Sacramento, Calif., (May 23, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Animal Health and Food Safety Services division is announcing two vacancies on the Cattle Health Advisory Task Force (CHATF), which advises the CDFA Secretary on the control and management of cattle diseases and evaluates the effectiveness of cattle health programs.
The term of office for a member of CHATF is two years. Members receive no compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for per diem expenses.
The vacancies are for one member representing the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratories and one member representing the large animal veterinary medicine dairy sector. Any interested individual may send a brief resume by June 11, 2017 to:
California Department of Food and Agriculture Animal Health Branch 1220 N Street Sacramento, California 95814 Attention: Dr. Anita Edmondson
Sacramento, Calif., (May 18, 2017) – The California Air Resources Board, in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and California Energy Commission (CEC), will host the first meeting of the Dairy and Livestock Greenhouse Gas Reduction Working Group on May 23, 2017. The first meeting of the Working Group will be held on:
Date: May 23, 2017
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location:
CDFA’s Main Auditorium
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814.
The meeting will be live-streamed for online viewing, but this will be a listen-in only option. Public comments will be received at the meeting. Members of the public who wish to provide oral comments at the meeting should plan to attend in person. More information on the Working Group and meeting materials can be found at https://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/shortlived/shortlived.htm
The formation of the Working Group is called for by legislation passed in 2016, Senate Bill 1383 (Lara), which requires the State to develop and approve a plan to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs). Short-lived climate pollutants, including methane from dairy cows and other livestock, are greenhouse gases that, despite having a relatively short residence time in the atmosphere, have a powerful warming influence. They are also harmful air pollutants. Accomplishing swift reductions of SLCP emissions can have a significant impact on cumulative climate change, lessening harmful climate change impacts over the long term, and can improve public health.
Methane from dairy manure and enteric fermentation make up the largest portion of California agriculture’s 8% total greenhouse gas emissions. CDFA houses two incentive programs to provide dairies with financial assistance to reduce methane emissions; the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program and the Alternative Manure Management Practices Program. Despite the development of these programs and the growing efforts to reduce emissions, there are still many challenges which the Working Group will address.
The newly formed Working Group will identify and address technical, market, regulatory, and other barriers to the development of dairy methane reduction projects. The Working Group, made up of CDFA, partner agencies and a diverse group of stakeholders and experts, will produce recommendations to advance methane reductions on and achieve other co-benefits from California dairies and livestock operations while also supporting the resiliency and sustainability of California’s world-renown dairy and livestock industry. The Working Group will also foster important relationships and build the cooperation necessary to maximize environmental benefits, minimize impacts to disadvantaged communities, and utilize available resources efficiently.
Sacramento, Calif., (May 16, 2017) – There was bit more variation in the weather pattern this week across the west coast with two separate storm systems developing and moving through the area. Each system brought a couple of rounds of light precipitation to various parts of the State.
Saturday was the only completely dry day across the State, with no reports of measurable precipitation. Every other day of the week saw very light and isolated showers at specific locations. On Tuesday, the interior deserts and southern tier received up to a quarter inch of rainfall. Thursday saw comparably widespread rain, as well, with showers falling on the northwestern mountains/coast, the northern mountain, and the northern and central Sierras. Friday and Sunday saw light showers in the central Sierras. Another late spring week led to additional snowmelt in the mountains, with snow cover limited to 7,500 feet and above in the southern Sierras. Up to 2-3 feet is likely above this elevation. The northern Sierras are also snow-free below about 5,500 feet, with six to eight feet above 5,500 feet.
Temperature highs were in the 50s to 70s in the mountains and along the coast, 70s to 80s in the valley, and 70s to 90s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 40s in the mountains, 40s to 50s in the valley and along the coast, and 40s to 60s in the desert.
Winter wheat was being green chopped for silage; some was being dried, with harvest nearing completion. Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress being cut, dried, and baled. Corn continued being planted, and earlier planted fields were growing well. Cotton was up and being irrigated. Soil preparation and planning for rice was ongoing.
Grapes and stone fruits were developing well with the favorable weather and water conditions. Thinning of immature stone fruit continued in some orchards. New fruit tree orchards and vineyards were irrigated. Pomegranates were blooming. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards. Cherries, apricots and some early peach and nectarines were harvested. The Valencia orange harvest continued. New citrus orchards were planted. Olive bloom was drawing to a close.
Almond nut development was progressing well. Pistachio, walnut and almond orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Some orchard floors were sprayed with herbicides, and fungicides were applied as needed.
