California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • CCQA Publishes Animal Care Reference Manual

    The Calf Care & Quality Assurance (CCQA) program today published the first volume of its Animal Care Reference Manual. This manual assists farmers and ranchers who raise different breeds of male and female calves intended for dairy and/or beef production systems, encouraging calf raisers to approach management decisions with thoughtfulness and an appreciation for the responsibility they have to their animals, consumers and the broader cattle industries in the U.S.

    “The Animal Care Reference Manual is a fantastic resource which highlights best management practices and recognizes the good work that calf raisers implement across the country,” said Beverly Hampton Phifer, Stakeholder Relations Manager for the FARM Program. “This inaugural CCQA resource deliverable was designed to help calf raisers continually improve animal care outcomes on the farm while providing assurances for the supply chain.”

    In addition to the manual, the CCQA program also offers resources specific to the needs of calf raisers such as protocol templates and animal observation scoring reference guides. Online and in-person opportunities for individuals looking to be CCQA-certified, as well as a facility self-assessment, will be available later this fall.

    The CCQA program is jointly led by the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program, managed by the National Milk Producer’s Federation (NMPF) and NCBA’s Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, funded by The Beef Checkoff. Support is also provided by the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association, and The Beef Checkoff-funded Veal Quality Assurance (VQA) program.

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce the majority of U.S. milk, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies.

    Created by the National Milk Producers Federation in partnership with Dairy Management Inc, the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) works with all U.S. dairy farmers, co-ops and processors, to demonstrate to dairy customers and consumers that the dairy industry is taking the very best care of cows and the environment, producing safe, wholesome milk and adhering to the highest standards of workforce development.

  • European Commission Delays Certificate Regulation, Protecting U.S. Dairy Exports and Global Infant Nutrition Supply Chains

    After months of advocacy by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) with U.S. and European officials, the European Commission (EC) decided yesterday to extend the implementation deadline for its new health certificate requirements to Jan. 15, 2022, backing off threats to shut down U.S. dairy exports to EU member states as well as transshipments of U.S. dairy products through the European Union. IDFA and U.S. officials considered the certificate requirements—requiring animal health monitoring and veterinarian sign-off, among other requirements—to be burdensome and in conflict with international standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). U.S. dairy exports to Europe are used to manufacture an estimated $600-900 million in global infant and adult nutrition products. The EC’s extension provides enough time for U.S. and European officials to complete their discussions and determine appropriate implementation procedures for U.S. exports.

    “America’s dairy industry should not be collateral damage for trade disputes. While this stage of IDFA’s advocacy has reached a successful conclusion, we remain deeply concerned by the variety of ongoing trade barriers erected by the European Commission,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “We are grateful for the support and intervention of the Biden Administration to resolve this matter and hope the U.S. government will continue working with IDFA to help U.S. dairy gain access to the EU market.”

    “We appreciate the U.S. government’s responsiveness to the concerns of the global dairy and infant formula industries, and for the European Commission’s acknowledgement of the need to delay implementation,” said Becky Rasdall, IDFA vice president for trade policy and international affairs. “This extension helps avoid needless catastrophic impacts to global nutrition supply chains and dairy-related jobs in Europe and the U.S. by granting officials enough time to provide guidance to those companies that simply want to know how to comply. It was the right thing to do.”

    IDFA has been working judiciously with U.S. officials to ensure U.S. dairy exports to the EU would continue uninterrupted. IDFA requested the extension and sought the U.S. government’s support to implement the requirements as written if an extension was not granted. Even with the extension, IDFA’s members need greater clarity from both governments about certain details of the implementation plan. IDFA will continue working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to make sure those questions are resolved. Additionally, IDFA has been in contact with European dairy associations such as Eucolait, which share IDFA’s view on the disruptive nature of the EC requirements.

