California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • Nitrogen-Efficient Fertilizer Research Could Have Lasting Impact

    The world’s population will continue to grow, but the amount of arable land to feed that population will not.

    “So people will continue to add more fertilizers to grow more crops in the same areas,” says Jonas Baltrusaitis, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering in Lehigh University’s P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, and a recipient of the 2020 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Award. “You can’t grow crops without fertilizer. It’s just not happening.”

    While a boon to harvests, fertilizers exact a toll on the environment. Their production alone is extremely energy intensive and a significant source of greenhouse gases, and when nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus aren’t fully taken up by plants, they can leach into groundwater and wash into waterways. Excess nutrients can cause eutrophication of water bodies where algal blooms deprive the ecosystem of oxygen, killing wildlife and producing toxins that can harm humans.

    It’s a vicious cycle that Baltrusaitis hopes to one day break. He recently received a four-year, nearly $435,000 grant through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for his proposal, “Mechanochemical Synthesis of Nitrogen Efficient Fertilizer Materials.”

    NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) is the leading competitive grants program for agricultural sciences in the United States. According to NIFA, “AFRI-funded science is vital to meeting food, fiber, and fuel demands as the world’s population races toward a projected 9 billion by 2050 concomitant with diminishing land and water resources and increasingly variable climatic conditions.”

    Baltrusaitis’ team has developed a dry mechanochemical synthesis method of a family of urea ionic cocrystals that can serve as functional fertilizers that significantly slow down urea hydrolysis in soil, reduce ammonia emissions, and extend availability of nitrogen to plants. He is combining water soluble urea with various nutrients containing low solubility minerals or even industrial waste, such as drywall gypsum, to improve nitrogen management efficiency.

    “We’re re-designing fertilizer materials to be much more stable in the environment,” he says. “If they don’t decompose as fast, they’re available to the plant for longer, so those nutrients are going into the food chain rather than being wasted and damaging the environment.”

    The potential impact is global, and the technology is being developed to be easily inserted into existing supply chains, says Baltrusaitis. His ultimate goal is to design nitrogen-efficient novel fertilizer materials that can be used in field trials with local Pennsylvania farmers, where his team can test improvements in yields and emissions.

    Coming from the USDA, the award is a unique one for Lehigh, he says.

    “And it’s one that will help educate the next generation of engineers as they prepare to address emerging global challenges.

    About Jonas Baltrusaitis

    ChBE researcher Jonas Baltrusaitis is “breaking the cycle.” His USDA-funded research aims to make fertilizer more effective for crop growth and less destructive for the environment.

    Jonas Baltrusaitis is an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Lehigh University. He holds a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Iowa, where he conducted postdoctoral research and served in numerous roles, including adjunct assistant professor and associate director of the Central Microscopy Research Facility. He was an assistant professor of chemical engineering at the University of Twente (the Netherlands) before joining the faculty of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science in 2014.

    Baltrusaitis’ research interests span numerous areas of sustainable catalytic conversion, including: natural gas component catalytic conversion to high value products, biomass catalytic upgrading, sustainable sulfur and phosphorus processing, renewable energy utilization in wastewater processing, low concentration organic wastewater stream treatment, emerging contaminant remediation and environmental catalysis, surface sensitive spectroscopies, and data processing method development.

    His research has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance, Defense Logistics Agency, and Department of Defense, among others. His work has been published in high-impact journals such as the Journal of American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, ACS Catalysis, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, and Chemical Communications.

    Baltrusaitis is a member of the American Chemical Society and AIChE and received a 2020 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Lectureship Award for his work in advanced materials science and supramolecular chemistry, applying concepts of sustainable chemistry and engineering to the delivery of more sustainable fertilizers and nutrients.

    At Lehigh, Baltrusaitis has been recognized with the university’s Libsch Early Career Research Award (Spring 2018) as well as a P.C. Rossin Assistant Professorship (2017-2019). He currently directs the chemical engineering M.Eng. distance education program and advises numerous PhD students.

  • USDA Issues First Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Payments

    U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has already approved more than $545 million in payments to producers who have applied for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. FSA began taking applications May 26, and the agency has received over 86,000 applications for this important relief program.

