California Ag Network

Category: Livestock

  • CDFA Announces Grant Funding Available For The 2018 Alternative Manure Management Program

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 30, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for the 2018 Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP).

    The AMMP is one of two programs designed by CDFA to reduce dairy and livestock greenhouse gas emissions. The program will provide $19-33 million in grants to California dairy and livestock operators to implement non-digester manure management practices that reduce methane emissions.

    Applicants must access the 2018 Request for Grant Applications at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ammp/  for detailed program requirements and application instructions.

    CDFA has partnered with the State Water Resources Control Board to utilize its online application site, the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST).  All prospective applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov to apply. Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PDT.

    CDFA will present three workshops and two webinars on the 2018 AMMP competitive solicitation process. Workshops and webinars will feature an overview of the program and requirements, a review of the application questions, a live demonstration of the online application system and more.  There is no cost to attend the workshops; however, space is limited and CDFA request that attendees register in advance. To register, email grants@cdfa.ca.gov with your name and contact information, the workshop you would like to attend, and the number of seats required.

    Workshops and webinars will be held at these locations on the following dates:

    • Eureka – Monday, April 9, 2018 – 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – Humboldt County Agricultural Building, 5630 South Broadway Street, Eureka, CA 95501
    • Santa Rosa – Tuesday, April 10, 2018 – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner – 133 Aviation Boulevard, Suite 110, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
    • Modesto – Monday, April 16, 2018 – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Stanislaus County Agricultural Building – 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite B, Modesto, CA 95358
    • This meeting will also be available as a webinar for remote attendees.
      Webinar – Tuesday, April 17, 2018 – 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

    To register for the two webinars, please visit the program webpage at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ammp/.

    All prospective applicants should access the AMMP webpage (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ammp/ ) for information regarding additional, free-of-charge technical assistance conducted by non-profit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts and California academic institutions to assist in the submission of AMMP applications.

    Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Grants Office at grants@cdfa.ca.gov with general program questions.

    The Alternative Manure Management Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap and Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities.  The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution.  California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more.  At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California.  For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at:  www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.

  • The CA State Fair Competitions are for Everyone! Which competition is right for you?

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 20, 2018) – The CA State Fair, July 13th-29th is looking for Golden State residents with hidden talents! Whether a budding artist or a seasoned baker, there is a category designed for any hobbyist or enthusiasts in the California State Fair Competitions.

    The competitions which are open are:

    • Photography
    • Student Showcase
    • Fine Arts
    • Crafts
    • Canning and Baking
    • Youth Canning and Baking

    Up next are the animal and livestock competitions. These competitions are always a highlight at the CA State Fair. Hundreds of exhibitors are given the opportunity to showcase their hard work and what they have learned through their livestock and animal projects. The competitionsthat will be opening in April include:

    • Junior Livestock
    • Open Livestock
    • Fur and Feathers
    • The County Fair Best of Show

    In the professional competition categories, Commercial Cheese and Commercial Craft Beer will be open on April 2. The guideslines for the competitions are posted here.

    For the Commercial Cheese competition, awards will be given to the top finishers in each division and class, such as: Soft Cheese, Hard Cheese and California Original. The California State Fair will award Best of California and Best of Show for cow milk and other milk types which include goat and sheep. The Best of Show and category winners are featured in the Best of California Magazine and showcased at the CA State Fair.

    For the Commercial Craft Beer, the third largest in the country, the CA State Fair awards top honors for categories in Lager, Wheat, Belgium Ale, and Stouts among others. The Best of Show and Brewery of the year are recognized at the annual, high profile press event on the steps of the State Capitol. In addition, selected commercial beer winners are invited to pour at the exclusive Best of California Tasting event at Cal Expo on June 21st.

    The CA State Fair Competitions showcase the best of the best! All California residents are encouraged to enter. Don’t miss a moment at the 2018 CA State Fair, July 13th-29th!

  • Bakersfield Dairy Farmers Embrace Climate Smart Technology

    Left – Ross Buckenham, CEO, CalBio and right – Felix Echeverria, Carlos Echeverria & Sons Dairy

    Bakersfield, Calif., (March 5, 2018) – For second generation dairy farmer Felix Echeverria, dairy farming is a family affair. His father, an immigrant from Spain’s Basque country, began milking cows in Southern California in the early 1950’s. Since then, Mr. Echeverria and his brother Johnny, have spent most of their mornings on dairy farms, waking early to milk the cows, put out the feed and check the water.

    Yet for the next generation of Echeverria dairy farmers, there will be a new addition to the sights and sounds of an early morning on the farm – the humming of a dairy digester producing electricity.

