California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • California Milk Advisory Board’s Elects 2020 Executive Committee

    The California Milk Advisory Board is proud to share its newly elected 2020 Executive Committee officers including: Vice Chairman Tony Louters of Merced, Chairman Josh Zonneveld of Laton, Treasurer David Vander Schaaf of Stockton, Member-at-Large Essie Bootsma of Lakeview, Secretary Megan Silva of Escalon, Member-at-Large Kirsten Areias of Los Banos, and Member-at-Large Renae DeJager of Chowchilla.

    David Vander Schaaf

    David Vander Schaaf is a fourth-generation dairy farmer at Vander Schaaf Dairy, which was established in 1929. David joined the family business in partnership with brothers Joey and James, as well as father John Vander Schaaf in 2013. He is a member of the Milk Producers Council.

    Kirsten Areias

    Kirsten Areias has been a dairy producer since 1980 and currently milks 320 Holsteins with husband Dennis at the 360-acre Den-K Holsteins, Inc. She is a member of a variety of industry groups, including Western United Dairies, serves as an advisor for the California Holstein Association and Merced County Junior Holstein Association, and is a Dairy Bowl Coach.

    Renae DeJager

    Renae DeJager and husband Art are owners of 1500-acre Vista Verde Dairy, which was established in 1977 and where they currently milk 3,200 Holsteins. She is an active member of her community and serves a variety of community groups including California Women for AG, Stone Ridge Christian School Board and Cornerstone Community Church in Chowchilla. She previously served on the board for the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board where she traveled extensively to promote dairy in domestic and international markets.

    Essie Bootsma

    Essie Bootsma milks 2,000 Holsteins with her son Jason at the John Bootsma Dairy that she started with her husband, John, in 1979. She is a member of a variety of community groups, including the Western Riverside Ag Coalition, where she serves as secretary, the Eastern Municipal Water District Advisory Committee and the Eastern Municipal Dairy Water Supply, where she serves as chair. She previously served as Secretary to the CMAB’s Executive Committee. In her free time, Essie enjoys representing CMAB in promotional trade shows, spending time with her five grandchildren and cooking for and entertaining family and friends.

    Josh Zonneveld

    Josh Zonneveld and his wife Cassie along with other family members currently milk 8,500 Holsteins at the 7,000-acre Zonneveld Dairies that his grandfather founded in 1968. He joined the family business in 2005. He is a member of the Ag Executive Council for Land O’ Lakes and also serves on the board for the California Dairy Research Foundation.

    Megan Silva

    Megan Silva graduated from Cal Poly in 2006 and is a 4th generation dairy farmer. Megan and husband Johnny Silva, along with her father Frank Rocha, currently milk 2100 Holsteins at the 900-acre Frank N. Rocha Dairy L.P., where she has worked since 2006. Megan and Johnny started their own dairy, R & S Dairy LLC. in May of last year. She is also extremely passionate about the fitness and wellness industries, and shares these passions through her two businesses in Escalon; EscalonFIT and Wellness by EscalonFIT.

    Tony Louters

    Tony Louters and his wife Corinna own T & C Louters Dairy in Merced where they currently milk 600 Holsteins. They have been in business since 2003 and have four children: Alexis, Bryce, Tyler and Breann. Tony is a member of Western United Dairies.

  • USDA Announces $15 Million for Conservation Innovation Grants

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today a $15 million investment to help support the adoption of innovative conservation approaches on agricultural lands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting proposals through June 29, 2020, for national Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). CIG projects inspire creative problem-solving solutions that boost production on farms, ranches and private forests and improve natural resources.

    This year’s priorities are water reuse, water quality, air quality, energy and wildlife habitat.

    “Through Conservation Innovation Grants, we’re able to co-invest with partners on the next generation of agricultural conservation solutions,” NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr said. “Conservation Innovation Grants have helped spur new tools and technologies to conserve natural resources, build resilience in producers’ operations and improve their bottom lines. This year will be the first time we are offering water reuse as a priority, and we’re excited to see how these projects play a role in USDA’s broader strategy for water reuse on agricultural land.”

    National CIG

    CIG is a competitive grants program that supports development, testing and research of conservation technologies, practices, systems and approaches on private lands. Grantees must match the CIG investment at least one to one.

