California Ag Network

Category: Dairy Industry

  • Clover Stornetta Farms Rebrands as Clover Sonoma

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (March 29, 2017) – Known for their billboards up and down 101 featuring Clo the Cow, Clover Stornetta Farms has rebranded as Clover Sonoma.

    Announced in early March, the company believes the refreshed Clover Sonoma name honors the company’s heritage of being from Sonoma County while looking ahead to Clover’s expanded product distribution to Southern California and beyond.

    In addition to changing their name, Clover Sonoma has redesigned their packaging which has remained unchanged since the 80’s for conventional products.

    Alongside their rebranding, Clover announced their new status as a Certified B Corporation. Being a B Corp Member means the company is using “business as a power to do good.” During the certification process, Clover Sonoma scored 97 points, significantly higher than the average of 55 and 80 needed to qualify.

    “For more than 100 years, our brand has worked closely with family dairy farmers in Sonoma and Marin Counties to produce the best milk on the market, and now our Clover Sonoma name expresses this heritage while looking to the future,” said Marcus Benedetti, president and CEO at Clover Sonoma. “Our independence allows us to continue to provide the quality our customers have known for years, and our new status as a Certified B Corporation® continues our mission to produce quality dairy that cares for family farms, animals, the environment and our communities.”

    In addition to recent changes, the company announced last September they would begin to make all their milk, including conventional, GMO-free. Over the course of the next two years, their milk products will become Non-GMO Project Verified, a seal of trusted third-party testing with the highest standards in the world for non-GMO avoidance. The first conventional non-GMO half gallon products were released March 8 with the full line of fluid milk products transitioned by 2019.

    Marcus Benedetti, president and CEO at Clover Sonoma. Photo Courtesy of Clover Sonoma.

    Clover Sonoma is a third-generation family owned and operated business and has pledged to remain independent and family owned. The company said this is a response to large corporations acquiring small brands in the natural and organic food industry.

    Last year, Clover Sonoma celebrated 100 years of distributing milk in Sonoma County. The Petaluma Cooperative Creamery began distributing Clover brand dairy products in 1916 to stores and residential customers in Petaluma. When the creamery’s bottling and processing operations were destroyed in 1975, the co-op decided not to rebuild. The owners of Clover purchased the wholesale distribution business from the co-op in 1977.

    In 1991, Clover Sonoma opened a state-of-the-art milk processing facility in Petaluma and has been committed to quality and animal welfare. The company decided against using rBST, a synthetic hormone which increases milk production in the early 90’s.

    In the years since, Clover Sonoma began participating in the Clover Promise of Excellence program with high standards that promote sustainable agriculture and humane treatment of their cows. The company began producing certified organic milk in 1999 and became the first dairy in the U.S. to be American Humane Association certified in 2000.

    Clover Sonoma is supplied milk by 29 family owned dairies in Sonoma and Marin Counties and two dairies in the San Joaquin Valley.

    For more information visit cloversonoma.com.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 28, 2017) – The week oscillated between warm and wet to dry and cool two separate times last week, as early springtime Pacific systems moved through the State.

    Rain totals were up to a quarter of an inch along the southern coast, increasing gradually to nearly two inches near San Francisco. The southern valley saw one-and-a-half inches, increasing northward to four inches near Napa. An inch was the norm along the southern Sierra foothills, increasing northward to three inches in northern foothills. The Sierras saw two to three inches of liquid-equivalent precipitation, with snow falling above 7,000 feet. A combination of warm temperatures and rain led to a substantial decrease in the snowpack except at the highest elevations in the northern Sierras. Lodgepole, at 6,700 feet in the southern Sierras, remains the thickest snowpack with a report of nearly six feet of snowdepth.

    Temperature highs were in the 40s to 60s in the mountains, 60s to 70s in the valley and along the coast, and 70s to 90s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 30s in the mountains, 30s to 50s in the valley, 40s to 50s along the coast, and 40s to the 60s in the desert.

    Winter forage crops were maturing well. Some growers were starting to harvest silage. Spotty lodging was noted due to the heavy rain and wind. Corn seed was being received in advance of planting. Cotton preparation work was almost done for planting.

