California Ag Network

Category: Dairy Industry

  • CA Milk Advisory Board Launches California Dairy Innovation Center

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), the marketing order representing California dairy producers, today announced the development of the California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC), a collaborative effort to further product-oriented innovation and enhance productivity for California dairy. The CDIC will feed dairy innovation efforts for the number one dairy state with collaborations between California dairy producers, processors, and universities.

    “The ‘center’ is not a physical building or organization, but rather a cooperative effort to leverage the tremendous brain trust of our California colleges and universities as well as the California dairy industry as a whole to support our mutual goals,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB.

    The CMAB is currently in the recruitment process for a CDIC Director who will unite industry professionals to meet innovation goals, while providing vital leadership for the California dairy industry. The Director role will also include coordinating pre-competitive research projects, as well as educational trainings to meet these goals. The Director will be a point of contact for researchers, educators, and business development representatives, as well as for processors interested in innovation efforts. This position will also serve as an advocate for the dairy community by promoting innovation, product development, and workforce support; in addition to implementing competitive advantages for the dairy industry.

    California is the nation’s leading milk producer. It also produces more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. The state is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made exclusively with sustainably produced milk from the state’s dairy farm families.

    About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

  • U.S. Dairy Exports to Benefit from New USDA-FDA Partnership

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will establish an interagency process to further support exports of U.S. dairy products. Both agencies play critical roles in facilitating foreign sales of American-made dairy products, which is recognized and appreciated by the U.S. dairy industry. This MOU will draw upon the expertise of FDA as well as USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) to deepen and streamline their work together on the issues facing dairy exports to the benefit of U.S. dairy farmers and manufacturers.

    The MOU, a project underway within the agencies since 2017, is designed to maximize efficiency in the U.S. government’s support for U.S. dairy export requests from foreign governments by outlining each agency’s primary areas of responsibility for dairy exports. For example, FDA’s responsibilities as outlined in the MOU focus on ensuring dairy products are safe and liaising with USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), and foreign governments on relevant food safety questions as necessary. AMS’s responsibilities focus on providing sanitary certificates and other export-related services to dairy exporters, such as export verification programs or facilitating the submission of facility questionnaires to foreign governments as needed. FAS’s responsibilities focus on facilitating sanitary certificate negotiations and liaising with foreign governments on matters related to dairy exports.

    “Today’s announcement of an interagency MOU on dairy trade between USDA and FDA is the result of years of conversation and efforts between stakeholders within the U.S. dairy industry and the U.S. government to establish consistent guidance on tackling the rising number of export challenges facing our industry. This MOU will help our industry continue to grow in an increasingly competitive global environment,” said Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of USDEC.

    “This new partnership ensures that the staff at USDA and FDA are working together in the most efficient way possible to lower barriers for our farmer’s dairy exports. Increasing U.S. dairy exports will strengthen the health of our farmers and rural communities, which is more important than ever as America’s dairy industry faces new and unprecedented challenges. We appreciate all of the hard work from both agencies and stand ready to support the USDA and FDA’s commitment to open new doors for U.S. dairy exports,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF.

    IDFA President and CEO Michael Dykes, D.V.M., had this to say about the MOU: “We are excited to share this good news with IDFA’s members across the dairy supply chain. IDFA has been a tireless advocate for this kind of federal agency efficiency and cooperation, and seeing this collaborative effort come to fruition to support U.S. dairy exports is a tremendous accomplishment and a huge value-add for the dairy industry. IDFA appreciates the efforts of USDA and FDA to finalize this MOU and facilitate our industry’s global growth.”

    Beyond individual agency responsibilities, the MOU outlines how the agencies will communicate and collaborate to ensure dairy export markets remain open when new foreign requirements arise requiring the U.S. government’s response, such as recently implemented or revised certificates in China or Taiwan. The MOU also provides a published reference of each agency’s involvement in the export of U.S. dairy products, which will help address questions from foreign governments that may not have previously understood that more than one agency is involved in dairy exports.