    IDFA member companies make and supply medically important specialized nutritional products for infants and adults that are made exclusively for European companies or shipped through EU member states. The EC import requirements on U.S. goods included onerous animal health attestations that applied to all products shipped to the EU and through its territory, including dairy shipments destined for U.S. military bases in Europe and any products shipped to other countries for further processing before being exported back to the EU.

  • Family Farmer Emergency Fund Provides Drought & Pandemic Relief

    With many small farms still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, and deepening impacts felt from the drought, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) is relaunching its California Family Farmer Emergency Fund for farmers in crisis.

    The current drought is sending shock waves through California’s food system; as wells go dry, reservoirs sit empty, and the state begins shutting off access to water, thousands of farmers have begun fallowing their fields. And after more than a year of pandemic-induced market disruptions, from which many small businesses have yet to fully recover, the onset of yet another disaster has small farms questioning their future.

    “It’s not just tractors that run the risk of breaking down; many of our farms are on the brink,” said Paul Towers, Executive Director of CAFF. “The pandemic was challenging enough. With the addition of drought and the prospect of wildfires, family farmers are wondering if they’ll make it to next season. Emergency fund efforts can make the difference between whether they stay in business or not, and that impacts all of us.”

    According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, California is already losing four farms per day on average. And despite record-high subsidies for agriculture–driven in large part by efforts to make up for recent trade wars and pandemic relief–a report by the Environmental Working Group shows that over the past few decades, the biggest 20% of farm subsidy recipients claimed over 90% of federal aid and the top 1% claimed more than a quarter. “This support,” says Towers, “is not finding its way to the folks showing up at your local farmers market.”

    To make up for this disparity, CAFF’s fund will focus on smaller operations and those not served by existing assistance efforts, with at least 50% of the funds granted to farmers of color, immigrant and undocumented farmers.

    “These funds provide temporary relief,” said Cheyenne Stone of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe and CAFF’s Policy Committee Co-Chair. “State and federal policymakers need to advance bolder policies to address the threats of climate change and invest in farm, water and fire resilience, starting with those historically underserved farmers,”

    The twin funds — for pandemic and drought relief — are part of the larger California Family Farmer Emergency Fund, which may release a third category to provide wildfire relief to farmers in the coming weeks, as it has done in previous years. In 2020, the California Family Farmer Emergency Fund provided over $650,000 in total grants to 207 farmers, farmworkers and their families impacted by the pandemic or fire.

    Diverse advisory committees are reviewing the applications on a rolling basis to get resources to the most vulnerable farmers and their families. The fund is housed at the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, and all grants, which will be $5,000, will be made through CAFF. Applications are due by August 31st, with potential additional rounds pending fundraising.

    More information about the fund is available here: https://www.caff.org/cafamilyfarmeremergencyfund/

  • National Ag, Water Coalition Applauds Senate Passage of Infrastructure Bill

    With nearly two-thirds of the West experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions, and more than 90 active wildfires burning across the U.S., a national coalition representing thousands of Western farmers, ranchers, water providers, businesses and communities underscored the significance of Senate passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act today and urged the House to mirror the water provisions in its own infrastructure package.

    “The Western water provisions included in this package represent a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in a reliable and sustainable water supply that supports our farms, businesses and rural and urban communities. We applaud the bipartisan approach taken by our Senate champions in moving this solution forward at a time of unprecedented drought in the West,” Family Farm Alliance Executive Director Dan Keppen said.

    To address critical Western water supply needs, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes more than $8 billion to repair aging dams and canals; build new surface and groundwater storage and conveyance facilities; fund water conservation and recycling projects; and enhance watershed management and improve ecosystems.

    “With drought conditions continuing to worsen throughout the West, now is the time to invest and make timely improvements in our nation’s water management portfolio. The diverse investments in Western water infrastructure and our national forestlands included in this package will assist farmers, ranchers, water providers and rural communities impacted by wildfires, water shortages and a changing hydrology,” California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson said.

    Importantly, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aligns with the solutions water managers across the West have requested for years and provides a balanced package of tools that local and regional managers can select from to best resolve the water needs and challenges in their local communities.

