California Ag Network

Category: Livestock

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loan Applications Now Open for Ag

    The U.S. Small Business Administration began accepting new Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance applications today at 9:00 AM PST on a limited basis only, to provide relief to dairy farms and other U.S. agricultural businesses. The application is available here. 

     The Small Business Administration is encouraging all eligible agricultural businesses with 500 or fewer employees wishing to apply to begin preparing their business financial information needed for their application. During this application window, only agricultural business applications will be accepted due to limitations in funding availability and the unprecedented submission of applications already received. 

    For more information or to apply, visit this link.

    The National Milk Producers Federation has numerous EIDL resources available on its coronavirus website page, www.nmpf.org/coronavirus. Among them:

  • New Tool to Combat Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat

    Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their colleagues have discovered a gene that can be used to develop varieties of wheat that will be more resistant to Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), a disease that is a major threat both overseas and to the nation’s $10 billion annual wheat crop.

    A paper reporting the discovery and the cloning of the gene, known as Fhb7, was published today in the journal Science.  The study was led by scientists at the Shandong Agricultural University in Shandong, China and co-authors include ARS researchers Guihua Bai and Lanfei Zhao in Manhattan, Kansas, and Steven Xu in Fargo, North Dakota.

    The discovery is a major advance in addressing a significant threat to the world’s wheat supply. FHB, also known as “scab,” is caused by a fungal pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, and results in significant losses in the United States, China, Canada, Europe, and many other countries. It also attacks barley and oats. When the pathogen grows unchecked in infected grains, it releases mycotoxins that can induce vomiting in humans, as well as weight loss in livestock when they refuse to eat the grains. The prevalence and severity of FHB outbreaks also could potentially be exacerbated by climate change and varying weather conditions, and by an increasing trend toward more corn production and no-till farming, which both may be increasing the prevalence of the pathogen in fields. Growers often must use fungicides to reduce FHB damage.

    The researchers found that the gene effectively reduces FHB by detoxifying the mycotoxins secreted by the pathogen. The gene also confers resistance to crown rot, a wheat disease caused by a related pathogen.

    The researchers originally identified the gene in Thinopyrum wheatgrass, a wild relative of wheat that has been previously used to develop varieties of wheat with beneficial traits, such as rust resistance and drought tolerance. They cloned the gene and introduced it into seven wheat cultivars with different genetic profiles to study its effects on plants grown under field conditions. The results showed that the gene not only conferred resistance to scab in the new plants, but it also had no negative effects on yield or other significant traits.

    The study sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms that can make wheat, as well as barley and oats, resistant to the pathogen that causes FHB.  New varieties of wheat with better FHB resistance using Fhb7 are expected to be available in a few years, the researchers say.

    This research supports the climate adaptation components of the USDA’s Science Blueprint. The paper can be found here.

    The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

  • USDA California Crop Weather Report

    WEATHER

    Temperature highs ranged from the mid 40s to low 70s in the mountains, low 60s to low 80s along the coast, low 60s to mid 80s in the valley, and low 60s to high eighties in the desert.  Temperature lows ranged from the mid 10s to high 40s in the mountains, mid 30s to mid 50s along the coast, low 30s to mid 60s in the desert, and low 40s to mid 60s in the valley.

     

    FIELD CROPS

     In Tulare County, winter grain plants were in different stages of growth, with most wheat, oats and barley coming close to maturity.  Some wheat, oats, and barley fields were being treated for weed control.  With the added rain, alfalfa continued to thrive and was growing well.  Corn was being planted.  Safflower planting was finished with most emerged.  Due to cold weather, cotton planting was behind schedule.  Rice ground preparation was ahead of schedule with ground work done in the Sacramento Valley.

     

    FRUIT CROPS

     Stone fruit orchards continued to near the end of bloom and immature stone fruit was steadily developing. Nectarines, peaches, and plumscontinued to size as expected. Cherry and pear fruit were sizing also, but still in the immature stages of growth. Pomegranates, persimmons, and grapes continued to leaf out, with warm weather boosting grape vine budding. Lemon and grapefruit harvest continued. Navel oranges, tangelo, and mandarin harvest progressed well. Tangerine groves continued to be covered with netting to prevent pollination by bees during the bloom period.

     

    NUT CROPS

    Almond development was ongoing, with a few areas predicting a more than favorable crop. Walnuts continued to awaken from winter dormancy. Pistachio leaf out remained steady with no reported issues.