    Field work in vineyards continued with pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding.  Bud break was progressing in vineyards. Cherries and late varieties of stone fruit continued to bloom. Reports of heavy rain and hail may have knocked off petals and affected the bloom. Kiwifruit were being shipped to foreign and domestic marketplaces. The citrus harvest was slowed due to the rain. Late navel orange harvest was underway in some areas.  Navel oranges, Mandarins, lemons, Star Ruby grapefruit, and late harvest Finger limes were being packed and exported for foreign and domestic marketplaces. Valencia orange harvest started. Orange groves were being hedge-rowed and skirted. Seedless tangerine groves continued to be netted to prevent cross pollination by bees during the coming bloom. Blueberries were blooming.  Strawberry fields continued to thrive.  Previously planted onions continued to progress well.

    Almond bloom continued to slow down. Almonds and pistachios continued to be packed and exported mainly to foreign marketplaces. Some walnut trees were blooming.  Bee colonies continued to be moved into nut and stone fruit orchards for pollination.

    In Fresno County, garlic and onions have solid growth, due to excess moisture. In Madera County, tomato bed preparation was ongoing and over half of the tomatoes have been planted.  In Tulare County, new fields were being prepared for spring planting as weather permitted.  Cucumbers were being planted under hot caps.

    Rangeland and dryland pasture quality continued to improve with all the recent rainfall and intervening warm weather. Some cattle ranchers have increased their herd size to take advantage of the improved forage conditions.

  • Attention Dairy Families: CDFA to Hold CA FMMO Meeting in April

    Modesto, Calif., (March 24, 2017) – CDFA will be hosting a meeting on April 4 2017 to gather information regarding quota and how it may operate within a California Federal Milk Marketing Order (should producers vote one in down the road). Quota was an important piece of the coops’ proposal and USDA’s willingness to recognize it within its proposed order is a great step. However, USDA did not and will not provide specific details on how CDFA should operate the quota program. It is up to CDFA to determine that and Secretary Ross is calling on the industry for feedback and suggestions. Western United Dairymen will be at the meeting to ask questions and emphasize the importance of a fair program implementation. If you have questions, concerns, or would like Annie to ask a question for you at the meeting if you can’t attend, please contact her at aacmoody@westernuniteddairymen.com or on her cell at 765-543-4483. Details about the meeting can be found in CDFA’s announcement below.

    When: 9:00 am on Tuesday, April 4, 2017
    Where: Stanislaus County Ag Center 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite B, Modesto, CA 95358

    According to the announcement, specifically, CDFA is looking for direction on the following questions:

    1. Should all Grade A milk be subject to a quota assessment or only pooled milk?
    2. What is the best mechanism to gather the requisite data from handlers to calculate the necessary deduction as this will not be provided for under the FMMO?
    3. What is the process by which CDFA shall collect, distribute and enforce quota payments?

    WUD members are encouraged to attend and provide feedback and suggestions.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif. (March 21, 2017) – It was a warm week across the State, as most of the area was well entrenched into a dry pattern. Fog developed across the northern central valley early in the week which helped supply a bit of moisture. Rainfall was limited to the northern third of the State late week. Rainfall amounts were very light along Interstate 80, gradually increasing to the north. The heaviest rains fell in the northern mountains, which received around a quarter inch of rain each day. Warm temperatures last week resulted in the first week of significant snowmelt in the mountains. Despite that, mountain snow packs continued to be heavy with Lodge pole still reporting over seven feet of snow depth.

    Temperature highs were in the 30s to 70s in the mountains, 60s to 80s in the valley and along the coast, and 70s to 100 in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 10s to 40s in the mountains, 40s to 50s in the valley and along the coast, and 40s to the 60s in the desert.

    Winter forage crops were maturing well. Some growers were starting to harvest silage. Alfalfa was making good growth as a result of the warmer weather. Drier and warmer weather were ideal for the grains.

    Field work in vineyards continued with pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding.  Some bud break has been observed in vineyards.  Cherries and late varieties of stone fruit continued to bloom.  Kiwifruit were being packed and shipped to domestic and foreign markets.  Some persimmons and pomegranates were leafing out.  New orchards were being planted.  The citrus harvest picked up with the improved weather.  Late Navel orange harvest started in some areas.  Navel oranges, Mandarins, Minneola tangelos, lemons, and late harvest Finger limes were being exported mostly to foreign markets.  Star Ruby grapefruit harvest began, with most of the fruit being packed for the domestic market.  Orange groves were being hedge-rowed and skirted.  Growers were starting to net the seedless tangerines to prevent cross pollination by bees during the coming bloom.  Pruning of olives continued.

    Almond bloom was slowing down.  Bee colonies continued to be moved into nut orchards for pollination.  Almonds and pistachios were being exported.  Some walnut orchards were blooming.

