California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • Grazing & Riparian Restoration Are Compatible When You Put in the Work

    With a little time and effort, rangeland managers can have a dramatic impact on the resilience of California’s riparian areas, which are important to the state’s human, environmental and economic well-being. Rangeland ecologists at the University of California, Davis, found that when ranchers invest even one week a year in practices that keep cows away from creeks — like herding, fencing and providing supplemental nutrition and water — they can improve riparian health by as much as 53 percent.

    “The human factor is remarkably significant,” said Ken Tate, professor and Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. “Common thinking is that effectiveness of various rangeland management tools is site specific and largely due to site factors, such as topography and plant communities. Some practices are better suited to certain ranches for these reasons. But this study suggests that how you implement the tools might be the biggest factor in keeping rangelands productive and environmentally sustainable.”

    Tate collaborated with UC farm advisors and several other UC rangeland ecologists on the large-scale riparian conservation study recently reported in the Rangeland Journal.  

    One-third of California — 38 million acres — is rangeland. Much of it is mountainous and arid and managed for livestock production. Grazing on rangeland feeds livestock and also offers many environmental benefits like keeping invasive weeds in check, reducing risk and intensity of wildfires, and supporting habitat for certain animals and plants found nowhere else in the world.

    Problems arise, though, when cattle spend too much time near water, where manure can create water-quality risks for people downstream. That is especially true in California where some 80 percent of the state’s drinking and irrigation water is stored on or passes through rangeland. Overgrazing in riparian areas also tramples sensitive habitat and lets perfectly good forage on hillsides go to waste.

    Examining 1 million acres

    Tate and his team studied 46 grazing units on ranches and national forests covering nearly 1 million acres of dry, rugged rangeland in east-central and northeastern California. With the ranchers’ help, they looked at the relationship between number of livestock, managerial effort and riparian health. To measure riparian health, researchers looked for tiny aquatic bugs, animals and insects known as benthic macroinvertebrates.

    “We collected the kind of things you’d find under rocks when you crawled around creeks when you were a kid,” Tate explained. “The types of bugs and creepy crawlies present and absent tell us a lot about the biodiversity and health of a stream.”

    The team found no significant relationship between riparian health, number of livestock and simple yes/no answers on whether ranchers used fencing, herding or water and salt licks on hillsides to coax cattle from creeks. There was, however, a significant correlation between riparian health and time spent implementing those tools.

    “It doesn’t take a lot of effort, but it does take some effort,” Tate said. “When you put a salt lick on a hillside to attract cattle, for example, it’s going to lose its effectiveness if you don’t go back and refill it and move it to another hillside when the grass around it is grazed. Cows cannot live by salt alone.”

    Tate is encouraged by the results and the solutions they suggest.

    “We see a lot of win-wins,” Tate said. “Effective management opens up new forage opportunities and increases productivity. And when you have more useable land, you relieve pressure on riparian areas, which is good for the environment and for agriculture.” — By Diane Nelson, UC Davis

  • ARS Research Prepares Farm Soil During Farming’s ‘Off-Season’

    It may be winter, but farmers don’t stop growing crops or preparing their soil for future planting – and scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are there – with the farmers – to help.

    “Climate changes pose significant challenges for many cropping systems,” said Tom Sauer, supervisory soil scientist at the ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE) in Ames, IA. “Changes in management practices need to be carefully evaluated to build or enhance the resilience of different agroecosystems.”

    Researchers at NLAE are midway through a 5-year project, Managing Energy and Carbon Fluxes to Optimize Agroecosystem Productivity and Resilience, to investigate aspects of cover cropping and tillage on farm production efficiencies. The project also looks at agroforestry – tree windbreaks and silvopasture (mixing forestry, forage production, and grazing).

    “We have been tracking a variety of metrics for soil organic matter under cover cropping and reduced tillage,” said Peter O’Brien, research agronomist at NLAE. “We see some positive trends indicating that these practices may maintain soil carbon levels, in contrast to conventional systems that have declining levels of soil carbon.”

    Experiments at the USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames Iowa are showing how cover crops like this radish can help protect the soil surface and improve soil health following the harvest of primary crops. (Photo by Katherine Kral-O’Brien)

    Cover cropping can help keep soil carbon in the ground and out of the atmosphere, thus significantly benefiting the environment, including water quality. Cover cropping encompasses a wide variety of practices. At the most basic level, O’Brien said, it is the practice of growing crops during the part of the year that the primary crops are not in the field, typically in the late fall and early spring.

