California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • USDA Announces Changes to Emergency Haying & Grazing Provisions

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) today announced changes for emergency haying and grazing of acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This includes changes outlined in the 2018 Farm Bill that streamlines the authorization process for farmers and ranchers.

    “FSA authorizes emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program acres under certain conditions to provide emergency relief to livestock producers in times of severe drought or similar natural disasters,” said FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce. “These program changes will simplify the authorization process with an automatic trigger by severe drought designation, allowing livestock producers to quickly access much-needed forage.”

    Program Changes

    Previously emergency haying and grazing requests originated with FSA at the county level and required state and national level approval. Now approval will be based on drought severity as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

    To date, 500 counties nationwide have triggered eligibility for emergency haying and grazing on CRP acres. A list by state and map of eligible counties are updated weekly and available on FSA’s website.

    Producers located in a county that is designated as severe drought (D2) or greater on or after the last day of the primary nesting season are eligible for emergency haying and grazing on all eligible acres. Additionally, producers located in counties that were in a severe drought (D2) status any single week during the last eight weeks of the primary nesting season may also be eligible for emergency haying and grazing unless the FSA County Committee determines that forage conditions no longer warrant emergency haying and grazing.

    Counties that trigger for Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) payments based on the U.S. Drought Monitor may hay only certain practices on less than 50% of eligible contract acres. Producers should contact their local FSA county office for eligible CRP practices.

    Counties that don’t meet the drought monitor qualifications but have a 40% loss of forage production may also be eligible for emergency haying and grazing outside of the primary nesting season.

    CRP Emergency Haying and Grazing Provisions

    Before haying or grazing eligible acres, producers must submit a request for CRP emergency haying or grazing to FSA and obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

    Emergency grazing is authorized for up to 90 days and emergency haying is authorized for up to 60 days. Program participants must stop haying and grazing 30 days before the first freeze date in the fall based on the dates established for LFP.

    Under the emergency grazing provisions, producers can use the CRP acreage for their own livestock or may grant another livestock producer use of the CRP acreage. The eligible CRP acreage is limited to acres located within the approved county.

    For emergency haying, producers are limited to one cutting and are permitted to sell the hay. Participants must remove all hay from CRP acreage within 15 days after baling and remove all livestock from CRP acreage no later than 1 day after the end of the emergency grazing period. There will be no CRP annual rental payment reduction for emergency haying and grazing authorizations.

    More Information

    For more information on CRP emergency haying and grazing visit fsa.usda.gov/crp or contact your FSA county office. To locate your FSA office, visit farmers.gov/service-locator. For more disaster recovery assistance programs, visit farmers.gov/recover.

    All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors may also be required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. Our program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with our producers in office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

  • FARM Program Recognized Again for International Quality Certification

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service once again approved the National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) Animal Care Program’s animal welfare standards, determining that the program’s 4th version meets the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Specification. FARM was the first animal-care program in the world to have its updated standards verified through this process.

    “The ISO certification for the FARM Program demonstrates its importance and validates our industry’s commitment to animal care not only domestically but also in the world market,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, which administers the FARM program.

    The assessment to the ISO standard determines whether animal welfare programs meet international standards for animal care as set by an independent standards-setting organization. FARM was evaluated to ensure that the standards in Version 4.0 of its Animal Care program meet the highest quality in species-specific welfare practices.

    Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation

    The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and ISO work together to help farmers and programs like FARM standardize and implement their animal care guidelines. The OIE, the World Trade Organization-recognized body for setting animal health and welfare standards affecting international trade, adopted dairy cattle welfare standards in 2015.

    FARM was the first livestock program in the world recognized for the technical specification in 2018. It repeated the USDA verification process to provide an additional level of assurance for the improvements made to the program in its fourth iteration. The verification by USDA signifies to FARM Program participants that its standards are among the best in the world; it also signals to consumers they can have confidence their dairy products were produced in accordance with the highest level of science-based animal care.

    The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), based in Arlington, VA, develops and carries out policies that advance dairy producers and the cooperatives they own. NMPF’s member cooperatives produce the majority of U.S. milk, making NMPF the voice of dairy producers on Capitol Hill and with government agencies. Created by the National Milk Producers Federation in partnership with Dairy Management Inc, the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) works with all U.S. dairy farmers, co-ops and processors, to demonstrate to dairy customers and consumers that the dairy industry is taking the very best care of cows and the environment, producing safe, wholesome milk and adhering to the highest standards of workforce development.