    “The coronavirus has hurt America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers, and these payments directed by President Trump will help this critical industry weather the current pandemic so they can continue to plant and harvest a safe, nutritious, and affordable crop for the American people,” said Secretary Perdue. “We have tools and resources available to help producers understand the program and enable them to work with Farm Service Agency staff to complete applications as smoothly and efficiently as possible and get payments into the pockets of our patriotic farmers.”

    In the first six days of the application period, FSA has already made payments to more than 35,000 producers. Out of the gate, the top five states for CFAP payments are Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and South Dakota. USDA has released data on application progress and program payments and will release further updates each Monday at 2:00pm ET. The report can be viewed at farmers.gov/cfap.

    FSA will accept applications through August 28, 2020. Through CFAP, USDA is making available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.

    In order to do this, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date nationwide, as funds remain available.

    Getting Help from FSA

    New customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center.

    Producers can download the CFAP application and other eligibility forms from farmers.gov/cfap. Also, on that webpage, producers can find a payment calculator to help producers identify sales and inventory records needed to apply and calculate potential payments. Producers self-certify their records when applying for CFAP and that documentation is not submitted with the application. However, producers may be asked for their documentation to support the certification of eligible commodities, so producers should retain the information used to complete their application.

    Those who use the online calculator tool will be able to print a pre-filled CFAP application, sign it, and submit it to your local FSA office either electronically or via hand delivery through an office drop box. Please contact your local office to determine the preferred delivery method for your local office. Team members at FSA county offices will be able to answer detailed questions and help producers apply quickly and efficiently through phone and online tools. Find contact information for your local office at farmers.gov/cfap.

    Policy Clarifications

    FSA has been working with stakeholder groups to provide further clarification to producers on the CFAP program. For example, the agency has published a matrix of common marketing contracts that impact eligibility for non-specialty crops and has provided a table that crosswalks common livestock terms to CFAP cattle categories. Updated information can be found in the frequently asked questions section of the CFAP website.

    More Information

    To find the latest information on CFAP, visit farmers.gov/CFAP or call 877-508-8364.

    USDA Service Centers are open for business by phone appointment only, and field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. While program delivery staff will continue to come into the office, they will be working with producers by phone and using online tools whenever possible. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with the FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency are required to call their Service Center to schedule a phone appointment. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

  • CAWG Foundation Awards $30,000 in Student Scholarships

    The California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Foundation has awarded $30,000 in college scholarships to six students. The scholarships are awarded annually to students whose parent or legal guardian is employed by a California winegrape grower.

    “All of the amazing scholarship recipients are inspirational because of their unwavering dedication to learning, volunteering and leading,” said Davindar Mahil, chair of the CAWG Foundation board of directors. “We applaud them for their outstanding accomplishments, hard work and their drive to make a difference. Some of the recipients are the first in their family to attend college. The CAWG Foundation is honored to provide these scholarships and show our support for vineyard employees who are valued members of our winegrape industry family.”

    Each year the CAWG Foundation board selects several recipients from high schools throughout the state. Scholarship selection is based on scholastic ability, financial need, community involvement, leadership and a 500-word essay. Since the program’s inception in 1998, the foundation has awarded $494,500 in scholarships. Funds are raised through the generous donations of members of CAWG and the California wine community.

    The four-year scholarships are $8,000 each for students attending a University of California or California State University campus. The two-year college scholarships are $2,000 each for students attending a California community college.

    Four-Year University Scholarship Recipients / $8,000 each

    Angeli Aquino, Calistoga, Calistoga High School

    Melissa Castillo, Livermore, Livermore High School

    Alexandria Ramirez, Hollister, San Benito High School

    Two-Year Community College Scholarship Recipient / $2,000

    Vanessa Jimenez Ramirez, Shandon, Shandon High School

    Yasmin Rodriguez, Shandon, Shandon High School

    Anahi Ruiz, Cloverdale, Cloverdale High School

    ABOUT THE RECIPIENTS

    Angeli Aquino, Calistoga, Calistoga High School

    Achieving the American Dream has been instilled in Angeli since she immigrated to the United States at 6 years old. Angeli has challenged herself to be a conscientious, hard-working and high-achieving student. She excelled with difficult classes, earning a top-ranking 4.22 GPA, and with extracurricular activities. Angeli played volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field. She served as ASB president and Interact Club president, was a member of the Soroptomist Club, and volunteered as a youth basketball coach. Additionally, she held a part-time job as a lifeguard during the year. Angeli plans to attend UCLA, major in nursing and someday earn a master’s degree. Her teacher wrote that Angeli is “one of the most dedicated, hardworking, responsible and dependable students I have seen in 14 years of teaching” and “will achieve success and make positive contributions as a leader and problem solver wherever she goes in life.”

