers to not rely on your cell phone because it does not reflect the site-specific temperatures.  The best practice is to invest in and daily use an outdoor thermometer.

    The amount of shade present shall be at least enough to accommodate the number of employees on recovery or rest periods, so that they can sit in a normal posture fully in the shade without having to be in physical contact with each other.  The shade shall be located as close as practicable to the areas where employees are working.  Shade also needs to be available, even when the temperature does not exceed 80-degrees Fahrenheit, upon employee request.

    Water

    Employees shall have access to potable drinking water. It must be fresh, pure, suitably cool, and provided to employees free of charge. The water shall be located as close as practicable to the areas where employees are working. Where drinking water is not plumbed or otherwise continuously supplied, it shall be provided in a sufficient quantity at the beginning of the work shift to provide one quart per employee per hour for drinking for the entire shift. Employers may begin the shift with smaller quantities of water if they have effective procedures for replenishment during the shift as needed to allow employees to drink one quart or more per hour.

    Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Standard on the Horizon

    In 2016 the legislature passed and Governor Brown signed into Senate Bill 1167 which directed Cal/OSHA to propose a heat illness and injury prevention standard applicable to employees working in indoor places of employment.  The agency has until January 1, 2019 to develop the proposed standard to be sent to the Cal/OSHA Standards Board for regulatory review and possible adoption. As is its practice, in February 2017 Cal/OSHA assembled an Advisory Committee to allow all impacted stakeholders to provide input into the crafting of the proposed standard.

    The Advisory Committee has met multiple times since its formation, allowing Cal/OSHA staff to produce draft text of the standard.  On May 16, 2018 the most current version of the proposed language was made available for public comment, which closed on June 7, 2018. The agency anticipates releasing the next draft version in late summer/early fall, reflecting the latest round of feedback.

    In summary, the most current version of the draft language addresses the issue of mitigating heat illness in indoor places of employment, including agriculture as follows:

    • Applies to all indoor work areas regardless of industry when workers wear clothing that restricts heat removal and the temperatures equal or exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Applies to all other indoor work areas not previously mentioned where temperatures equal or exceed 85-degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present.
    • Similar to the outdoor heat illness prevention standard:
      • Provide fresh, pure, suitably cool water at no cost, located as close as practicable to employees
      • Maintain at least 1 cool-down area at all times with enough space to accommodate all employees on break, sitting in normal posture without touching one another
      • Provide appropriate first aid/emergency response if employee exhibits signs or symptoms of heat illness
      • Implement temperature assessment, documentation and control measures when temperatures equal or exceed 90 degrees Fahrenheit
      • Have a written Indoor Heat Illness Prevention Plan that includes appropriate emergency response procedures
      • Ensure close observation of employees during acclimatization
      • Provide training for employees and supervisors prior to possible exposure

    To read the complete draft text and stay up-to-date on the process as it continues to unfold, visit https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/doshreg/Heat-illness-prevention-indoors/

    For more information about heat illness prevention, worker safety, human resources, labor relations, pesticide safety, or food safety issues, please visit www.agsafe.org, contact us at (209) 526-4400 or via email at safeinfo@agsafe.org. AgSafe is a 501c3 nonprofit providing training, education, outreach, and tools in the areas of worker safety, human resources, labor relations, pesticide safety, and food safety issues for the food and farming industries.  Since 1991, AgSafe has educated nearly 75,000 employers, supervisors, and workers on these critical issues.

  • Almond Board on International Trade War Impact

    The California almond industry relies heavily on exports, and with a crop that continues to grow in volume every year, expanding those markets in the future will be critical. On the contrary, with the lack of resolution to the current international trade disputations, and now almond harvest well underway, the industry is naturally very concerned about how these issues will impact the marketing of this crop. Watch this brief interview with the Richard Waycott, President & CEO of the Almond Board for his insights on the topic. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Kings County Farm Bureau Endorses Justin Mendes for State Assembly District 32

    Hanford, Calif. —The Kings County Farm Bureau’s board of directors voted last week to endorse Hanford’s Justin Mendes in the 32nddistrict State Assembly race. The son of a Kings County dairy farmer, a Hanford city council member and the longtime district director for Congressman David Valadao, Mendes’ unique blend of experience, along with his no-nonsense approach to government, earned him the board’s endorsement.

    “Justin has our community’s best interests in mind,” said KCFB Vice President Brian Medeiros. “We feel that he will not be content to tow the party line, especially when it impacts the citizens of our 32nddistrict. For far too long, the voices of our community have fallen on the deaf ears of our current representative. Our way of life has been met with countless attacks that have only been furthered by our representative. Mendes is a clear choice to represent our community.”

    Because elected officials play such a big role in the policy decisions that affect local farmers, the KCFB board of directors is committed to endorse candidates that they think will best represent the ag industry. Candidates are thoroughly vetted by the board, and only those whose ideals align with KCFB’s values and priorities will receive an endorsement.

    “As a non-partisan organization, Kings County Farm Bureau reviews every political candidate based on their qualifications, commitment to agriculture, electability, and ability to carry our message,” said Medeiros. “As part of our work to protect and promote agriculture in the South Valley, we are committed to engaging in the political process.”