    In Tulare County, squash was being planted in hot tunnels.  New fields were being prepared for spring planting.  Cucumbers were being planted under hot caps.  Blueberries were blooming.  Strawberry fields continued to thrive.  Previously planted onions continued to progress well.  In Monterey County, strawberry production was picking up and harvest crews were working.  A few brassica fields were being harvested as well. Flood waters were receding.

    Rangeland and dryland pasture quality continued to improve with all the recent rainfall.  Condition was excellent due to continued rainfall and warmer weather.  Some cattle ranchers have increased their herd size in order to take advantage of the improved forage conditions.  Bees were active in almond and early stone fruit orchards.

  • CDFA: Verwey-Hanford Dairy Digester Project, Kings County

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 20, 2017) – Phil Verwey knows that happy cows produce better and more milk, and recent California Climate Investments in his dairy have made both Mr. Verwey—and his cows—very happy.  Thanks to a $3 million grant from the CDFA’s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program in 2015, along with $4 million in matching funds, the animal manure from his operation is now being turned into high quality bedding for his herd and electricity.

    Manure is separated and then channeled to a large covered lagoon—double-lined to prevent groundwater seepage—where it produces the methane (natural gas) to power generators that deliver 7.6 million kWh of electricity. That’s enough power to completely offset the dairy’s total electricity usage.

    And, as more generators come online as planned, Mr. Verwey will be able to sell excess electricity into the grid.  This ultra-modern dairy digester operation is estimated to reduce over 500,000 MTCO2e.

    And with all that investment in a “free” electricity source, it made sense in 2015 for Mr. Verwey to convert his feed mixers, which run for many hours every day, from being powered by old, noisy and pollutingdiesel tractors to quiet and efficient modern electric motors. That alone saves 90,000 gallons of diesel, and it reduces an additional 648 MTCO2e, 22 tons of nitrogen oxide emissions and 2.2 tons of fine particulate matter from the Valley’s air.

    This project couples California Climate Investments with other funding from local partners to provide multiple benefits—reduced GHGs, cleaner the air, improved groundwater quality, and even reduced odors—and shows how Mr. Verwey is realizing the benefits of smart investments to fight climate change.

     

  • Responding to the Sugarcane Aphid Outbreak in Sorghum Silage Fields

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    Due to a serious new infestation of the sugarcane aphid in Southern California sorghum fields late last summer, UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Nicholas Clark offered some advice to feed growers to help better prepared them this coming season for future infestations of this invasive pest.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 14, 2017) – Temperatures warmed up last week between 10 and 20 degrees, with a drier pattern taking hold over much of the State. Rainfall was largely confined to the northern one third of the State, with generally light rains falling along the central/northern valley, central/northern coast, and snow into the central/northern Sierras on Monday through Wednesday.

    Mountain snowpack decreased for the first time since last fall. Although snow showers fell on the central/northern Sierras early in the week with up to three inches of new snow accumulation, warm temperatures helped produce an overall decrease in snowpack by about one to two feet. Very heavy snowpacks continued in the mountains, with Lodgepole in the southern Sierras still reported over four feet of snow on the ground. Deeper snowcover was seen in the central and northern Sierras.

    Temperature highs were in the 40s to 60s in the mountains, 60s to 70s in the valley and along the coast, and 70s to 90s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 40s in the mountains, 30s to 50s in the valley, 30s to 60s in the desert, and 40s to 50s along the coast.

    Alfalfa broke dormancy but growth was slow. Alfalfa fields continued to be sprayed for weeds. Growers started preparing ground for the upcoming cotton season by tilling, making furrows, and applying herbicides.

    Pruning, discing, weed control, and pre-bloom spraying continued. Olive groves were pruned. Herbicides were applied to some vineyards to combat the increase in weeds after an exceptionally wet winter. Early varieties of stone fruit, including cherries, apricots, and plums, were blooming in the San Joaquin Valley. Harvest of Cara Cara and Navel oranges, lemons, and mandarins continued. Fungicide applications were made to some citrus orchards. Recent rains impacted the overall quality of the citrus. Orange groves were hedge-rowed and skirted.  A few seedless tangerine groves were netted to prevent cross pollination during the pending bloom.

    As field conditions permitted, walnut and pistachio orchard pruning resumed. Almond bloom was progressing up the state with some areas nearing completion. Fungicides were applied in some almond orchards.