    “We need to make major investments, including in water recycling, ecosystem restoration, desalination and storage projects to modernize and upgrade our water infrastructure to ensure local, safe, reliable, high quality water now and in future years. This bipartisan legislation accomplishes that,” Association of California Water Agencies Executive Director Dave Eggerton said.

    Changing Western hydrological conditions and expanding populations require immediate federal investments in repairing aging water infrastructure and developing new sources of water supply. The infrastructure package also represents a historic opportunity to aid in the nation’s economic recovery. Both workers and the economy will benefit from the increased demand for equipment and materials these water projects will require from American companies.

    “With this vote, the Senate has made a historic investment in water infrastructure, which will pay dividends for our communities, our economy and our environment, both now and into the future. We thank the Senate for its vote and encourage the House to take up and pass this critical legislation,” National Water Resources Association Executive Vice President Ian Lyle added.

    “We commend the Senate for taking this historic action. Without access to a safe, reliable and affordable water supply, the long-term viability of our family farms and rural communities in the West are in jeopardy, along with more than 80 percent of all U.S. fruit, vegetable and tree nut production. As the current drought has demonstrated, time is running out, which is why we call on the House to act with urgency and pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act without delay,” Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said.

    Other provisions in the Act include:

    • Authorization of $303.5 billion from the Highway Trust Fund for roads and bridges over five years;
    • Creation of a competitive grant program to address the surface transportation infrastructure of rural communities;
    • Codification of the One Federal Decision policy, which establishes a two-year goal for completion of environmental reviews for infrastructure projects;
    • Authorization of the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) initiative, which was previously created under the Trump administration. The ROUTES initiative seeks to support the transportation needs of rural communities; and
    • Authorization of $42.5 billion to carry out a new grant program administered by the Commerce Department to provide grants to states to expand broadband to unserved and underserved areas and help bridge the digital divide.

    “We applaud the bipartisanship that went into the passage of this bill and urge the U.S. House of Representatives to do the same, and in short order,” said Agricultural Retailers Association President and CEO Daren Coppock  “The need for investment in infrastructure has long been a priority for ARA, and we will continue to work to ensure the needs of ag retailers, their farmer customers, and all of rural America are met.”

    The coalition includes more than 220 organizations from 15 states that collectively represent $120 billion in agricultural production—nearly one-third of all agricultural production in the country—and many of the local and regional public water agencies that supply water to more than 75 million urban, suburban and rural residents.

    About Association of California Water Agencies:

    The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) is a statewide association of public agencies whose more than 450 members are responsible for about 90% of the water delivered in California. For more than a century, our mission has been clear: To provide comprehensive leadership, advocacy and resources for California public water agencies to ensure a high quality and reliable water supply in an environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible manner.

    About California Farm Bureau:

    The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 32,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 5.5 million Farm Bureau members.

    About Family Farm Alliance:

    The Family Farm Alliance is a powerful advocate for family farmers, ranchers, irrigation districts, and allied industries in seventeen Western states. The Alliance is focused on one mission – To ensure the availability of reliable, affordable irrigation water supplies to Western farmers and ranchers.

    About National Water Resources Association:

    National Water Resources Association advocates federal policies, legislation, and regulations promoting protection, management, development, and beneficial use of water resources. The association is dedicated to achieving sustainable water supply for all beneficial uses in an economical and environmentally responsible manner.

    About Western Growers:

    Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide over half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce.

    About Agricultural Retailers Association:

    The Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) is a nonprofit trade association representing the interests of retailers across the United States on legislative and regulatory issues on Capitol Hill. As the political voice of agricultural retailers, ARA not only represents its membership but also educates members on the political process and important issues affecting the industry. For more information on current legislative and regulatory issues impacting agricultural retailers, visit www.aradc.org.

