California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • Guidance to Prevent the Transmission of COVID-19 in Food and Beverage Venues

    Today California officials issued guidance regarding retail food, beverage and other service venues. These venues bring people from multiple communities into close contact with each other and have the potential to increase the transmission of COVID-19.

    “These are aggressive, but necessary actions to protect our communities,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We all have a role to play when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19. These establishments that are remaining open should think creatively about how they can continue to provide services to the community. Shifting operations to focus on pick up and delivery options should be prioritized.”

    The guidance will protect individuals attending and working at these venues and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the community

    Retail Beverage Service Venues:

    • Bars, wineries, breweries and pubs should be closed, except for restaurants that contain bars that serve meals provided by a full kitchen (see restaurant guidance below).
    • This guidance is not intended to affect production of beer and wine.
    • Bars, breweries, pubs, and wineries that include meals provided by a full kitchen should follow the restaurant guidance below.


    Restaurants/Cafeterias:

    • Reduce occupancy and capacity by 50 percent.
    • Increase frequency of cleaning of menus, cash registers, receipt trays, condiment holders, writing instruments and other non-food contact surfaces that are frequently touched.
    • Ensure that social distancing of six feet per person for non-family members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate together, stand in line together, etc.
    • Limiting the number of people in lines.
    • Separate spaces in the dining area into smaller components.
    • Increase frequency of cleaning and sanitizing per CDC Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection guidance.
    • Increase cleaning and sanitizing frequency of restroom and other high contact areas.
    • Eliminate events/marketing that target individuals that the CDPH has identified as higher risk of serious illness for COVID-19.
    • Restaurants that have drive-through or other pick-up/delivery options should encourage use of these when possible.


    Food Trucks:

    • Increase frequency of cleaning of menus, cash registers, receipt trays, condiment holders, writing instruments and other non-food contact surfaces that are frequently touched.
    • Ensure that social distancing of six feet per person for non-family members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate together, stand in line together, etc.
    • Limiting the number of people in lines.
    • Increase frequency of cleaning and sanitizing per CDC Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection guidance of all hard surfaces.
    • Remind employees of best hygiene practices including washing their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.


    Grocery Stores and Charitable Food Distribution Sites

    • Ensure that social distancing of six feet per person for non-family members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate in activities together, stand in line together, etc.
    • Limiting the number of customers at any given time as necessary to reduce outdoor/indoor crowding and lines to meet social distancing guidance.
    • Increase cleaning and sanitizing frequency of restroom and other high contact areas.
    • Eliminate events/marketing that target individuals that CDPH has identified as higher risk of serious illness for COVID-19.
    • Stores that have online ordering with outside pick-up or delivery options should encourage use of these when possible instead of indoor shopping.


    Certified Farmers’ Markets

    • Space booths accordingly to increase social distancing among patrons in line and walking about the market.
    • Ensure that social distancing of six feet per person for non-family members is maintained and make clear that family members can participate in activities together, stand in line together, etc.
    • Limit the number of customers at any given time as necessary to reduce outdoor/indoor crowding and lines to meet social distancing guidance.
    • Eliminate events/marketing that target individuals that CDPH has identified as higher risk of serious illness for COVID-19.
    • Encourage activities such as pre-bagging to expedite purchasing.
    • Suspend sampling activities.
    • Increase frequency of cleaning of tables, payment devices, and other surfaces.
    • Eliminate non-essential/non-related services, such as bands or other entertainment.


    The full guidance is available here.

    California continues to issue guidance on preparing and protecting California from COVID-19. Consolidated guidance is available on California Department of Public Health’s Guidance page.

    For more information on COVID-19 and California’s response visit the California Department of Public Health’s website.

  • Dairy Farmers Descend on Senate to Demand Agriculture Labor Reform

    Dairy farmers from National Milk Producers Federation member cooperatives and state dairy associations are visiting U.S. Senate offices today and tomorrow as part of a fly-in calling for an agricultural labor bill that could be reconciled with a plan the House approved last year, providing the stable, secure labor force U.S. dairy producers need.

     

    U.S. dairy producers face labor shortages that are more intense than those felt in agriculture as a whole because they cannot use the H-2A farmworker program, which only provides for seasonal labor rather than the year-round workers dairy needs. With domestic workers in short supply and foreign labor difficult to employ under current policies, dairy farmers are urging lawmakers to find real solutions.