    Located outside Bakersfield, California, the Carlos Echeverria and Sons (CE&S) Dairy Biogas project will use anaerobic digester technology to produce energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, comply with environmental regulations and increase nutrient availability to crops. The project is funded through CDFA’s Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP) and the California Energy Commission.

    The CE&S digester will work by using a high-density synthetic cover to capture methane from the dairy’s manure lagoon. The captured methane will be stored and then combusted in a high-efficiency generator, producing renewable electricity. By using this system, the CE&S Dairy Biogas is expected to cut its methane emissions by approximately 75 percent and reduce energy costs by 15-20 percent.

    Although initially cautious of digesters, Mr. Echeverria says he was ultimately convinced by his trust in neighboring farmers already embracing digesters and the partnership developed with California Bioenergy (Cal Bio), who will own, operate and maintain the digester system.

    “At first, we were very skeptical because this is something we knew very little about,” said Mr. Echeverria. “But having trust in my neighbors and seeing the changes that digesters bring led us to building our own.”

    Alongside reducing emissions, the CE&S Dairy Biogas project also advances California’s efforts to connect energy providers and fuel created by state supported incentive programs. In this case, the CE&S digester will deliver approximately 7.6 million kWh of renewable electricity annually to PG&E, enough energy to fully power 705 homes.

    The CE&S project is also part of the Kern County Dairy Biogas cluster, a group of sixteen dairies with approximately 100,000 cows, that would collectively produce 2.5- 3 million cubic feet of biogas per day and 1.5- 2.5 million diesel gallon equivalents per year. The renewable energy created through the cluster would support the state’s sustainable transportation efforts and generate enough fuel to power 100,000 cars across the country every year.

    Mr. Echeverria applauds the state’s desire to work collaboratively with industry in developing digester projects. To date, the DDRDP has helped fund 24 projects across California, capturing an estimated 5.7 million metrics tons of CO2e over ten years.

    “I am truly delighted about the partnership between industry and government.” said Mr. Echeverria. “It’s a huge step in the right direction.”

    Click here to learn more about the DDRDP.

  • California Dairy Digital Magazine: February 2018 Issue

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    The December issue of California Dairy Magazine is now available to read online! Read the latest California Dairy & Feed industry news and technology.  Here’s a peek of what’s inside:

    • AI Breeding & Consulting with 3 Parreiras
    • Dairy Producers Plea for Emergency Price Increase
    • USDA Delays California Milk Marketing Order
    • Federal Budget Deal Supports Dairy Insurance
    • Controlling Alfalfa Weevils with Pyrethroid Resistance

    Click Here to view it on Californiadarymagazine.com

  • Grounded Land and Livestock: Restoration Grazing in Sonoma County

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (February 14, 2018) – Byron Palmer and Nate Chisholm are the co-founders of Grounded Land and Livestock, working on what they describe as restoration grazing. The company was started in 2015, but the partners have been working together since 2011.

    Byron Palmer and Nate Chisholm are the co-founders of Grounded Land and Livestock

    Grounded often partners with Sonoma Mountain Institute, a non-profit whose mission is to preserve land for natural, scenic, agricultural, cultural, educational and scientific purposes. Sonoma Mountain Institute has focused on developing ways to restore soil and vegetation.

    “People come to us with ranches they want managed in a certain way either ecologically minded or sustainably,” said Palmer. “On one end, we manage these ranches ecologically, improving their natural capital. On the other end we provide custom care for organic dairy cattle and organic beef cattle.”

    Palmer describes Grounded as a cattle care business where they are providing custom organic cattle for other producers. Palmer estimates about 98% of their cattle are organic; the cattle that aren’t organic are part of their grass-fed beef program.

    “We work to provide organic cattle care for people, and we partner with a non-profit to do economical land management with those cattle. We’re improving the cattle’s condition as well as the land at the same time.”

    Grounded has a very strong focus on animal performance and health, and Palmer stresses that they never sacrifice that to improve the condition of the land. The balance between the two is very important to the business’ mission and is at the core of what they do.

    To achieve both goals of animal performance and health and improving the land, Grounded focuses on managing the density of the animals as well as the recovery of the grass and the stocking rate of the animals.

    When Palmer and Chisholm get a ranch to graze, they start by improving the internal fencing infrastructure using electric fence.

    Throughout the year, Grounded manages their stocking rate at 80% of maximum. The stocking rate is the number of animals on the entire grazing unit for the entire grazing season. If you have too many animals for too long, you’re going to overgraze your property, said Palmer.

