California Ag Network

Category: Ag Legislation

  • CA Prune Board Authorized to Continue for Another Five Years

    Following a successful public hearing, the California Prune Board (CPB) has been authorized by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to continue for another five years through July 31, 2025 – without the need for an industry referendum. At the hearing, prune growers and processors voiced unanimous support for the CPB, along with sharing numerous examples of the board’s favorable results on behalf of the California Prune industry.

    “The CPB continuation is a major win for California Prune growers, processors and handlers,” said Joe Turkovich, California Prune grower and Chairman of the California Prune Board. “The board’s work is vitally important to the success of the prune industry. It has carefully considered strategic priorities that will continue building industry momentum for the next five years and beyond.”

    California Prune Board: Delivering Leadership and Value
    The hearing comes amid industry headwinds facing California agriculture in general, such as rising labor costs and increasing regulations. Additionally, the California Prune industry has specific challenges including a global market driven by low prices and smaller, inferior quality imported fruit.

    “We have navigated through many challenges and are currently addressing others – such as tariffs that create major impediments to growing markets – all while knowing there are many challenges around the corner. Yet, we believe in the values the industry has together set forth,” said Donn Zea, Executive Director of the California Prune Board. “Our board and committee members are dedicated to the industry’s success and bring integrity and unique perspective to each discussion. The CPB team around the world is both humbled and proud to join them for the hard work that lies ahead.”

    Together, we have achieved much as a board and as an industry, added Zea, citing examples such as:

    • Securing more than $50 million in United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases of California Prunes during a three-year timeframe (2017 – 2019) for school nutrition programs and food banks
    • Dedicating more than $1.25 million during the past three years to nutrition research to scientifically validate the remarkable health benefits of California Prunes for gut and bone health, as well as
      overall wellness
    • Investing more than $1.3 million during the past three years to crop production research, including important findings and advancements related to mechanical pruning, rootstock anchorage, new varietal development, and pest and disease control
    • Securing $11.4 million in federal grant funding for export programs, while partnering with the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) each year to defend, grow and develop international markets
    • Being recognized by FAS as “highly effective” in CPB proposal quality, strategic execution, and financial and regulatory compliance
    • Developing an extensively researched, thoroughly vetted new California Prunes brand to unite the global industry under a cohesive banner to communicate the one-of-a-kind premium nature of California Prunes

    California Prune Board: Building on the Momentum, Advancing Priorities
    With input from numerous industry members and under the leadership of the CPB executive committee, the board has outlined key priority areas to rally the industry’s efforts. Focus areas include:

    • Nutrition research
    • Trade policy and market support
    • Industry unification
    • Production research
    • Global visibility expansion for California Prunes

    “We have listened intently to California Prune growers and handlers to identify these priority areas that will inform our focus, guide our decisions, and ultimately, make a positive and sustained difference for the global California Prune industry,” said Zea.

    California is the world’s largest producer of prunes providing about 40 percent of the world’s supply and more than 90% of the U.S. supply. Today, there are more than 40,000 bearing acres of California Prune orchards concentrated in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.

    ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA PRUNE BOARD
    Created in 1952, The California Prune Board aims to amplify the premium positioning and top-of-mind awareness of California Prunes through advertising, public relations, promotion, nutrition research, crop management and sustainability research, and issues management. The California Prune Board represents approximately 800 prune growers and 28 prune, juice, and ingredient handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture.

  • Study Finds 82 Percent of Avocado Oil Rancid or Mixed With Other Oils

    Consumer demand is rising for all things avocado, including oil made from the fruit. Avocado oil is a great source of vitamins, minerals and the type of fats associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. But according to new research from food science experts at the University of California, Davis, the vast majority of avocado oil sold in the U.S. is of poor quality, mislabeled or adulterated with other oils.

    In the country’s first extensive study of commercial avocado oil quality and purity, UC Davis researchers report that at least 82 percent of test samples were either stale before expiration date or mixed with other oils. In three cases, bottles labeled as “pure” or “extra virgin” avocado oil contained near 100 percent soybean oil, an oil commonly used in processed foods that’s much less expensive to produce.