Early planted summer vegetable were progressing well. New fields were prepared for planting. Cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant and melons were planted in Tulare County. Sweet corn, peppers and melons were also planted. Processed tomato planting continued in Yolo County. Tomato planting was essentially complete in Fresno County and some early plantings were setting fruit. Some early summer vegetables were harvested. In the San Joaquin Valley, some vegetable fields were irrigated and fertilized. Herbicides and fertilizer were applied to onions for seed. In Imperial Valley, melons, sweet corn, and onions were harvested. Strawberry and blueberry harvest continued.
Foothill rangeland and valley dryland pasture forage quality was in fair to excellent condition. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued to decline. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in kiwi vineyards, melon, and vegetable fields.
Santa Rosa, Calif., (May 16, 2017) – At 14 years old, Massimino LaFranchi emigrated from Switzerland in 1888 and made his living milking cows throughout Sonoma County before meeting his wife Anna Nicklaus in San Francisco.
In 1912, the couple bought 500 acres of land on the outskirts of Calistoga forming Oak Ridge Farm, named after all the oak trees found along the hills of the Knights Valley property. Massimino and Anna raised cattle on their property but had a farm more typical of the time including horses, chickens and pigs. They went on to have five children: Frank, Madeline, Alfred (Al), Nick and Henry.
Henry LaFranchi circa late 1940 clipping an Aryshire at the California State Fair.
Henry purchased two Ayrshire heifers in 1936 as part of his FFA project at Calistoga High School. He was quickly joined by his brothers Al and Nick, and the three worked together to develop one of the country’s most respected herds of Ayrshires.
The brothers were passionate about raising and showing their Ayrshire cattle, and they travelled around the country via boxcar to exhibit at fairs and expositions where they consistently took top honors.
The Oak Ridge Ayrshire herd became known for being one of the first herds to dehorn their cattle. Although the Ayrshire breed had been commonly known for having beautiful horns, Henry began dehorning the cattle because of the potential danger after suffering an injury.
Ayrshires including Oak Ridge Connie Kathleen, Oak Ridge Flashy Starlet and Oak Ridge Kellys Rosid (who was the first cow other than a Holstein to be named Supreme Champion at the World Dairy Expo in 1975) went on to become some of the most influential cows of the breed. Today, the majority of Ayrshires from coast to coast have some lineage that dates back to the herd of Oak Ridge Ayrshires.
On the first Saturday in August 1975, the LaFranchi brothers held a dispersal sale, selling nearly all of the Ayrshires. The dairy herd was replaced by beef cattle, predominantly registered Black Angus.
Five years prior to the sale, the LaFranchi family had purchased an additional 700 acres of land across the street where they originally began running beef cattle. In years since, they have developed multiple long-term leases and currently rent more than 3,000 acres of rangeland in Sonoma County.
Henry LaFranchi married Judith Little in 1958. Her family raised Guernsey cattle in Gridley, CA, and the couple had two children, Cheryl and Eric, who became the third generation involved in the cattle industry.
Cheryl followed in her father’s footsteps to run a successful beef business focusing on disposition as well as genetic traits that include calving ease and soundness. She believes that animals raised on the rolling hills are more likely to preform well.
The family held their first annual Angus bull sale in 1979, a tradition that continues today: 2017 will mark the 38th Annual Oak Ridge Angus Bull Sale.
In the 80’s, the family’s Angus herd was around 200 cattle, but throughout the 90’s, this number increased to more than 400 head of Angus.
Cheryl attributes the growth of the herd to the family’s partnership with the Bear Republic Brewing Co. The ability to feed brewers’ grain has cut the amount of hay needed in half. The ranch feeds approximately 25,000 lbs of brewer’s grain six days a week.
The family runs the cattle in the hills during the winter and brings them down to flatter pastures in the summer after cutting hay. Each year, the family cuts and stacks more than 6,000 bales of grass hay grown during the winter and spring.
The present day ranch is home to more than 400 head of beef cattle
Today, in addition to selling Angus bulls in the annual sale, the ranch sells cattle year round via private treaty and through various other channels including the annual Red Bluff Bull and Gelding Sale. Additionally, the ranch is selling a significant number of animals to the Sonoma County Meat Company where the meat is then distributed to high-end retailers and restaurants throughout Northern California.
Cheryl is married to local large animal veterinarian Frank Mongini, DVM. Eric and his wife Stephanie have three children – the fourth generation lives on the Knights Valley property and are involved in the family’s cattle ranch in addition to being involved in the local agriculture industry.
The family is still passionate about running cattle and plans to maintain their agricultural land far into the future.