    “In recent years, more and more countries have erected obstacles and barriers to U.S. dairy exports, including increasingly complex requirements for statements, certificates, questionnaires, and facility listings,” said Dykes. “While the U.S. government opposes overly burdensome requirements on behalf of U.S. food and agricultural exporters, U.S. officials are barraged with an influx of requests from foreign governments that make it increasingly difficult for all U.S. parties.  This MOU keeps our dairy industry and U.S. government a step ahead, positioning U.S. dairy for growth by streamlining roles and resources already in place.”

    In 2019, the United States exported $5.9 billion in dairy products, one of the strongest years on record for dairy exports. The MOU is effective immediately and can be reviewed here.

  • Evaluating Compost Benefits in Alfalfa Hay for Improved Soil Structure & Fertility

    We all recognize human health as a goal, but healthy soils is a key goal for farming operations, since healthy soils frequently result in higher yields and economic returns over time.  “Health” is often defined with a range of properties including high fertility, good water-holding capacity and drainage, long-term productivity, and sustaining organic matter content.

    A joint UC Davis and UC Cooperative Extension research project was recently awarded funding for $250,000 from the California Department of Agriculture Healthy Soils Program, to look at the application of compost to alfalfa to improve soil structure and fertility. This grant is designed to fund implementation and demonstration of on-farm soil health practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and store carbon.

    The recipients are Kate Scow and Radomir Schmidt, UC Davis Department Land, Air, Water Resources and UCCE advisors Michelle Leinfelder-Miles and Rachael Long, in collaboration with Westside Spreading LLC.

    This project will demonstrate compost application to alfalfa for improving soil structure and fertility. Compost is not typically applied to alfalfa; however, manure application to alfalfa is common in the state’s dairy regions.

    The over half a million acres of alfalfa in California could represent an important repository for compost, for which a large land base of spreading may be needed as municipalities convert organic waste management streams to compost to divert from landfills.

    Alfalfa has the ability to take up large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus from the soil, which are harvested and removed in the crop. These nutrients are of concern in organic wastes due to their potential to contribute to water pollution.  Furthermore, alfalfa growers are interested in the potential of compost to improve soil structure in their alfalfa fields, as many growers report suffering from poor soil conditions.  Composts can improve infiltration and the acids generated by composts can improve soil structure and improve nutrient availability.  Often, large cracks form in heavy soils can cause poor soil structure due to the wetting and drying cycles of alfalfa surface irrigation management.  This wetting and drying cycle can also be deleterious to soil microbial health.

    Compost application has been anecdotally reported to alleviate soil cracking in another perennial crop, almond orchards, in the Central Valley, but soil structure improvement via management practices like compost application has received little research attention thus far.  Through this project, we will evaluate compost application to alfalfa for improving soil health. — By Rachael Freeman Long, Michelle Leinfelder-Miles & Dan Putnam (UC Cooperative Extension)

  • Merced Dairy Farmer Donates Easement to Mitigate for School Building

    The California Farmland Trust (CFT) is pleased to share that another property in Merced County has been permanently protected. Simon and Christine Vander Woude, have donated a conservation easement on their property in Merced. The Vander Woude’s nearly 65-acre parcel of farmland is currently planted in field crops for their dairy operation and will forever remain in agriculture.

    “I served on the building committee for the development of Stone Ridge Christian High School,” shared Simon Vander Woude. “The school is a project we were very passionate about. When it was determined that the school would need to mitigate for the land they were building on, I was pleased that we had a parcel that could be utilized for such purposes. Given our interest in the school, we were happy to donate the value of the easement and know that the land would forever be protected,” Vander Woude added.

    The property, located on the westside of Merced, met the mitigation requirement as defined by Merced County, and that’s where CFT stepped in. As a land trust focused on farmland, CFT worked with the Vander Woude’s and the school, to ensure this property would be protected and monitored forever. The agricultural conservation easement (ACE) complimented the Vander Woude’s other sustainability efforts, which include a solar field, as well as other efficient and regenerative water and farm management practices.

    “No two easement projects are the same, but this is unique because Simon and Christine felt so strongly about donating the value of the easement to help the school fulfill the mitigation requirement. Foregoing compensation for the development rights isn’t an easy choice, but we commend their decision,” said Charlotte Mitchell CFT Executive Director.

    The Vander Woude property compliments the existing 34 easements and more than 11,000 acres, that CFT has worked with landowners to permanently protect in Merced County.