    In Colusa County, harvest began on asparagus.  In San Joaquin County, sunshine and warm weather allowed farmers and growers back into the fields.  In Fresno County, spring carrots were harvested and beds were prepared for summer carrots.  Winter crops of broccoli, cabbages, and cauliflower were harvested and sold in local markets.  Garlic and onions around the county were growing well and had herbicides applied.  Growers planted tomatoes and prepared fields for eggplant.  In Tulare County, squash was planted in hot tunnels.  New fields were prepared for spring planting.  Previously planted onions continued to progress well.

    Warming spring conditions and plentiful precipitation promoted lush forb and grass development. Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland continued to improve with much of the state’s range reported to be in excellent to fair condition. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued to diminish as range conditions improved. Calving was ongoing in Shasta County. Bees were active in almond and early stone fruit orchards. Lambing season in Fresno County was underway. Sheep grazed stubble fields, idle cropland and dormant alfalfa.

  • UC Davis Tops World Rankings in Veterinary Science – Ranks No. 2 in Agriculture and Forestry

    Davis, Calif., (March 13, 2017) – The University of California, Davis, held onto its top spot in veterinary science in the latest QS World University Rankings released today (March 7).

    And for the fifth consecutive year, the campus is among the top-ranked universities in agriculture and forestry, taking second place in the ranking this year.

    First in veterinary science since the field was added to the rankings in 2015, UC Davis is renowned for applying a “One Health” approach to addressing critical health concerns on a local and global scale.

    “The energy, passion, knowledge and skills that the UC Davis veterinary medicine community brings to their jobs every day is the secret to our success,” said Michael Lairmore, the school’s dean since 2011. “Our future, supported in part by generous philanthropic partners, will be shaped by our combined efforts as we push the boundaries of research discoveries, provide innovative educational opportunities for our students, bring advanced clinical services to our animal patients, and serve our communities by advancing the health of animals, people and the environment.”

    Ranked No. 2 in agriculture and forestry, UC Davis is the most published and cited U.S. research university in agricultural sciences, environment and ecology, and food science and nutrition. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has helped shape California and the world, and remains dedicated to solving critical issues with food, water, energy, climate change and human health to improve the quality of life throughout the world.

    Home of the internationally acclaimed viticulture and enology program, the college offers 29 majors and 43 minors, plus an exploratory/undeclared option, in the fields of agriculture, environment, human needs and social sciences.

    In other recent rankings, UC Davis was named the greenest university in the world by the seventh annual GreenMetric ranking from the University of Indonesia in December 2016 and No. 20 among large schools on the Peace Corps’ Top Volunteer–Producing Colleges and Universities list in February.

    In October 2016, U.S News and World Report’s “Best Global Universities” ranked UC Davis first in programs for plant and animal sciences, second in agricultural sciences, and fourth in environment and ecology.

    Other top showings in the QS rankings

    In this year’s QS rankings, UC Davis is among the world’s elite institutions in 35 of the 46 subjects and all five of the subject areas featured. Among UC Davis’ `highest rankings:

    • environmental sciences remains at 13th
    • biological sciences moves up four spots to 27th
    • anatomy and physiology is 28th in this newly ranked subject
    • earth and marine sciences climbs five spots to 29th
    • development studies, once below 50th, now shows among ranked schools at 47th

    QS rankings are based on reputational surveys and research citations. This year, QS evaluated 4,438 universities, then qualified 3,098 and ranked 1,117 institutions.

    Robust veterinary research and clinical programs

    The veterinary school, also ranked No. 1 by U.S. News and World Report, is home to a robust research program, which last year totaled nearly $76 million in research funds. The school provides clinical services to more than 50,000 animal patients in 34 specialties annually. UC Davis serves as a strong leader in veterinary medical education, providing nearly 550 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students annually with a curriculum built on sound educational theory designed and delivered by prominent faculty members.

    Making a difference around the world

    The school is involved in improving the lives of people and animals, and the environment in more than 30 countries worldwide through efforts such as:

    • PREDICT, a $175 million multi-institutional program, led by the school’s One Health Institute and funded by USAID to rapidly detect and respond to emerging viruses such as Ebola
    • California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, which protects public and animal health in partnership with the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture
    • Comparative Cancer Center, where veterinary researchers collaborate with physicians and researchers from the UC Davis School of Medicine to develop therapies for human and animal cancer
    • The 100K Genome Project, which aims to speed the diagnosis of foodborne illnesses by creating a databank of pathogen genome sequences
    • Collaboration among veterinary dental surgeons and biomedical engineers to regrow jawbone in dogs and provide valuable knowledge for human treatment
    • Advanced Imaging Facility (with cutting-edge confocal microscopes), providing researchers with a whole new view of biological specimens to answer questions about health and disease

    The rankings are prepared by Quacquarelli Symonds, a British firm widely considered to be one of the most influential international university rankings providers.