    “I was surprised some of the samples didn’t contain any avocado oil,” said Selina Wang, Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Food Science and Technology, who led the study recently published in the journal Food Control. “Most people who buy avocado oil are interested in the health benefits, as well as the mild, fresh flavor, and are willing to pay more for the product. But because there are no standards to determine if an avocado oil is of the quality and purity advertised, no one is regulating false or misleading labels. These findings highlight the urgent need for standards to protect consumers and establish a level playing field to support the continuing growth of the avocado oil industry.”

    Testing domestic and imported brands  

    Wang and Hilary Green, a Ph.D. candidate in Wang’s lab, analyzed various chemical parameters of 22 domestic and imported avocado oil samples, which included all the brands they could find in local stores and online. Wang and Green received a $25,000 grant from Dipasa USA, part of the Dipasa Group, a sesame-seed and avocado-oil processor and supplier based in Mexico.

    “In addition to testing commercial brands, we also bought avocados and extracted our own oil in the lab, so we would know, chemically, what pure avocado oil looks like,” Wang said.

    Test samples included oils of various prices, some labeled extra virgin or refined. Virgin oil is supposed to be extracted from fresh fruit using only mechanical means, and refined oil is processed with heat or chemicals to remove any flaws.

    Fifteen of the samples were oxidized before the expiration date. Oil loses its flavor and health benefits when it oxidizes, which happens over time and when exposed to too much light, heat or air. Six samples were mixed with large amounts of other oils, including sunflower, safflower and soybean oil.

    Only two brands produced samples that were pure and nonoxidized. Those were Chosen Foods and Marianne’s Avocado Oil, both refined avocado oils made in Mexico. Among the virgin grades, CalPure produced in California was pure and fresher than the other samples in the same grade.

    A push for standards

    Ensuring quality is important for consumers, retailers, producers and people throughout the avocado oil industry. Retailers want to sell quality products, shoppers want to get their money’s worth and honest producers want to keep fraudulent and low-quality oil out of the marketplace.

    But since avocado oil is relatively new on the scene, the Food and Drug Administration has not yet adopted “standards of identity,” which are basic food standards designed to protect consumers from being cheated by inferior products or confused by misleading labels. Over the last 80 years, the FDA has issued standards of identity for hundreds of products, like whiskey, chocolate, juices and mayonnaise. Without standards, the FDA has no means to regulate avocado oil quality and authenticity. 

    Avocado oil isn’t the only product without enforceable standards. Honey, spices and ground coffee are other common examples. Foods that fetch a higher price are especially ripe for manipulating, especially when adulterations can be too subtle to detect outside a lab.

    Wang is working to develop faster, better and cheaper chemical methods to detect adulteration so bulk buyers can test avocado oil before selling it. She is also evaluating more samples, performing shelf-life studies to see how time and storage affect quality, and encouraging FDA officials to establish reasonable standards for avocado oil.

    Wang has experience collaborating with industry and the FDA. Ten years ago, she analyzed the quality and purity of extra virgin olive oil and discovered that most of what was being sold in the U.S. was actually a much lower grade. Her research sparked a cascade of responses that led California to establish one of the world’s most stringent standards for different grades of olive oil. The FDA is working with importers and domestic producers to develop standards of identity for olive oil.

    “Consumers seeking the health benefits of avocado oil deserve to get what they think they are buying,” Wang said. “Working together with the industry, we can establish standards and make sure customers are getting high-quality, authentic avocado oil and the companies are competing on a level playing field.”

    Tips for consumers

    • The flavor of virgin avocado oil can differ by varieties and region. In general, authentic, fresh, virgin avocado oil tastes grassy, buttery and a little bit like mushrooms.
    • Virgin avocado oil should be green in color, whereas refined avocado oil is light yellow and almost clear due to pigments removed during refining.
    • Even good oil becomes rancid with time. It’s important to purchase a reasonable size that can be finished before the oil oxidizes. Store the oil away from light and heat. A cool, dark cabinet is a good choice, rather than next to the stove.  
    • How do you know if the oil is rancid? It starts to smell stale, sort of like play dough.
    • When possible, choose an oil that’s closest to the harvest/production time to ensure maximum freshness. The “best before date” is not always a reliable indicator of quality.