    All U.S.-based non-Federal entities and individuals are eligible to apply. Complete funding announcement information can be accessed through the Conservation Innovation Grants webpage.

    The National CIG program supports early pilot projects or demonstrations of promising conservation approaches and is distinct from the $25 million announced on March 12 for On-Farm Conservation Innovation Trials. On-Farm Trials is a separate CIG component created by the 2018 Farm Bill. It includes a Soil Health Demonstration Trial.

    State NRCS CIG

    State NRCS offices are also able to fund and hold their own CIG competitions in addition to the National CIG signup. Please visitNRCS state office websites for information about state CIG competitions.

    More Information

    NRCS’s CIG program is identified in the federal government’s National Water Reuse Action Plan as an opportunity to support development of innovative projects that focus on water reuse on private lands. Read this April 28 post on the USDA Blog for how USDA is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Interior, Department of Energy and others to promote water reuse across sectors.

    CIG applications must be submitted through Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. EDT on June 29, 2020. A webinar for potential applicants is scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT on May 13, 2020. Information on how to participate in the webinar is posted on the CIG website.

    CIG also contributes to the Agriculture Innovation Agenda: a USDA initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands. Specifically, USDA is working to stimulate innovation so that American agriculture can achieve the goal of increasing production by 40 percent while cutting the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050.

    For more information on CIG, visit nrcs.usda.gov or contact your local NRCS field office .

  • New Tool to Combat Fusarium Head Blight in Wheat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • USDA Approves Program to Feed Kids in California

    (Washington, D.C., April 24, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced California and Connecticut have been approved to operate Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), a new program authorized by the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), signed by President Trump, which provides assistance to families of children eligible for free or reduced-price meals dealing with school closures.

    Background:

    California and Connecticut will be able to operate Pandemic EBT, a supplemental food purchasing benefit to current SNAP participants and as a new EBT benefit to other eligible households to offset the cost of meals that would have otherwise been consumed at school. For the 2019-2020 school year, California had approximately 3.9 million children eligible for free-and reduced-priced lunch, or about 63% of children in participating schools. For the 2019-2020 school year, Connecticut had approximately 269,000 children eligible for free-and reduced-priced lunch, or about 54% of children in participating schools. Previous announcements of approvals for Pandemic EBT include: Michigan, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Arizona, Illinois, Alabama, and Wisconsin.

    Under FFCRA, states have the option to submit a plan to the Secretary of Agriculture for providing these benefits to SNAP and non-SNAP households with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to pandemic-related school closures. State agencies may operate Pandemic EBT when a school is closed for at least five consecutive days during a public health emergency designation during which the school would otherwise be in session.

    The implementation of Pandemic EBT is in line with USDA’s commitment to keep Americans safe, secure, and healthy during this national emergency and to keep kids fed when schools are closed. USDA is working with states and local authorities to ensure schools and other program operators can continue to feed children. This latest action complements previously-announced flexibilities for the child nutrition programs that:

    • Allow parents and guardians to pick up meals to bring home to their kids;
    • Temporarily waive meal times requirements to make it easier to pick up multiple-days’ worth of meals at once;
    • Allow meals be served in non-congregate settings to support social distancing;
    • Waive the requirement that afterschool meals and snacks served through certain programs be accompanied by educational activities to minimize exposure to the novel coronavirus; and
    • Allow states, on an individual state-by-state basis, to serve free meals to children in all areas, rather than only those in areas where at least half of students receive free or reduced-price meals.

    Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of actions that USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service has taken to uphold the USDA’s commitment to “Do Right and Feed Everyone” during this national emergency. Other actions include:

    • Launching a new coronavirus webpage to proactively inform the public about USDA’s efforts to keep children and families fed;
    • Providing more than one million meals a week through public-private partnership Meals to You;
    • Increasing access to online purchasing by expanding the online purchasing pilot to more than half of all SNAP households;
    • Debuting “Meals for Kids” interactive site finder – to help families find meals for children while schools are closed across more than 38,000 locations;
    • Allowing states to issue emergency supplemental SNAP benefits totaling more than $2 billion per month to increase recipients’ purchasing power;
    • Collecting solutions to feeding children impacted through feedingkids@usda.gov; and
    • Providing more than 1,500 administrative flexibilities in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to allow for social distancing.

    These actions and more are part of USDA’s focus on service during the COVID-19 outbreak. To learn more about FNS’s response to COVID-19, visit www.fns.usda.gov/coronavirus.

    USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers 15 nutrition assistance programs that leverage American’s agricultural abundance to ensure children and low-income individuals and families have nutritious food to eat. FNS also co-develops the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which provide science-based nutrition recommendations and serve as the cornerstone of federal nutrition policy.

    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

  • First-Ever National Report on Non-Operator Landowners

    Providing pathways to engaging landowners who rent their land — representing around 40% of U.S. agricultural acres — and to scaling up regenerative practices for improved conservation and farm productivity outcomes  

    Today, American Farmland Trust, the organization behind the national movement No Farms No Food® and the Women for the Land initiative, released “Understanding and Activating Non-Operator Landowners: Non-Operator Landowner Survey,” clearing up misconceptions and identifying opportunities to advance conservation on agricultural lands owned by those who do not farm it. The survey focused on individually or partnership owned lands, not institutions or trusts.  

    Around 40% of farmland in the U.S. is rented, in some U.S. counties that number is nearing 80%, and over a third of this land is owned by women. To date, we don’t know that much about how these rented lands are integrated into farmer conservation strategies; however, we know that rented land is less likely to be managed with conservation goals in mind.  Farmers have been reluctant or had difficulty communicating with landowners either because of distance, or because they are held back by their perception — proved unfounded by this survey — that landowners only care about rental payments, not long-term stewardship of the land. What’s more, farm leases are typically verbal and only run for one year, making certain kinds of conservation investments risky.  

    Landowners on the other hand, are often not aware of available conservation programs and are unsure about broaching the topic with their farmers, particularly if they lack on-farm knowledge and experience, which we found is more common when the landowner is a woman.  

    “AFT’s survey revealed a clear communications gap between renters and landowners.  Unfortunately, this communications gap is more about misconception and lack of knowledge than reluctance to implement conservation,” said Dr. Gabrielle Roesch-McNally, AFT Women for the Land director.  

    She continued, “We learned that we have an opportunity to better communicate with landowners and farmers via separate programming as well as by bringing them together to achieve mutually agreed upon conservation goals for the land, which can be facilitated by written leases that have longer terms and are supported by available government funds and collaborative investment for the long-term good of the land.” 

    The survey results provide some of the most comprehensive information we have on women and men NOLs across a diverse geography of landownership in the United States and will help AFT and others identify areas for future work and reinforce the importance of current work: furthering regenerative farming practices, farmland preservation and improved conservation outcomes on the landscape.  

    Our report challenged two commonly held ideas about NOLS; that they only care about the financial bottom line and that they don’t really care about the land. Our study simply doesn’t find this to be true. They do care about conservation, even if they don’t know as much about it or are not as connected to resources that would enable them to get more support to facilitate conservation. They also deeply care about stewarding the land for future generations and are thinking about farmland preservation.  

    We found a few other surprising things from this work, including:   

    • The gender of NOLS matters but perhaps not in the ways we thought. It’s not that women care more for the land. In fact, as many men NOLS indicated a strong desire to steward and protect the land. 
    • Many respondents do not have a succession plan for the land, leaving uncertainty about what will happen to the land in the future.  
    • NOLs are supportive of their renters taking conservation-oriented action on the land and are willing to support them via several formal mechanisms (e.g., lease changes, cost-share, etc.).  

    The report’s call to action includes five key actions to guide future outreach and engagement with NOLS: 

    1. Cultivate greater awareness among NOLs regarding government conservation programs. 
    2. Amplify NOLs’ willingness to support their operators with conservation practices on the land, but there are nuances. 
    3. Reach out to female, and male, NOLs to improve outcomes on rented land. 
    4. Engage NOLs to cultivate greater opportunities to strengthen their ties to farming, the land and community. 
    5. Emphasize the need for succession planning among aging NOLs. 

    The full report was proceeded in late 2019 by fact sheets providing state-specific outcomes and strategies for all 11 states we surveyed. These fact sheets can be found in the NOL resource bank. Other resources can be found on the Farmland Information Center for NOLs and farmers who rent land.    