     

    “The situation is dire,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, the biggest U.S. dairy-farmer organization. “Dairy farmers face labor shortages while they are forced to navigate the deeply uncertain and volatile realities undergirding agriculture labor in the U.S. Meanwhile, uncertainty on the farm harms individuals and rural communities that rely on those farms to generate jobs.”

     

    The House of Representatives in December passed bipartisan legislation allowing for year-round visas in dairy as part of the first ag-labor bill to pass that chamber since 1986. NMPF supported the bill, noting that, although imperfect, its passage was a necessary step in moving toward a legislative solution addressing the ag labor crisis, with further work to be done in the Senate to improve upon the House measure.

     

    The fly-in is taking place after the conclusion of NMPF’s March Board of Directors meeting held in Arlington, Virginia. During the board meeting, NMPF officially expanded its membership with the addition of Cayuga Marketing, LLC based in Auburn, NY, adding an important upstate New York voice to NMPF’s work on behalf of all dairy producers. NMPF also endorsed dairy-sector sustainability efforts during its meeting, lauding industrywide plans to reduce carbon emissions to net zero.

  • Flower Losses Due to Shrinking Habitats and Climate Change Hurt Prime Pollinators

    Without enough sugar in their diets, bumblebee queens can experience difficulty reproducing and shorter lifespans.  Hollis Woodard, assistant professor of entomology at UCR, has conducted multiple studies showing how loss of plant availability negatively affects the prolific pollinators. Previous research indicates a queen’s diet can impact how quickly her brood develops, or whether she’s able to live through hibernation.

    In a study published recently, Woodard and her team demonstrate that without adequate sugar, the queen’s fat body, which functions like a human liver, does not correctly produce enzymes required for healthy metabolism and detoxification from pesticides.

     

    “The fitness consequences of not producing enough of these enzymes, P450s, could ultimately be lethal, preventing reproduction or shortening lifespans,” Woodard said. “If you don’t outright kill a queen, but she can’t lay eggs, from a population standpoint you might as well have killed her.”

     

    Woodard’s team wanted to focus its research on bumblebee queens because they undergo an event called diapause, which is like hibernation. Queens gather an abundance of nutrients just before diapause, as it is likely one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.

     

    A queen’s ability to survive this period is not guaranteed without adequate nutrition. However, the team also wanted to know about the sublethal effects. “We wanted to ask if other signs of distress might be detectable in advance, and whether there are molecular signs queens might not make it through diapause,” Woodard said.

     

    The research team collected queen bumblebees of varying ages and fed them one of four diets ranging from no sugar to extremely concentrated sugar. They found queens in the oldest age group, roughly 12 days old, who were fed the most sugar, began to exhibit gene expression patterns consistent with the beginning of diapause. This suggests queens may have an internal mechanism to detect the amount of stored sugar in their bodies, Woodard said. By extension, it means there may be a way to detect in advance when queens do not have enough sugar to survive diapause, or for their fat bodies to produce enough enzymes to protect them from damaging pesticides.

     

    This research underscores the importance of bumblebee food resources, which have been dwindling in recent years due to habitat loss. “There are studies showing gaps in floral availability late in the season before diapause, when queens most need food,” Woodard said.

     

    In addition to habitat loss reducing bumblebees’ preferred plants, climate change may also be taking a toll. As winters become warmer, queens may emerge earlier from diapause in winter when fewer flowers are available to them. Their physiology becomes uncoupled from the seasons, making it less likely that they survive, or that their nests will be successful.

     

    Many bumblebee species are declining, which could eventually have consequences for the human diet. Bumblebees, unlike honeybees, are native to the U.S. and perform a type of pollination essential for some of humans’ favorite foods, such as tomatoes, blueberries, potatoes and almonds.

     

    Therefore, Woodard believes every effort must be made to ensure bumblebees, especially queens, have enough flowers to feed on. “It’s important for everyone from land managers to people with gardens to plant things bumblebees can feed on,” she said. — By Jules Bernstein, University of California, Riverside

  • California FSA Now Offers Assistance from Losses due to Grapevine Leafroll Disease

    The USDA California Farm Service Agency State Committee has approved Grapevine Leafroll Disease (GLD) under the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Vineyard producers who incurred vineyard losses due to GLD will be able to sign-up under the Tree Assistance Program.