  • Pollinator Partnership Announces Three New Designations for Bee Friendly Farming

    Pollinator Partnership (P2) is proud to announce enhancements and improvements to its Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) program to better recognize engage and support BFF participants and pollinators everywhere. The new BFF program will have three categories that allow them to engage with all participants at a finer scale while addressing their goals: Bee Friendly Farming Certified, Bee Friendly Farming Partner and Bee Friendly Farming Garden.

    Bee Friendly Farming Certified designation will apply to large-scale commercial farms, ranches, wineries and other land-use businesses that grow food and other resources. This certification will require compliance at registration and every third year to be validated in the seven specific criteria required to qualify. “From habitat to cover crops to best management practices, the Bee Friendly Farming Certified mark will identify farms engaged in science-based Bee Friendly Farming practices,” said BFF Coordinator Miles Dakin. “This enables us to enhance grower and pollinator benefits through greater engagement in nutrition, habitat, biodiversity and other guidelines.”

    Bee Friendly Farming Partner includes sponsorship from individuals and companies, as well as apiarists, who do not actively manage their own landscapes but wish to support the BFF program. Multiple tiers of sponsorships are available to provide the resources necessary to build and maintain the BFF program.

    The third category of recognition, Bee Friendly Farming Garden, includes smaller landscapes, community gardens and homeowners who voluntarily adhere to the seven criteria of Bee Friendly Farming actions. By separating and reorganizing these distinct members, BFF can better recognize the different contributions by farmers, apiarists, home gardeners, community members and commercial sponsors to support vital pollinators.

    Photos courtesy of Geoffrey Thurner, California State University Fresno

    “After conversations with long-standing participants, environmental groups, grower associations and sponsors, we saw a clear need to further refine the BFF experience and to add a level of scrutiny and permanence to the certification aspects of Bee Friendly Farming,” said Laurie Davies Adams, President of Pollinator Partnership, parent organization of Bee Friendly Farming. “This new tri-level approach will still recognize existing affiliates as BFF Partners, while taking a great step forward for the dedicated agricultural community that seeks rigorous and validated certification of its adherence to best practices for pollinators. In all instances, BFF will provide excellent guidelines for all levels of BFF practitioners.”

    The three categories have slightly different criteria and benefits. Some currently certified historic BFF participants may fall into a different category and will be contacted about the changes.

    Visit www.beefriendlyfarming.org for more information on Bee Friendly Farming and to learn how you can participate.

    ABOUT POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP (P2) Established in 1997, the Pollinator Partnership is the largest 501(c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to the health, protection, and conservation of all pollinating animals. P2’s actions for pollinators include education, conservation, restoration, policy, and research. P2’s financial support comes through grants, gifts, memberships and donations from any interested party. P2’s policies are science-based, set by its board of directors, and never influenced by any donor. To make a donation or for information on events during Pollinator Week visit www.pollinator.org.

  • CLas-positive Asian Citrus Psyllid Found in Riverside Commercial Grove

    An Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) sample – confirmed positive for Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) the bacteria that causes Huanglongbing (HLB) – was collected from a commercial citrus grove in the Woodcrest area of Riverside County. Confirmed by Citrus Research Board’s Jerry Dimitman Laboratory, this single adult psyllid is the first CLas-positive ACP found in a commercial citrus grove in California.

    While a positive ACP detection in a commercial grove is cause for serious concern, as of today, HLB has not been detected in any California commercial groves. That said, it is more crucial than ever that we stop the disease from spreading by eradicating the Asian citrus psyllid in commercial groves. The cost to manage the Asian citrus psyllid is far less than any potential costs or loss to the industry should HLB take hold throughout our state.

    An expansion of the HLB quarantine zone will not be established as a result of the CLas-positive ACP detection and CDFA staff is swiftly conducting surveys and collecting samples per the ACP/HLB Action Plan  from the perimeter of all commercial groves and all residential HLB host plants that are located within a 250-meter radius around the find.

    While treatment is not mandatory as a result of the detection, all growers within 250-meters of the find site will be notified to apply insecticides to all HLB host material within the designated area with materials recommended by the University of California (UC).