    “While the concept is simple, there are a lot of different ways to implement a cover crop,” he said. “Farmers must make decisions about annual vs. overwintering cover crops, single-species vs. mixes, planting method, and how to terminate/manage overwintering cover crops to prepare for the next primary crop. Ultimately, factors like climate, soil type, crop rotations, and the farmer’s goals guide how cover crops are best implemented.”

    For example, in the corn-soybean rotations across the Midwest, O’Brien said the amount of time suitable for cover crop growth after primary crop harvest may be limited in comparison to other parts of the country. Consequently, some farmers may sow cover crops, especially cereal rye, into standing corn a week or two prior to harvest to lengthen the cover crop growing window.

    Cover cropping has many benefits for soil health that exceed just keeping carbon in the soil, such as reducing erosion, suppressing weeds, increasing soil biological activity, promoting soil physical quality, and providing pollinator habitat and/or high-quality forage for grazing.

    “Cover cropping can improve soil health in several ways, and healthy soils not only have the potential to increase crop yields, but they may also be more resilient to changing weather patterns,” O’Brien said. “Cover crops protect the soil surface from raindrop impact and excessive exposure to sunlight, both of which can break down soil aggregates and lead to erosion.”

    The ARS scientists are also showing that the non-cover cropping aspects of the project are just as essential to soil health.

    Cereal rye cover crop growing in fall after corn harvest. Scientists from USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames Iowa are investigating how rye can protect the soil surface and reduce nitrogen losses through tile drainage systems. (Photo by Peter O’Brien)

    “The presence of trees either in long, linear rows (windbreaks) on the edge of fields or in widely-spaced rows (silvopasture) modify local microclimates by reducing wind speed, therefore lowering wind erosion, and providing shade that helps retain soil moisture,” Sauer said.

    Farmers can manage these agroforestry practices to reduce losses to their commercial crops from extreme events, particularly heat and water stress association with drought conditions. “Each of these practices can be managed for local conditions or climate trends to enhance their effectiveness in building agroecosystems that are more resistant to negative effects of climate extremes,” Sauer said.

    “This project contextualizes our goals of enhancing productivity and reducing environmental degradation,” O’Brien said. “All aspects of the research are geared towards understanding how our agroecosystems are responding to — and also contributing to — climate change, and it highlights the importance of finding management practices that promote resilience in changing conditions.” – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications.

  • Sustainable Food Systems, COVID-19 Drive 2020 Sustainable Ag Summit Dialogue

    Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, previewed the 2021 Food Systems Summit and its implications for U.S. agriculture during her keynote address of the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Summit held virtually, Nov. 18-19.

    The sixth annual Sustainable Agriculture Summit attracted a record 800 attendees, with farmers making up about a fourth of the audience. The summit is hosted jointly by five organizations representing U.S. dairy, commodity crop, specialty crop, beef and pork industries, including the checkoff-founded Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

    Bechdol said the Food Systems Summit, which will be held in New York City in September, will be an opportunity for the U.S. food and agriculture community to ensure its diverse voices, sustainability record and progress are reflected in the role food systems play in achieving the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

    “This is an agenda that must be owned by everyone,” she said. “In some ways, we really hope that it awakens the world to the fact that we all need to work together to transform the way the world produces, consumes and even just thinks about food.”

    Barbara O’Brien, president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, opened the Sustainable Agriculture Summit with a review of the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on the world. She said Feeding America projects an 8 billion meal deficit in the charitable food system over the next 12 months, and that the virus created a “reframing” of how people think about and define a sustainable food system.

    “Brands, companies and industries, including agriculture, can no longer sit on the sidelines of the conversation,” O’Brien said. “We don’t have the luxury to stay silent on environmental, social and economic issues as NGOs, customers and consumers make it an expectation of business.”

    She recognized the 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals announced by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy and applauded the resilience of U.S. agriculture this year, saying its collective strength positions the industry for a bright future.

    “The counter narrative is growing louder and the global debate over what fits and what doesn’t fit in a sustainable food system is real,” she said. “The question is how do we set the course for the next generation of global agricultural sustainability that builds consumer trust, preserves consumer choice and allows for a vibrant industry? Together, I think we can find the answer.”