    The California Farmland Trust is a California Non-Profit 501(c)(3). Our mission is to help farmers protect the best farmland in the world. To date, we have protected 16,708 acres of farmland on 77 family farms. To learn more visit us: www.cafarmtrust.org.

  • USDA Announces Contracts for Round 3 of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program

    Following President Donald Trump’s approval to include up to an additional $1 billion in the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved up to $1 billion in contracts to support American producers and communities in need through the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program. Earlier this week, USDA reached a milestone of having distributed more than 90 million food boxes in support of American farmers and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “These contract awards will go to vendors who submitted the strongest proposals in support of American agriculture and the American people. The high level of interest and quality of proposals are a testament that the program is accomplishing what we intended – supporting U.S. farmers and distributors and getting food to those who need it most. It’s a real trifecta, which is why we call it a win-win-win,” said Secretary Perdue. “Thanks to President Trump and his commitment to the program with the announcement of an additional $1 billion in funding, more farmers will be supported, and more families will receive the nutritious food they need during these difficult times.”

    The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has worked closely with USDA to ensure dairy remains a key part of the Farmers to Families Food Box program so that dairy companies can deliver nutritious dairy products to food insecure Americans via non-profits, food banks, and faith and community organizations. To date, USDA has purchased more than $400 million in dairy products since mid-May, including fresh fluid milk, various cheeses, yogurt, sour cream and more. IDFA engaged directly with USDA during Round 2 of the program to make changes to the program, including expanding the requested products to include hard, semi-firm or semi-soft cheeses.

    “With over 90 million Farmers to Families food boxes delivered, we continue to leverage and support our great American farmers and food distributors to feed those most vulnerable. Thanks to the President’s commitment of $1 billion in additional funding, I’m proud to see that we are well on our way to the third round of USDA Farmers to Families food box program purchases which focus on boxes containing fresh and nutritious fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy,” said Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump.

    These contract awards are a result of the third round of Farmers to Families Food Box program announced on July 24, 2020, and President Trump’s announcement on August 24 that up to an additional $1 billion was being made available for deliveries through October 31, 2020. A full list of approved suppliers is available on the Farmers to Families Food Box Program webpage.

    Background:

    In this third round of purchases, USDA announced plans to purchase combination boxes to ensure all recipient organizations have access to fresh produce, dairy products, fluid milk and meat products. These boxes will be distributed to every county in America.

    USDA solicited new proposals for the third round. Proposals were required to illustrate how coverage would be provided to areas identified as opportunity zones, detail subcontracting agreements, and address the “last mile” delivery of product into the hands of the food insecure population.

    Entities who met the government’s requirements and specifications were issued agreements and submitted pricing through a competitive acquisition process. Agreements were awarded based on the pricing submitted for the delivery locations proposed, box content, last mile delivery plans, means testing compliance, and support of small and local/regional food systems.

    In the ongoing second round of purchasing and distribution, which began July 1 and will conclude Sep. 18, 2020, USDA has purchased more than $1.113 billion of food through extended contracts of select vendors from the first round of the program as well as new contracts focused on Opportunity Zones in order to direct food to reach underserved areas, places where either no boxes have yet been delivered, or where boxes are being delivered but where there is additional need.

    The first round of purchases occurred from May 15 through June 30, 2020 and saw more than 35.5 million boxes delivered in the first 45 days.

    Updates to the number of food boxes verified as delivered will continue to be displayed on the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) website, with breakdowns by performance period on the Farmers to Families Food Box Program page.

  • San Francisco 49ers Announce Partnership With Clover Sonoma

    The San Francisco 49ers and Clover Sonoma, a third-generation family-owned and operated dairy, today announced an exclusive partnership to bring together the two beloved Bay Area brands. As part of the partnership, Clover Sonoma will become the “Preferred Milk of the San Francisco 49ers,” which will include packaging, promotions, a holiday eggnog sweepstakes, advertising, and in-stadium and digital media.

    PARTNERSHIP LAUNCH MASCOT VIDEO

    “We always appreciate the opportunity to partner with a local, family-owned brand that carries strong name recognition among the Faithful so we couldn’t be happier to welcome Clover Sonoma to our team,” said Kevin Hilton, 49ers Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. “For generations, they’ve been a high-standing and charitable brand and we look forward to working with them to find innovative ways to entertain and benefit our fans.”