     

    VEGETABLE CROPS

    Summer vegetable fields were prepared for planting.  Processing and fresh tomatoes were showing good growth.  Artichokes were harvested in San Mateo County.  Onion, garlic and parsley fields were growing well in Fresno County. Tulare County reported summer vegetables developed well with warm temperatures and adequate rains.  Strawberries were produced and grew well. Garlic, onions and peas did well under mulch.

     

    LIVESTOCK

     Recent precipitation and the week’s warming temperatures promoted range development. Rangeland and non-irrigated pasture were reported to be in good condition. Movement of cattle to spring pasture began. Some bee hives were moved to citrus orchards and to the foothills.

  • Lucrative Market of Ox Gallstones for Chinese Herbal Medicine

    Gallstones harvested from cattle are a precious Chinese herbal medicine. They can be found in gallbladders after the bile is filtered without special processing. The gallstones are then ready for sale to buyers simply after being dried to remove all moisture. Gallstones are sold at the retail level either in their natural form without being processed, or as a propriety Chinese medicine mixed with other ingredients.

    Natural gallstones are in high demand for use in Chinese medicine. Reportedly, the Chinese pharmaceutical industry requires about 100 metric tons (MT) of gallstones for a variety of propriety Chinese medicines each year, but domestic supply is barely one MT. The inadequate supply has triggered the emergence of synthetic/ artificial gallstones. Currently there are two types of artificial gallstones: one is manufactured based on chemical ingredients and another is artificially cultured. These artificial gallstones are meant to fill the demand for natural gallstones and have become an ingredient for a variety of proprietary Chinese medicines. However, the medicinal value of artificial gallstones is not considered to be comparable to natural ones. Therefore, the short supply and medicinal value of gallstones have resulted in the high value of natural gallstones.

    The current retail price of unprocessed natural gallstones in its natural form sells at HK$19,000 per tael, i.e. translated to US$65 per gram.

    The United States has an expansive cattle industry, slaughtering about 39 million head each year. U.S. beef processing plants are strongly encouraged to explore the possibility of incorporating a simple procedure to collect gallstones during the production process. Presently, a Hong Kong importer, who specializes in Chinese herbs and medicines, is very keen to bring in natural gallstones from the United States. U.S. exporters who want to explore the potential of exporting ox gallstones should contact the Agricultural Trade Office in Hong Kong at atohongkong@usda.gov.

    Hong Kong’s Import Regulation for Ox Gallstones

    Ox gallstones are not regarded as food, therefore, they are not subject to Hong Kong’s food regulations. Given that they are a well-documented Chinese medicine, it is regulated by the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap.549) with the scientific name Calculus Bovis.

    According to the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, Chinese herbal medicines (Chm) refer to substances specified in Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 of the Ordinance, which are Chm commonly used in Hong Kong. Ox gallstone or Calculus Bovis is listed on Schedule 2 of the Ordinance. 

    The Ordinance requires that traders who wish to engage in the business of retail and wholesale (including import) of all listed Chm must first apply for the relevant license from the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong. Moreover, all 31 listed substances on Schedule 1 and five of the substances listed under Schedule 2 are subject to licensing control. (These five substances refer to Flos Campsis, processed Radix Aconiti, processed Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii, Radix Cletatidis and Radix Gentianae. Ox gallstone is not one of these five substances.) The importation and exportation of these substances requires a license issued by the Department of Health. (Food licenses and permits are issued by the Center for Food Safety.)

    U.S. exports of ox gallstones are not required to provide any health certificates or an import license for shipments. The only requirement is that Hong Kong importers for this product must be license holders.

    Details of Hong Kong’s regulation of Chm can be found at this link: www.cmro.gov.hk/html/eng/aboutus/service/ieccm.html.

    Collection of Ox Gallstones

    Given below is a description of the simple manual gallstone collection procedure which requires no sophisticated equipment.

  • First California Farm Awarded Top Animal Welfare, Grassfed & Non-GMO Certifications

    The flock of sheep at Tablas Creek Vineyard are now Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW), Certified Grassfed by AGW and Certified Non-GMO by AGW, demonstrating transparency and sustainability. Tablas Creek Vineyard is the first farming business in California to achieve all three certifications for their sheep.