    Melissa Castillo, Livermore, Livermore High School

    Melissa arrived in the United States as a young child and was passionate about learning English. Facing hardships, she found hope and worked diligently in what she calls the “land of opportunity.” Her hard work in high school, which included several AP classes, resulted in a 4.12 GPA. Melissa’s school activities were lacrosse, National Honor Society, Interact Club, Link Crew and Latinos Unidos Club. Through these, she learned leadership, teamwork and communication skills. Melissa works several hours per week at a winery, interned at Kaiser Permanente’s oncology radiation department, and volunteered for many years for a church charity organization. Her goal is to major in biology and attend medical school, and the scholarship will help further her education and a career in the medical field helping impoverished people. Her teacher wrote, “Melissa is a bright, compassionate and ambitious person” and “any college would be wildly improved by her presence on campus.”

    Alexandria Ramirez, Hollister, San Benito High School

    Opportunities and challenges have shaped Alexandria into the person she is today: a highly-motivated leader and ambitious student with a strong work ethic and positive attitude. She balanced academics, part-time work and myriad extracurricular activities throughout high school, and had a long list of leadership roles, awards and achievements. She was extremely involved with FFA, through which she held officer positions, participated in speaking contests and earned three FFA degrees. She was also a youth ambassador for the 33rd District Ag Association. One of her main community service activities is Guide Dogs for the Blind, which trains puppies for the visually-impaired. With agriculture at the center of her educational and career goals, she plans to major in ag communications and become a high school ag teacher. Alexandria’s assistant principal wrote that she “will continue to have an internal drive to be the best at everything she does and will do whatever it takes while maintaining high morals and standards.”

    Vanessa Jimenez Ramirez, Shandon, Shandon High School

    Vanessa believes that anything can be accomplished with hard work and perseverance. She has successfully managed her academic and extracurricular responsibilities with family, job and community commitments. Vanessa has been involved with student government, serving as class secretary and treasurer. She played a variety of sports, volunteered many hours doing softball statistics, and participated in FFA and Supervised Agricultural Experience activities. Beyond school, she serves in her community and holds a part-time job. As the first one in her family to attend college, Vanessa plans to attend a community college, pursue a degree in human services and become a social worker. He counselor wrote, “I am consistently impressed with Vanessa’s strive for excellence, self-discipline and growth potential. She is a prime example of a student that can be an academically-sound student, well-rounded and caring individual even when faced with challenges.”

    Yasmin Rodriguez, Shandon, Shandon High School

    Yasmin is the first generation to go to college, and she believes that getting the right education is vital to making a difference and achieving goals. A diligent honor roll student with a 3.8 GPA, she prioritized academics while being actively involved throughout high school with the FFA program and softball team. With FFA, she earned the greenhand degree and learned public speaking skills. In her community, Yasmin has volunteered for the Food Bank Coalition of SLO County for the past few years, participated in her church’s Chosen program for confirmation, and works as a babysitter. Yasmin plans to attend Cuesta College and pursue a degree and career in social work, specifically foster care. Her teacher wrote, “I have found her to be exceptionally hard working, focused, kind and generous. Her ability to stay laser-focused on her goals and make the sacrifices necessary to reach those goals is truly admirable.”