    Key assets of the campaign include Clover Sonoma’s inclusion in the 49ers Safeway Shopper program, where they will be releasing a 49ers-branded holiday organic eggnog with in-store marketing through the end of the year. Additionally, the 49ers Facebook channel will conduct a fan caption contest where winners will see their caption featured on a co-branded billboard and receive two club seats to one future 49ers home game.

    Clover Sonoma will also become the entitlement partner of Los 49ers, the team’s official Spanish Radio Channel where games are broadcast via web stream. Cal-Hi Sports Report, the largest high school sports show in California and a 49ers enterprise, will feature a Clover Sonoma branded event titled “Milk & Cookies with the Rookies.”

    “As a 49ers fan, I have always admired the organization’s focus on authenticity, philanthropy, diversity and community,” said Kristel Corson, Clover Sonoma Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Aligning with the 49ers allows us the opportunity to make a bigger impact in the Bay Area and we’re excited to bring Sourdough Sam and Clo the Cow together for some laughable moments that will inevitably bring cheer to our dedicated fans.”

    About The San Francisco 49ers:

    The San Francisco 49ers, owned by Denise and John York, currently play in the NFC West division and have won five Super Bowl trophies including Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX. The franchise also has seven conference championships and 20 divisional championships and was the first major league professional sports team to be based in San Francisco more than 70 years ago. Please visit www.49ers.com and follow the 49ers on Facebook and Twitter @49ers.

    About Clover Sonoma:

    Third-generation family owned and operated, Clover Sonoma is recognized as a leader at the forefront of the dairy industry. The Petaluma-based company in Northern California’s beautiful Sonoma County was the first dairy in the United States to become American Humane Certified, and hold its partnership of family-owned dairy farms to a higher standard by developing its own unique Clover Promise of Excellence. Clover Sonoma is proud to bring conscious dairy products direct from its farms to consumers. As a Certified B Corporation®, the company uses its business as a power to do good, and its passionate support of animal welfare, sustainable business practices, and local community have always been hallmarks of the business. Each year the company gives back at least five percent of its profits to support these passions under its Clover Cares program. For more information, please visit www.cloversonoma.com and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube.

  • Emergency Mortality Disposal Advisory Update

    As an update to outdated information shared last week, the following has been provided from a variety agencies including CDFA, RB-5, CalRecycle, various county agricultural commissioners and divisions of environmental health and rendering companies. It represents our best understanding of current requirements, but these may change without notice.

    Summary

      The current heat event has strained the state’s rendering capacity.

      Some producers have carcasses that have not been picked up and have deteriorated

    beyond the point at which they can be processed at the rendering plant. These carcasses

    will likely never be retrieved by a dead hauler.

      CDFA directs producers with such decomposed carcasses to contact their local landfill

    and inquire if they are receiving emergency mortalities. If they are, the carcasses may be transported to the landfill by either the producer or licensed dead hauler. Contact information for local landfills is provided in a chart below.

      If the local landfill is not accepting emergency mortalities, producers may temporarily store them in compost piles on the dairy. CDFA, in consultation with CalRecycle and regional board, will provide guidance in the near future as to the final disposition of the composted material, meaning either landfill or land application.

    Background

    Since mid-August California has experienced an unusually intense and protracted heat event, with temperatures significant enough for the Governor to proclaim a State of Emergency. In addition to an increase in heat-related animal mortalities, the situation has been exacerbated by a mechanical issue at one rendering plant and a landfill temporarily closed due to wildfire smoke in another. All three of the state’s rendering companies that process deadstock have implemented mitigation measures including diversion of non-carcass material to other plants, increasing route frequency and augmenting transfers from collection centers. In spite of these efforts however, rendering capacity has been strained and some carcass stranded at the farm have deteriorated to the point they can no longer be handled by rendering machinery.

    What should producers with decomposed carcasses do?