    Examining ESG issues

    A panel discussion led by Krysta Harden, executive vice president of global environmental strategy for Dairy Management Inc., focused on how environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues are revolutionizing sustainability throughout the value chain. For agriculture, these challenges include climate change, food waste, labor and treatment of essential workers.

    Harden referenced dairy’s proactivity in  launching its U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment in 2018. The Commitment is a voluntary social responsibility pledge to consumers and customers that processors and co-operatives will transparently meet defined criteria in areas including animal care, environment and food safety. Harden said 29 dairy companies representing 70 percent of U.S. milk production have adopted the Stewardship Commitment.

    “Investors are increasingly seeking a strong link between corporate sustainability performance and financial performance, which is why it’s important for agriculture to take note and make sure we are prepared to accelerate these areas,” Harden said.

    The summit also featured a panel discussion on how COVID-19 heightened public awareness around food security and how food and agriculture can build sustainable supply chains in a disrupted world.

    Denise Osterhues, senior director of sustainability and community engagement for The Kroger Co., said the company’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste program that aims to end hunger and reduce waste in its communities by 2025, took on added relevance this year.

    She said Kroger’s top priority during the onset of COVID-19 was to simply stay in business so consumers could continue having access to safe, healthy and affordable food. The grocer invested more than $1 billion in health and safety measures for employees and customers. Kroger also accelerated its e-commerce business and offered curbside and delivery services.

    Osterhues referenced a milk donation program in Michigan that was in place before COVID-19 hit, in which Kroger collects surplus milk from co-ops and donates the processing. More than 130,000 gallons have been donated into the Feeding America pipeline as a result.

    She is encouraged by the charitable and proactive response she has seen during this time.

    “One lesson we believed from the start, but has become more clear, is that we totally need everyone,” she said. “It will take all of us to do our own parts and more. We’re excited about the innovation we have seen. Some of the start-ups, entrepreneurs and college students who have risen to the moment are putting creative solutions in place and making things happen.”

    Other panel sessions addressed subjects including preserving biodiversity, climate-smart agriculture and working alongside underrepresented communities to build a more just, equitable and inclusive food system.

    For information on U.S. Dairy’s sustainability efforts, visit www.usdairy.com/sustainability.

  • PERC Urges Producers to Consider Propane Heating Solutions for Reliable, Consistent Power Year-Round

    As winter weather quickly approaches, the Propane Education & Research Council urges producers to consider how propane can keep your operation running smoothly and livestock safe year-round, without worrying about peak pricing or power outages.

    Propane-powered building and water heating solutions offer reliable, consistent power independent of the grid—an invaluable asset for many agricultural operations. Propane equipment eliminates the risk of sudden power outages, which can wreak havoc on a farm or ranch. With propane equipment, producers do not have to rely on access to the power grid or a natural gas line.

    “With propane heating equipment, producers can take back more control over their farm, and the consistent and precise temperatures help them maintain healthier plants and animals,” said Mike Newland, Director of Ag Business Development at PERC. “At the same time, producers can cut unnecessary costs, saving 25 percent more with propane water heating versus electricity.”

    On-demand tankless water heaters achieve high efficiency by eliminating the thermal standby losses from a storage tank and demonstrate efficiencies of at least 90 percent. Propane-powered building heat—including boilers, hot air furnaces, or radiant heaters—are highly efficient and offer thermal efficiencies of up to 95 percent.

    For more information about propane-powered agricultural equipment and the Propane Education & Research Council visitwww.Propane.com/Agriculture.

  • Long-time Wine Industry Leader to Leave Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association

    Chris Chandler, the longest serving executive director of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association (LVWA), will be leaving at the end of the year. She has led the non-profit marketing and membership organization representing wineries, vineyards and businesses in Livermore Valley since the spring of 2007.

    “We have appreciated Chris’ guidance and her capacity through the years to stand with all the wineries, both large and small. Her ability to forge a path through the middle, that benefits everybody has been tremendous. She leaves behind numerous legacies in the Valley,” said Darcie Kent, proprietor of Darcie Kent Vineyards. Her partner, David Kent, noted, “One legacy that stands out in particular is how Chris got up and got going on the downtown wine country hotel. It would have been a very different outcome without her leadership, attention and ability to mobilize a broad section of the community to stand up for what is right and do what was needed to advance our wine country.”