    – By Diane Nelson, UC Davis

  • BASF Files Motion to Intervene in Ninth Circuit Case that Vacated Dicamba Registrations

    BASF has filed an emergency motion to intervene following the decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to vacate the federal registrations of three dicamba-based herbicides, including BASF’s Engenia® herbicide. The Court’s June 3, 2020 decision brought BASF’s product into the case for the first time. BASF has now made the request to intervene after careful consideration of the sudden and severe financial impact vacating the registration has had on farmers during this critical application time, when farmers now have less than a month to protect millions of acres under threat from resistant weeds. The Ninth Circuit’s decision has caused immediate chaos among the agricultural community and threatens the livelihood of countless U.S. farmers. Seeking to make matters worse, the challengers have now asked the Ninth Circuit to undo the EPA’s order which implemented the panel’s decision and addressed the uncertainty it caused. BASF must act to protect its interests and those of its customers.

    “Taking this action during the height of the application season gives no regard to the significant investments farmers have made in their businesses and leaves them without viable options for the growing season,” said Paul Rea, Senior Vice President, BASF Agricultural Solutions North America. “Farming is difficult even in the best of times and remains challenging. Making this decision now, when weed resistance continues to threaten farming operations, is disastrous for our customers. Farmers have counted on applications of dicamba-based products to control troublesome weeds for decades, and they continue to need these tools now and in the future.”

    Since its original registration with the EPA in 2016, on-target applications of Engenia herbicide have helped farmers produce clean fields and robust yields of dicamba-tolerant soybeans and cotton. And because of BASF’s commitment to stewardship, the company provides customers with a range of practices, equipment, and trainings to make sure they have the tools to get the most out of BASF products, while protecting the environment.

    “I have been using Engenia for three years, and it is a critical part of my operation to reduce the threat of resistant weeds and ensure a successful yield each season,” said Brad Kallenbach, a soybean farmer from Jamestown, North Dakota. “My livelihood depends on tools like Engenia to tackle these challenges, and those of us that use it have dedicated a tremendous amount of time to ensure that we are doing it responsibly. The Court’s decision to vacate the Engenia registration leaves me with no good options for this year. It’s a steep cost that no grower under these circumstances was ready to bear.”

    The EPA’s approval process for crop protection products is science-based and data-driven. BASF invests in and uses the best science and testing protocols to develop next-generation innovations like Engenia herbicide. BASF scientists have over 50 years of experience in developing and improving dicamba for effective and safe applications.

    “Engenia and other dicamba-based herbicides are critical in ensuring the long-term sustainability of agriculture and crop protection products,” continued Rea. “Not only do they play a role in protecting crops, but also in ensuring an abundant, safe and affordable food supply. Continued innovation in crop protection and weed management must continue and be supported to sustain this industry.”

    BASF remains committed to meeting the needs of its customers and will continue to work on new dicamba-based innovations to assist farmers with weed control. In addition, BASF will also continue to pursue EPA re-registration of Engenia for the coming seasons.

    Engenia herbicide is a U.S. EPA Restricted Use Pesticide.

     Always read and follow label directions.

  • Dr. Beth Grafton-Cardwell to Retire – Her View on 30 Years of Citrus IPM

    Through the years I have had many collaborators and numerous technical staff studying a wide variety of pests including California red scale, citricola scale, cottony cushion scale citrus cutworm, katydids, earwigs, Fuller rose beetle, citrus peelminer, citrus leafminer, citrus thrips, citrus red mite, snails, ants, aphids and Asian citrus psyllid as well as their natural enemies. In the early years, the main controls for these pests were organophosphate (OP) and carbamate insecticides. The initial research goal was to get these replaced with more selective insecticides that would allow natural enemies to participate in pest management. We successfully documented OP resistance in California red scale and citrus thrips and developed replacement insecticides that created a more balanced situation resulting in a reduction in pesticide use (as few as 4 treatments/year in the San Joaquin Valley). But alas, citrus IPM programs must change because new situations arise. For the citrus industry, the three drivers of change in the second half of my career have been drought exacerbating some pests, export countries demanding in- field treatments for insects as a replacement for Methyl Bromide (MeBr) fumigation, and the arrival of various invasive pests. These situations have provided me ample opportunities to work with regulators and the citrus industry and challenged my creative problem-solving abilities – never a dull moment.

