California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • A Different Way of Celebrating National Nutrition Month

    March is National Nutrition Month. And while we understand that the purpose is to promote enhanced nutrition and improve diets, for the Grower Shipper Association (GSA) this month is about celebrating our food supply and the farmers and farm workers who grow, nurture and harvest the nation’s fruits and vegetables.

    Farming is hard. There are many challenges. But farmers will tell you it is a rewarding profession and they love what they do. Farmers will also acknowledge that it takes many hands. It requires collaboration among farm workers, foreman, irrigators, pest control advisors, food safety experts, among others.

    At GSA, we see our role as providing crucial support and finding solutions on a broader basis to benefit our farmers and farming companies to make their jobs a little easier. Our work with ag employers throughout the pandemic to access masks, rapid tests, quarantined housing for their employees as well as help vaccinate 90% of the farm workers in our region is one example.

    GSA efforts to battle the pest/disease complex commonly referred to as INSV, which causes stunting, wilting and eventual death for leafy greens, is another solution-driving initiative. We created a task force to examine treatment strategies and develop treatment efficacy trials. Lettuce fields are infected by INSV via thrips migrating in from infected host plants in the early spring, which is why GSA is also working with local agencies and communities on weed suppression strategies. Our association remains committed to securing additional funding and resources as well to aid our search for solutions.

    As we navigate uncertainties in our current world, the hard work of farmers and farm workers has provided a sustained and consistent supply of fruits and vegetables to consumers. We have watched with significant pride how our region’s farming community has risen to unforeseen challenges because they understand the importance of what they do.

    So while many will mark National Nutrition Month in more traditional ways, GSA takes a different approach which is to reflect on how lucky we are to have such dedicated farmers and farm workers growing our food. We celebrate you and thank you for every meal.

  • New Report Finds Over 35,000 Local Jobs Rely on Westlands Water District Ag Production

    A new analysis highlights the significant, positive economic impact that agricultural production within the Westlands Water District has on the State of California and the country as a whole. The Economic Impact of Westlands Water District (Study), conducted by Michael A. Shires, Ph.D., outlines the far-reaching consequences of inadequate and unreliable water supplies on economies and communities.

    The Study analyzes the economic impacts of the agricultural activities occurring within Westlands Water District. The Study also investigates how challenges such as water supply restrictions, climate change, inflation, supply chain disruption, and the COVID-19 pandemic can seriously threaten the quantity and quality of food available to the people of this nation. Taken together, these challenges underscore the important role that California’s agricultural production plays in national security and why protecting America’s domestic food production is essential.

    According to the Study, on an annual basis, agricultural production within Westlands Water District is responsible for generating over $4.7 billion in economic activity and supporting over 35,000 jobs across the regional economy. These jobs produce the wages, tax revenue, and consumer spending that drive economic activity throughout the state.

    “The farms within Westlands Water District are significant suppliers of fresh produce and other agricultural products both to the nation and the world. Activities in Westlands directly and indirectly employ and support tens of thousands of households and creates billions of dollars of economic value,” said Dr. Shires. “While there are a range of complex, modern policy and economic crises that may influence the level of that production, there is no real domestic alternative for production of these critical agricultural products.”

    The farms in Westlands and the associated share of the country’s food supply, are at risk. “While farms in Westlands continue to produce billions in economic activity, support communities in the San Joaquin Valley, and employ thousands of farmworkers and growers, we recognize that this production – and the livelihoods of those behind it – is highly dependent on water availability,” said Tom Birmingham, General Manager of the Westlands Water District.

    When farmers do not have adequate water supplies, they are forced to make difficult decisions. They fallow otherwise highly productive land, and, in some instances, abandon planted acres because they lack water to continue irrigating their fields. Those decisions have widespread impacts. The Study found a “striking” correlation between “poverty levels in [Fresno and Kings] counties…with the shortfalls in water deliveries from the [Central Valley Project] to the Westlands Water District.” Poverty rates in these two counties are directly related to the water supply available to farmers in the District – when the District receives little to no water, more people in those counties suffer from poverty, and when the District receives a higher water allocation, the counties’ economic stability improves.