    In 2019, Diablo Magazine featured Chandler as one of “three female power players bringing their A games to our local wine region.” She was devoted to LVWA members and prioritized community and collaboration. Chandler served for several years on the board of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation, which hosts the annual charity auction; the Las Positas College Viticulture & Enology program advisory board, East Bay-Economic Development Alliance (EB-EDA) Marketing and Land Use committees and the Visit Tri- Valley board of directors.

    “Chris has always been willing to partner and advocate on behalf of the hoteliers and wineries in the region,” said Tracy Farhad, CEO of Visit Tri-Valley. “She has served seven years as an invaluable director on the Visit Tri-Valley board, and has long understood and contributed to the larger, regional and national marketing efforts. We will miss her.”

    Under Chandler’s direction, and for the first time in the Association’s history, LVWA pursued and won two grants to support regional marketing. The grants awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture totaled just under half a million dollars.

    Rachael Snedecor, executive director of Livermore Downtown, Inc. (LDI), said, “Chris and her team established a highly successful media relations program. She always took a collaborative approach and reached out to invite LDI to join in Winegrowers-sponsored FAM tours and media visits to the benefit of not only the wineries but downtown restaurants and businesses as well.”

    Alameda County District Supervisor Scott Haggerty remembers, “We worked with Chris and her team back in 2009 to ensure that they could successfully establish the wine country signage program throughout the Valley.”

    Chandler also successfully led the organization through one of the worst economic recessions on record. “It hasn’t always been easy. The Great Recession of 2008-2009 was difficult on wine regions all over the state, including Livermore Valley, she said. “It was nothing like the hardships of this pandemic, but I am confident that the region’s history, creativity, dedication and heart will carry the Valley forward.”

    Among Chandler’s other important legacies are her work on paving a path to establish the Wine Heritage District that will secure sustainable, long-term funding for marketing the region and the expansion of Taste our Terroir from a single night event into an iconic, four- day celebration of local wine country.

    “It’s been an honor and privilege to represent Livermore Valley’s wineries and vineyards for almost 14 years,” said Chandler. “I’m so proud of everything the members, team, board and I have accomplished together!”

    “The Association thanks Chris for her leadership and dedication over the past 13+ years and we all wish her only the best,” said Amy Hoopes, president of Wente Family Estates and two-term LVWA board president.

    Long-time LVWA Operations and Membership Director Brandi Addington will oversee the organization with support from the board of directors for the foreseeable future.

    Livermore Valley Vineyard at Sunset (Photo by Barry Zupan)

    About the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association

    The Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association is a 501(c)6 organization that supports the wineries, growers and members in the Livermore Valley American Viticultural Area through educational and marketing programs. For more information, please visit www.LVwine.org

  • Fresno State Enology Professor Infuses Curriculum With An Entrepreneurial Twist

    Dr. Qun (Kristy) Sun

    Inspired by her students’ dreams of one day owning their own wineries, Dr. Qun (Kristy) Sun is partnering with faculty across campus to expand her curriculum through the Johanson Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellow program.

    The Johanson Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program recognizes an elite group of faculty fellows across all disciplines. They infuse elements of entrepreneurial thinking into their course curriculum with the goal to inspire students to apply an entrepreneurial mindset to the learning material.

    Sun, the newest faculty member, looks forward to tapping the expertise of her 20 cohort fellows to add new business, planning, management and leadership elements to her Enology 175 winery management class.

    “Students come to Fresno State from around the world,” said Sun, who is from the Zhejiang province in eastern China, “because of the applied, hands-on experience they can get from our on-campus winery, vineyard and research. Entrepreneurship is another important element since it is becoming challenging to maintain profitability in our changing global environment. In today’s industry, especially in the smaller wineries, it is important to have a variety of skills outside the vineyard and winery.”

    Sun is a great example of that. After receiving her doctoral degree from Cornell University in 2011, she created new products and worked in research and development for the International Food Network (now Eurofins Food Integrity and Innovation). As a food scientist she specialized in food and beverage development, sensory analysis and scaling production for mass quantities.

    “The Johanson Fellows Program is a great platform to learn from others and share our experiences,” Sun said. “This collaboration also opens the class to business students who have no prior experience with the wine industry. All of the students can learn together about basic principles to create a business plan, and then effectively establish and manage a winery.”