     

    A dog receives treatment in the dentistry lab of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. (Don Preisler/UC Davis photo)

  • Fresno County Department of Agriculture Crop Report for February 2017

    Fresno, Calif., (March 9, 2017) – Across the County, plantings of barley, oats, triticale, wheat, and winter forage are all growing well due to an abundance of rain. Some fields have already started to develop seed heads. Herbicides and fertilizers were applied to fields between storms. Ground preparation was underway for rice fields in Firebaugh.

    Alfalfa broke dormancy but growth is slow. Alfalfa fields continued to be sprayed for weeds, with some having to be by areal application due to wet ground.

    Growers started preparing ground for the upcoming cotton season by tilling, making furrows, and applying herbicides. Alfalfa seed was exported to China, France, Italy, Qatar and United Kingdom.

    Almond bloom started mid-month, accompanied with applications of fungicides to control disease. Some apricot, nectarine, peach, and plum orchards, started to bloom as well. Fungicide treatments began in these orchards as well as being sprayed for weeds. Buds started to swell in cherries. Growers participating in the Mexico Stone Fruit Program hung pheromone traps for the Oriental Fruit Moth as of February 15. Vineyard operators applied herbicides to combat the increase in weeds after all the rain. Stakes and trellis wire were repaired. In some warmer areas, grape buds started to swell. Many vineyards around the County continued to be removed for planting of almond, pistachio, and walnut orchards. In pistachio and walnut orchards application of herbicides took place. Almonds, Asian pears, prunes, and raisins were exported to Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Viet Nam. Pistachios were exported to Hong Kong. While kiwi was exported to Japan and Taiwan.

    Strawberry plantings were delayed in some districts due to wet conditions, but where previously planted they showed signs of slow growth. Carrots were harvested and beds where prepared for the next rotation. Garlic and onions around the County were growing well and had herbicides applied. In Kerman district, cilantro, kale, leaf lettuce, and mustard for seed production was growing well. Lettuce and pepper seed was exported to Australia. Growers continued to prepare for tomatoes and eggplant by applying herbicides, cultivating and fumigating to control soil borne pests. Winter crops of broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower, chard, collards, gai lan, and kale were harvested to be sold in local markets. Spring lettuce is growing slowly due to cooler conditions. Blueberries started to bloom around the County and fungicides were applied.

    Cara Cara, lemons, Navel oranges and mandarins continued to be harvested between storms. Nets were placed around mandarins to exclude bees from pollinating. Fungicide applications were made in a few citrus orchards. Grapefruit, lemons, mandarin, Navel, pomelo, tangelo, and tangerines were exported to Belgium, Chile, China, El Salvador, France, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore.

    Cattle and sheep continued to graze on the lush rangeland. Frequent rains have kept the rangeland grasses growing, providing excellent feed. Lambing season started with lots of babies produced in Huron district. Egg production ramped up again after the winter lull. Beehives were placed in lots of orchards and bees were busy pollinating.

  • CDFA Called In to Help CHP Free Calves From Small Sedan – from KESQ-TV, Palm Springs

    Palm Springs, Calif., (March 8, 2017) – Officers with the California Highway Patrol responded to an unusual call on
    Saturday when 911 calls began coming in about a cow trying to climb out of the trunk of a Honda Civic on the shoulder of eastbound I-10 near Banning.

    Officers said the Honda Civic was stopped east of Highland Springs Avenue.

    When officers arrived to the strange scene, the found one calf attempting to climb out of the open Honda’s trunk and another calf wedged in the back seat. Both calves had their hooves tied.

    A Riverside County Brand Inspector with the Bureau of Livestock Identification – California Department of Food and Agriculture, helped officers remove the calves from the Honda. They haltered them under a large oak tree at that time.

    Officers said the Honda had false registration tags and was registered to a residence in Tulare County, California. The car was impounded for evidence. The driver left the scene before officers arrived and hasn’t tried to recover the car from the tow yard.

    Both of the calves were taken to a local ranch where they will remain while the brand inspector determines if and when the cattle were stolen.

    Authorities said stealing livestock is a felony in California, and a conviction could result in thousands of dollars in fines along with up to a year in county jail.