    Grounded spends a lot of time assessing the quality and quantity of the land to determine how to most effectively run their cattle. By keeping their stocking rate at 80%, Palmer said that in a bad year they’ll have a drought reserve but in a good year they’ll have a lot of grass they can graze the next year.

    Grounded and the Sonoma Mountain Institute hire a third party biologist to do plant counts and vegetation monitoring. Over four years, they’ve seen over a 100% overall increase in the number of species on their grazed lands but a decrease in invasive species such as thistle.

    Grounded provides organic care for short bred and young heifers, and Palmer said producers often spend a lot money on feeding those heifers in their own operations, which has a significant impact on their bottom line. Some operations, Palmer said, don’t know what it costs them per day to take care of the heifers because they have so many different things to track.

    Grounded specializes in the ability to provide care for less than what the farmer is spending as well as helping achieve their required pasture days and scale their operation.

    “One of the unique things is we’re able to help people save money,” said Palmer. “We’ve run the numbers, looked into a lot of studies and talked to a lot of dairy nutritionists. It’s the one thing we specialize in, and we’re able to save operations up to 40% on their daily feed cost.”

    Palmer said they appreciate being able to do business with local operations where there is a long heritage of agriculture in Sonoma and Marin counties.

    “We think agriculture in all forms here is very important to the heritage of our community,” said Palmer. “We appreciate being able to be part of the communal fabric.”

    For more information visit www.groundedgrasslands.com or sonomamountaininstitute.org.

  • California Dairy Digital Magazine: January 2018 Issue

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    The December issue of California Dairy Magazine is now available to read online! Read the latest California Dairy & Feed industry news and technology.  Here’s a peek of what’s inside:

    • Staying Ahead of the Curve with Albert Straus
    • Large Dairies Can & Do Produce Quality Milk
    • Environmental & Economic Situation for CA Dairies
    • Iron (Fe) Deficiencies Can Cause Chlorosis
    • Quota Implementation Plan Passes
    • California Dairyvations
    • Udder Things

    Click Here to view it on Californiadarymagazine.com

  • Tunzi Family: 119 Years of Farming in Roblar

    Santa Rosa, Calif., (January 18, 2018) – Six generations of the Tunzi family have grown up in Southern Sonoma County. Many of the six generations have two things in common: raising cattle and attending the small Dunham School in Roblar. The Tunzi family immigrated to America from Switzerland in 1882. Natale Tunzi, grandfather of the current family patriarch Jim, first lived in Lakeville before moving to Two Rock, and met his wife Isolena in Petaluma.

    Six generations of the Tunzi family have grown up in Southern Sonoma County. Many of the six generations have two things in common: raising cattle and attending the small Dunham School in Roblar. The Tunzi family immigrated to America from Switzerland in 1882.

    Natale and Isolena had three children and purchased a ranch in Roblar in 1898. They bought the ranch from a local doctor who owned a lot of property in the area. They built the first house on the property, which the family still lives in today, in 1906 and built their original barn around the same time.

    The Tunzi family had a small dairy and milked around 60 cows by hand. At the height of the family’s dairy, they had around 100 head of cattle. They built a grade A barn in 1937 and were one of the first families to have a milking machine in the county. At the time it was built, the barn had state of the art facilities.

    Before building this barn, the family packed the milk 100 feet to a separate room to separate the milk from the cream. They sold the cream to the Petaluma Coop Creamery in cans. The leftover milk was mixed with kale the family planted and used to feed their chickens.

    The family had a lot of chickens at the same time they were raising dairy cattle. They had multiple chicken and brooder houses as well as their own hatchery as part of their operation. The family said they made more money on eggs than milk at that time.

    In addition to raising cattle and chickens, the family grew hay on 110 acres in Roblar as well as at Hamilton Air Force Base during World War II. The family recalls hearing stories of cutting hay while bombers were taking off and landing at the base.

    The family raised dairy cattle and utilized their grade A barn until the late 50’s when they retired from the dairy business. Jim said milking cows was a seven day a week job and joked that the family decided they liked to deer hunt and didn’t want to be tied down. They bought a ranch in Geyserville, phased out milking and began raising beef cattle. Jim and his brother were not farming full time and were partners in their excavating business for 40 years.

    Today, the Tunzi family is still raising cattle on the same ranch in Roblar. The family has 342 acres split into three parcels, although the ranch was more than 500 at one point. Jim lived on the ranch with his wife Joan, who keeps track of their family history. They own their cattle in conjunction with Fred, a member of the fourth generation who didn’t grow up on the ranch but later became involved with the cattle.