    It is hard to say if the past 8-9 years of higher temperatures and on and off drought conditions are a permanent ‘climate’ change or are part of a cycle. However, they have certainly made California red scale more difficult to control. Growers have shifted from treating for California red scale once every other year to treating 3-4 times per year. Extra heat units have added an extra generation of scale per year and occasionally allowed scale development in winter. My research response has been to study and provide outreach on the use of California red scale pheromone disruption as an assist to reduce insecticide treatments. I am encouraged to hear reports of some acreage going back treatments every few years for California red scale.

    Export issues with S. Korea (Fuller rose beetle and California red scale) and with Australia and New Zealand (bean thrips and mites) began to crop up in the 2010s. In the past, shipments from California would be inspected at destination and, if there were any insects or mites of phytosanitary concern, the fruit would be fumigated with MeBr. With the worldwide reduction in MeBr use, there is now the expectation that California growers apply in-field treatments to eliminate these pests so fumigation at destination is not necessary. Complete disinfestation of an orchard is impossible to achieve so we launched studies on alternative fumigants and cold treatments that could be applied in California or during transport.

    Invasive pests such as glassy-winged sharpshooter, Diaprepes root weevil, citrus leafminer, and Asian citrus psyllid have been arriving regularly into California since about 2000. In each case, I evaluated chemical and biological controls, evaluated the level of damage they could inflict and conducted outreach to prepare the citrus industry. Of course, Asian citrus psyllid has been the most significant invasive pests because of its ability to transmit the bacterium that causes the deadly disease huanglongbing. My role has been to develop control strategies for growers around the state and assist them with their psyllid management programs.

    If I had to list the top three favorite projects of my career, they would be the following:

    1. Working with colleagues to survey 13 crops around the state to see what species of predatory mites are found and developing a ‘Key to the Phytoseiid Predatory Mites of California Crops’ (submitted for publication with UC ANR).

    2. Working with cottony cushion scale and predatory vedalia beetle and figuring out how to protect the vedalia from insect growth regulators by careful timing of the application of those pesticides. This is a great example of making an incompatible insecticide compatible with a sensitive natural enemy.

      3. Directing five technicians to scout 224 commercial citrus orchards around the state and see how grower applied pesticide treatments affect the psyllid populations. The results of this project led to strong recommendations for eradication and areawide psyllid treatment programs.

      For the past 14 years, all of this was accomplished while also acting as Director of the Lindcove Research and Extension Center. That position also had challenges with hiring and directing personnel, building facilities such as a laboratory, a greenhouse and a screenhouse structure, and attracting research and extension programs to the Center. It has been very rewarding to see the Center expand its capacity and reputation.

      Finally, I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing technical staff and collaborators that have supported my projects for many years. I will miss the challenges of this job, but I expect to dip back in when needed at Lindcove and I look forward to new life challenges as I spend more time with my family and my community. 

  • CA Nut Industry Funds Four New UC Cooperative Extension Research Positions

    Four staff research associates will join the ranks of UC Cooperative Extension scientists in the coming months to support nut crop advisors conducting critical research in walnut, almond and pistachio production.

    The California Walnut Board, the Almond Board of California and the California Pistachio Research Board together have provided about $425,000 to cover annual salaries, benefits, travel and equipment for the new UC Cooperative Extension staff. Under the terms of the agreement, the new positions will be funded annually for up to three years, pending available funds and success of the program.

    “By supporting these new positions in UC Cooperative Extension, the California Walnut Board, the Almond Board of California and the California Pistachio Research Board show their recognition for the value of applied research conducted by our nut crop advisors,” said UC Agriculture and Natural Resources vice president Glenda Humiston. “We are grateful to these industry organizations for this vote of confidence and the generous funding to generate science-based knowledge to apply on California farms.”

    The new research associates will each devote time supporting two advisors with tree nut assignments:

    • Allan Fulton and Luke Milliron, serving Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties
    • Katherine Jarvis-Shean and Franz Niederholzer, serving Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo counties
    • Mae Culumber and Phoebe Gordon, serving Fresno, Madera and Merced counties
    • Elizabeth Fichtner and an advisor under recruitment, serving Tulare and Kings counties

    The arrangement reflects a change in how UC Cooperative Extension supports the agriculture industries in California with applied research. With less funding from its traditional revenue sources – USDA, the state government and counties – advisors cover more territory than in the past. Over the years, they have also taken on an increasing share of UC’s applied research mission serving the state’s specialty crops industries.