    Anahi Ruiz, Cloverdale, Cloverdale High School

    Anahi’s parents told her, “school is your future,” acknowledging the value of education. She feels lucky to have the opportunity to attend college, which her parents weren’t able to do. Anahi overcame adversity with the tragic loss of three family members during high school, but she persevered in her classes. She has been deeply involved in community endeavors, investing at least 700 volunteer hours and fundraising for causes over the past four years. Those groups include Key Club, Children’s Miracle Network and Save the Rain. She also plays tennis, attends Upward Bound, and holds jobs at a law office and restaurant. Anahi plans to attend Santa Rosa Junior College, pursue a degree in administrative justice or business marketing, and seek a career in law. Citing her intelligence, effort and strength, her counselor wrote, “I have not encountered a student able to fight her way out of a challenge and adversity quite like Anahi” and “she will be more than successful in college and beyond.”

    About the California Association of Winegrape Growers Foundation

    The CAWG Foundation is a nonprofit public benefit corporation that awards scholarships to high school seniors whose parent or legal guardian is employed by a California winegrape grower. For more information, visit www.cawgfoundation.org.

  • Almond Board of California 2020 Election Results

    The Almond Board of California has released election results for the Board of Directors positions whose terms of office will run from August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021. The names of the following nominees have been submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for selection:

    Independent Grower:

    Member Position One (one-year term):          

    Paul Ewing, Los Banos

    Alternate Position One:

    Joe Gardiner, Earlimart                                 

    Independent Handler:

    Member Position One (three-year term):

    Alexi Rodriguez, Caruthers

    Alternate Position One:

    Ron Fisher, Modesto

    Member Position Three (one-year term):           

    Darren Rigg, Le Grand            

    Alternate Position Two:

    Chad DeRose, McFarland

    Cooperative Grower:

    Member Position One (three-year term):

    George Goshgarian Jr., Fowler

    Alternate Position One:

    Christine Gemperle, Ceres

    Cooperative Handler:

    Member Position Two (three-year term):

    Bill Morecraft, Sacramento

    Alternate Position Two:

    Alicia Rockwell, Sacramento

    ABOUT THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

    Almonds from California are a healthy, natural, wholesome and quality food. The Almond Board of California promotes almonds with a research-based approach to responsible farming, production and marketing on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of whom have third- and fourth-generation family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit Almonds.com or check out California Almonds on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

  • On World Milk Day, U.S. Dairy Celebrates American Consumers

    National Milk Producers Federation — While no one can say with certainty that the slow re-openings across the U.S. mark the beginning of the end of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s clear these attempts to return to a more normal existence mark the end of the beginning. The world is an experiment, both of science and of societies. Outcomes will remain uncertain for months.

    But data can help draw a few conclusions. One from the consumer sector is that, in times of uncertainty, people turn to the bedrock items that they know will nourish themselves and their families. And dairy is an important choice.

    Retail-sales as reported by consumer market researcher IRI over the past three months show that consumers have reacted to the coronavirus crisis first by stocking up on dairy, then by continuing to buy milk and other products at disproportionately high levels.

    From March 8 to March 22, as stay-at-home orders and business closures proliferated nationwide, dairy products flew from store shelves. Milk sales were 43 percent higher than during the same period a year earlier. Yogurt rose 31 percent. Ice cream sales gained 40 percent and cheese 76 percent. Butter sales more than doubled during the same period. 

    Gains have continued into the “new normal,” and in fact take up more of a consumer’s retail dollar than they did during the panic peak. Retail dairy sales from late March through May 17 remain 25 percent higher than a year ago, while overall grocery sales during that same period are only up 14 percent — meaning that at a time when people are relying more on grocers to fill their needs, they’re relying on dairy significantly more than they are on other products. 

    That vote of consumer trust shows every sign of continuing for the foreseeable future – and that shouldn’t be a surprise, really. When milk is already in 94 percent of U.S. households, it follows that it would be especially important as families choose how to weather a storm. This real-world, real-time affirmation of dairy’s value can’t help but inspire the entire dairy community to keep working and maintain resilience through whatever comes next. Dairy owes a deep debt of gratitude to consumers whose support has helped carry farmers through this crisis. 

    Of course, consumer faith has been only one part of dairy’s story in the past few months. Pre-coronavirus, about half of all dairy sales came from outside the home. Even as retail consumers increased dairy buying, sales to restaurants, schools and cafeterias plunged. That turbulence prompted sharp declines in the USDA’s forecast for milk prices for 2020. That’s been a big reason why federal assistance for dairy farms has been so important.