    Further, with no domestic alternative for the agricultural contributions of the region, the economic impacts and negative implications of an inadequate water supply extend well beyond the local community. “At a time where instability around the globe has had significant impacts on the entire continent’s access to core crops like wheat, corn, and sunflower oil – on top of rising inflation and fuel costs – protecting the Nation’s domestic agricultural production capacity is fundamental to the security of the United States,” said Tom Birmingham.

    “The bottom line is that much of the food in your pantry, refrigerator, and on your dinner table continues to be available because farms in California continue to provide some 80 percent of the nation’s supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. If this domestic production is curtailed, it will make the nation dependent on foreign sources which are, in turn, much more subject to supply chain, transportation, and quality problems,” Dr. Shires said. “If water supplies continue to be uncertain and volatile, there will be irreparable harm to already disadvantaged communities in the region and the acreage available to continue growing this produce will be significantly constrained.”

    To read the entire report, visit: wwd.ca.gov/news-and-reports/economic-impact/

    About Westlands Water District

    Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the westside of Fresno and Kings counties for more than six decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.

  • American Farmland Trust New Farms for a New Generation Director

    American Farmland Trust New York Regional Director Erica Goodman has been named director of the Farms for a New Generation program, where she will play a critical role to usher in a diverse new generation of farmers and ranchers to access land and help to transform agriculture.

    “One of AFT’s priorities is to make sure that farm and ranchland can transition smoothly within families as well as to farmers and ranchers who won’t inherit land,” said Beth Sauerhaft, AFT Vice President of Programs. “With Erica’s vast experience and passion, we are confident that AFT will stay at the forefront of farmer land transition for generations to come.”

    Goodman has served in the roles of AFT New York Deputy Director and then New York Regional Director since December 2017, where she has worked on issues that spanned AFT’s mission, including transition of land as senior farmers retire. As New York Deputy Director, she coordinated the launch of Farmland for a New Generation New York, a partnership between AFT, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and 34 organizations across the state, which helps connect farmers seeking land and landowners looking to stay in farming through centralized resources, trainings and one-one-one support. The program, which evolved from the successful Hudson Valley Farmlink Network, is now considered the top publicly-funded farmlink program in the country with nearly 100 matches across more than 4,000 acres made since 2018.

    “I am humbled and inspired by the work that AFT is leading, along with our partners and the farmers and farmland owners we work with, to ensure that a diverse new generation of farmers and ranchers can enter farming or expand their operations,” said Goodman. “In my own family, I have seen successful farmland and business transition but also witnessed firsthand what happens when the next generation is not poised to take over. At the same time, new and beginning farmers are eager to farm yet face challenges in finding suitable land at prices they can afford. There is tremendous need to bring these forces together as the successful and equitable transition of farmland is critical to supporting a resilient food supply chain and addressing climate change. I look forward to working with my colleagues at AFT and our partners across the country to build opportunities out of these challenges.”

    Goodman transitions into the role by succeeding Julia Freedgood, who after many years of serving in the same role will write a book on policy and planning tools for resilient food systems. Freedgood will continue to advise AFT on several projects, including Farms for a New Generation.

    Farms for a New Generation works across the country to ensure farmers and ranchers have the resources and training to gain access to land, steward it well and succeed in agriculture. Backed by novel research and facilitated through collaboration, AFT is building the knowledge and skills necessary to support farmers and landowners using adaptable approaches to facilitate successful and innovative land transfers.

    “I am excited to lead AFT’s efforts to ensure farming and ranching addresses inequities in land access and remains part of our national fabric for generations to come,” said Goodman.

    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 6.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.

  • Deadline Extended to Apply for Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Funding

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadlines to apply for the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity after requests from many stakeholders.
     