    The new staff research associate positions were crafted to attract highly qualified candidates who will support advisors’ applied research efforts. Their primary focus will be on assisting advisors with planning, execution and gathering data on experimental and demonstration field trials.

    UCCE advisor emeritus Joe Grant, who now serves as production research director of the California Walnut Board, chaired an industry working group that drafted the plan based on advisors’ input about their needs.

    “Advisors are competent and creative people with the skills and knowledge to do research. They need the same support that researchers on campus have,” Grant said.

    The California Pistachio Research Board previously provided funding for a plant pathology researcher and an integrated pest management advisor at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier. In addition, the board supported creation of $1 million endowments for a nut genetics researcher and a tree nut soil science and plant-water relations researcher as part of an initiative co-funded by UC President Janet Napolitano.

    “We’ve been concerned for a long time about UC Cooperative Extension’s research capacity and infrastructure issues,” said Bob Klein, manager of the California Pistachio Research Board. “This new initiative will increase efficiency and productivity for farm advisors and also reduce their stress from being overcommitted.”

    Josette Lewis, the Almond Board chief scientific officer, said the organization depends on UCCE farm advisors for unbiased, quality information about almond production.

    “Advisors are a valuable link between UC campuses and growers, not only in doing applied research that helps growers thrive, but in meeting California’s goals of environmental and social sustainability,” Lewis said. “The information they generate is shared with a host of ag industry professionals – pest control advisers, crop consultants and people in the private sector who provide services to growers.”

    Commodity industry funding for UC Cooperative Extension reflects the value the nut crop industries leverage from one of the strongest agricultural research and extension systems in the world, Lewis said.

    The new program is modeled after a pilot project in Colusa County in which the Almond Board provided funding for Niederholzer to hire an intern to support almond research. A young scientist who held the post from 2015-16 was Milliron. In 2017, UC Cooperative Extension named Milliron a sustainable orchard systems advisor for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties and he will now supervise one of the new staff research associates.

    “We had a chance to keep him in the system and capitalize on what he learned during his internship,” Lewis said.

    There are other tree nut and fruit advisors in need of research help, Grant said. For example, there are concentrations of tree fruit and nut acreage and growers in Kern, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

    “We positioned these four research associates where we heard the need for help was most critical. We can see adding another position or two in the future if funds are available,” Grant said. — By Jeannette E. Warnert, UC Cooperative Extension

    Pistachios growing at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

  • California Table Grape Commission Promotes Karen Hearn

    Karen Hearn is the new Vice President of Domestic Marketing for the California Table Grape Commission. Hearn’s responsibilities include leading the domestic retail team, providing strategic direction, and partnering with retailers to motivate consumer purchase of California table grapes.

    “Karen has long been a valuable member of the table grape team,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the commission, “and now she has a larger leadership role to play.” Nave noted that having someone with Karen’s experience, savvy, and commitment lead the domestic marketing program is of tremendous benefit to growers – particularly during such a challenging time. “Karen knows grapes, knows the retail environment, knows how to help retailers and growers move a crop. She loves the work and it shows.”

    Prior to her promotion, Hearn was the senior marketing director for the commission. “I am grateful for all Karen has done during her tenure, for the leadership she has shown, and for the great work I know is yet to come,” Nave said.

  • Almond Board of California 2020 Election Results

    The Almond Board of California has released election results for the Board of Directors positions whose terms of office will run from August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021. The names of the following nominees have been submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for selection:

    Independent Grower:

    Member Position One (one-year term):          

    Paul Ewing, Los Banos

    Alternate Position One:

    Joe Gardiner, Earlimart                                 

    Independent Handler:

    Member Position One (three-year term):

    Alexi Rodriguez, Caruthers

    Alternate Position One:

    Ron Fisher, Modesto

    Member Position Three (one-year term):           

    Darren Rigg, Le Grand            

    Alternate Position Two:

    Chad DeRose, McFarland

    Cooperative Grower:

    Member Position One (three-year term):

    George Goshgarian Jr., Fowler

    Alternate Position One:

    Christine Gemperle, Ceres

    Cooperative Handler:

    Member Position Two (three-year term):

    Bill Morecraft, Sacramento

    Alternate Position Two:

    Alicia Rockwell, Sacramento

    ABOUT THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

    Almonds from California are a healthy, natural, wholesome and quality food. The Almond Board of California promotes almonds with a research-based approach to responsible farming, production and marketing on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of whom have third- and fourth-generation family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit Almonds.com or check out California Almonds on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

  • On World Milk Day, U.S. Dairy Celebrates American Consumers

    National Milk Producers Federation — While no one can say with certainty that the slow re-openings across the U.S. mark the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s clear these attempts to return to a more normal existence mark the end of the beginning. The world is an experiment, both of science and of societies. Outcomes will remain uncertain for months.

    But data can help draw a few conclusions. One from the consumer sector is that, in times of uncertainty, people turn to the bedrock items that they know will nourish themselves and their families. And dairy is an important choice.

    Retail-sales as reported by consumer market researcher IRI over the past three months show that consumers have reacted to the coronavirus crisis first by stocking up on dairy, then by continuing to buy milk and other products at disproportionately high levels.

    From March 8 to March 22, as stay-at-home orders and business closures proliferated nationwide, dairy products flew from store shelves. Milk sales were 43 percent higher than during the same period a year earlier. Yogurt rose 31 percent. Ice cream sales gained 40 percent and cheese 76 percent. Butter sales more than doubled during the same period. 

    Gains have continued into the “new normal,” and in fact take up more of a consumer’s retail dollar than they did during the panic peak. Retail dairy sales from late March through May 17 remain 25 percent higher than a year ago, while overall grocery sales during that same period are only up 14 percent — meaning that at a time when people are relying more on grocers to fill their needs, they’re relying on dairy significantly more than they are on other products. 

    That vote of consumer trust shows every sign of continuing for the foreseeable future – and that shouldn’t be a surprise, really. When milk is already in 94 percent of U.S. households, it follows that it would be especially important as families choose how to weather a storm. This real-world, real-time affirmation of dairy’s value can’t help but inspire the entire dairy community to keep working and maintain resilience through whatever comes next. Dairy owes a deep debt of gratitude to consumers whose support has helped carry farmers through this crisis. 

    Of course, consumer faith has been only one part of dairy’s story in the past few months. Pre-coronavirus, about half of all dairy sales came from outside the home. Even as retail consumers increased dairy buying, sales to restaurants, schools and cafeterias plunged. That turbulence prompted sharp declines in the USDA’s forecast for milk prices for 2020. That’s been a big reason why federal assistance for dairy farms has been so important.

    But even that story is brightening. A recent price rally is changing the outlook from mortifying to merely difficult – still cold comfort for many producers, but more manageable in a way many wouldn’t have dared to wish for even one month ago. Restaurant sales are slowly returning, and federal aid has provided a meaningful boost to bottom lines, even as signs of stress will still need to be monitored and additional aid will be necessary. 

    The past few months have been difficult for dairy, as it has for everyone. The next few will be as well. But dairy is resilient. Its value to consumers is beyond dispute, and early signs of recovery give reasons for hope. Today is World Milk Day. there remains much to overcome, there is also much to celebrate. Raise a glass. 

  • 60-year-old Flight Instructor Propels Himself to Winemaking Degree

    When local flight instructor Paolo De Censi is flying over the Central Valley, it gives him a chance to glance over at the Fresno State vineyard and winery that have fueled his other passion the past four years.

     De Censi, who turned 60 in April, received his bachelor’s degree in enology this month, after balancing a full-time class schedule with a 20-hour-a-week teaching load at JB Aeronautics, based out of the Fresno Yosemite International Airport.

     That career started almost 30 years ago when he took his first aviation class in 1992 in Daytona Beach, Florida. 

     “I wasn’t one of those kids that always dreamed of flying,” De Censi said. “In my 20s, a friend who had his license got me into it a little while I was working as a computer programmer. When I realized that many co-workers were much better than I at it, I decided to find a profession that was fun and started saving up to take flying lessons, and I’ve never gone back.”