    “Understanding and Activating Non-Operator Landowners” will guide several critical AFT programs — AFT’s Women for the Land initiative that works with women non-operating landowners and farmers via women-centered learning circles to increase knowledge on conservation, climate resilience, and farmland succession planning; AFT’s Great Lakes Protection Fund,  a pilot program to engage women landowners, operators, and agricultural retailers to achieve measurable conservation outcomes in the Great Lakes region to reduce run off and improve soil health; and AFT’s leadership in working with landowners to develop succession plans through our Farmland Legacy program, work designed to address the great transition of land coming in the next 15 years as 371 million acres of American farmland will change hands as senior farmers retire.

    American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.5 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on a half million additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.

  • Bill & Carol Chandler Honored as the Agriculturalists of the Year

    In celebrating the tradition and innovation of the State’s number one industry, agriculture, the California State Fair Board of Directors, upon the recommendation of the Agricultural Advisory Council, selects Bill and Carol Chandler as the Agriculturalists of the Year.

    The Agriculturalist of the Year award is presented to an individual or individuals who have contributed extensively, in a professional capacity, to California’s agricultural industry. Award criteria stipulates the individual or individuals must have demonstrated leadership and clearly represented the industry over a number of years in one or more of the following areas: finance, government, production agriculture, education, labor, research, communications, trade and public service.

    As a couple, Bill and Carol Chandler, contribute to the education and growth of the agriculture industry by serving the farming community in a variety of roles. Each in their own right continue to serve at local and statewide levels. Their peers recognize their commitment and leadership.  “They are a dynamic couple who have demonstrated a true commitment to not only farming, but to family and their community,” said Cathleen Galgiani, State Senator.

    “They truly are an unmatched duo when it comes to participating in leadership roles to articulate the value and need of the marvelous bounty of food, fiber and fauna that our state produces,” said Barry Bedwell, California Agriculture Leadership Foundation.

    Bill is a third-generation farmer in Fresno County. Bill and Carol grow grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines and almonds on the family farm in Fresno County, which was founded in the 1880s by Bill’s grandfather, W.F. Chandler. Their sons, John and Tom, recently joined the family farming business.

    Bill, a graduate of the University of California, Davis in Agriculture Production has had a long history of involvement in California agriculture. He has served and continues to serve and be recognized on a number of boards and commissions over the years, including:

    California Association of Winegrape Growers, Nisei Farmers League, Fresno County Farm Bureau, California Cling Peach Advisory Board, Freestone Peach Association, California Fresh Fruit Association, U.C. Davis Foundation Board, U.C. Davis Fresno County Alumni Scholarship Chair, Cal Aggie Alumni Association Director, and U.C. President’s Agriculture Advisory Committee.

    A graduate of Class 6 of the California Agriculture Leadership Program, Bill is also involved in his community as a board member of the Sequoia Council of Boy Scouts of America and is the recipient of the Silver Beaver award.

    Carol is a partner in Chandler Farms. Carol is actively engaged in the business administration portion of the farming operation. Prior to joining the family farm, Carol taught in the San Joaquin Valley, including Fresno City College. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California, Davis, and her Master’s Degree from California State University, Fresno.

    Carol is a past State President of California Women for Agriculture, a member of the Board of Directors of Western Growers Association, Fresno State Board of Governors, the Central Valley Community Foundation and American Agri-Women. She is also a member of the CSU Fresno Water Task Force and serves on the UC President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources. Carol previously served on the California State University Board of Trustees, University of California Board of Regents, California Post-Secondary Education Commission, U.S. Department of Agriculture Advisory Committee on Emerging Markets, Grape & Tree Fruit League, and the Fresno County Fair Board.

    Recognized by the California State Legislature as Woman of the Year in 1992 and 2002, Carol has further been acknowledged for her outstanding contributions to agriculture and education as the recipient of the Tapestry Award presented by Common Threads for outstanding achievements in agriculture, and as the Agriculturalist of the Year by the Fresno County Chamber of Commerce.

    The Chandlers will formally be honored at the California State Fair Gala, an evening supporting the California agriculture award winners and the Friends of the California State Fair scholarship program on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Those interested in attending and honoring Bill and Carol Chandler can purchase tickets at https://calexpostatefair.com/gala/.

     

  • Bullseye Farms: First California Almond Farm Recognized with “Sustainably Grown” Label

    SCS Global Services announced today that Bullseye Farms is the world’s first almond farm to be independently certified under the internationally recognized “Sustainably Grown” standard for agricultural crops. Bullseye Farms, a diversified farming operation based in Woodland, California, grows almonds marketed under the “Almond Lane” brand.