    But even that story is brightening. A recent price rally is changing the outlook from mortifying to merely difficult – still cold comfort for many producers, but more manageable in a way many wouldn’t have dared to wish for even one month ago. Restaurant sales are slowly returning, and federal aid has provided a meaningful boost to bottom lines, even as signs of stress will still need to be monitored and additional aid will be necessary. 

    The past few months have been difficult for dairy, as it has for everyone. The next few will be as well. But dairy is resilient. Its value to consumers is beyond dispute, and early signs of recovery give reasons for hope. Today is World Milk Day. there remains much to overcome, there is also much to celebrate. Raise a glass. 

  • Innovative Virus Research May Save Wheat and Other Crops

    UC Riverside scientists have solved a 20-year-old genetics puzzle that could result in ways to protect wheat, barley, and other crops from a devastating infection. Ayala Rao, professor of plant pathology and microbiology, has been studying Brome Mosaic virus for decades. Unlike some viruses, the genetic material of this virus is divided into three particles that until now were impossible to tell apart.

    Photo Caption: Visually indistinguishable particles of Brome Mosaic Virus. (Ayala Rao/UCR)

    “Without a more definitive picture of the differences between these particles, we couldn’t fully understand how they work together to initiate an infection that destroys food crops,” Rao said. “Our approach to this problem has brought an important part of this picture into very clear focus.”

    A paper describing the work Rao’s team did to differentiate these particles was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

    Inside each of the particles is a strand of RNA, the genetic material that controls the production of proteins. The proteins perform different tasks, some of which cause stunted growth, lesions, and ultimately death of infected host plants.

    Two decades ago, scientists used the average of all three particles to create a basic description of their structure. In order to differentiate them, Rao first needed to separate them, and get them into their most pure form.

    Using a genetic engineering technique, Rao’s team disabled the pathogenic aspects of the virus and infused the viral genes with a host plant. 

    “This bacterium inserts its genome into the plant’s cells, similar to the way HIV inserts itself into human cells,” Rao said. “We were then able to isolate the viral particles in the plants and determine their structure using electron microscopes and computer-based technology.”

    Now that one of the particles is fully mapped, it’s clear the first two particles are more stable than the third. 

    “Once we alter the stability, we can manipulate how RNA gets released into the plants,” Rao said. “We can make the third particle more stable, so it doesn’t release RNA and the infection gets delayed.”

    This work was made possible by a grant from the University of California Multicampus Research Program and Initiatives. Professors Wiliam Gelbart, Chuck Knobler, and Hong Zhou of UCLA, as well as graduate students Antara Chakravarthy of UCR and Christian Beren of UCLA, made significant contributions to this project.

    Moving forward, Rao is hoping to bring the other two viral particles into sharper focus with the expertise of scientists at UCLA and UC San Diego. 

    Brome Mosaic virus primarily affects grasses such as wheat and barley, and occasionally affects soybeans as well. According to Rao, it is nearly identical to Cucumber Mosaic virus, which infects cucumbers as well as tomatoes and other crops that are important to California agriculture. 

    Not only could this research lead to the protection of multiple kinds of crops, it could advance the understanding of any virus.

    “It is much easier to work with plant viruses because they’re easier and less expensive to grow and isolate,” Rao said. “But what we learn about the principles of replication are applicable to human and animal viruses too.” — By Jules Bernstein, UC Riverside

  • Protecting American Wheat Fields from Aphids

    Fields of wheat are so associated with the U.S. that they’re featured in the song America the Beautiful as “amber waves of grain.” But those amber fields face a big threat: Russian wheat aphids.

    As their name suggests, these aphids hail from Eurasia. These invasive pests first made their way to Texas in 1986. They’ve since spread to many states and cause billions of dollars of damage to wheat fields. So, crop scientists are desperate to find ways to stop the aphids in their tracks.

    “Our major goal is to find genes connected with the resistance to all Russian wheat aphid types in the U.S. and transfer these genes to best wheat varieties,” says Xiangyang Xu. Xu is a scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture who studies these aphids. “When farmers grow these aphid-resistant varieties of wheat, they don’t need to worry about the pest.”