    Currently, the best way to stop the disease from spreading is to stop the ACP. To stop the ACP, we must restrict its movement and suppress existing psyllid populations. It is critical to follow best practices and review recommendations from the UC on how to protect commercial citrus groves from HLB. Regulations are in place to help prevent the spread of the pest and disease. All growers, packers and haulers must comply with all California Department of Food and Agriculture, county and federal regulations, including quarantines.

    Growers in Riverside County may contact the County Agricultural Commissioner’s office or the CDFA Pest Hotline at 800-491-1899 for additional information. If you see or suspect ACP or HLB symptoms in your grove, please notify the CDFA hotline. – By the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program

  • New USDA Survey to Measure Areas for Improvement

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a new annual survey of farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners. The survey will help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed, specifically at the Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

    A selection of 28,000 producers will receive the survey over the next few weeks, but all farmers are encouraged to take the survey at farmers.gov/survey.

    “We want to hear from our customers so we can learn what we’re doing right and where we’re missing the mark,” Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey said. “Good data is critical to good decision-making. The more responses we receive, the better we can understand what we need to do to improve our services to America’s farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners.”

    This survey is part of the President’s Management Agenda. It requires High Impact Service Provider agencies across the federal government, including FSA and NRCS, to conduct annual surveys to measure and respond to areas needing improvement.

    “We recognize producers and our staff may be experiencing a lot of change in how they interact with USDA,” Farm Service Agency Administrator Richard Fordyce said. “This is a good time to check in with our customers.”

    “We will use this input to help improve the delivery of our conservation programs as our sister agencies will do for their programs.” Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Matthew Lohr said.

    “We’re about our customers,” Risk Management Agency Administrator Martin Barbre said. “RMA works to provide producers with crop insurance policies that meet their needs and we need to know where we can improve.”

    The survey consists of 20 questions and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Responses are confidential, and individual responses will be aggregated. The survey will be open for at least six weeks and will be closed once USDA receives a 30% response rate.

    Learn more and take the survey at www.farmers.gov/survey.

  • Real CA Milk Innovation Competition Takes on Snacking

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced today the return of its dairy product innovation competition with the launch of the Real California Milk Snackcelerator to inspire new ideas integrating the flavor and functionality of California dairy into snack formulations that meet the needs of today’s consumers.

    With more than $450,000 in awards, the Real California Milk Snackcelerator taps into the $605 billion global snack food market while combining two of California’s great natural resources: High quality, sustainable dairy products and the insatiable California entrepreneurial spirit. The competition aims to inspire innovation and investment in dairy-based snack products, packaging and capacity within California by connecting the dots between processors, producers, investors, ideas and entrepreneurs.

    Research shows that consumers are snacking more than ever before. According to Mondelez International, 59% of adults worldwide prefer snacking to meals with that number increasing to 70% for millennials. The Real California Milk Snackcelerator aims to uncover healthy, natural options to satisfy these cravings.

    “Dairy and snacking are natural partners. Not only do dairy foods make the perfect snack on their own, the flavor, nutritional profile and functionality of milk and other dairy products as ingredients are hard to duplicate. As consumers look for snacking options with natural ingredients that deliver something extra – whether a specific flavor profile or a boost of quality protein or other essential nutrients – product developers appreciate what dairy brings to the table,” said John Talbot, CEO of the CMAB. “The goal of this competition is to tap into our global obsession with snacking to inspire new ideas and help clear the hurdles to bringing these products to market.”

    The inaugural Real California Milk Accelerator event in 2019 brought nine innovative fluid milk startup finalists to a live pitch event and built the model for dairy product competitions. The 2019 winner, Bears Nutrition, will launch its ready-to-drink milk-based nutritional shakes for children at retail test markets this fall along with companion “Immunity Nourishment” and “Brain Booster” milk powder-based nutritional shake mixes online.

    Through the Real California Milk Snackcelerator, the CMAB is seeking high-growth potential snack product concepts, with cow’s milk dairy as their first ingredient and making up at least 50% of their formula. The startups will need to commit to producing the product in California, with milk from California dairy farms, should they win the competition.

    Up to eight (8) startups will receive $10,000 worth of support each, to develop an edible prototype, while receiving a suite of resources including graphic design, lab or kitchen time and elite mentorship from global marketing, packaging, and distribution experts. They also will receive a business development trip (or virtual equivalent) to tour dairy farms and production facilities and to meet with industry leaders to help drive success of their new venture. The winner will receive up to $200,000 worth of additional support to get their new product to market. The value of the competition prize is $450,000.