  • Dairy Families Cite Dramatic Drop in Water Usage in Helping State Endure Record Water Shortfall

    Hard hit by the state’s record drought, California’s dairy families launched a public information campaign designed to highlight their continued investments in technology and innovation to dramatically reduce water use.

    The campaign includes a multi-media effort with statewide radio and digital advertising, public relations effort and partnerships on public radio stations.

    Led by the California Cattle Council, the campaign highlights the leadership of California dairy farmers in reducing water use by 25 percent this year, according to data from the California Dairy Research Foundation. That’s in addition to cutting water use by half since 2000.

    Over the past 50 years, the amount of water used per unit of milk produced has decreased more than 88 percent, primarily due to improved feed crop production and water-use efficiency, reports the Foundation.

    “With our state facing a record drought, California’s dairy families are meeting the challenge of getting the most out of every drop of water,” says Cody Nicholson-Stratton, California Cattle Council Vice Chair and co-owner of Foggy Bottoms Boys dairy farm in Humboldt County. “We’re using recycled water to ensure sustainability, irrigating our farmland more efficiently, and using natural crop byproducts that require no water at all to feed our animals.”

    Nicholson-Stratton says the campaign also stresses that California dairy farming families are leading the world in environmental sustainability.

    Since 2013 California’s dairy farmers have led the world in reducing methane emissions. These voluntary efforts further California’s objective to reduce methane emissions from manure by 40% by 2030. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions per each unit of milk produced also has decreased more than 45 percent, due to increased milk production efficiency, including advancements in genetics, efficiency, nutrition, comfort, and adaption of best management practices he says.

    In addition, a recent report by the Foundation noted that land use required to produce a gallon of milk has been reduced by 89 percent.

    “Our contributions to California’s climate goals are unrivaled throughout the world – as California offers the unique environment where dairy cows can help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Nicholson-Stratton.

    For more information, visit www.greencowca.com.

  • Napa Valley ADAMVS Winery Welcomes Alberto Bianchi as Winemaker

    Denise Adams, co-owner of ADAMVS, a profound and geologically diverse Estate vineyard resting atop the legendary Howell Mountain, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Alberto Bianchi as Winemaker.  The Adams are also proprietor/vintners of Château Fonplégade, a Grand Cru Classé Château and vineyard in St. Émilion, Bordeaux.

    Bianchi was selected by ADAMVS owners, Denise and Stephen Adams, following an extensive, months-long search for a winemaker who would not only steward ADAMVS wines in the cellar, but rear them from the moment of their inception in the vineyard, working closely alongside Consulting Winemaker, Philippe Melka.

    “During our extensive recruitment process for a new winemaker, we knew this special individual would have to share our passion for purity, balance, and a near-obsessive approach to careful and responsible farming,” said Denise Adams. “We knew he or she would have to speak our language; one of total commitment to wines of integrity, place, purpose and emotion. Alberto Bianchi was a perfect match for our philosophy and vision.”

    Raised in Milan, Italy, Bianchi’s passion for the vine and wine began at the age of seven, while helping his grandfather craft Barbera wine in his cellar, wine that the family enjoyed throughout the year.  It is not just the act of winemaking that has always been of interest to Bianchi, it’s also the “romantic and heroic” nature of viticulture in extreme sites that has ignited the passion and commitment to wine that drives him today.  He believes that the vineyard is the heartbeat of a winery.

    “I’m greatly honored to join the ADAMVS team.  The first time I visited the property I felt an instant connection,” said Bianchi. “Wine is a synonym for culture: it is the pure expression of the land, the soil, the climate and the people.  It’s with great pleasure that I start this amazing journey on Howell Mountain.”

    Bianchi holds a bachelor’s degree in Winemaking and Viticulture from the University of Milan and a double master’s degree in Winemaking and Viticulture from the University of Turin and the University of Lisbon.  After completing his studies, Bianchi travelled extensively throughout Italy, France, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand, experiencing a variety of cultures and characters and winemaking techniques with the different grape varieties, and honing his craft.