     

    One of a portfolio of leading farm certifications offered by A Greener World, the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW label lets consumers know animals are raised outdoors on pasture or range in accordance with the highest animal welfare standards in the U.S. and Canada, using sustainable agriculture methods on an independent farm. Consumer Reports acknowledges Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW as the only “highly meaningful” label for farm animal welfare, outdoor access and sustainability.

     

    Tablas Creek Vineyard’s flock of sheep are also Certified Grassfed by AGW and Certified Non-GMO by AGW. Certified Grassfed by AGW is an optional, additional accreditation for Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW farmers and ranchers raising cattle, sheep, goats or bison according to AGW standards and a 100 percent grassfed feeding protocol. Certified Non-GMO by AGW is the only certification and logo in the U.S. and Canada that guarantees a food product is produced without the use of genetically modified feed, supplements or ingredients, and comes from animals managed according to the Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW leading welfare and environmental standards on an independent farm.

    The team at Tablas Creek Vineyard chose to certify with AGW because they felt the programs best mirrored their exemplary animal husbandry practices and commitment to sustainability.

     

    Nathan Stuart, Shepherd at Tablas Creek Vineyard says,

     

    “The flock of sheep at Tablas Creek Vineyard play a key role in building healthy soil.  We are proud to hold multiple certifications from A Greener World, demonstrating not only our high-welfare, sustainable management practices but our commitment to farming in ways that benefit the climate.”

     

    AGW Director of Communications and Outreach Emily Moose says,

     

    “In a marketplace crowded with misinformation and greenwashing, trusted third-party certifications like Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW, Certified Grassfed by AGW and Certified Non-GMO by AGW deliver real transparency for farmers and consumers. We’re proud to work with businesses like Tablas Creek Vineyard to promote their high-quality products and sustainable farming practices.”

     

    For more information about AGW-certified products from Tablas Creek Vineyard, visit tablascreek.com along with the vineyard’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts or contact 805-237-1231 and info@tablascreek.com.

  • Dairy Defined: In Search of “Big Dairy”

    “Big Dairy.” One of the strangest terms attached to the industry. As seen in fear-mongering headlines, Big Dairy is used to de-personalize individual dairy farmers and imply some large, faceless force foisting an agenda on unsuspecting consumers. So, who exactly is it? Maybe by figuring out what Big Dairy is – or isn’t – some light could be shed on what’s real, and what’s contrived, in debates about dairy and its presence in the marketplace.

     

    Perhaps Big Dairy means dairy farms themselves. Consolidation has been a fact of life for all of agriculture for generations, and family farms indeed are getting bigger. Even so, according to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture, nearly three-quarters of U.S. dairy farms have fewer than 100 cows on them. Of course, most production comes from the largest farms, but even the biggest ones – the 189 U.S. dairies with more than 5,000 cows as of 2017 – are too numerous and geographically dispersed to create a monolithic giant. And more than 95 percent of all dairy farms, regardless of size, are family-run farms. That’s far from faceless.

     

     

    That rules out farmers. But what about dairy corporations? The dairy industry boasts some impressive-sized businesses. Land O’Lakes is ranked #212 on the Fortune 500, and Dairy Farmers of America would make the list too, if it were publicly traded. That might be Big Dairy, except – DFA and Land O’Lakes are farmer-owned cooperatives. If that’s what people mean when they talk about “Big Dairy,” then­­­ Big Dairy contains an awful lot of small and medium-sized family farms. And these cooperatives are tiny compared to, say, Big Healthcare, (four entries among Fortune’s top 10 companies) Big Oil (four of them in Fortune’s top 25), or Big Tech (six in the top 50).

     

    But maybe it’s not about raw size. Maybe Big Dairy is a myth invented by those who want to make family dairy farmers seem “big” to advance some contrasting image of their competitors – who want to be seen as plucky, usually plant-based, upstarts taking on Big Dairy with highly touted “innovation.”

     

    Let’s explore this. Take, for example, Perfect Day, allegedly just a humble innovator with nothing to offer but a thousand $20-a-pint tubs of imitation ice cream … and startup funding from Temasek – a venture-capital arm of the government of Singapore — and Archer-Daniels-Midland, an agri-business behemoth with $64 billion in annual sales that ranks #49 on the Fortune 500. Other plant- and cell-based alternatives are financed by Jeff Bezos (worth roughly $115 billion, the world’s richest man at the end of 2019) and Bill Gates (net worth over $100 billion) – not exactly little guys, to say the least. In fact, if you added up the gross receipts of all 40,000 dairy farmers in the United States last year (an estimated $39.9 billion), you’d only be worth about two-fifths as much as Jeff Bezos. So-called “Big Dairy” will never compete with that.