    If a renderer or dead hauler service refuses to retrieve certain decomposed carcasses, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) advises producers to take following action:

    Contact the local county landfill – Use the table below to identify which county landfill might accept animal carcasses. Landfill availability is very fluid right now, with new facilities receiving permission to accept carcasses daily. If the local landfill is accepting livestock carcasses, either the producer or a licensed dead hauler can transport them to the landfill during working hours. Producers should CALL FIRST before transporting the carcasses to the local landfill, to avoid being turned around at the gate. Producers transporting their own fresh mortalities to a local landfill are cautioned not to have liquid or solid organic matter spill onto the roadway, which could result in fine by local law enforcement. Alternatively producer might choose to engage services of a licensed dead hauler. A list of haulers that provide services to dairies in the past also appears below.

    Compost mortalities on the dairy – If the local landfill is not currently accepting carcasses they may be temporarily stored on-site at the dairy in a composting pile. This mitigates the immediate nuisance problem of decomposing carcasses by the roadside, kills common human and animal pathogens and creates a more manageable material for landfills. After the composting process is complete and no later than six (6) months from starting the composting process, the composted materials will be required to be disposed of. CDFA will provide guidance in the near future as to the final disposition of the composted material, meaning either transportation to a landfill or used for land application. The Central Valley Water Board requires that a 2-page notice of intent be filed within 30 days of starting the composting. Producers may contact their trade organization for assistance in filling this out.

    What are acceptable practices for on-site composting?

    Several guides for composting cattle mortalities are available on-line including USDA and Extension Bulletins from Michigan State and New Mexico State. Research by the University of California suggests dairy manure (either dry-lot scraping or screened manure solids having a moisture content ranging from 25% to 70% is an effective composting feedstock. In California the date, number and identity of cows composted and subsequently transported to landfill should be documented to answer any future regulatory inquiries. An impervious layer such as a concrete pad or a waterproof liner should be used to protect groundwater from infiltration. Adult carcasses should be placed on a 3-footbed of dairy manure and covered with 3 feet of the same material. The site of the temporary piles should be protected from inundation, washout, runoff, ponding, and scavenging wild animals. The temporary pile should be at least 50 feet from any domestic well. Be sure to keep and maintain records to document that the composted material was taken to a landfill within 6 months. RB-5 staff will be looking for evidence of bones and carcasses that have been left for more than 6 months and checking for landfill disposal records during future inspections.

    Burial on the farm?

    Producers in any Central Valley county may NOT permanently bury mortalities on farm unless they obtain a permit from the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Such a permit includes a copy of the county’s emergency declaration, an annotated map, photographs and management plan for the site. The current fee for such a permit is approximately $4,000 dollars.

    Records

    Both CDFA and RB5 require that producers record the final disposition of each carcass not sent to rendering. This will help protect producers from regulatory confusion and potential fines. Records must be maintained for at least five years.

  • Emergency Mortality Disposal Advisory from CDFA

    Disclaimer: The guidance below is only applicable during an emergency declared by the Governor, county agricultural commissioner, or other authorized government entity. Once the emergency situation is over, disposal of mortalities on-site or through landfill without proper CDFA permit will be considered by California Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (RB-5) to be a violation of the Dairy General Order, and a violation of California Food and Agricultural Code (FAC) 19348.

    This is our best understanding of the current situation. We will provide updates if the situation changes and more information becomes available.

    Background: The regional heat wave expected over the next few days has resulted in higher than normal animal mortality rates in the Central Valley areas. This advisory was created to give necessary guidance to impacted producers regarding alternative carcass disposal methods.

    Disposal Options: Currently, there are four alternative carcass disposal methods that include: 1. Direct transport to alternative rendering facilities; 2. Direct transport to permitted landfills; 3. Temporary on-farm storage for later transport to rendering or permitted landfills; and, 4. On-farm composting for later transport to landfill or on-farm land application for non-agricultural purposes.

    The four options listed below are provided as general guidance describing all potentially viable alternative disposal methods during the heat event. Please be aware that some counties may have some specific guidance/requirements on how to dispose of stockpiled animal carcasses during such events. It is the producer’s responsibility to check with their local enforcement agencies (LEA) and follow their guidance and requirements.

    Option #1. Direct transport to alternative rendering facility.