    His interest in winemaking started at an early age with his grandfathers who grew grapes and made wine in northern Italy in the Piedmont and Lombardy areas near Milan where he grew up. 

     “Wine is such an important part of the Italian culture in so many ways,” De Censi said. “All of our family helped out at harvest, and those experiences bound us together. I still remember when my grandfather offered me my first taste when I was a kid.”

     Agriculture emerged on his professional radar after a biology professor recommended it as a career option while he was a student at Los Angeles Pierce College. He later graduated with an associate’s degree in agriculture from the Woodland Hills institution in 2013.

     Prior to that, he had received an associate of science degree in aviation maintenance from West Los Angeles College in 2008.

     “I guess you could say classes have become an addiction,” De Censi said. “After I lost my job as a flight instructor in Italy (in 2004), I came back to the U.S. via a student visa, and I had to keep taking classes to renew my visa. I needed to take 12 units each semester and work, so it was like a puzzle which classes would fit into a schedule for me to do both.”

     Being a student for so long has also given him the chance to expand his horizons in other ways. 

     He speaks Spanish fluently, dabbles in French and has a wide spectrum of academic interests. A smattering of the topics of his Fresno State classes include Chinese, deaf culture, dinosaurs, energy conversion, Latin American studies, massage, Pilates, planet Earth, pop music, violent weather and yoga.

     He has excelled in them with a 3.78 GPA, and he was nominated for the Dean’s Medal for the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.

     What’s next for the budding winemaker? 

     Possibly a master’s degree with the same Fresno State enology program to add research and production experience at the award-winning campus winery that is regarded as the nation’s best.

     “I’ve been so busy with both areas that I haven’t had as much time to improve my hands-on winemaking skills,” De Censi said. “It’s like when you start to get your private pilot’s license, they say you’re at a 0 level. I feel like that’s where I’m at, but the winery here is such a great place to learn.”

     After that, he knows opportunities will open up with his Fresno State degree and training. 

     He would consider working at wineries in Central California or throughout the state, and the only caveat is that he would like an airport nearby. He would also consider a return to Italy, and especially enticing would be Cinque Terre, a string of five towns and villages on the northwest coast.

     “It would be nice to go back there and work,” DeCensi said. “It’s so beautiful, and the wine is great. However, it’s not easy to work in the vineyards there because of the steep slopes and terraces. I try not to have any long-term goals, because they never work out. I want to enjoy the next few years here, and then we’ll see.”

  • CA Farmers Can Now Apply for Financial Assistance through Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

    Agricultural producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call center in order to simplify how they serve new customers across the nation.

    “We know California producers are facing a tough time now, and we are making every effort to provide much needed support as quickly as possible,” said Connie Conway, state executive director for FSA in California. “FSA is available over the phone and virtually to walk you through the application process, whether it’s the first time you’ve worked with FSA, or if you know us quite well.”

    Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020. Through CFAP, USDA is making available $16 billion for vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.

    “We also want to remind producers that the program is structured to ensure the availability of funding for all eligible producers who apply,” Conway said.

    In order to do this, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date nationwide, as funds remain available.

    Producers can download the CFAP application and other eligibility forms from farmers.gov/cfap. Also, on that webpage, producers can find a payment calculator to help identify sales and inventory records needed to apply and calculate potential payments.

    Additionally, producers in search of one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer assistance. This is a good first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.

    Applying for Assistance

    Producers of all eligible commodities will apply through their local FSA office. Those who use the online calculator tool will be able to print off a pre-filled CFAP application, sign, and submit to your local FSA office either electronically or via hand delivery. Please contact your local office to determine the preferred method. Find contact information for your local office at farmers.gov/cfap.

    Documentation to support the producer’s application and certification may be requested after the application is filed. FSA has streamlined the signup process to not require an acreage report at the time of application and a USDA farm number may not be immediately needed. 

    Additional Commodities

    USDA is also establishing a process for the public to identify additional commodities for potential inclusion in CFAP. Specifically, USDA is looking for data on agricultural commodities, that are not currently eligible for CFAP, that the public believes to have either:

    1. suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
    2. shipped but subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channel, or
    3. not left the farm or remained unharvested as mature crops.

    More information about this process is available on farmers.gov/cfap.

    More Information

    To find the latest information on CFAP, visit farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364.

    USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.