     

     

    To be sure: Dairy is a significant U.S. industry. According to research commissioned by the “Got Jobs?” campaign commissioned by dairy groups, including NMPF, the sector as a whole is responsible for nearly 3 million U.S. jobs and has an overall economic impact of more than $620 billion, including indirect effects. Dairy directly employs nearly 1 million Americans, with an impact of more than $206 billion. In agriculture and in the U.S. economy, we aren’t David to someone else’s Goliath. Whatever success we have is because we work hard and work together.

     

    But dairy isn’t Goliath either, and wannabe Davids shouldn’t get a pass peddling false narratives. Dairy is family farmers, cooperatives and companies, of all sizes and types, who believe deeply in the health and nutrition of their products and stand up for it against its opponents — who usually aren’t anywhere near the underdogs they pretend to be. Creating nutritious products, day in and day out, is a big task. But it’s a challenge met collectively by a diverse set of people from farm to fork, who work together to feed the U.S. and the world.

     

    Dairy issues matter. They warrant a robust discussion. Putting the term “Big Dairy” to rest would make it a more honest one.

  • Tulare County Crop Report (For the week ending December 28, 2019)

    SMALL GRAINS AND OTHER FIELD CROPS:

    Winter grain crop planting is finished. Winter grain plants are beginning to emerge from the soil. Some wheat, oats, and barley fields are being treated for weed control, as the winter wheat germination will increase due to high moisture.

     

    DECIDUOUS TREE FRUITS, NUTS, AND GRAPES:

    Almond and pistachio harvest have ended. Dead and fallen almond and pistachio trees are being removed and burned or chipped. Older vineyards are being removed. Pistachios are being exported to Israel, Italy, Spain, Turkey, China, Korea, Poland Germany India, Singapore, Ukraine, Switzerland, the Philippines, Lithuania, India, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong. Almonds are being exported to Korea, Israel, Taiwan, Colombia, India, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, South Africa, Indonesia, Chile, Barbados, Belgium, and Turkey. Black-eyed beans are being exported to the United Kingdom. Grape vineyards are being pruned and fertilized. Table grapes are being exported to Mexico, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Wine Grape vineyards are being pruned and planted with cover crops. Pomegranates from cold storage are being exported to Mexico. Walnuts are being exported to Italy, Turkey, and Morocco. Persimmons continue to be harvested, packed, and sent mainly to domestic markets, but a few loads continue to be exported to Mexico.

     

    CITRUS, AVOCADOS, AND OLIVES:

    Navel oranges, lemons, and limes continue to be harvested. Navel orange maturity testing is complete, and fruit is being exported to Malaysia, Peru, China, Korea, Japan, the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mexico, Vietnam, Singapore, Ukraine, Switzerland, Chile, Ecuador, Australia, and New Zealand. High sugar and acid navels are being exported to Korea and Japan. Organic Clementine Mandarins are being picked and packed for U.S. and Mexico markets. Blood oranges are being packed for domestic markets. Melogolds are being harvested and sent to Korea and Japan. Olives are undergoing post-harvest pruning.

     

    VEGETABLES, MELONS, HERBS, AND BERRIES:          

    Winter vegetables are in various stages of growth. Strawberries are continuing to develop under plastic mulch. Peas are germinating. Blueberries are being pruned and prepared for the winter.

     

    LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY:

    Irrigated pastures are in good to excellent condition. Non-irrigated pastures are in better condition from the recent rains which was a great benefit for the rangeland forage.

     

    TOM’S ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

    Winter storms are making their way into the valley this week. This will be good for many of the winter grain and silage crops. The snow accumulation will be good for refilling local reservoirs next spring and higher elevation pastures. Local nurseries have an increased demand for bare root trees and berries.