    VentureFuel, Inc., the leading corporate innovation consultancy, is again partnering with CMAB to run the program and to identify the best emerging opportunities from their global network of investors, founders and academics. “Our first program with CMAB proved the value of marrying innovation and dairy as we were able to bring delicious and diverse products to market quickly, while providing founders unprecedented mentorship and access to accelerate their success,” said Fred Schonenberg, Founder of VentureFuel, Inc. “CMAB’s continued commitment to product innovation now will inspire great new snacks for consumers to enjoy and further increase the demand for California Dairy.”

    Competition rules and application documents are available at https://www.venturefuel.net/snackcelerator and the deadline for application is August 28, 2020.

    California, known for innovation, has a reputation for quality dairy products. As the number one producer of fluid milk in the nation, California also leads the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. More than 1200 family dairy farms produce the California milk found in fluid milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream and other dairy products identified by the Real California Milk seal.

    About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board

    The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a mission to increase demand for products made with Real California Milk, the CMAB is celebrating 50 years promoting California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter,Instagram and Pinterest.

    About VentureFuel, Inc.
    VentureFuel helps established companies around the world unlock growth and discover efficiencies by partnering with emerging startups and breakthrough technologies. Our innovation programs solve specific challenges with tangible results, discover first-to-market opportunities and help large organizations develop a repeatable innovation mindset. We are 100% independent, sourcing from our global network of the best investors, scouts, founders and academics. Learn more at: www.venturefuel.net, Linked-In, Twitter and Instagram. You can hear The VentureFuel Podcast on Apple, Spotify or Messy.

  • USDA Section 32 Almond Purchase Announcement

    The Almond Alliance of California, with support from congressional representatives, lead the advocacy efforts to have California almonds included in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 32 food purchase program. The approval of up to $40 million of direct purchases to various domestic food nutrition assistance programs will provide much needed relief as the almond industry navigates through the impacts of COVID-19; while also providing a healthy food source to those in need.

    As grower prices continue to drop and there is an anticipated 3-billion-pound crop for 2020 it is clear that the assistance of a USDA commodity purchase came at a critical time.  As we recover from the damages of COVID-19 and market conditions the Almond Alliance will continue to advocate for and identify opportunities for the industry. We appreciate our relationship with USDA and know that the Section 32 purchase program will give more confidence to our buyers and sellers and supply those in need with a nutritious product we are extremely proud of.

    If you have any questions related to this industry alert, please contact the Almond Alliance staff at staff@almondalliance.org. The Section 32 purchase solicitation will be coming soon.

    How to Become a Certified USDA Vendor:

    The Almond Alliance facilitated a webinar in May 2020 for almond industry handler members interested in becoming an approved vendor with USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, Commodity Procurement Program. Click here, to view the PowerPoint presentation.  Contact information for the AMS new vendor coordinator is below.  We are in the process of scheduling a How to Become a Certified USDA Vendor webinar in mid August and we will provide those details shortly.

    Selling Food to USDA: Click Here.

    Becoming a USDA Foods Vendor: Click Here.

    Contact:  Andrea Lang, New Vendor Coordinator
    AMS Commodity Procurement Program
    Communications and Stakeholder Branch
    Email: NewVendor@usda.gov      
    Phone: 202-720-4237

    Background:
    The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases a variety of 100% domestically produced and processed commodity food products, including dairy products, fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood. AMS issues solicitations and makes purchases for over 200 different USDA Foods on an ongoing basis.

    These purchases support American agriculture by providing an outlet for surplus products and encouraging consumption of domestically-produced foods. The wholesome, high-quality products purchased by USDA—collectively called USDA Foods—are delivered to schools, food banks and households in communities across the country, and are a vital component of our nation’s food safety net.

  • Heat Illness Prevention Education, Training Resources and Publications​​​​​​​

    Almond Alliance of California — Harvest is here and so is the heat!  Heat illness is deadly so prevention education is critical for protecting your employees. Make heat safety part of your overall safety program.