    In 2012, Bianchi was selected for LVMH’s Estates & Wines Early Career Winemakers program, where three up-and-coming winemakers are sent to three countries for three years of intensive training and development.  He began in Argentina, as Assistant Winemaker at Terrazas de los Andes, followed by a year at Newton Vineyard on Spring Mountain, Napa, before his final rotation at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand, where winemaker, Tim Heath, became a mentor. “He taught me the importance of being respectful of the wine you have in front of you,” Bianchi said.

    Upon completion of this three-year program, Bianchi returned to Newton in 2016 as Head of Winemaking.  Today, Bianchi possesses the same boyish wonder that he felt as a child assisting his grandparents in Italy.  His quest is to translate the beauty, nature and elements of ADAMVS’ profound and geologically diverse site into elegant wines that will evolve through time.

    ADAMVS offers private tastings and experiences by advance appointment to allocation list members.  For more information, and to join the waitlist, please visit www.adamvs.com or (707) 965-0555.

  • Lodi Winegrape Commission Welcomes New Officers And Members of Board of Directors

    The new 2021-2022 board of directors took office during the July meeting of the Lodi Winegrape Commission. Incumbent alternate Jason Eells joins current commissioners Phil Abba, Bruce Fry, Curt Gillespie, Matt Lauchland, Tom Murphy, Diego Olagaray, Aaron Shinn and Brandon Sywassink. Joe Larranaga joins current alternates Dirk Heuvel, Joan Kautz, Jacylyn Stokes, Todd Maley, Colton Machado, Mitch Spaletta, Garret Schaefer and Scott Armolea.

    Established in 1991 as the grower-centric force behind the Lodi American Viticultural Area (AVA), the Lodi Winegrape Commission represents 750 winegrowers farming more than 100,000 acres of winegrapes. Over the years, the Commission has provided abundant support for the region through marketing, education, research, and sustainable winegrowing programs, cementing Lodi’s leadership in viticulture and elevating its reputation as a premium winegrowing region. The year 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the California-based organization. Comprised of nine commissioners and nine alternates, the board of directors provides direction and input on behalf of the region’s winegrowing community.

    At the July meeting, Shinn was elected chair, Olagaray vice chair, Gillespie secretary, and Sywassink treasurer. Shinn is the co-owner of Round Valley Ranches, Inc. – a Lodi-based, full-service vineyard management company – and a graduate of California State University, Fresno, with a bachelor of science in agriculture business. Shinn has served on the board of directors of the Commission since 2015 and previously served as vice chair (2020-2021). He also serves on the California Winegrape Inspection Advisory Board and is the current chair of the LODI RULES Committee of the Commission.

    “Serving on the board of directors of the Lodi Winegrape Commission for the past six years has been a pleasure,” says Shinn. “I am honored to work alongside such an experienced and committed group on behalf of an entire agricultural community as we continue to move Lodi forward in the areas of recognition, quality, innovation, and sustainability.”

    Moving to commissioner, Eells – a veteran of the United States Navy – is the owner/operator of Arbor Vineyards, Eells Family Farm and Mettler Family Vineyards. Past president of the Lodi District Grape Growers Association (LDGGA) and former member of the board of directors of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau, Eells says, “I am motivated to continue my service on the board of directors to carry on the efforts to promote higher demand for Lodi winegrapes and wine.” In addition to the board of directors, Eells serves on the Winery Marketing Committee of the Commission.

    Joining as an alternate, Larranaga is the owner of Larranaga Vineyard, a 10-acre block of Cabernet Sauvignon, and farm manager with Pacific Agri Lands vineyard management. After completing an associate degree from San Joaquin Delta College, Larranaga completed a bachelor of science in plant science at California State University, Fresno. Says Larranaga, “My goal is to ensure we are representing Lodi winegrowers in the best ways possible. Through service, I’m looking forward to continuing to learn more about our industry.”