    “There has been a high level of interest in the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity, and we want to ensure that a diverse applicant pool is able to apply,” said Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie. “USDA is extending the deadline for the funding opportunity to provide more time for these applications.”

    The new deadlines to apply via Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. ET:

    • First Funding Pool – May 6, 2022 
      Proposals from $5 million to $100 million
    • Second Funding Pool – June 10, 2022
      Proposals from $250,000 to $4,999,999

    The Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity will finance pilot projects that create market opportunities for U.S. agricultural and forestry products that use climate-smart production practices and include innovative, cost-effective ways to measure and verify greenhouse gas benefits. USDA began accepting project applications for fiscal year 2022 on Feb. 7, 2022, and since then, Department officials have heard from many stakeholders that an extension would allow them to prepare more robust applications to further development of climate-smart markets for a diverse range of producers.
     
    Funding will be provided to partners through the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation for pilot projects to provide incentives to producers and landowners to:

    • Implement climate-smart production practices, activities, and systems on working lands,
    • Measure/quantify, monitor, and verify the carbon and greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits associated with those practices, and
    • Develop markets and promote the resulting climate-smart commodities.

    How to Apply

    A range of public and private entities may apply, including:

    • County, city or township governments
    • Special district governments
    • State governments
    • Small businesses
    • For profit organizations other than small businesses
    • Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
    • Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
    • Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) (other than institutions of higher education)
    • Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) (other than institutions of higher education)
    • Private institutions of higher education, or
    • Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education.

    In response to questions received from potential applicants, USDA has also provided additional clarity regarding requirements in the funding opportunity, including:

    • The definition of “domestic applicant;”
    • Producers’ eligibility as beneficiaries of the funding; and
    • Quantification requirements.

    Frequently asked questions are also available on the website to help answer questions.

    USDA is committed to equity in program delivery and is specifically seeking proposals from entities serving all types of producers, including small or historically underserved producers. Providing sufficient incentives to encourage producer participation and generating both verifiable greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration benefits are critical to project success and will be considered in the evaluation criteria.

    More Information

    USDA published a Request for Information in September 2021 seeking public comment and input on design of this new initiative and used the nearly 400 comments received to inform this funding opportunity.  The funding opportunity has received praise from across multiple industries for its support to create innovative and cost-effective markets.

    Visit usda.gov for additional information, including details on Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and resources to support your application.

  • USDA in California Invests in Infrastructure to Protect Watersheds

    President Joe Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that USDA is investing more than $166.5 million in 108 infrastructure projects as part of implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is working with local communities in 23 states and territories to invest in new dam and flood prevention projects and in repairs on existing watershed infrastructure, which are all part of USDA’s broader national infrastructure investment.

    Through this first round of projects under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, NRCS prioritized projects in communities heavily impacted by natural disasters as well as historically underserved and limited resource communities.

    The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed in November by President Biden, provided $918 million for NRCS watershed programs, which includes the Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program, Watershed Rehabilitation Program (REHAB) and Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program. Through NRCS watershed programs, NRCS works with local, eligible sponsors including state government agencies, local municipalities, conservation districts and federally recognized tribal organizations.

    In California, the IIJA is being used to fund EWP projects to prevent potential debris flow damage in post fire burn scars and is funding two watershed planning efforts for the Middle San Luis Rey and Ventura River watersheds along Southern California’s coast.

    “The Biden Administration is committed to building back better, and this starts with our infrastructure,” Vilsack said. “Protecting our watersheds and saving lives is paramount. These investments in our watershed programs will provide much needed support for communities to build resilience in the face of climate change. We can extend financial assistance to underserved communities that live in constant fear of flooding, help with the effects of severe weather events, and put systems in place that will ensure a climate resilient future to help communities thrive in the years to come.”

    A full list of projects is available on NRCS’ Landscape Planning and Watershed Programs webpage.

    Implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

    Since the bill was signed into law, NRCS has hosted training webinars focused on educating potential sponsors and historically underserved communities about the funding opportunities provided by the new legislation. NRCS conducted an assessment of current needs for watershed protection and flood prevention work. This assessment supported the establishment of priorities that focused funding on the most critical and highest priority projects for improving the Nation’s land and water resources.

    In California, NRCS encourages local sponsors to submit requests for funding through NRCS California State Conservation Engineer, Greg Norris at (530) 792-5609, or greg.norris@usda.gov. NRCS will compile any additional requests received and develop a second list of projects as funds are available. For more information on NRCS Watershed Programs, visit nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/programs/landscape/.

    More Information

    Since their enactment in 1948, NRCS’ watershed programs have designed and built 11,000 dams, constructed water storage structures, flood management systems, bank stabilization, moved towns, redirected stream flows, re-established wildlife habitat and more to save lives and protect watersheds.

  • Congress Blocks Industry Input on Cattle Contract Library Pilot Program

    The North American Meat Institute (Meat Institute) said the Fiscal Year 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill creates a Cattle Contract Library pilot program requiring beef packers to report private business information to the government that will then be published, but blocks public comment on the Biden Administration’s proposed rules for the program.

    “Congress and the Administration say they value transparency in the beef and cattle market yet they burry this rider without debate in a giant spending bill and direct USDA to create the pilot program without any feedback from beef companies or cattle producers,” said Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts. “There will be no opportunity for companies to provide valuable perspective on what information should be included or how it should be reported.”

    Under the pilot, Meat Institute members who purchase beef cattle with an Alternative Marketing Arrangement will be legally obligated to report proprietary and sensitive data to the government for publication.

    The law is vague and provides no guardrails for the type or amount of data and leaves program development up to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Marketing Service. (AMS)

    Finally, the law contains a provision that allows AMS to promulgate the rules without a comment period as normally required by law.

    “The Congress directs the Administration to create another onerous USDA program with the sole purpose of collecting private business information and making it public without any input from the regulated industry,” said Potts. “This is not transparent or responsible.”

    Background on Transparency in Beef and Cattle Markets

    There is robust price discovery in the cattle and beef markets. Congress established and USDA administers the Livestock Mandatory Reporting Act (LMR) program to facilitate open, transparent price discovery and provide all market participants, both large and small, with comparable levels of market information for slaughter cattle and beef, as well as other species.

    Under LMR, packers must report to AMS daily the prices they pay to procure cattle, and other information, including slaughter data for cattle harvested during a specified time period and with net prices, actual weights, dressing percentages, percent of beef grading Choice, and price ranges, and then AMS publishes the anonymized data.

    AMS publishes 24 daily and 20 weekly cattle reports each week. Weekly reports start Monday afternoon and end the next Monday morning. These reports cover time periods, regions, and activities and the data include actual cattle prices.

    Further, packers report all original sale beef transactions in both volume and price through the Daily Boxed Beef Report. This data is reported twice daily, at 11:00 a.m. and at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. The morning report covers market activity since 1:30 p.m. of the prior business day until 9:30 a.m. of the business day. The afternoon report is cumulative, including all market activity in the morning plus all additional transactions between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and is on the USDA DataMart website. The boxed beef report covers both individual beef item sales and beef cutout values and current volumes, both of which are derived from the individual beef item sales data.

    About North American Meat Institute

    The Meat Institute is the United States’ oldest and largest trade association representing packers and processors of beef, pork, lamb, veal, turkey, and processed meat products. NAMI members include over 350 meat packing and processing companies, the majority of which have fewer than 100 employees, and account for over 95 percent of the United States’ output of meat and 70 percent of turkey production.

  • Additional International Ag Trade Missions for 2022

    As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s commitment to expanding and diversifying global market opportunities for U.S. agriculture, the Department will sponsor four additional international trade missions in 2022, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today at the Commodity Classic in New Orleans.