    Some essentials ALL employers should have are:

    • Plan – Develop and implement an effective written heat illness prevention plan that includes emergency response procedures (Almond Alliance provides a template if requested).
    • Training – Train all employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention (Almond Alliance provides pre-season trainings upon request).
    • Water – Provide drinking water that is fresh, pure, suitably cool and free of charge so that each worker can drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage workers to do so.
    • Shade – Provide shade when workers request it or when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. Encourage workers to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least five minutes when they feel the need to do so to protect themselves from overheating. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down.
    Cal/OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention protocols include enforcement of heat regulations as well as multilingual outreach and training programs for California’s employers and workers.

    Below are links to heat illness prevention online resources, materials and printable flyers to use in your workplace this season. If you have any questions, please contact staff@almondalliance.org. Keep your employees safe and hydrated!
    For Employers:
    For Workers:
    • Pocket Guide: Protect Yourself from Heat Illness (English/Spanish), Click Here.
    • Heat Safety Fact Sheet (English), Click Here.
    • File a Health & Safety Complaint (English), Click Here.
    • Additional Heat Illness Prevention Resources, Click Here.
    Training and Education:  
    Materials available for order by email at heat@dir.ca.gov to order copies of the below materials at no cost. (99 Calor campaign page) Material is also available for download, including Heat Illness Prevention videos and discussion guides in multiple languages.
    Additional Heat Illness Links: 
    • FedOSHA Quick Card: Protecting Workers from Heat Stress, Click Here.
    • National Weather Service: California Information, Click Here.
    • Centers for Disease Control: Heat Stress, Click Here.
    • Centers for Disease Control: Tips for Preventing Heat Related Illness, Click Here.

    Note: This document is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Almond Alliance of California does not advise on the application of law to an individual’s or company’s specific circumstances. Although we go to great lengths to make sure our information is accurate and useful, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want professional assurance that our information, and your interpretation of it, is appropriate to your particular situation.

  • Driving Walnut Consumption Through Snacking

    California Walnut Board – Over 95% of Americans snack at some point throughout the day. When we saw snacking move into first place for the top usage for walnuts in our Attitude & Usage (A&U) study, we knew the time was right to capitalize on this trend. In May, we kicked off a campaign designed to showcase California walnuts as the ideal snack food.

    The campaign inspires consumers to snack better by focusing on the simplicity of snacking on a handful of walnuts. We aim to create further excitement around the campaign by engaging consumers and reminding them of the unique flavor profile walnuts offer for both sweet and savory snacking options by having them pick their snacking preference, Team Sweet or Team Savory.

    In May, we also began our partnership with former Bachelorette, Ali Manno, to create content that highlights the versatility of walnuts as a snack. Ali shared her favorite sweet and savory walnut recipes in a blog post and on social media. Audience reception of Ali’s posts was overwhelmingly positive, and the inclusion of her daughter in the content amplified her relatability. Many commenters expressed intent to make her walnut spreads and contributed to the #WalnutsSweetOrSavory conversation by sharing their snacking preferences. Coverage of Ali’s snacking story was recently posted on Women’s Health and was syndicated through both Yahoo! and MSN.

    In order to give our snacking campaign a timely hook to help break through the COVID-19-dominated media landscape, we conducted a nationally representative survey to learn more about how Americans’ snacking habits had changed during shelter-in-place restrictions, so we could better understand how walnuts fit in. The survey, conducted in partnership with Kelton Global, revealed that Americans are snacking now more than ever, with 49% snacking more now than before the pandemic began.

    At the same time, many snackers are turning to indulgent snacks as a source of comfort, with 31% saying their new habits have led to recent weight gain. We leveraged these results in our outreach, with walnuts being the perfect snack ingredient that can pair with nearly any flavor, highlighting California Walnuts’ research that has shown walnuts may play an important role in maintaining a healthy weight. We also shipped mailers full of new and innovative walnut-packed snack products to media and health practitioner contacts.

    To capitalize on the increased use of digital media during this time, the campaign continues to be supported with snacking-themed digital ads and social media posts driving consumers to walnuts.org to engage with the campaign landing page, recipes, and blog content. The effort was further amplified via content marketing placements with print and digital partners, such as the Kitchn article “Berry Walnut Trail Mix Is the Afternoon Snack You’ve Been Waiting For” and Men’s Health “Make Walnut Energy Balls for a Snack”. Articles like “Summer Snack Hacks to Make the Long Days Simpler” on our blog rounded out the plan. Social media ads and polls encouraged consumers to join the conversation, resulting in high engagement levels.