    Stuart Spencer, Lodi Winegrape Commission Executive Director

    “We are lucky to have such a qualified and diverse board of directors that have been so active with the Commission as well as our agricultural community,” commented Lodi Winegrape Commission Executive Director Stuart Spencer. “I am looking forward to working with the group to enhance the image and profitability of the region through the Commission’s primary initiatives of promotion, research, and education.”

    Rolling off the board of directors is commissioner Kendra Altnow of LangeTwins Family Winery & Vineyards. Altnow has served on the board of directors non-consecutively for 11 years, most recently as chair (2019-2021). Altnow continues to be active in Commission initiatives and currently serves on the Grower Marketing Committee.

    About the Lodi Winegrape Commission

    Established in 1991, the Lodi Winegrape Commission represents the common interests of Lodi winegrowers with programs in marketing, education, research, and sustainable viticulture.  The Commission collectively and effectively promotes Lodi’s vibrant, multi-generational farming community and California’s most dynamic wine region. Comprised of nine commissioners and nine alternates, the board of directors provides direction and input on behalf of the region’s 750 winegrowers. For more information about the Lodi Winegrape Commission, visit lodigrowers.com.

  • Dryer, Warmer Night Air Is Worsening Some Western Wildfires

    Firefighters have reported that Western wildfires are starting earlier in the morning and dying down later at night, hampering their ability to recover and regroup before the next day’s flareup.

    A new study suggests why: The drying power of nighttime air over much of the Western U.S. has increased dramatically in the past 40 years. The paper was published in Geophysical Research Letters, the American Geophysical Union (AGU)’s journal for high-impact, short-format reports with immediate implications spanning all Earth and space sciences.

    “Nighttime is an important time in fire management. When fires die down at night it gives firefighters a chance to rest, move equipment and strategize. The problem firefighters are reporting is an unexpected increase in nighttime fire activity,” said lead author Andy Chiodi, a University of Washington research scientist at the Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean & Ecosystem Studies, a joint center with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Our findings support that this has been going on over the last 40 years over much, but not all, of the Western U.S.”

    Earth’s atmosphere is warming due to climate change and warming in many places has been greater at night. Warmer night air had been suspected as the culprit altering the daily pattern of wildfire activity, with burns continuing later into the night.

    The new study, however, shows it’s not just that the night air is warmer. The study found a dramatic shift from 1980 to 2019 in its drying power—how much moisture the nighttime air can carry away from the fuels—over much of the Western U.S. This shift is not captured in climate models, and the authors say it could be related to natural long-term cycles rather than to climate change.

    “We paid special attention to the change in recent years compared to the conditions seen in the ’80s and ’90s, which is when many of the current firefighters started their careers, and presumably formed their ideas about what normal fire behavior should look like,” Chiodi said. “We tried to quantify the changes that we were hearing about from firefighters.”

    MOISTURE DEFICIT

    The study looks at the “vapor pressure deficit,” or the difference between the moisture in the air and the saturation moisture level at that air temperature. This difference is a measure of the air’s drying power.

    “In the southern Sierra Nevada, the average summer nighttime vapor pressure deficit for the recent decade was 50% higher than the average in the ’80s and ’90s,” Chiodi said. “I was surprised—it’s unusual to see geophysical data change that dramatically.”

    Some of this shift in vapor pressure deficit is happening because warmer nighttime air, caused by climate change, produces higher saturation values. But part of the drying power is happening because the nighttime air in some regions has less moisture, and that effect is not predicted by climate change models, at least this much or in this pattern. The authors find a possible connection to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a long-term cycle that can influence inland weather.

    The increased drying power of nighttime air is especially pronounced in California’s San Fernando Valley and in the Bitterroot-Blue Mountain Region—including parts of the Idaho Panhandle, southeast Washington, northeast Oregon and western Montana.