    Unfortunately for farmers, there are at least five major variations of aphids in the U.S. Each type can survive on wheat with different resistance genes.

    Until now, no wheat variety was known that could resist all five types of aphids. That makes genetic resistance the ideal way to protect against the aphids.

    Xu and his team tested over a hundred varieties of wheat to find ones that were resistant to the aphids. The tests included wheat from Afghanistan, Denmark, Iran, Switzerland and the U.S.

    After exposing all wheat varieties to all five types of aphids, researchers observed how much damage the aphids did to the plants. The plants that suffered only minor damage or no damage at all were counted as resistant.

    At the end of the experiment, they found 14 strains of wheat that were able to resist most damage by all five aphid types. The team spotted another nine types of wheat that were able to resist all types of aphids at least some of the time.

    “These wheat varieties are very valuable for breeding durable Russian wheat aphid-resistant wheat cultivars,” says Xu.

    The strongest varieties came from Iran, where both the aphids and wheat are native. That long history of coexistence likely explains why Iranian wheat has developed such strong resistance.

    Now breeders can begin studying how these wheat varieties resist the aphids. And they can use these varieties in breeding programs to provide resistance to American varieties of wheat.

    The aphids feed on the leaves of young wheat plants. This stunts the plant’s growth and can drop yield by up to 60%. Damaged leaves tend to curl around the insects. That curling can protect the aphids from pesticides sprayed on fields. And pesticides are expensive.

    “Pesticides are available to control Russian wheat aphids in the field,” says Xu. “But the considerable costs will significantly reduce farmers’ profit. “

    With these resistant plants identified, the next step is to cross resistant wheat varieties with high performing, but susceptible, varieties.

    “We need to locate the genes first, and then transfer these genes into high-performing wheat varieties in the U.S.,” says Xu.

    The researchers will first find DNA sequences linked with genes creating resistance to track during wheat breeding. Creating new American wheat varieties resistant to all aphid types should take four to five years.

    That will ensure that amber waves of grain stand strong in America for years to come.

    Read more about this research in Crop Science. This work was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture in-house project 3072-21000-009-00D.

  • America’s Dairy Farmers, Pizza Hut Celebrate Class of 2020 with Free Pizza

    Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and checkoff partner Pizza Hut are joining forces to give away half a million pizzas to Class of 2020 high school graduates. “We are so excited to partner with Pizza Hut to help high school seniors and their families celebrate this special milestone in their lives,” said Marilyn Hershey, a Pennsylvania dairy farmer and chair of Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff. “This is a shining example of what we accomplish when dairy farmers and importers build relationships with a company such as Pizza Hut through our checkoff.”

    The promotion was officially announced on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” last evening, on May 21. The segment can be viewed at this link (ANNOUNCEMENT STARTS AT 6:55 IN THIS CLIP).

    “Our brand has a long history of celebrating moments that matter – like graduations – and Pizza Hut takes pride in being a part of our customers’ big days,” said George Felix, chief marketing officer, Pizza Hut. “So, it’s only natural that we’d be there for students and their families to help celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating class of 2020. We’re proud to partner with America’s hard-working dairy farmers to bring students who are missing out on their chance to cross the stage with their diploma, an opportunity to celebrate with their favorite Pizza Hut pizza.”

    To claim a free pizza, visit www.pizzahut.com/gradparty, sign into your Hut Rewards account and a coupon for a one-topping medium pizza will be deposited into your account while supplies last. Coupons will be valid for online redemption through June 4.   For more information about the dairy checkoff, visit www.usdairy.com.

  • Students Earn Scholarships Through Dairy’s Future Leaders Contest

    California’s leading dairy organizations have announced the winners of the Dairy’s Future Leaders college student writing contest. The contest asked students to share what sustainability means to them and how they envision their futures as leaders in the dairy community. Genevieve Regli, sophomore at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, received first place honors. Second and third place awards went to Hayley Fernandes, sophomore at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and Andrew Skidmore, junior and Fresno State University, respectively.

    “I was excited to provide my insight on sustainability,” said Regli, whose family has been dairy farming in Ferndale for more than 120 years. “What I’ve seen my whole life is that dairy farmers experience some very good times and some very hard times. We have to be looking forward, and we have to get creative in order to survive and make sure we can pass the farm on to the next generation.”