Sacramento, Calif., (May 15, 2017) – CDFA’s Bureau of Livestock Identification is announcing a vacancy on the Livestock Identification Advisory Board, which makes recommendations to the secretary of agriculture about the curbing of livestock theft; legislation and procedures to improve the function of the Bureau; and the Bureau’s annual budget.
The term of office for a member on the Board is four years. Members of the Board receive no compensation, but are entitled to reimbursement for mileage. The present Board membership consists of two beef cattle producers, two dairy producers, two registered feedlot operators, and one livestock marketing business representative.
A Board position opened on May 1, 2017. Any interested individual representing the cattle feeder industry should apply. Please send a brief resume by June 15, 2017, to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Bureau of Livestock Identification, Attention: John Suther, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, California 95814.
The Bureau of Livestock Identification is the sole State authority to register and inspect cattle operations. The Bureau maintains a brand registration and inspection program to protect cattle owners in California against loss of animals by theft, straying, or misappropriation. The Bureau assists local law enforcement with investigations and prosecutions involving cattle theft, and it also inspects cattle for evidence of lawful possession prior to transportation, sale or slaughter.
Sacramento, Calif., (May 9, 2017) – A broad ridging pattern over the western United States brought dry and hot weather to the State during the first two thirds of the week. Then a pattern shift over the weekend brought cooler temperatures and precipitation to parts of the State.
A few isolated showers were limited to the Los Angeles basin and the far northern mountains near Mt. Shasta with low amounts of precipitation. Saturday saw more widespread rains in a band from the Los Angeles basin northward through the southern valley into the central and northern Sierras. The heaviest precipitation on Saturday exceeded one inch and fell in the Sierras near Lake Tahoe, with most other areas north and south along the band limited to a quarter inch of precipitation. On Sunday, light scattered precipitation fell on the central/southern Sierras, southern valley, and southward to the San Diego area. Warm temperatures resulted in substantial snowmelt in the mountains during the week, with only about six inches of snow cover remaining at the 6,500 foot elevation level in the southern Sierras. Upwards of four feet still exist over 6,500 feet in the central Sierras, with over eight feet in the northern mountains over 5,500 feet.
Temperature highs were in the 60s to 80s in the mountains, 70s to 80s along the coast, 80s to 90s in the valley, and 80s to 100s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s in the valley and along the coast, and 50s to 70s in the desert.
Winter wheat was chopped for silage. Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress; some were being cut and baled with the drier weather. Dryland oats were being windrowed and baled. Some irrigated oats were being cut and dried. Corn continued to be planted, and earlier planted fields were growing well. Warm and sunny weather allowed resumption of field work and planting throughout most of the state.
The cherry harvest started. Some early apricots were harvested. The late navel orange harvest was nearly completed. The accelerated harvest of Valencia oranges continued. Grapefruit were harvested. Seedless tangerines were netted to prevent cross pollination by bees during the bloom. Olive trees were blooming.
Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards were irrigated and fertilized. Some orchard floors were sprayed with herbicides and fungicides were applied as needed. Some reports that the almond nut set was good.
In San Joaquin County, asparagus was harvested and packed. Processing tomatoes and sweet corn were planted. Farmer’s Market vegetables were harvested and offered for sale. In Monterey County, the quick start to the overdue season has slowed with volumes and prices evening out. Production was in full swing with most commodities going to harvest and in replant for the next round. In Fresno County, processing tomatoes were at various stages from planting to having fruit. The fields which had established good stands were receiving irrigation and fertilizer. Peppers were planted. Herbicide and fertilizer were applied to onion for seed. In Tulare County, early planted summer vegetables continued to grow. New fields were prepared for planting of additional summer vegetables. Cucumber, zucchini, eggplant, and melons were planted. Early planted summer squash was harvested. In Imperial County, sweet corn, onions, melons, and watermelons were harvested.
Foothill rangeland and valley dryland pasture forage quality was in fair to excellent condition. The amount of supplemental feeding of livestock continued to decline response to the favorable range conditions. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees continued to be moved out of state as and some were staged near unplanted melon and vegetable fields.
Sacramento, Calif., (May 5, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for project funding from the Dairy Digester Research and Development Program (DDRDP), authorized by the Budget Act of 2016. This program receives funding from California Climate Investments Program, with proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing a variety of additional benefits to California communities. CDFA-DDRDP will award between $29 million and $36 million for the installation of dairy digesters in California that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Existing milk producers and dairy digester developers can apply for funding of up to $3 million per project for anaerobic digestion projects that provide quantifiable greenhouse gas reductions. The program requires a minimum of 50 percent of total project cost as matching funds. Prospective applicants must access the “Request for Applications” at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD for detailed information on eligibility and program requirements. To streamline and expedite the application process, CDFA is partnering with the State Water Resources Control Board, which hosts an online application tool, Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). All prospective applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov. Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Wednesday, June 28, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. PT.