    “Firefighters had been saying for several years that they feel some fires burn later into the evening than they used to,” said co-author Brian Potter at the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory. “We found that in some areas, the amount of water in the air is decreasing, sort of doubling up on the warmer nights. These areas, including where the Snake River Complex and Lick Creek fires are burning right now, are much more likely to have fires burn late into the night.”

    The analysis used hourly weather outputs from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. The recently released hourly reconstructions of historical weather allowed investigation of daily cycles.

    The next step, Chiodi said, is to further explore the causes of these changes in nighttime vapor pressure deficit. After that, he hopes to connect the atmospheric conditions more directly to fuel moisture and fire behavior.

    The other co-author is Narasimhan ‘Sim’ Larkin at the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory in Seattle. The research was funded by the U.S. Forest Service through its AirFire research team and by NOAA (grants: 100007298, NA15OAR4320063). — By the University of Washington & the American Geophysical Union

  • Why Mix Varieties of Wheat in a Field?

    You’ve probably heard of the value of diversification in your financial portfolio. Having more than one type of financial investment reduces risk of losing all your money. My research involves lowering risks for farmers who grow wheat in a sustainable practice of crop mixtures.

    A typical wheat field is one variety, a monoculture production. This tends to be common because it is the most efficient method. However, this type of specialization often requires additional inputs, fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals, to maintain the high yields that is expected of modern agriculture. This, in turn, can cause a cycle of reliance on these chemical inputs.

    Various head diseases are shown among the different varieties of wheat in the study. Credit: Julie Baniszewski

    Consider a wheat field with a severe pest infestation, such as aphids or cereal leaf beetle. Once these pests arrive in susceptible wheat field, chemicals may be required to control the pest before it damages the crop. There is risk to hurting beneficial insects like ladybird beetles that might be able to help control the pests naturally. Even ground beetles could be injured. The farmer must control the aphids, as they can kill a lot of the wheat plants – decreasing the food supply and harming the farmer’s profits. But using pesticides also starts to create a loop of continually needing more pesticide application as “good insects” are controlled along with the pests.

    My work involves an alternative solution that reduces risks for farmers and keeps growing a healthy food supply. Our research group is working to create crop mixture systems. Crop mixtures can be intra-specific, containing the same species, or inter-specific, containing different species.

    Aphids, a common pest in wheat, were lightly glued onto cardstock and monitored for 24 hours to quantify predation by native insects. The card on the right shows that four tiny aphids remain; the card the left shows the aphids were consumed by a ladybird beetle. Credit: Julie Baniszewski

    In many cases, interspecific mixtures, also called polycultures, have a different set of challenges in modern agriculture. It’s difficult to use specialized machinery for multiple crops.

    Intraspecific mixtures can be much easier because farmers can manage them as they would a typical monoculture. In the context of a wheat crop, a mixture would consist of two to four varieties of wheat. Each variety would have a different set of traits. One may be high yielding, another resistant to insect pests and yet another resistant to specific diseases. By combining these different sets of traits, the crop is more consistent year to year. The field is more diverse genetically and better able to reduce or withstand pest abundances and diseases – just like diversifying a stock portfolio.

    A wheat field in one year of the researchers’ experiments. Here, different varieties are noticeable because of physical differences – namely color or hue and if the head has awns on it or not. Credit: Julie Baniszewski

    With these wheat mixtures in mind, we created a three-year field experiment to determine if mixtures could:

    • suppress diseases,
    • increase predation of insect pests and
    • increase yield and economic value.

    Each year, we planted a wheat mixture comprised of four varieties. We compared the mixture results to stands with only the single varieties planted separately. We sprayed only half of each plot with chemical pesticides. This was to measure if the mixtures provided an environmental benefit similar to chemical inputs. We quantified insect predation using aphids, diseases, yield, and economic return over variable costs for each of our plots.

