California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • Farmer Veteran Coalition Announces 2022 Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund Awardees

     Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) announced $470,000 given in awards and equipment to veterans across the country through the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. It’s the largest amount awarded in program history. The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund provides direct assistance to veterans involved in agriculture by awarding them equipment and small grants in the amount of $1,000 to $5,000 to purchase items they have identified will make a crucial difference in the launch of their farm business.

    More than 130 farmer veterans representing 41 states and all branches of service—with the exception of the Space Force—received notifications this week that they have been selected to receive an award to purchase things like beekeeping equipment, fencing, livestock, tractor implements, walk-behind tractors, and other supplies.

    “At a time when the agriculture industry is feeling the effects of current events, it’s a great pleasure to give a well-deserved boost to our farmer veterans who continue to serve our nation through farming,” said Rachel Petitt, program director for the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. “Without the generous support from our funders, it wouldn’t be possible to make such a big impact and provide this much needed assistance to our farmer veterans.”

    Major funding for this year’s program was made possible by Wounded Warrior Project®, Kubota Tractor Corporation, Tractor Supply, and Northwest Farm Credit Services. Additional funding and support was provided by Homestead Implements, Farm Credit West, Lamps Plus, Sugar Bottom Farm, Unearth Campaigns, Vital Farms, and G&R Farms/Military Produce Group.

    Veterans who submitted an application to the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund had the option to apply for Kubota’s Geared to Give program which donates five pieces of equipment and grants to Farmer Veteran Coalition members each year. Recipients of this year’s Geared to Give awards will be announced later this spring. The Geared to Give program has provided 41 pieces of equipment and grants to Farmer Veteran Coalition members since it was established in 2015. 

    Awardees of the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund were selected by third-party reviewers consisting of seasoned agriculture industry professionals from Farm Credit Council and their network of cooperative lending institutions, the National AgrAbility Project, and other partner organizations. Applications were judged based on the strength of a veteran’s business plan, personal investment in their business, vision and goals, and a clear need for assistance. The application period for the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund opens once per year, usually in January, at which time veterans have four weeks to submit an application.

    “Access to capital is often one of the biggest challenges beginning farmers face and the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund was established to help address that challenge for U.S. Military veterans and servicemembers who operate an agriculture business,” said FVC Executive Director Jeanette Lombardo.

    To see the full list of awardees, visit     www.farmvetco.org/2022-awardees.

    Since it was established in 2011, the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund has awarded nearly $4 million in small grants and equipment to more than 930 veterans. To learn more about the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, please visit     www.farmvetco.org/fvfellowship. To inquire about supporting the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund, please contact rachel@farmvetco.org.

    About Farmer Veteran Coaltion
    The mission of Farmer Veteran Coalition is mobilizing veterans to feed America. Established in 2008, its in-house programs include the Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund small grant program, the nationally recognized Homegrown By Heroes label for veteran-grown products, and national and regional conferences. As the nation’s largest nonprofit assisting veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces embark on careers in agriculture, FVC has been successful in getting millions of dollars of USDA funds appropriated for farmer veteran and the groups that support them. Learn more at: www.farmvetco.org or follow on Facebook or Instagram at @FarmerVeteranCoalition and Twitter at @FarmVetCo.

  • California Farmland Trust Welcomes Lauren Fox as Program Associate

    California Farmland Trust (CFT) is pleased to welcome Lauren Fox to the CFT team. Lauren will serve as the program associate.

    Lauren joins the organization as a 2021 University of Nevada, Reno graduate, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in community health sciences.

    Growing up in Elk Grove, Lauren is no stranger to the Central Valley and California’s agricultural economy. Her family’s roots stem back to farming, which helped Lauren develop an appreciation for the land and the natural resources it provides. Seeing the push for development in her hometown, Lauren is eager to contribute to more farmland protection in California, as it influences our health and sustainability.

    “Lauren brings unique experiences, a fresh perspective, and forward-thinking mindset to California Farmland Trust,” said Charlotte Mitchell, executive director at CFT. “Given her education in public health and connection to the area, Lauren is motivated to make a positive difference in our local communities. We are happy to welcome her to the organization.”