    Producers may sign up for Grapevine Leafroll Disease (GLD) at any time in their local county office. The deadline to apply for losses is 90 days after the loss became apparent to the producer. Producers applying for losses due to GLD must adhere to all TAP eligibility requirements.

    TAP was authorized by the Agricultural Act of 2014 as a permanent disaster program. TAP provides cost share financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters or plant disease which now includes Grapevine Leafroll Disease (GLD).

    Important: TAP requires preliminary inspections, including environmental compliance, prior to ground disturbance. Producers interested in the TAP program are advised to not conduct any ground disturbance (including, but not limited to, removal of vines, trellis and stakes) prior to obtaining permission from the FSA County Executive Director (CED) where the ground is located. Disturbing the ground prior to release by the CED will result in ineligibility for program benefits.

    To qualify for TAP:

    • The orchardists must suffer a qualifying tree loss in excess of 15 percent mortality from GLD, plus an adjustment for normal mortality (3%).
    • The eligible vineyards must have been owned when the GLD occurred; however, eligible growers are not required to own the land on which the eligible vineyards were planted.
    • The owner must provide evidence that trees existed and were lost due to GLD.
    • Receipts must be provided for actual expenses associated with removal, purchase and planting of vineyards.
    • An individual or entity’s average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) cannot exceed $900,000
    • Other program and payment eligibility may apply

     

    If the TAP application is approved, the eligible vineyards must be replaced within 12 months from the date the application is approved.

    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

  • 2020 Winegrowing Season Begins in Sonoma County

    As warm temperatures and plenty of sunshine continue to dominate the local forecast, signs of an early grape growing season have been observed in Sonoma County.

     

    Over the past week, several winegrowers throughout Sonoma County have spotted “bud break” in vineyards. This annual event in the lifecycle of grapevines is apparent when small green buds that are fuzzy in appearance first appear on the vine. Typically, this signals that vineyards are coming out of the dormant state they assume during the winter months, and that the year’s vintage is under way.

     

    One concern of an early bud break is potential damage to the vines should a late-season frost appear in spring. Grapevines are more susceptible to frost damage after they have awakened from dormancy. “Bud break is a welcome sign as long as weather remains mild,” said Duff Bevill of Bevill Vineyard Management, “Once the buds pop, you’re vulnerable to frost.”

    While bud break generally begins in March, it is not uncommon to see it as early as February. In 2019, a much colder, wet winter saw the start of the season in mid-March. In 2018 bud break started in mid-February.

     

    “This year’s appearance of bud break is a little earlier than our local winegrowers would consider ‘average,’” commented Karissa Kruse, President of Sonoma County Winegrowers, “However, a late February bud break is not uncommon in warm, sunny years. It’s always exciting to see the vines come out of dormancy and kick off the vintage. This early spring weather has also been an welcome invitation for wine lovers to come visit our vineyards and wineries and enjoy the sun.”

     

    The appearance of bud break has been reported in Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley and Petaluma Gap. With more warm temperatures in the forecast this week, bud break is expected to be more widely reported in the coming days.

     

    About Sonoma County Winegrowers:

     

    The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, also known as Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), was established in 2006 as a marketing and educational organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions. SCW has oversight by California Department of Food and Agriculture which supports producer regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW’s goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers around the world.

     

    In January 2014, SCW committed to becoming the nation’s first 100% sustainable winegrowing region in 2019. As of September 12, 2019, 99% of the vineyard acreage in Sonoma County has completed certification by a third-party auditor making Sonoma County the most sustainable wine region in the world.  SCW’s sustainability efforts have been recognized with California’s highest environmental honor, the 2016 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).  Learn more at www.sonomawinegrape.org

  • California Dairy Districts Seek Ambassadors to Serve as 2020 Dairy Princesses

    Each year, a special group of young women are selected to represent the state’s dairy farm families who contribute to making California number one for milk production in the U.S. These Dairy Princess ambassadors and alternates are selected during events at Districts throughout the state, where they showcase speaking skills, knowledge of dairy and plans to represent the industry during the one-year term. The 2020 contests kick off in April and will run through June.

    California Dairy Princesses serve as industry advocates in their home district and throughout California, supporting the reputation of milk and dairy products through appearances at industry and agricultural functions, with school groups and in media interviews. Dairy Princesses and alternates participate in a mandatory orientation/training where they receive professional development coaching.