    Shown here is the difference of a fungicide application within one variety. The left side of the photo shows the control side of the plot that had no chemical fungicide applied. The slightly darker coloring of the wheat is largely due to disease. The right side of the photo shows the fungicide-sprayed side of the plot. The lighter coloring is healthier wheat, which often also has a few additional days to mature, thereby increasing yield. Credit: Julie Baniszewski

    The yield results were about the same as similar studies, so no surprises there. We found that fields sprayed with fungicides did have higher yields – but only enough to cover the expenses related to fungicide application.

    Some good results: the mixed variety plots had inhibited spread of foliar disease in the field comparable to the fungicide application. Although the wheat mixture was not the highest yielding, nor did it provide the greatest return over variable costs, it did inhibit disease to an extent consistent with a fungicide application – about 20-25%.

    The value of crop mixtures is both a portfolio diversifier and an insurance policy. Although a higher-yielding, single variety wheat field may do well consistently for several years, having the same genetics in the same field has vulnerabilities. In one of those years, there could be a severe pest or disease outbreak, or a severe drought or climate event that that one variety is vulnerable to.

    By using crop mixtures, we increase the genetic diversity and safeguard against a complete crop failure that could occur with that single variety. The genetic diversity from the other combining varieties in mixtures may have disease or pest resistance and may thrive under otherwise stressful climatic conditions. That is, diverse crop mixtures, like financial portfolios, are more stable than any single variety.

    By Julie Baniszewski, Pennsylvania State University, American Society of Agronomy and Crop Science Society of America. Our members are researchers and trained, certified, professionals in the areas of growing our world’s food supply while protecting our environment. We work at universities, government research facilities, and private businesses across the United States and the world.

  • Three CA Dairy Companies Receive Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Award

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) today recognizes 34 dairy companies (including three from California) for their outstanding achievements in worker safety in 2020 with the IDFA Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Award. This is the eighteenth year that IDFA has sponsored this program, highlighting the outstanding workplace safety achievements of U.S. dairy companies.

    “In announcing these dairy companies as safety award winners, the dairy industry continues to demonstrate that safety in the workplace is the dairy industry’s number one priority,” said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “Each award represents the success of the innovative and proactive approaches to workplace safety by dairy company safety teams. Every day, year after year, dairy companies go above and beyond to provide a safe and productive work environment. Consumers and customers of dairy foods companies value how these innovations help to deliver safe, wholesome and nutritious food to people around the world.”

    Each company applied by detailing their occupational injury and illness performance rates as well as a providing a narrative essay on safety efforts at the facility. Evaluations and awards were based on a review of injury statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and judged by Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., of Fisher & Phillips LLP, Kathie Canning of Dairy Foods magazine, and Taylor Boone of IDFA.

    “Lagging indicators such as lost time injury and illness rates and DART rates do not give the full picture of how good a company safety and health program is,” said Foulke, Jr. “Moving towards utilizing leading indicators such as a strong culture of worker safety including continuous improvement, continuous education, engagement for employees and observations by managers and employees are more effective ways to improve a good safety and health program. Clearly, many members of the International Dairy Foods Association are utilizing, not only lagging indicators, but are now focusing in on leading indicators which will dramatically enhance their safety and health programs. These awards demonstrate that companies’ understanding of how and why a strong safety culture is such an integral part of any dairy facility operation.”

    “These awards show that the dairy industry is driven not only to produce nutritious and delicious dairy products, but to do so as part of a company-wide safety culture,” said Taylor Boone, IDFA regulatory affairs coordinator.

    A full list of the winners is here.

    Criteria for Success

    The award program includes categories for both processing facilities and trucking operations in the dairy industry. IDFA issued a total of 34 awards; in addition to 28 Outstanding Facility safety award winners, IDFA recognized 6 companies as Most Improved Facility award winners based on significant decreases in recordable-injury cases and the rate of days away from work, restrictions and transfers (DART) for each of the last two years when compared to all other facilities that applied.

    The 2021 winners will also be featured on DairyFoods.com. IDFA will issue a call for nominations for the next Dairy Industry Safety Recognition Awards competition in early 2022. To learn more, visit our awards page on ida.org.