    Over the years, the family has raised multiple different breeds of cattle including Herefords, Simmental, Brangus, Charolais and currently have Angus. They peaked at 100 head of beef cattle, but now have about 80 cattle on the property.

    Ten of these are Limousin cattle part of a small herd Robby, Jim’s grandson, is raising. Robby said his herd started when his uncle gave him a heifer when he was five. At the time, he was in kindergarten and from that bottle calf he raised, bred and built his herd off of. He bought a few head along the way and showed them at the fair which helped pay for college.
    With his cattle project, Robby won the carcass contest one year at the fair, an accomplishment he views as a better achievement than winning the show. He was also the recipient of the Farm Bureau Foundation of Sonoma County’s Gold Cup his last year showing.

    Robby is currently attending Oklahoma State University, majoring in Ag Business and Economics. After graduation, he has plans to come back to Sonoma County and keep the ranch going. While he doesn’t think the ranch is large enough to build a career on, he knows it will definitely be a part of his life going forward.
    Permission for use is granted, however, credit must be made to the author and Sonoma County Farm Bureau when reprinting this item.

  • Veteran Students, Horses Partner in Care at UC Davis

    Davis, Calif., (January 10, 2018) – UC Davis student and U.S. Marine Corps veteran Edgar Garcia brushed the hair along a horse’s neck, back and sides. Here, grooming was more than preparation for riding — it was an age-old ritual bonding human and horse in trust and care.

    UC Davis student Edgar Garcia spends time with Chance after participating in an earlier trial run for a new program that pairs military veterans with horses at the campus Equestrian Center. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

    Garcia is one of the early participants in a new program that pairs student veterans with horses to help them get involved in campus life and enjoy much needed relaxation.

    “Horses make you forget about everything,” said the senior majoring in evolutionary anthropology. “I was so relaxed.”

    Enjoying companionship: UC Davis is introducing the Hooves for Heroes program this month following a brief trial last fall. After attending four weekly lessons on horse handling to begin this Thursday (Jan. 11), a veteran will be able to spend time independently with a horse. The animal gets extra grooming and can graze on a lead outside the paddocks. Each enjoys the other’s companionship.

    Meg Drescher, a coordinator at the Equestrian Center, said Campus Recreation and Unionsand the university’s Veterans Success Center are teaming up to offer the program. She said horses are increasingly being used to foster mental and emotional health for veterans.

    Participants in the trial run for Hooves for Heroes receive instruction in handling horses. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

    “It’s good for people to get to spend time with animals and horses,” she said. “It’s not just physical wellness — it’s whole-being wellness.”

    The new program will be held at the 25-acre campus Equestrian Center, which offers horse boarding, riding lessons and equestrian team activities. Students experienced in horsemanship will do the teaching, and the veterans’ partners will be good-natured lesson horses, some on loan from a summer riding camp.

    Challenges for veteran students: Garcia offered insights about the challenges veteran students face. He drew on his own experience as a veteran who was an aviation mechanic in the Marine Corps for eight years and his roles as president of the Davis Student Veteran Organization and as a student adviser at the veterans center.

    The 31-year-old — who worked as a security executive and earned two associate degrees before transferring to UC Davis — said veterans might have trouble transitioning to academic life, or feel out of place among mostly younger classmates and those who have different perspectives about the military. Veterans might also be coping with other issues such as brain injuries or post-traumatic stress disorder.

    One of about 200 veterans enrolled at UC Davis, J. Alota is studying for a master’s degree in health informatics after 22 years and five deployments with the Air Force left him unable to meet the strenuous physical demands of his former nursing career.

    UC Davis veteran students J. Alota, with his back to the camera, and Edgar Garcia groom Shinto in the trial run for the Hooves for Heroes program. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

    He also copes with PTSD and a traumatic brain injury, he said, and enjoyed brushing and talking to the horses in the fall trial.

    “It feels like there is nothing else going on in the world but me and the horse.” he said. “It’s a peace.”

    Hooves for Heroes is akin to the equestrian facility’s long-established Guardian Angels program that trains campus and community volunteers to spend time with horses.

  • How Farms can Donate Fresh Food for Tax Deductions

    Charitable Contributions for Farmers

    It is common for businesses to receive tax deductions for cash donations, but did you know that the agriculture community can donate fresh foods for a similar benefit? California farmers and agriculture businesses have the opportunity to donate fresh fruits and vegetables in return for some pretty hefty tax breaks.

    How much is the deduction? 

    In order to calculate the federal deduction and the California credit, your accountant will need to know the cost basis of the donated fruit as well as the fair market value (FMV) of that fruit as of the date it was contributed.