    “As the first almond grower to meet the high-bar requirements of the Sustainably Grown standard, Bullseye Farms has proven itself to be a leader in the industry,” said Kevin Warner, SCS’ manager of sustainable agriculture.

    “Working through the Sustainably Grown certification process has opened our eyes to the amount of thought and effort we have put into implementing progressive practices,” said Nick Edsall, Bullseye’s orchard manager. “We’ve worked hard to create a working environment that we can all be proud of. It’s not often that we step back from our day to day activities to reflect on decisions we have made that contribute to the wellbeing of our employees, our environment, and our community. Being formally recognized under the Sustainably Grown certification validates our efforts and gives us motivation to continue on the path of sustainability.” He described several of the company’s achievements, including:

    • Competitive employee benefits, resulting in a <1% average turnover rate
    • Hosting frequent educational community field days, industry tours, and university research and workshops
    • Increasing orchard soil health to decrease overall inputs
    • Moving away from pyrethroids and relying more on beneficial insects for pest management
    • Progressive and state-of-the-art irrigation monitoring data collection techniques that create a multi-faceted water management strategy

    The Sustainably Grown certification standard applies to products meeting the highest levels of environmental, social and economic sustainability. The program has been benchmarked to numerous international schemes for ethical and sustainable performance.  It applies to agricultural operations around the world, large and small, providing a roadmap to satisfy the emerging market for environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

    “Producers of Certified Sustainably Grown crops work diligently to provide a safe and healthy work environment, support farm communities, and protect vital environmental resources such as clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat, while reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions,” explained Warner.  “Having earned the right to carry the Sustainably Grown label, the Almond Lane brand has proven its resilience and relevance to today’s sustainably-minded marketplace.”

    About Bullseye Farms

    Bullseye Farms is located in Woodland, CA, one of the most fertile areas for growing in the United States. It produces tomatoes, tree crops, and several award-winning rotational crops.  Its goal is to produce the best quality product possible on a large scale, bringing value and taste to buyers and consumers alike.   Bullseye Farm’s almonds are currently offered at select Northern California grocers, hotels, restaurants, and on Amazon under the label “Almond Lane.”

    For more information about Bullseye Farms and Almond Lane, visit www.bullseyefarms.com.

    About SCS Global Services

    SCS Global Services has provided global leadership in third-party sustainability and food safety certification, auditing, testing, and standards development since 1984. Its programs span a wide range of industries, recognizing achievements in food and agriculture, green building, product manufacturing, forestry, consumer goods, climate, and more. SCS is a California Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices. More information available at www.scsglobalservices.com.

  • Meeting Nutritional Needs Key to Almond Orchard Productivity

    In April and May, once new shoots start to grow, growers will be able to identify trees that are potassium deficient as their leaves will be pale, rolled into a boat shape and have developed tip and marginal scorching. Photo courtesy of UC IPM

    By Almond Board of California — Almond trees need a variety of different nutrients to thrive, though one of the most important among them is nitrogen. From proper management to understanding the relationship between nitrogen and yield, it’s imperative that growers understand how this element benefits tree health and their productivity each crop year.

    Comprehensive nutrient management improves many aspects of tree growth, yield and kernel quality during an orchard’s lifespan. Balanced nutrition, experts say, takes place over many months and should be timed to when the tree most needs it – typically, that’s in mid-March, when at least 70% of leaves are on the tree, and continues in phases throughout the growing season.

    Beyond nitrogen, though, two other key nutrients trees are also necessary to maximize trees’ productivity – zinc and potassium. As with nitrogen, growers always are advised to keep the four R’s in mind when applying any nutrient or fertilizer:

    • Right rate: Match supply with tree demand from all inputs (fertilizer, water and soil)
    • Right time: Application must coincide with tree demand and root uptake
    • Right place: Delivery must be to active roots, not below the root zone
    • Right source: Maximize uptake and tree response and minimize waste

    Zinc

    Zinc helps trees when cells are dividing and growing, and also is important for next year’s bud set, according to Univeristy of California (UC) Davis professor Patrick Brown, an expert on almond nutrient management. Typically, it is applied via foliar sprays or micro-drip irrigation in the spring.

    “Zinc needs to be ‘fed’ to the tree when it is hungry so that it can reach the buds,” Brown explained.