    The preferred carcass disposal option is direct transport to an alternative rendering facility with available capacity to process the carcasses. Rendering is recycling and it provides the best beneficial use of the carcass materials. However, the condition of the carcasses is critical, as rendering plants have requirements regarding the acceptable levels of carcass decomposition. If this option is pursued, coordination is critical among CDFA’s Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety (MPES) Branch, the alternative CDFA licensed rendering facility, licensed collection centers, and licensed dead animal haulers. Mr. Michael Koewler, Chairman of CDFA’s Rendering Industry Advisory Board (RIAB) is the lead for coordination among rendering facilities. Mr. Koewler is also President of Sacramento Rendering Company and can be reached at 916-363-4821. Please contact Mr. Koewler for the coordination of transportation among the alternative rendering facilities, dead animal haulers, and collection centers. 

    • CDFA Licensed Renderers and Collection Centers: A link to the map showing the location and contact phone number for licensed renderers and collection centers can be found here.

    • CDFA Licensed Dead Animal Haulers: A list of 2020 CDFA licensed dead animal haulers with their contact phone number can be found here.

    • CDFA MPES Branch Contacts:
      Paula Batarseh, 916-900-5059, Paula.Batarseh@cdfa.ca.gov Han Lai, 916-204-4438, han.lai@cdfa.ca.gov

      Option #2. Direct transport to permitted landfill

      If Option 1 is not available, producers may be able to locate a landfill that will accept animal carcasses. The first step in evaluating this option is to contact local landfills regarding their acceptance of animal carcasses. The second step is to consult with your LEA and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) before transporting carcasses to a landfill. The RWQCB recommends that animal carcasses should only be disposed of in landfills with permitted leachate management systems to prevent potential water quality contamination. There are many more landfills in the Central Valley that lack leachate management systems than those that do. Therefore, it is critical to work closely with the LEA and RWQCB to determine which landfills will be allowed to accept carcasses during heat events. Once a landfill has been identified, remember landfill operators should also be provided with a copy of the CDFA Carcass Disposal Quarantine Notice.

      Local Landfill Map: A comprehensive interactive map listing local landfills is available on-line from CalRecycle.

      LEA Directory. A directory link with contact information for the LEAs can be found at: https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/SolidWaste/LEA/Directory/

      Central Valley RWQCB Contact: Doug Patteson, (559) 445-5577
      Option #3. Temporary storage on-farm for later transport to a rendering facility or

      permitted landfill.

      If Option 1 and 2 are not available, carcasses may be temporarily stored on-site at the farm. There are two temporary storage options.

      1. 3.1  On-Site Cold Storage. Holding carcasses in a temperature-controlled storage unit is preferred as it retards decompositions and may hold the carcass in a condition that will allow rendering at a later date.

      2. 3.2  Temporary Piling. Carcasses can be piled on or above the ground surface and covered with soil. In either case, the pile needs to be on an impervious layer to protect groundwater from leachate infiltration, e.g. a waterproof liner is required to be placed underneath the pile. During an extended heat event, storage in ambient temperatures will result in accelerated decomposition where the final disposition will be transport to a permitted landfill. Producers should contact the landfill prior to storing carcasses onsite and before transporting the material to ensure the facility is permitted and has the capacity to accept carcasses. Producers should also consult with the county LEA and RWQCB before pursuing with the temporary storage option for ultimate landfill disposal. 

        Note: Always consider control measures for insects, other fomites, and vectors during temporary carcass storage. Stored material must be removed from the farm within one month following the creation of the temporary pile. If any storage is done below grade (buried), prior notification to the RWQCB is required to avoid enforcement action. Be sure to keep and maintain records to document that the material was taken to a landfill within one month. Also maintain final landfill disposal records for inspection.

        Option #4. On-farm Composting

        As a last resort, if the animals died on the owner’s property they may be composted on-farm. If done correctly, composting can: mitigate the immediate issue of decomposing animal carcasses by the roadside, control common human and animal pathogens, and create a more manageable material that may be more acceptable for landfilling. Compost must always be performed in a controlled manner by trained and experienced personnel. Proper site security measures such as fencing should be installed to protect the compost piles from predators, vermin, or other unwanted animals. After the composting process is complete and no later than six (6) months from starting the composting process, the composted materials will be required to be disposed of through:

        4.1 Landfill. Composted materials can be disposed of at permitted landfills. The producers should confirm that there is a landfill available that will accept compost material before beginning the composting process. Producers should consult with the landfill operator, LEA, and RWQCB before starting the composting process and/or sending the composted material to the landfill. The date, number and identity of cows composted and subsequently transported to landfill should be documented to address any future regulatory inquiries.