    Vilsack recently returned from the United Arab Emirates, where he led USDA’s first overseas trade mission since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. He was joined by representatives from more than 40 U.S. businesses, farm organizations, and state departments of agriculture, who connected with potential customers from across the Middle East and North Africa. Those connections resulted in more than $7.6 million in projected 12-month sales to date.

    “Each year, the Foreign Agricultural Service’s international team of marketing and trade experts pinpoint new and growing global markets that offer the top-notch prospects for U.S. exporters,” Vilsack said. “Then, during our trade missions, we help those exporters – of everything from gourmet food products, to biofuels, to fresh produce, to livestock genetics – connect with prospective customers and establish or expand their international footprint. And the results speak for themselves.”

    While final dates are subject to confirmation, the remaining trade missions scheduled for 2022 are:

    • London, United Kingdom: June 20-23
    • Manila, Philippines: July 18-21
    • Nairobi, Kenya (including buyers from across East Africa): Oct. 31-Nov. 3
    • Madrid, Spain (including buyers from Portugal): Nov. 29-Dec. 3

    “The events of the last few years have certainly underscored the importance of diversifying our agricultural export markets. While we remain committed to our established customer base around the world, we are also looking around the corner to where new growth opportunities lie – in places like Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, where rising incomes and expanding middle classes are creating new demand for high-quality, American-made food and farm products,” Vilsack said.

    U.S. agricultural exports reached an all-time high in 2021, topping $177 billion. There were 28 markets, in every corner of the globe, where those exports exceeded $1 billion, demonstrating the broad global appeal of U.S. products.

    Additional information about USDA trade missions can be found at https://www.fas.usda.gov/topics/trade-missions. To receive email updates, go to https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/usdafas/subscriber/new, enter your contact information, and select the “Trade Missions” topic.

  • FDA Will Not Conduct Broad Sampling of Salinas Valley Leafy Greens in 2022

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will not conduct broad sampling of leafy greens grown in the Salinas Valley region of California for the 2022 growing season.

    The decision was made based on data from Western Growers, the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture inspection activities.

    The FDA encouraged the organizations to continue to work with the agency to enhance the sharing of industry information on pre-harvest and post-harvest testing as all parties aim to assure the safety of leafy greens.

    “Western Growers is committed to developing and deploying data collection and analytic digital tools to further enhance the sharing of industry information,” said De Ann Davis, WG’s Senior Vice President of Science. “We think this is an encouraging development for our members as we strive to grow the safest produce possible.”

    The FDA notes they are considering risk-based surveillance sampling based on historical data and information from previous outbreaks of foodborne illness and reserves the right to reassess this approach if unforeseen events occur.

  • Higher Commercial Insurance Coverage Limits Approved Under CA FAIR Plan

    Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara approved increases in the limits of coverage to the California FAIR Plan Association’s (FAIR Plan) commercial programs that are offered to businesses, no later than May 1, 2022. This action by Commissioner Lara allows those businesses unable to secure insurance coverage in the normal insurance market with access to insurance they need to operate and continue the state’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in high wildfire risk areas.

    “Businesses have been struggling. These increases in the limits of coverage will help youth camps reopen and businesses of all kinds keep serving their customers,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “The FAIR Plan has not kept pace with rising costs for more than two decades, which my action addresses for the first time. Offering expanded coverage to businesses will help as our state continues its economic recovery from the pandemic.”

    The increases approved today by Commissioner Lara expand the combined coverage limits for the FAIR Plan, under its Division I Commercial Property Program, from $4.5 million to $8.4 million, and, under its Division II Businessowners Program, from $3.6 million to $7.2 million.

    Over the past two years, Commissioner Lara and Department of Insurance representatives have met with many businesses and non-profit entities across the state regarding their commercial insurance availability challenges.

    “Commissioner Lara’s swift action will ensure that camps and non-profit youth serving organizations can keep their doors open and offer a safe and enriching experience for children and young adults,” said Gabe Valencia, Chair of the California Collaboration for Youth, which represents California’s recreational and youth camps. “We commend Commissioner Lara for continuing to hold the FAIR Plan and insurance companies accountable. Being assured of coverage at more reasonable rates will allow us to get back to what we do best: helping children make lifelong memories at camp.”