  • Merced Goat Farmer Receives Highest Honor at FFA National Convention

    Willis Wolf recently won the 2019 American Star Farmer award at the National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention
    held in Indianapolis in October.     He is the first Californian to win the award since 1952! The California FFA member is from the Merced-El Capitan Chapter. He was recognized for his goat production operation where he helps meet the rising demand for goat products, while also raising forage hay for their feed. The FFA organization includes 770,000 members and 8,600 chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

    Wolf said, “the two major ways farming in California differs from the rest of the country are crop diversity and water shortages.” This makes this award even more incredible since Willis is from California, which has so many issues and
    regulations     versus the entire balance of the United States.

    Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of Nisei Farmers League, former FFA student in Vacaville, California (1974-76) and former FFA Advisor at Sierra High School said, “This is a huge honor to have someone from the Central Valley, as well as a California State University Fresno student win such a prestigious award. This is the highest award you can get. This is a big deal! Willis has worked tirelessly and put in a lot of hard work and dedication. This award is comparable to winning the Heisman Trophy!” Wolf continues to grow his herd with his brother. They started with just a few goats, but currently have 600 head of does
    that will equal somewhere between 1200     to 1500 kids per year. Wolf and his brother want to become fully integrated with goat meat production. They see a future for goat consumption in the United States.

    It is clear that the Wolf Brothers have a work ethic and vision for the future. For Willis, this has led him to be the National FFA American Star Farmer for 2019.

  • California Crop Weather Report (For Week Ending: October 6, 2019)

    Weather

    Temperature highs ranged from the low 50s to low 80s in the mountains, low 60s to high 80s in the valley, low 60s to high 90s along the coast, and mid 60s to high 90s in the desert. Temperature lows ranged from the low 20s to low 40s in the mountains, mid 20s to mid 60s in the desert, mid 30s to mid 50s along the coast, and high 30s to mid 60s in the valley.

    Field Crops

    In Tulare County, cotton harvest began. Alfalfa continued to be cut, dried, and baled. Corn and sorghum harvest was wrapping up. Black-eyed peas were being harvested. In the valley, rice harvest continued at a steady pace and corn harvest was underway.

    Fruit Crops

    Stone fruit orchards were irrigated. Apricot, peach, plum, pluot, and nectarine harvest continued to wind down for the season. Some stone fruit orchards were pruned and topped.Olive, pomegranate, and Asian pear harvest continued. Persimmons and quince were showing color. Wine grape harvest continued. Marginal sugar levels were reported for some producers in Tulare County. Valencia oranges and kiwi continued to be harvested. Raisins were being rolled and picked up for processing in some areas. Lemon and lime harvest continued steadily. Citrus groves were pruned, hedge rowed, and skirted. Old citrus trees were being pushed out and replaced with new plantings.

    Nut Crops

    Orchards continued to be irrigated. Almond harvest continued to wrap up smoothly with hardshell varieties coming in slightly below the Nonpareil variety for a few producers. Walnut and pistachio harvest continued at a steady pace.

    Vegetable Crops

    In Monterey County, most lettuce and leafy greens production declined. Brassica harvest is continuing for a few more months. Fresno County reported processed tomato harvest finished, but is still ongoing in other parts of the State.

    Livestock

    Foothill rangeland and non-irrigated pasture were reported to be in fair to poor condition. Irrigated pasture was in good to excellent condition. Supplemental feeding of cattle was ongoing.

  • New detections of West Nile Virus in California horses – Prevention Tips

    California Department of Food & Agriculture — A total of seven California horses have tested positive in recent weeks for West Nile Virus, with six of the cases in the Central Valley and one in Riverside County. Two of the horses were euthanized due to the severity of their symptoms.

    Horse owners are reminded to have their animals vaccinated to make sure they are maximizing protection against the disease. And once vaccinations occur, horse owners should be checking regularly with their veterinarians to make sure they stay current.

    Californians can also do their part to prevent the disease by managing mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus. Here are some tips:

    • Draining unnecessary standing water found in wheelbarrows, tires, etc.
    • Cleaning water containers at least weekly (i.e., bird baths, plant saucers)
    • Scheduling pasture irrigation to minimize standing water
    • Keeping swimming pools optimally chlorinated and draining water from pool covers
    • Stocking of water tanks with fish that consume mosquito larvae (Contact local mosquito control for assistance) or use mosquito “dunk” available at hardware stores.

    It’s important to remember that mosquitoes become infected with the virus when they feed on infected birds. Mosquitoes then spread the virus to horses.  Horses are a dead-end host and do not spread the virus to other horses or humans. For more information on West Nile Virus, please visit this link.