    Normally, the federal deduction for inventory contributions is limited to the FMV on the date of contribution or the cost basis of the inventory, whichever is lower. However, there is an enhanced deduction allowed for the contribution of food inventory to a qualified organization that allows for an “above-basis” deduction. This deduction equals the lesser of: (1) the basis of the contributed inventory plus one-half of the ordinary income that would have been recognized if the inventory had been sold for FMV on the contribution date, or (2) twice the basis of the property. As is often the case, there are special rules for certain taxpayers. If you are not using full absorption to account for your inventories, consult with your accountant as special rules will apply.

    For farm partnerships, the result of the above calculation would be passed through to the individual partners within the partnership. The deduction is then limited to 15% of their net income from all businesses that made food contributions. This means that their deduction would be limited to 15% of their net income from the farm entity that made the donation. If individual farmers who are also partners in farm partnerships made food contributions to qualified organizations, then the net income of both activities would be added together in determining the 15% limitation. Any unused deduction can be carried over and used in the five succeeding tax years.

    California law

    Under California tax law, a qualified taxpayer who donates fresh fruits or fresh vegetables to a food bank located in California is allowed a tax credit equal to 10% of the cost that would otherwise be included in inventory costs. In the case of farm partnerships, the credit would be passed through and used by the individual partners. Any unused credits may be carried forward for seven years. It’s important to note that this credit has expired, however, there is a possibility of extension, so speak with your accountant to learn more.

    Here’s an example

    Partnership A owns a farm that grows fruit.  The partnership donates unsold fruit to the local food bank.  A determines that the basis of the contributed property is $180,000.  A also determines that one-half of the ordinary income that would have been recognized if the inventory had been sold for FMV on the contribution date is $40,000.  The deduction would consist of the lesser of: (1) the basis of the property contributed plus one-half the profit = $180,000+$40,000 = $220,000, or (2) twice the basis of $180,000 = $360,000.  In this case, the lesser figure of $220,000 would be the enhanced deduction for the food inventory contributed.  That deduction would be passed along to the partners of the partnership. The charitable deduction on the partner’s tax returns would be limited to 15% of the income from the partnership that made the food donation.

    Please note that if the donated inventory was not included in the opening inventory, but rather was produced during the current year,the donated inventory would be considered to have zero basis. This means that the enhanced deduction for food inventory would only be $40,000 in the example above, as the $180,000 cost of that fruit would instead be included as part of the cost of goods sold deduction in the current year.

    If you have questions about charitable food donations or want to learn more about how to claim the deduction, please contact Sensiba San Filippo Partner, John Slater, at 559.437.0700 or at jslater@ssfllp.com.

  • Joint release: Wolf pack makes first confirmed livestock kill

    Sacramento, Calif., (November 1, 2017) – California has experienced its first confirmed livestock depredation by wolves since the gray wolf returned to the state in 2011.

    A livestock loss determination report issued Oct. 20 by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed that one week earlier, Oct. 13, the Lassen Pack of wolves killed a cow on private property in western Lassen County. Data from a GPS tracking device worn by the breeding female of the Lassen Pack—known as LAS01F—confirms the wolf was present at the site for at least six hours on the night the 600-pound yearling heifer was killed.

    According to the CDFW report, “wolf tracks were observed within the area,” including “kick marks and disturbed ground consistent with a struggle.” It was evident that wolves had killed the heifer, the report said, because of the location and nature of the bite marks, many of which were more than an inch deep.

    “Frustratingly, current California law provides ranchers and CDFW very few tools for deterring and managing wolves,” California Cattlemen’s Association President Dave Daley said. “Under current law, we have extremely limited options for protecting our livestock.”

    Livestock groups also criticized CDFW for declining to announce the wolf kill.

    “It’s important for Californians to understand the full implications of the wolf’s return,” California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger said. “CDFW has been more than willing to notify the public when it identifies a new pack or when wolves have pups. People need to recognize wolves not as cute woodland creatures but as predators that kill.”

    CFBF and CCA have sued the California Fish and Game Commission to overturn its decision to list the gray wolf as an endangered species in California, which would allow more flexibility in wolf management.

    Although the Oct. 13 incident marked the first confirmed livestock kill by a wolf, suspected kills occurred on four other occasions between Sept. 19 and Sept. 30, each reported by the same Lassen County rancher whose cow suffered the confirmed kill this month. CDFW did not confirm any of those incidents, but GPS data and eyewitness reports place the Lassen Pack near the cattle at the time.

    The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of more than 48,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members. The California Cattlemen’s Association represents more than 1,700 cattle ranchers in California and has been serving cattle ranchers and beef producers since 1917.