        4.2 Land Application on Owner’s Property for Non-Agricultural Purpose. Land application is an option but only with the approval of the RWQRB and is for non- agricultural use only. Producers should consult with the RWQCB before starting the composting process and inquire about requirements for land application. It is likely that land application will require a management plan with monitoring and testing that shows the composted material will not be a threat to water quality. The producers should plan for the possibility that the only disposal option for the composted material is landfill. Be aware that the maximum allowed time for composting on-farm is six (6) months. In addition, outside material cannot be brought on site to be composted, and the compost materials cannot be transported off-site (other than to a landfill as presented under option 4.1) or sold and/or land applied at other locations. Bones should be removed and properly disposed of prior to land applying the compost materials.

        Composting resources: Several guides for composting cattle mortalities are available on-line including USDA and Extension Bulletins from Michigan State and New Mexico State. Research by the University of California suggests dairy manure (either dry-lot scraping or screened manure solids) having a moisture content ranging from 25% to 70% and is an effective composting feedstock. An impervious layer such as a concrete pad or a waterproof liner should be used to protect groundwater from infiltration. Adult carcasses should be placed on a 3-foot bed of dairy manure and covered with 3 feet of the same material. The site of the temporary piles should be protected from inundation, washout, runoff, ponding, and scavenging wild animals. The temporary pile should be at least 50 feet from any domestic well. 

        Recordkeeping Requirements

        Producers are required to record the final disposition of each carcass not sent to rendering. This will help protect them from regulatory confusion and potential fines. Records must be maintained for at least three years.

        Please reach out to CDFA MPES Sacramento Headquarter if you have any general questions or need additional assistance.

        California Department of Food and Agriculture
        Animal Health and Food Safety Services: Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch 1220 N Street
        Sacramento, California 95814
        Telephone: (916) 900-5004
        Fax: (916) 900-5334
        or send an email to: cdfa.mpes_feedback@cdfa.ca.gov 

  • Insect-Deterring Sorghum Compounds May be Eco-Friendly Pesticide

    Compounds produced by sorghum plants to defend against insect feeding could be isolated, synthesized and used as a targeted, nontoxic insect deterrent, according to researchers who studied plant-insect interactions that included field, greenhouse and laboratory components.

    For this study, at the University’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, researchers grew two nearly identical lines of sorghum — alike except that one, a mutant, did not possess the functional gene responsible for producing the flavonoids that essentially poison corn leaf aphids. Then researchers compared how the lines were faring.

    The researchers examined the role of sorghum chemicals called flavonoids —specifically 3-deoxyflavonoid and 3-deoxyanthocyanidins — in providing resistance against the corn leaf aphid, a tiny blue-green insect that sucks sap from plants. To defend against pests like the aphids, sorghum has evolved defenses that includes biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including flavonoids to poison the pests.

    A previous Penn State study showed that in sorghum, accumulation of these flavonoids is regulated by a gene called yellow seed1 that controls responses to stresses such as fungal pathogens, noted Surinder Chopra, professor of maize genetics, Penn State. His research group in the College of Agricultural Sciences led both studies.

    In the current research carried out at the University’s Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center, researchers grew two nearly identical lines of sorghum — one with a functional y1 gene that produced flavonoids, and the other a mutant called null y1, which did not possess the functional yellow seed1 gene responsible for producing the flavonoids.

    The flavonoids are not present in the phloem — vascular tissue in plants that conducts the sugars aphids seek — but are in the epidermal cells that form the outermost layer of defense. When aphids repeatedly probe and puncture the epidermal cells with their stylets, or beaks, they take up the flavonoids that lead to their demise.

    When they compared the two lines of plants, researchers found that a significantly higher number of adult corn-leaf aphids colonized null y1 plants compared to the plants with functional y1 gene that produced flavonoids. The aphids actively fed on the null y1 plants to where some of them showed signs of stress with yellowed leaves. The functional sorghum plants that produced the flavonoids had much lower aphid numbers and showed no ill effects from aphid feeding.