    Through the Johanson Fellowship Program — funded by Johanson Transportation, founded in 1971 by Richard Johanson — access to entrepreneurship principles is made available to students outside of the business school.

    For more information about the Johanson Fellows Program, contact Dr. Timothy Stearns at 559.278.3735 or timothys@csufresno.edu, or Mendy Laval at 559.281.6461 or mlaval@csufresno.edu. — By Gabriel Gatchalian, California State University Fresno

  • Root Bacteria Could Help Defeat Fatal Citrus Disease

    A UC Riverside-led team is looking at tiny underground microorganisms for a way to prevent a huge problem — Huanglongbing, a disease with no cure that has decimated citrus orchards worldwide.

    The disease, also known as HLB or citrus greening, has multiple names but the same ultimate result: bitter and worthless citrus fruits. By some estimates, the end of citrus orchards in California and Florida could amount to $14 billion in lost commercial revenue.

    Fruit affected by Huanglongbing. (UCR)

    “Often times, it is thought of as an above-ground disease of the fruits, leaves, and stems,” said Caroline Roper, plant pathology professor and director of the new research effort. “However, we have seen the roots of trees decline with infection, and we want to understand why.”

    The National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded the UCR-led team $10 million over the next five years to investigate the role of soil and root microbes in the disease.

    Roper said data from previous studies shows the microbiome of the infected tree — which includes bacteria and fungi as well as protozoa and viruses — plays a role in the disease.

    “We have seen a shift in the root microbiome as trees get sicker,” she said.

    The microbiomes shift to contain more potentially parasitic organisms that may act as secondary invaders to a tree that is suffering from HLB, according to Roper. The invasion of these root pathogens may be causing trees to die faster when they have HLB.

    Part of this new research effort will test whether soil amendments like manure and compost might suppress parasitic microorganisms in the roots as well as the soil, and give the trees more strength to combat diseases including HLB.

    In addition, the research team will try to determine the molecular basis of HLB resistance shown by citrus root stocks developed in Florida. They’ll then see how those rootstocks perform in California, which has different soil and climate conditions.

    The research team will examine both younger trees, because a lot of citrus growers have had to re-plant their orchards after infection, as well as older trees to see if mature groves can recover.

    It will also be important to note how well root stocks from Florida, where there has been a heavy infestation of HLB, perform in California, where much less of the disease has been detected.

    “One of the great things about this grant is that we’re able to leverage existing field trials being done by our collaborators in Florida and at the UC’s Lindcove Research and Extension Center in central California,” Roper said. “This may lead to faster results than we’d otherwise have had.”

    Collaborators on the project include UC Davis; California State University, Sacramento; the University of Florida; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service in Ft. Pierce, Florida. — By Jules Bernstein, UC Riverside

  • U.S. Blueberry Growers Form New Alliance to Seek Import Remedies

    Blueberry growers across America today established a new coalition, the American Blueberry Growers Alliance, to seek relief from rising imports that are harming their businesses. The Alliance will provide information and support to an ongoing U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into the serious injury caused by increased imports of fresh, chilled and frozen blueberries under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974.

    Blueberry imports are sourced from several countries in the Western Hemisphere. Imports rose by more than 60 percent between 2015 and 2019. Imports from Peru and Mexico have increased by 1,258 and 268 percent during that same period, respectively, driving blueberry prices down by double digits, which has had a devastating impact on the domestic blueberry industry.

    Alliance members are asking for bipartisan support from the U.S. government and Congress to use existing trade laws to remedy the injury to U.S. growers, support hard-working blueberry farmers, and preserve and enhance a U.S.-grown blueberry supply. The Alliance is also warning that in addition to injuring domestic businesses and livelihoods, rising imports expose American consumers to products from countries with poor food safety protocols.

    “We have been telling Washington about unfair trade practices for years,” said Jerome Crosby, CEO of Pineneedle Farms in Georgia and head of the Alliance’s steering committee. “Our family farms continue to be harmed by a flood of blueberry imports. We need relief and for our leaders to stand with American growers.”

    “Many family farms have become a casualty of rising imports and are being forced out of commercial production as other countries increase production to deliberately target the U.S. market,” said Brittany Lee, executive director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association. “If something is not done, we will lose the blueberry industry in the United States.”

    The Alliance includes blueberry growers in Georgia, Florida, Michigan and California.