    The contest was offered as part of the California Dairy Sustainability Summit, a program that brings together dairy farmers, state officials, researchers, and other key stakeholders to help advance the economic and environmental sustainability of the state’s family dairy farms. The Summit is hosted by Dairy Cares, California Dairy Research Foundation, California Milk Advisory Board, Dairy Council of California, and the California Dairy Quality Assurance Program. Through the writing contest, current dairy leaders learned how the next generation views challenges and opportunities.

    Regli is majoring in agricultural communications and aspires to one day own and operate a dairy farm educational center. “The reality is that today’s college students are the future consumers and future leaders of our state,” Regli said. “I know from working with students outside of the college of agriculture that we have to start conversations with our shared values, and we have to be prepared to adapt to their needs as consumers.”

    To support students’ academic and professional pursuits, the top three winning students were awarded scholarships, sponsored by Milk Producers Council (MPC), nonprofit organization representing dairy families throughout California. Geoffrey Vanden Heuvel, Director of Regulatory & Economic Affairs for MPC was pleased with the level of participation and the quality of essays submitted.

    From left to right: Genevieve Regli, Hayley Fernandes, and Andrew Skidmore earned top honors for their essays on dairy sustainability.

    “Dairy farmers face a lot of challenges, as our state continues to raise the bar for many environmental standards: water quality and conservation, methane reduction, and air quality improvements,” Vanden Heuvel said. “It’s good that students start to think about how all these pieces fit together and their impacts on economic and social sustainability.”

    Contest entries were submitted from across colleges and universities in California and other states, and the essays discussed a wide range of issues. Participants included both students born and raised on dairy farms and others whose interest in dairy began differently. All contestants expressed interest in pursuing careers throughout the broader dairy industry—including teaching and research, mechanical and agronomic support, and marketing and communications.

    Second-place winner Hayley Fernandes is majoring in dairy science, with a minor in law and society. Her family owns and operates a dairy farm in Pixley. Fernandes plans to pursue a law degree and become an advocate for dairy farmers. “California is very progressive,” she said. “While that can be difficult for farmers, it also helps us stay ahead of the curve. That’s something I hear my dad and uncles talk about a lot. I’d like to become an expert on issues that impact farmers, so I can help them continue to progress in ways that are economically sustainable.”

    Third-place winner Andrew Skidmore is a mechanical engineering major with a passion for dairy and agriculture. “I want to work in agriculture, and I want to help solve problems, both the mechanical kind and those that involve people,” Skidmore said. “One challenge I’m fascinated with is the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. What tools and strategies can we use to help farmers manage their water? I think I could be a part of that solution.”

    Dairy’s Future Leaders contest awards were intended to be announced at the California Dairy Sustainability Summit, previously planned for March 2020. The event has been postponed, now to take place November 5-6, 2020 in Sacramento. While the COVID-19 outbreak has recently posed many challenges to the dairy community and to college students, it has not disheartened the spirit of these passionate young leaders. Skidmore said he’s still an optimist: “That just means there’s more problems for us to help solve.”

    Learn more about the top three winners. Click the links below to read the top ten essays:

  • 12 Million Ton Processing Tomato Crop Anticipated in California

    As of May 15, California’s tomato processors reported they have or will have contracts for 12.0 million tons of processing tomatoes for 2020. This production estimate is unchanged from the January intentions forecast and 7.8 percent above the final 2019 contracted production total. The May contracted acreage of 235,000 is also unchanged from the January intentions forecast and 1,000 acres above last year’s final contracted acreage.

    Fresno County remains the top California County in contracted planted acreage for 2020 with 72,300 acres. Yolo, Merced, Kings and San Joaquin make up the remaining top five counties, accounting for 75 percent of the 2020 total contracted planted acreage for California.

    Dry winter weather caused some concern for water availability. Despite a few rain storms in March and April, planting was on schedule and the warm temperatures through spring helped with early crop development. An unusual heat wave at the end of May required more irrigation than normal for this time of year. There were no reports of disease or pest issues.

    This early processing tomato estimate is funded by the California League of Food Producers, in cooperation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.