    As the program associate, Lauren will work in collaboration with the conservation director to assist in facilitating transactions, help monitor project stewardship, and provide administrative support throughout the whole organization.

    “I am excited to join the California Farmland Trust team and have the opportunity to build a bridge between public health and the agriculture industry,” Lauren said. “I have studied how the environment impacts our health, and I am looking forward to creating awareness about the benefits land conservation has on long-term well-being. I hope to be an example of how you do not have to have a direct agriculture background, to be an advocate.”

    The California Farmland Trust is a California nonprofit 501(c)(3). Our mission is to help farmers protect the best farmland in the world. To date, we have protected 17,606 acres of farmland on 81 farms. To learn more visit us: www.cafarmtrust.org.

  • USDA Accepting Applications for Philippines Ag Trade Mission

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting applications from U.S. exporters for an agricultural trade mission to Manila, Philippines, July 18-21, 2022. The mission will provide U.S. growers, producers, and exporters the opportunity to explore a thriving market that is expected to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic with one of the strongest growth forecasts in Asia.

    The Philippines is the eighth-largest export market for U.S. agricultural and food exports, averaging $3.1 billion annually during the last five years. It offers U.S. agribusinesses tremendous export potential thanks to its young and fast-growing population, strong consumer preference for U.S. foods and beverages, and robust service-based economy, which has reported increased sales in food retail, food service, and food processing following the country’s economic reopening.

    “As the Administration works to provide new and better market opportunities for U.S. agricultural exporters, the Philippines sets itself apart from the rest with a U.S. partnership that spans decades and an even brighter future for trade,” said USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Administrator Daniel Whitley. “The Philippines and the United States just marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries and the United States is proud to be one of the Philippines’ largest economic partners. When it comes to U.S. foods and beverages in particular, U.S. brands are highly regarded as safe, reliable, and of good quality, and are the leaders in the marketplace, accounting for 21 percent market share.”

    For U.S. companies interested in exploring the Philippine market, strong export opportunities include beef; pork; poultry; cheese and cheese products; food preparations, including infant food; fresh vegetables; healthy foods; gourmet; convenience food products; processed fruit and vegetables; wines, beer, and distilled spirits; pet food; seafood products; and tree nuts.

    “USDA is also pleased to be partnering with the Food Export Association of the Midwest USA and Food Export USA–Northeast for this mission,” added Whitley. “Strong collaboration between FAS and the U.S. agricultural industry will ensure we are providing the best possible service to our customers both internationally and right here at home.”

    While in Manila, participants will conduct business-to-business meetings with potential importers, receive in-depth market briefings from FAS and industry trade experts, and participate in site visits and other networking opportunities.

    The deadline to apply for the Philippines trade mission is May 18, and spots are limited. USDA previously had a trade mission to the Philippines scheduled for April 2020, which was cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Applicants originally selected for the 2020 trade mission will be given priority to participate in this one.

    For more information, visit https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions or email trademissions@usda.gov.

  • CA Senators Feinstein and Padilla Join Efforts To Hold Summit to Resolve Ag Export Trade Crisis

    The Almond Alliance of California today thanked  California’s U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla for joining with a collaborative of major agriculture associations in urging a summit with all stakeholders – ocean shipping carriers and agricultural exporters – to resolve gridlock at the nation’s ports, where billions of dollars of exports are stuck on the docks.

    “The agriculture community of California thanks and appreciates our Senate delegation for standing up to end this gridlock which has crippled California farmers for the last year,” stated Almond Alliance President Aubrey Bettencourt.

    The call to action – spelled out in a letter from the senators – urged a wide range of interests to come to the table to address this crisis. The communique was sent to

    March Bourdon, President of CMA CGM Maritime, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, the United States Secretary of Transportation, and the National Economic Council.

    The senators implored those officials to work with American agricultural exporters to immediately expand export opportunities.

    “We urge you to work with California agricultural producers to ensure their products, especially perishables, expeditiously get to export markets worldwide during this important season,” the senators wrote. “We look forward to working with you to achieve our shared goals.”

    In their communique, Senators Feinstein and Padilla underscored the urgency of the crisis:

    Our “agricultural commodities have been significantly hampered in exporting their products because of container and equipment shortages, canceled bookings, and inadequate receiving windows.