    Editorial content from the blog and promotional landing pages have pulled visitors into the site with 70K+ clicks through the end of June, and more than 45K+ Recipe/Collection views.

    With consumers shopping for groceries online at record levels, California Walnuts launched an ecommerce digital advertising program on Kroger, Amazon, Instacart, Albertsons, Safeway and Ahold for the months of July and August. Additionally, traditional retail promotions will bring the campaign to life in September with snacking-themed promotions at Publix, Kroger, and Harris Teeter. Display shippers at 3,000 locations will encourage customers to “Grab a Handful of Nutrition” with California Walnuts.

    Looking ahead, we plan to continue building upon our campaign’s momentum by discovering new ways to reach consumers and share the many reasons California walnuts are not only the ideal snack food, but also the perfect ingredient for sweet and savory snack creations.

  • New Study Reveals Blueberry Growers Strengthen U.S. Economy by the Billions

    Growers of U.S. highbush blueberries generate more than $4.7 billion in annual economic impact, translating to more than $12.7 million flowing into the U.S. economy every day of the year.

    “The U.S. highbush blueberry industry – including 12,739 blueberry farms – is a powerful financial force,” said Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC). “Behind every farm are growers who not only tend a truly remarkable superfruit, but also stimulate business activity, create thousands of jobs and contribute mightily to the economy.”

    In addition to the $4.7 billion in total economic impact, which includes several factors related to increased business activity as a result of growing blueberries, a new economic impact study commissioned by the USHBC further reveals:

    • Jobs: U.S. highbush blueberry growers alone create and sustain more than 44,535
      full-time equivalent jobs each year. These jobs are a result of the business activities of growers and the multiplier effect their purchases generate in a variety of farming and nonfarming sectors.

      It is important to note that this substantial job number does not include the jobs supported by blueberry processors or handlers. We would see even higher numbers if the full blueberry supply chain was considered, but for the purposes of this study, we focused exclusively on the economic impact of highbush blueberry growers, said Cronquist.

    • Labor Income: Nearly $1.8 billion in labor income is generated by the business activities of growers – equating to more than $4.9 million each day. These are dollars going to wages and salaries for new employment, as well as expanded incomes to those already in the labor force for activities such as overtime pay. These dollars are then diffused throughout the U.S. economy as the funds are spent on crucial goods and services such as food, housing, transportation and health care, Cronquist added.

     

    • Indirect Business Taxes: Each year, more than $145 million in indirect business taxes, not including income taxes, are generated by U.S. highbush blueberry growers. These collective indirect business taxes translate to nearly $400,000 per day. To put this in context, the annual tax revenue generated from U.S. highbush blueberry growers is more than the 2019 U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Operations and Support budget ($129 million) or the 2019 U.S. Department of Energy’s Cyber Security, Energy Security and Emergency Resources budget ($96 million).

    “It is clear that blueberry growers play a significant role in strengthening the economic climate of the United States,” said Cronquist. “Their activities are diffused throughout the economy, touching nearly every aspect of life throughout the country.”

    U.S. Highbush Blueberry Growers Stimulate Major Economic Impact in Key Growing States

    In addition to the dramatic national economic influence of highbush blueberry growers, contributions are also significant at the state level in terms of financial influx and jobs created. A breakout of the grower impact in the top eight highbush blueberry states is included here:

     

    State Economic Impact
    (Millions/Annual)    		 Jobs Created
    (Full-time Equivalent/Annual)
    Michigan $530.4 6,600
    Georgia $521.8 4,140
    California $458.6 4,240
    Washington $464.4 4,450
    Oregon $353.5 3,505
    Florida $295.3 2,540
    New Jersey $149.3 1,885
    North Carolina $125.9 990

     

    About the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council
    Established in 2000, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is a federal agriculture research and promotion program with independent oversight from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). USHBC represents blueberry growers and packers in North and South America who market their blueberries in the United States and overseas and works to promote the growth and well-being of the entire blueberry industry. USHBC was established by blueberry growers and currently has 2,500 growers, packers and importers. USHBC is committed to providing blueberries that are grown, harvested, packed and shipped in clean, safe environments. Learn more at ushbc.org.