    The Alliance recently received support from a coalition of 32 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. In a letter to the U.S. International Trade Commission, the congressional members said: “The significant surge of imports of blueberries in recent years, the timing of such imports during U.S. harvest periods, the extremely low pricing of the imports, and the targeting of the U.S. blueberry market by foreign exporters has had a devastating impact on the blueberry industry…As the Commission develops the evidentiary record in this case, it will be clear that imports are a substantial cause of serious injury to farmers. We urge the Commission to promptly make an affirmative determination in this regard.”

    The ITC plans to hold hearings in early 2021 and then deliver a report on blueberry injury and remedies to the White House. Under Section 203, the President then determines what action to take. To support this investigation, Alliance members are providing data and evidence on how blueberry imports are impacting their production, pricing and marketing activities, especially during the critical U.S. spring and summer harvesting seasons.

    For more information, please visit americanblueberrygrowers.com.

  • 2021 CA Avocado Crop Estimate & Harvest Projections

    The California Avocado Commission has published the 2021 California Avocado Pre-Season Crop Estimate and weekly harvest projections for the calendar year (January 1st through December 31st). The estimate and projections are the result of handler surveys submitted in early December 2020 and represent the industry’s best information on the coming season’s crop at this time.

    Further details of the estimate and harvest projections can be found online and includes the following information:

    • Pre-season industry volume estimates, broken down by variety, based on AMRIC Handler survey responses
    • Weekly harvest forecast utilizing AMRIC Handler Survey percentages for Hass variety (4-year historical forecast used for Lamb, 2-year historical used for Gem and other)
    • Weekly harvest forecast comparison of 4-year historical forecast versus AMRIC Handler Survey

    The Commission staff will remain in contact with growers, handlers and grove managers throughout the season, via surveys and telephone conversations, to track harvest strategy and will provide updated forecasts to the industry as they become available. As we have done in the past, CAC will plan to follow up with the handlers in February to discuss crop volume and harvest plans before the season gets underway.

    In addition to handler surveys and discussions, the annual grower crop survey and acreage inventory survey will be conducted in Spring 2021, with a mid-season crop estimate update available mid-May 2021.

  • More Than 7 in 10 Adults Want Companies Partnering with Gov’t to Distribute Coronavirus Vaccines

    In an International Dairy Food Association (IDFA) poll conducted by Morning Consult from December 4-7 among a national sample of 2,200 adults, 71% of adults support companies and employers partnering with public health agencies at local and state levels to aid in the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine to employees. The same poll found more than four in five adults believe food workers—manufacturing, retail and farm workers, among others—should be made a priority when it comes to being among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

    The Morning Consult interviews were conducted online with a target sample of adults across age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and region. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

    The full survey findings and graphical presentations of data may be found at www.idfa.org/vaccinesurvey. Key findings from the survey include:

    • More than four in five adults agree that grocery store workers (89%), farm workers (85%), and agricultural and food production (86%) workers are essential workers.
    • Seven in ten adults (71%) support companies and employers partnering with public health agencies at local and state levels to aid in the distribution of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine to employees.
    • A bipartisan majority of adults support private companies and employers partnering with public health agencies at local and state levels to aid in the distribution of the coronavirus vaccine to employees.
    • More than four in five adults believe grocery store workers (90%), agriculture and food production workers (85%), and farm workers (82%) should be made a priority when it comes to being among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine
    • More than four in five Democrats, independents, and Republicans demographics believe food and agriculture production workers should be made a priority when it comes to being among the first to receive the coronavirus vaccine.
    • Two-thirds of adults (65%) report they are likely to get the coronavirus vaccine while a third (35%) report they are unlikely to.
    • While a majority of adults report they are likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, Democrats and older adults are the most likely to report they are likely to get the vaccine.

    Background from the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)

    IDFA represents more than 3 million employees across the dairy foods supply chain, including farmers, food processors and manufacturers, food retailers, and other distributors. Food industry workers are recognized as part of our nation’s critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security. Because of this recognition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook designates food industry workers for vaccine prioritization as part of Group 1B, after frontline healthcare workers and other target populations. Prioritization will ensure continued operations and supply of food and other critical consumer packaged goods to people around the country. Without prioritization, supply chains could break down, creating widespread disruptions to our economy. Companies within the food industry are seeking to partner with federal, state and local public health officials to help reinforce the importance and safety of vaccinations and ensure essential food workers can access and receive vaccinations as they become available.