    “According to the attached letter from several of California’s major agricultural producers, three out of four containers at U.S. ports are returning to Asia empty, resulting in a significant backlog of sold product in need of transportation.”

    That letter from national and state agricultural groups specifically demands for an immediate federal effort to convene a meeting of ocean carrier companies and agricultural exporters to address the tremendous export trade imbalance which is crippling American agriculture and damaging the American economy.

    Signatories of that second letter include leadership of the California Farm Bureau; Western Growers Association; National Milk Producers Federation; U.S. Dairy Export Council; Western United Dairies; the Almond Alliance of California, and the California Walnut Handlers Alliance.

    To read letter:  Click Here

  • California Almond Subjective Forecast Estimates Smaller Crop

    The 2022 California Almond Subjective Forecast published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) estimates that the crop harvested in 2022 will come in at 2.8 billion pounds, 4 percent below last year’s 2.92 billion pounds.

    Forecasted yield is 2,040 pounds per acre, 8 percent below the 2021 yield of 2,210 per acre.

    Richard Waycott, Almond Board of California

    “A lower crop estimate was not totally unexpected versus last year’s 2.9 billion pounds,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC). “Some growers’ crops this spring were impacted by frost, while all growers are managing continuing concerns about water availability. However, demand for California almonds around the globe remains strong and California almond growers are prepared to meet that demand.”

    The Subjective Forecast is the first of two production reports from NASS for the coming crop year. It is based on opinions from a phone survey conducted from April 19 to May 6 of randomly selected California almond growers. The sample of growers, which changes every year, is spread across regions and different sized operations.

    On July 8, NASS will release its second production estimate, the 2022 California Almond Objective Report, which is considered more accurate and is based on actual almond counts using a more statistically rigorous methodology to determine yield.

    This Subjective Forecast comes two weeks after NASS released the 2021 California Almond Acreage Report, which gave a preliminary estimate for bearing acreage in 2022 at 1.37 million acres, about 3.8 percent larger than its estimate for 2021 of 1.32 million bearing acres.

    NASS conducts the annual Subjective Forecast, Objective Report and Acreage Report to provide the California almond industry with the data needed to make informed business decisions. These reports are the official industry crop estimates.

  • How to Protect Your Farmland for Future Generations in California

    Many California farms are run by families who have cultivated the land for several generations.  It’s not just land, it’s not just an investment — it is part of what defines them and their mission to feed the world. Watch this brief interview with Charlotte Mitchell from the California Farmland Trust as she shares how to protect their legacy of farming for generations to come.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • The Mission and Objectives of the California Farmworker Foundation

    The pandemic proved challenging to all in various ways, and farmworkers had unique needs that had to be met in order to keep agriculture going and food from California on dinner tables all over the world. The California Farmworker Foundation was among the great organizations that rose to the occasion to meet their needs. Pandemic aside, farmworkers are essential, they have families and needs, they have a voice, and the California Farmworker Foundation has been established and continues to grow for these reasons. Watch this brief interview to learn more.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Farmers Cannot Bear the Burden of Record Inflating Costs Alone

    Among some of the top issues impacting the California fresh fruit industry, and all of the state’s agricultural industries for that matter, are record inflating production costs.  This was addressed at the recent annual conference of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA). Watch this brief interview with CFFA President Ian LeMay as he addresses this.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • EU Proposes New MRL Regulation on Imported Pistachios

    It appears that aflatoxin will not be the only naturally occurring mold sabotaging pistachio shipments destined for the European Union.  The EU is proposing a new MRL regulation on Ochratoxin A in pistachio imports to go into effect January 1, 2023. But what is Ochratoxin A and what should the pistachio industry know about this? Watch this brief interview with Thomas Jones from the Safe Food Alliance as he explains.  Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Navel Orangeworm Sterile Insect Technique Moving Forward

    Many tree nut growers are aware of the pistachio industry’s investment and government support of sterile insect technique as another tool to suppress navel orangeworm populations in the orchard, but recognize that the research takes time and money. So how far have we come and does the technique still have promise for combatting the tree nut industry’s number one insect pest? Watch this brief video to find out, featuring Ted Sheely, a cotton and pistachio grower who has been following this program long before it was used for navel orangeworm. Read more in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.