    Leaf and soil analysis are important in monitoring zinc needs, Brown said. Leaf values should be at least 20 parts per million (ppm) in the summer, though orchards with readings of less than 30 ppm “will frequently respond to zinc.” In addition, a soil pH level of more than 7.2 can impede zinc uptake. Reducing the soil’s pH from 5.5 to 7.0 via acid injections or ammoniacal nitrogen sources will help with trees’ zinc uptake, and frequent zinc applications via micro-irrigation are the most effective.

    Trees that are suffering from a lack of zinc will have small, pale leaves, Brown said. Other symptoms include late bud emergence and erratic flowering. Deficiencies often occur when cold, wet weather in early spring is followed by a warm period, which drives up trees’ zinc demand.

    More on zinc demand and foliar application can be found in this published research paperwritten by Brown, the Almond Board’s Sebastian Saa and UC Davis professor Claudia Negron in March 2018.

    Potassium

    Potassium is important for development of the hull, shell and kernel. As with nitrogen, Brown recommends applying potassium in multiple smaller applications throughout the growing season. The rate, he said, should be 80 pounds per 1,000 pounds in yield.

    Potassium deficiency symptoms often appear in early-to-midsummer and are worst on older leaves of current shoots. Trees also typically show slow growth and smaller leaves, and may produce yields below potential. Low potassium levels often carry over into the following year, “decreasing the number of flowering spurs where trees will set nuts,” as noted by Brown and UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors Katherine Jarvis-Sheen and Joseph Connell in the article “Potassium management for sustained almond yields.”

    Leaf analysis is the best way to measure potassium levels and detect concerns early. Brown, Connel and Jarvis-Sheen recommend collecting leaf samples in July because they are “relatively stable at that time.” Potassium levels about 1.4% are “considered adequate.” The trio also states that “higher-than-adequate levels will also help provide ‘back-up’ for heavy set years, which may be especially important to sprinkler irrigated orchards where in-season fertigation to meet higher than usual potassium needs is not effective.”

    A balanced approach

    Something all growers should recognize, Brown said, is that the right balance of many key nutrients is necessary to optimize a tree’s use of nitrogen. The way to detect balance, he said, is through regular leaf analysis and other monitoring methods (sap analysis, trunk measurements, carbohydrate analysis and soil nutrient status). 

    “Optimizing nitrogen use efficiency requires optimal management of all inputs,” Brown said. “If any nutrient is undersupplied, yield is lost and response to other elements cannot occur. And if any nutrient is oversupplied, money is wasted.”

    And, unlike the weather, nutrient management is something growers can directly impact.

    “Nutrient and water management are items that growers control that impact profit, the value chain and protection for the planet,” said Steve Petrie, director of agronomic services for Yara North America. “Nutrient and water management are intertwined. You can’t do one properly without the other.”

    For more information on optimal nutrient management, check out this presentation on nutrient management given by Brown, Petrie and others at The Almond Conference 2019 in December.

  • USDA COVID-19 Food Assistance Program to Support Farmers

    Summary

    By Schramm, Williams & Associates, Inc. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to support farmers and ranchers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This program is comprised of two major elements: direct payments to farmers and ranchers and commodity purchase and distribution.

    • Direct Payments Program – Provides $16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and will assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19.
    • Purchase and Distribution Program – $3 billion of agricultural products, including meat, dairy, and produce will be purchased to support producers and provided food to those in need. USDA will work with local food and regional distributors to deliver food to food banks, as well as community and faith-based organization to provide food to those in need.

    CFAP uses funding authorities provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), USDA’s existing CCC funding, and Section 32 authority.

    Direct Assistance Program

    Source of Funds

    This program is funded using the $9.5 billion emergency program secured in the CARES Act and $6.5 billion in Credit Commodity Corporation (CCC) funding.

    Payment Allocations

    USDA will provide $16 billion in direct payments to farmers and ranchers including:

    • $2.1 billion for specialty crops producers
    • $500 million for others crops

    Payment Calculations

    Producers will receive a single payment determined using two calculations:

    1. Price losses that occurred January 1 – April 15, 2020.
    2. Producers will be compensated for 85% of price loss during that period.
    3. The expected losses from April 15 through the next two quarters.
    4. Will cover 30% of expected losses.