    Greenhouse experiments with similar potted sorghum plants demonstrated that the aphids clearly preferred to feed and reproduce on null y1 plants, and the adults produced many more nymphs.

    In a companion laboratory experiment, researchers fed two groups of adult aphids diets of sorghum leaf tissues — but to one they added an extract containing the flavonoids. After a few days, most of the aphids that fed on the flavonoid-enriched leaf tissue died and reproduction was curtailed — none of those aphids had nymphs before they succumbed.

    On sorghum that didn’t have the functional gene to produce the flavonoids, researchers found that a significantly higher number of adult corn leaf aphids colonized on them and fed actively to the point that some of the plants showed signs of stress with yellowed leaves.

    Perhaps surprisingly, Chopra explained, the flavonoids are not present in the phloem — vascular tissue in plants that conducts the sugars aphids seek — but are in the epidermal cells that form the outermost layer of defense. When aphids repeatedly probe and puncture the epidermal cells with their stylets, or beaks, they take up the flavonoids that lead to their demise.

    The findings, published online in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, indicate flavonoids can potentially be deployed as potent insect deterrents to protect crops, Chopra suggested.

    “Sorghum plants have evolved to precisely emit compounds offering defenses against harmful predatory insects that threaten them, and yet these chemicals in their defenses don’t hurt beneficial insects,” said Chopra. “If we could develop nontoxic insecticides, it would be a game changer — given that the toxicity of synthetic pesticides is of great concern, and they are considered to be dangerous to human health.”

    Chopra, supported by Penn State, has applied for a patent on using flavonoids as insect deterrents. He pointed out that while much more research needs to be done, the most important consideration is that flavonoids are natural plant products that do not cause any pollution and are not harmful to human or animal health.

    several varieties of Sorghum

    This research may be an early step toward developing new phytochemicals for crop defenses, Chopra believes. “How well the flavonoids work against other herbivores is being researched, but we know with corn leaf aphids they are very, very potent,” he said.

    Also involved in the research at Penn State were postdoctoral fellows Iffa Gaffoor and Sampurna Sattar, and Cullen Dixon, an undergraduate student, all in the Department of Plant Science; Nadia Frock and Juliet Moen, students in the Department of Entomology; and Associate Dean of Research Gary Thompson, professor of plant science. The team included Consuelo De Moraes and Mark Mescher, Department of Environmental System Science, ETH Zurich; and Rupesh Kariyat, Department of Biology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

    The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. — By Jeff Muhollem, Penn State University

  • Improved Method to Test for Mycotoxin in Feed

    California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Center for Analytical Chemistry (CAC) scientists Bahar Nakhjavan, Nighat Sami Ahmed, and Maryam Khosravifard were recently published in an academic journal after developing an improved method to test for mycotoxin in feed. Their article, “Development of an Improved Method of Sample Extraction and Quantitation of Multi-Mycotoxin in Feed by LC-MS/MS,” details their research of evaluating the three most popular sample preparation techniques for determination of mycotoxins, then selecting the best method and optimizing it.

    Mycotoxins are the most common contaminants in agricultural crops produced by several species of mold and fungi. During growth, maturity, harvest, storage and processing of food and animal feed products, the fungus produces mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites. Mycotoxin-contaminated food and feed threaten human and animal health even at very low concentration.

    Nakhjavan, Ahmed and Khosravifard work in CDFA’s CAC Environmental Safety Laboratory. Testing for mycotoxin in food and animal feed in the Regulatory Analysis Laboratory is part of their job of preventing contaminated food and feed from being consumed by humans, livestock and poultry in California. CAC uses state-of-the-art equipment and processes to test fruits, vegetables, nuts, animal feed, milk, water and air to ensure that pesticide and chemical levels are within the safety range established by national and international standards. Additional CAC staff who contributed to the work discussed in this published paper include Sally Henandez, Jose Salazar and Sarva Balachandra.

    Click here to read “Development of an Improved Method of Sample Extraction and Quantitation of Multi-Mycotoxin in Feed by LC-MS/MS,” by CAC scientists Nakhjavan, Ahmed and Khosravifard.

    (L-R) CDFA scientists Bahar Nakhjavan, Nighat Sami Ahmed and Maryam Khosravifard.