    Groups such as farms, ranchers, agricultural operators and processors, wineries and vintners, residential care facilities, affordable housing entities, homeowners associations, and recreational/summer camps, among others, have informed Commissioner Lara about the continued lack of availability of commercial property insurance coverage in the traditional insurance market. Many of these businesses also noted that the FAIR Plan’s current commercial property coverage and business owners’ coverage limits have been insufficient to meet their coverage needs today.

    “We thank Commissioner Lara for compelling the FAIR Plan to increase its coverage limits, which will help be a lifeline to farm owners and agricultural processing facilities in fire-prone areas that have lost coverage through the insurance market,” said Roger Isom, President and CEO of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association and Western Agricultural Processors Association. “Our growers will be able to expand their coverage and in turn continue to grow an essential sector of the state’s economy.”

    Today’s action is a direct result of Commissioner Lara previously ordering the FAIR Plan to increase its own coverage limits. The Plan failed to meet the Commissioner’s deadline for a response describing how it would increase its commercial property coverage limits in response to his Order. These coverage limits have not been raised since at least 1997 and 1994 respectively, despite the Consumer Price Index showing costs have nearly doubled during that time in California.

    “This is a long-overdue step to help business owners in our state. We will continue to listen to the concerns of business owners and ensure the FAIR Plan truly takes all comers and meets consumers’ evolving needs,” concluded Commissioner Lara.

  • California Final Grape Crush Report Reveals Higher Tonnage

    The 2021 crush totaled 3,877,584 tons, up 9.2% from the 2020 crush of 3,551,312 tons — revealing that the preliminary report was off by about 18,743 tons. Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 2,031,242 tons, up 11.5% from 2020. White wine varieties crushed totaled 1,600,508 tons, up 0.6% from 2020. Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 137,976, up 225% from 2020, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 107,858, up 13.2% from 2020.

    The Grape Crush Report includes the total number of tons crushed for concentrate production. In determining grape tonnage crushed for concentrate production, each processor was required to report the estimated equivalent tons of grapes crushed for grape concentrate. For the 2021 season, this total was 254,381 tons, 6.6% of the 2021 grape crush total. This report provides only the aggregate figure for grapes crushed for concentrate production and does not include information by district, type, or variety.

    The 2021 average price of all varieties was $860.57, up 26.6% from 2020. Average prices for the 2021 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $1,071.69, up 34.5% from 2020; white wine grapes, $674.98, up 20.8% from 2020; raisin grapes, $291.41, up 16.3% from 2020; and table grapes, $182.92, up 14.5% from 2020.

    Leading Grape Varieties & Districts

    In 2021, Chardonnay continued to account for the largest percentage of the total tonnage crushed at 16.0%. Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for the second largest percentage of the total crush at 15.3%. Raisin grape varieties crushed for wine accounted for 3.6% of the total crush and table varieties crushed for wine were 2.8% of the total crush.

    District 13 (Madera, Fresno, Alpine, Mono, Inyo Counties; and Kings and Tulare Counties north of Nevada Avenue (Avenue 192)), had the largest share of the State’s crush at 1,193,041 tons. The average price per ton in District 13 was $336.86.

    Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price at $6,102.18 per ton, up 32.7% from 2020. District 3 (Sonoma and Marin counties) received the second highest average price at $2,681.50 per ton, up 11.1% from 2020.

    The 2021 Chardonnay average price of $975.38 was up 17.6% from 2020 and the Cabernet Sauvignon average price of $1,662.07 was up 34.5% from 2020. The 2021 average price for French Colombard was $324.60, up 13.0% from 2020, while the Zinfandel average price was up 23.3% from 2020, at $645.47 per ton. For a detailed analysis of the Crush Report, read the March issue of American Vineyard Magazine.