    The California Dairy Princess Program has been in effect since 1958. Currently eight districts hold local contests, which cover 48 counties in the state of California. The California Dairy Princess contest is supported by California dairy producers through the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB).  More information and application forms can be accessed HERE.  Additional questions can be directed to Tiffany Nielsen, California Dairy Princess Director at dairyprincess@cmab.net or (559) 280.9859.

    Dairy Princess Program – 2020 Application Deadlines and Contest Dates

    District                        Application Deadline               Contest Date                   Location

    District 1                      Friday, March 20                        Friday, May 8                  Fortuna

    District 3                      Monday, February 24                 Saturday, April 11            Petaluma

    District 4                      Friday, May 1                             TBD                                  TBD

    District 5                      Thursday, April 16                     Wednesday, June 3           Manteca

    District 6                      Friday, May 8                             Thursday, June 18            Turlock

    District 7                      Monday, April 20                       Saturday, June 6               Hanford

    District 8                      Thursday, March 5                     Thursday, April 16           Fresno

    District 9                      Thursday, April 23                     Friday, June 19                 Tulare

     

    California is the nation’s leading milk producer. It also produces more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. The state is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. Dairy products made with Real California Milk can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies that the products are made with milk produced on California’smore than 1200 family dairy farms.

    About Real California Milk/the 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 dairyfarm families and is one of the largest agricultural marketing boards in the United States. With a mission to increase demand for products made with Real California Milk, the CMAB is celebrating 50 years of 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, Instagramand Pinterest.

     

  • PD/GWSS Board Designates Spotted Lanternfly as a Pest of Winegrapes

    The Pierce’s Disease and Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter (PD/GWSS) Board officially added the spotted laternfly (SLF) to its list of designated pests and diseases, making it eligible for research and outreach funding.

     

    “The best quarantine efforts happen at the points of origin. By showing that this is a pest we don’t want in California, we have a better chance of getting cooperation and action to control its spread,” said Roger Spencer, Pierce’s Disease Control Program acting statewide coordinator.

    The SLF, a native to Asia, was first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014. It is spreading rapidly and the PD/GWSS Board has been closely following the situation. The pest is primarily known to feed on the tree-of-heaven, but has a wide host range including grapes. It is considered a high risk pest due to its mobility, with eggs and adults easily transported long distances by normal trade and transportation activities, making it a concern for grape growers nationwide. Learn more about the spotted laternfly.

  • California Ups the Ante on Sustainable Vineyard & Wine Production

    SAN FRANCISCO — The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) released its third annual CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE Report, highlighting the growing number of California wineries and vineyards that are Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE). California remains the global leader in sustainable winegrowing practices, with one of the most widely adopted sustainable winegrowing programs in the world in terms of both winegrape acreage and case production.

    As of December 2019, 149 wineries producing over 85% of California’s total wine production (255 million cases) and 2,097 vineyards farming 29% of statewide wine acreage (184,818 acres) are CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE.

    Another 15% of California vineyard acreage is certified to other state sustainability programs, including Fish Friendly Farming, Lodi Rules, Napa Green and Sustainability in Practice (SIP) which all play an important role in the California wine community’s efforts to produce high quality wine that is environmentally sound, socially equitable and economically feasible.

    “The California wine community has shown that sustainable practices and certification can be scaled up and is applicable to vineyards and wineries of all sizes throughout the state. As the fourth largest wine producer in the world, this means significant benefits for the land, natural resources and communities—both now and for future generations,” said Allison Jordan, Executive Director of CSWA.

    In 2019, CSWA’s third-party certification program had a 50% increase in the number of certified vineyards and a 4.2% increase in the number of certified wineries which already represents 85% of statewide production. View a list of current CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE vineyards, wineries and wines HERE.

    CSWA launched CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE in 2010, creating a certification option for California growers and vintners that provides independent third-party verification of practices and other requirements. The certification program, developed and updated with extensive industry and stakeholder input, validates that stringent vineyard and winery requirements such as soil health, water and energy conservation, habitat preservation, natural pest control and other key sustainability areas are addressed.

    The program was updated in 2017 to allow use of a new logo on labels for wine made in CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE wineries with 85% or more of grapes from certified vineyards (including CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE, Lodi Rules and SIP) and 100% from California. Wines from the 2017 vintage are the first to display the logo, and 972,174 cases of wine from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages are available or coming soon to the marketplace (a 55% increase since the 2018 CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE Report).