    Limitations

    • The payment limit is $125,000 per commodity with an overall limit of $250,000 per individual or entity.
    • Qualified commodities must have experienced a 5% price decrease between January and April.

    Expected Timeframe

    Program Sign-up: Beginning in Early May

    Payment Distribution: End of May or early June

    Food Purchase and Distribution Program

    Commodity Procurement

    It will begin with the procurement of an estimated:

    • $100 million per month in fresh fruits and vegetables;
    • $100 million per month in a variety of dairy products;
    • $100 million per month in meat products.

    Distribution

    The distributors and wholesalers will provide a pre-approved box of fresh produce, dairy, and meat products to food banks, community and faith-based organizations, and other non-profits serving Americans in need.

    Additional Food Purchasing

    In addition to the two targeted programs, USDA will utilize other available funding sources to purchase and distribute food to those in need.

    • USDA has up to an additional $873.3 million available in Section 32 funding to purchase a variety of agricultural products for distribution to food banks. The use of these funds will be determined by industry requests, USDA agricultural market analysis, and food bank needs.
    • The FFCRA and CARES Act provided an at least $850 million for food bank administrative costs and USDA food purchases, of which a minimum of $600 million will be designated for food purchases. The use of these funds will be determined by food bank need and product availability.

     

    Further details regarding eligibility, rates, and other implementation will be released at a later date.

  • California Wineries Bring Virtual Wine Experiences to Consumers

    With winery tasting rooms temporarily closed due to California’s statewide shelter-in-place order, wine lovers are looking for new ways to connect with their favorite wineries without leaving home. Golden State winemakers have responded with a variety of fun, creative offerings to bring California wine country to consumers across the country. Along with putting innovative and educational twists on “virtual tastings,” many are now offering takeout dinners, meal kits, stay-at-home pantry boxes and more. 
     
    Following are some of the unique offerings from California wineries across the state. To see all 80 virtual experiences, go to: Discover California Wines. Check back often as new experiences are being added daily.
     
    MEAL KITS, CARE PACKAGES & COOKING DEMOS
     
    On April 23, Stacey Combs, executive chef at Sonoma’s Ram’s Gate Winery, will lead a virtual cooking demonstration of Braised Short Ribs with Creamy Polenta. See here to register for the Zoom session and get an advance list of ingredients and wine pairing suggestions.
     
    On April 24, join Kendall-Jackson Winemaster Randy Ullom and Executive Chef Justin Wangler for an interactive virtual tasting (participants are invited to purchase the wines in advance) and cooking demonstration of recipes from the Sonoma County winery’s cookbook. 
     
    Join Napa Valley’s Cakebread Cellars each week in April for live Cooking with Cakebread demonstrations on Facebook Live. Learn how to make comforting dishes like the winery chef’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Point Reyes Farmstead Toma Cheese, Pickled Golden Beet Slaw & Whole Grain Mustard.

    Clif Family Wines in the Napa Valley is offering Stay-at-Home-Pantry Kits featuring four different wines, plus Clif Family gourmet goodies including apple butter, barbecued nuts, porcini spice blend, and dark chocolate sea salt almonds.
     
    Tune in to Instagram Live and click on “Events” every Sunday for a live cooking demonstration with J Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma County, featuring the winery’s executive chef, Carl Shelton.
     
    Along with virtual tastings with cheese pairings each Wednesday via Zoom and Facebook Live, Le Vigne Winery in Paso Robles is shipping Shelter-in-Place Care Packages filled with wine, charcuterie, cheeses and crackers. 
     
    Mendocino County’s Pennyroyal Farm is offering a Wine + Cheese Combo Pack for shipping across the U.S., featuring Pennyroyal’s own farmstead cheeses and wines.
     
    Join chefs Charlie Palmer and Scott Romano every Thursday on Instagram Live for the Pigs & Pinot Tutorial Series. Each week, the chefs host a live cooking demonstration with wine pairings from a rotating lineup of Sonoma County winemakers.
     
    SEMINARS & VIRTUAL TASTINGS WITH A TWIST
     
    For virtual tastings that focus on specific wines, participants are invited to purchase the featured selections in advance so they can taste along.
     
    On April 21, Join Napa Valley’s Groth Vineyards & Winery for a Happy (Half) Hour Virtual Concert featuring Justin Diaz on Instagram Live. Sip wine while enjoying an uplifting 30-minute set of classic pop, rock, soul and blues.
     