CDFA will hold two workshops and one webinar to provide information on program requirements and the FAAST application process (see below). CDFA staff will provide guidance on the application process, provide several examples and answer any questions. There is no cost to attend the workshops. Individuals planning to attend should email grants@cdfa.ca.gov with his or her contact information, number of seats required and the workshop location.
Sacramento – Friday, May 12, 2017 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. California Department of Food and Agriculture 2800 Gateway Oaks Drive, Room 101 Sacramento, CA 95833 Tulare – Monday, May 15, 2017 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Tulare County Agricultural Building Auditorium 4437 S. Laspina Street Tulare, CA 93274
Webinar – Tuesday, May 16, 2017 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. To register for the webinar, please visit the program webpage at www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD.
Prospective applicants should refer to the DDRDP webpage (www.cdfa.ca.gov/go/DD ) for information regarding community outreach meetings coordinated by CDFA. These meetings are intended to provide assistance with community outreach requirements.
Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Grants Office at grants@cdfa.ca.gov with general program questions.
The May 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:
Overcoming Labor and Environmental Concerns Keeping Informed with Western United Dairymen
Sacramento, Calif., (April 10, 2017) – Three public stakeholder listening sessions and one webinar are scheduled from April 17 through April 28, 2017 to obtain feedback and comments on CDFA’s Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP) framework. The listening sessions are designed to obtain input from a wide group of stakeholders including but not limited to dairy and livestock farmers, environmental advocates, local community members and the general public.
AMMP receives funding from the California Climate Investments Program – proceeds from the state’s cap-and-trade auctions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CDFA was appropriated $50 million dollars from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, authorized by the Budget Act of 2016, to provide financial assistance for methane emission reductions from dairy and livestock operations. The objective of AMMP is to incentivize the adoption of alternative (non-digester) manure management practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions from California’s dairy and livestock operations, including but not limited to, scrape conversion, open solar drying and composting of manure onsite, conversion of dairy operations to pasture-based management, and solid separation technologies.
CDFA hopes to gather information about important components of the proposed program including management practices that will be incentivized, potential adverse impacts and community outreach.
The listening sessions will be held as follows:
Monday, April 17, 2017 – 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. California Department of Food and Agriculture
Davis, Calif., (April 3, 2017) – The School of Veterinary Medicine opened the doors Wednesday (March 29) to the Veterinary Medicine Student Services and Administration Center, new home for student-service units, administrative offices and Scrubs Café.
One of the bronze sculptures outside new building. (Pat Bailey/UC Davis photo)
The two-story, 34,000-square-foot building is on Garrod Drive across the street from the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital and just north of the Arboretum Teaching Nursery. Designed to improve communications, collaborations and operating efficiencies, the building brings together about 100 veterinary school leaders and staff members, previously housed in multiple locations.
“We are proud that this new building, which completes the circle in our veterinary school campus, is fittingly dedicated to the support of our students,” Dean Michael Lairmore said.
“We now look forward to expanding and enhancing our veterinary hospital to better meet the clinical needs of animals throughout California and beyond.”
Pet-friendly dining – Campus Dining Services said they anticipate having the new Scrubs Café open on April 17. In making the move from nearby Medical Sciences 1B, the café gets a walk-up window for veterinary hospital clients and others who have pets in tow.
The café’s menu will include cooked-to-order items, grab-and-go choices, snacks, and a variety of hot and cold beverages.
The new Scrubs has a bigger dining area to provide space for informal networking, and the outdoor patio can be reset for special events.
Animals in art – In the lobby, a two-story-tall mosaic wall depicts a horse and caring hands — one holds a stethoscope, the others embrace and caress the horse’s head and face — set against a representation of Northern California terrain. Mike Mandel’s work reflects the bond between animals and people, as well as teacher-student mentoring relationships and an environmental connection.
Outside, you will see bronze sculptures, whimsical work by Nina Kaiserof, one depicting a goat, another a pig and third a dog facing off with two geese.
The building also includes a permanent scholarship donor honor roll, recognizing the important contributions of alumni and friends to the educational success of UC Davis veterinary students.
Environmentally advanced – The university is aiming for LEED-gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s program for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. WRNS Studio did the design, and Rudolph and Sletten Inc. built it.
The project cost came to $27.9 million for design, construction and equipment (including the café), with the funds coming from the campus and philanthropic contributions to the School of Veterinary Medicine.