    View the CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE Annual Report HERE. Find the companion appendix, which includes more comprehensive reporting of the adoption of sustainable practices by certified vineyards and wineries, HERE.

    To read more about sustainable winegrowing requirements for certification, visit the CSWA Certification page.

  • California Agricultural Employers, Workers Approach Smoke Concerns Differently

    In 2018, California wildfires burned more than 1.8 million acres and caused smoke to drift hundreds of miles. As the frequency and intensity of wildfires increases with climate change, California agricultural workers are at greater risk of smoke exposure as they often have no option but to work outdoors.

    A new study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, finds that while wildfires and smoke exposure are recognized by farmworkers and employers as a growing threat and safety concern, the means to address these concerns differs between the two groups.

    “What stood out in this study is the substantial disparities between agricultural employers and farmworkers,” said Heather Riden with the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at UC Davis.

    Riden, who led the research in partnership with the California Institute for Rural Studies, said that while growers and employers expressed concern about poor air quality at the time of the study in 2018, many had no clear plans or protocols for measuring air quality or managing workers in such conditions. While the public is advised to stay indoors due to poor air quality during a wildfire, agricultural work often continues.

    The study also found that when farmworkers were offered protective masks, many found them difficult to use while working due to heat-related discomfort and chafing. Others believed wearing two bandanas over mouth and nose would provide just as much protection.

    Farmworkers’ experience is compounded by economic need.

    “Many farmworkers will continue working, even in unsafe conditions, to support their families. They don’t have many other options,” said Riden.

    New regulations

    Last year, the state Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA, enacted an emergency regulation requiring employers to take measures to protect workers from wildfire smoke when the Air Quality Index reaches 151 or greater, which is considered unhealthy. Riden said as CAL/OSHA begins to craft permanent regulations, she hopes it takes the study’s findings into consideration.  

    “This highlights the need for better awareness for both agricultural employers and farmworkers about the health risks associated with wildfire smoke,” said Riden. “Employers also need training materials and concrete steps they can take to protect workers.”

    To assist agricultural employers with meeting the requirements outlined in the newly adopted regulation, the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety developed training materials and an employer checklist.

    The study was based on interviews and focus groups with California agricultural employers and workers in the Salinas, San Joaquin and Imperial valleys. Support for the study came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health –By Amy Quinton, UC Davis

  • CDFA Releases CA 2019 Preliminary Grape Crush Report

    The 2019 crush totaled 4,085,772 tons, down 9.3 percent from the 2018 crush of 4,506,010 tons.  Red wine varieties accounted for the largest share of all grapes crushed, at 2,135,112 tons, down 12.8 percent from 2018.  The 2019 white wine variety crush totaled 1,755,141 tons, down 4.3 percent from 2018.  Tons crushed of raisin type varieties totaled 61,051, down 26.0 percent from 2018, and tons crushed of table type varieties totaled 134,468 down 5.6 percent from 2018. 
     
    The 2019 average price of all varieties was $790.43, down 5.0 percent from 2018. Average prices for the 2019 crop by type were as follows: red wine grapes, $990.07, down 2.9 percent from 2018; white wine grapes, $580.66, down 8.6 percent from 2018; table grapes, $262.60, up 36.8 percent; and raisin grapes, $244.88, down 19.0 percent.
     
    In 2019, Chardonnay continued to account for the largest percentage of the total crush volume with 15.6 percent.  Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for the second leading percentage of crush with 14.1 percent.  Thompson Seedless, the leading raisin grape variety crushed for 2019, held only 1.1 percent of the total crush.
     
    District 13, (Madera, Fresno, Alpine, Mono, Inyo Counties; and Kings and Tulare Counties north of Nevada Avenue (Avenue 192)), had the largest share of the State’s crush, at 1,307,233 tons.  The average price per ton in District 13 was $300.60.
     
    Grapes produced in District 4 (Napa County) received the highest average price of $5,797.07 per ton, up 3.9 percent from 2018.  District 3 (Sonoma and Marin counties) received the second highest return of $2,823.67, up 0.2 percent from 2018.  The 2019 Chardonnay price of $899.83 was down 7.3 percent from 2018, and the Cabernet Sauvignon price of $1,720.61 was up 2.2 percent from 2018.  The 2019 average price for Zinfandel was $564.74, down 5.8 percent from 2018, while the French Colombard average price was down 5.0 percent from 2018 at $275.89 per ton.

    See the tables below for more information and read the full report HERE.