    On April 24, join Napa Valley’s Alpha Omega for Final Final Friday on Instagram Live, when Winemaker Henrik Poulsen and Vineyard Manager Joel Antonio will recap the week in the cellar and vineyards.
     
    On April 24, Knights Bridge Winery in Calistoga will lead a Pairing Wines With Glassware session Facebook Live to show participants how a serving vessel’s shape and size can affect a wine’s taste. 
     
    April 28, Merryvale Vineyards will host Tasty Tuesday, a virtual tour on Facebook Live of the winery’s Profile Estate Vineyard and a virtual tasting of the wines exclusively sourced from the vineyard site.
     
    On May 2, the Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association is organizing a free Zoom seminar on the region’s history, terroir and wines. Moderated by local sommelier Corrina Strauss, the session will feature vintner Allan Green, wine writer Thom Elkjer and Evan Hufford, formerly of Single Thread Farm Restaurant.
     
    Ampelos Cellars in the Sta. Rita Hills is hosting educational virtual tastings on Zoom every Friday through April 24 that cover topics such as biodynamic farming, sustainable practices, vine anatomy, flowering, and harvest decisions.
     
    Belden Barns is hosting weekly Wine & Wishes virtual tastings that explore bottlings from the Sonoma County winery’s portfolio. Winemakers will explore how the wines’ flavors change when paired with random items from their pantry—from beans to peanut butter to boxed macaroni and cheese.
     
    Join DAOU Family Estates in Paso Robles for Instagram Live Happy Hour Fridays through April 25. Hosted by Katherine Daou, each virtual event features a particular wine and a special guest—such as DJ and music producer Morgan Page—announced the Monday before the session.
     
    El Dorado Wines presents El Dorado Edge virtual tastings each Monday evening on Facebook Live, with each episode taking an edgy dive into a different sub-region of the Sierra Foothills AVA (American Viticultural Area).
     
    Law Estate Wines in Paso Robles is offering interactive tastings on Facebook Live, Events, with winemaker Philip Pfunder every Friday through May 8. Each week he will provide a recipe to make at home and feature a local restaurant offering a take-out special that pairs perfectly with the featured wines.
     
    Each Wednesday via Instagram Live, Tablas Creek Vineyard provides an inside look into what is happening in the Paso Robles producer’s vineyard and winery through interviews with staff members and celebrities.
     
    Tolosa Winery in San Luis Obispo presents Technical Thursdays via Instagram Live or Facebook Live each week, where winemaker Frederic Delivert takes virtual guests to the vineyard and winery to explore their farming and production methods. Wednesdays through May 6, the winery will also host free Yoga Sessions with virtual vineyard views, finishing with a toast.
     
    For updates on virtual events by region, see Anderson Valley Winegrowers, Mendocino Winegrowers, Sonoma Valley Wine, Sonoma Wine, Napa Valley Vintners, Visit Napa Valley, Lodi Wine, El Dorado Wines, Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association, Paso Robles Wine Country, San Luis Obispo Coast Wine, Santa Barbara Vintners and Temecula Wines.
     
    FOR LOCALS
     
    Ram’s Gate Winery in Los Carneros has launched Ram’s Gate in Your Kitchen, a food and wine pairing dinner kit delivery service for local delivery and pickup. Weekly-changing kits include a two-course menu featuring local produce and cheeses, with Ram’s Gate wines.
     
    Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor, Sonoma County, is offering Quarantine Kitchen pasta kits with wine for pickup and local delivery, such as Black Pepper Strozzapreti Arrabiata with a bottle of Pinot Noir.
     
    Participants who pick up their wines for Broken Earth Winery’s Inophile Virtual Tasting, weekly, through April, can also take home a grab-and-go meal prepared by the Paso Robles winery’s executive chef.
     
    Mendocino County’s Pennyroyal Farm is offering a Farm Box for pickup, filled with farmstead cheeses, free-range eggs, and fresh produce.

    Established in 1934, Wine Institute is the public policy advocacy group of 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses that initiates and advocates state, federal and international public policy to enhance the environment for the responsible production, consumption and enjoyment of wine. The organization works to enhance the economic and environmental vitality of the state through its leadership in sustainable winegrowing and a partnership with Visit California to showcase California’s wine and food offerings.