Category: Non-Video

Hilmar Cheese Company enters in an agreement to sell its Turlock, CA Milk Powder Facility

Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. entered into an agreement to sell its Turlock milk powder facility to California Dairies, Inc. (CDI). The asset sale agreement allows both parties to begin due diligence in preparation to complete the transaction. The sale is part of Hilmar Cheese Company’s new Strategic Plan 2021 announced last month. The Plan’s three strategies focus on people, operational excellence and delivering products and solutions that “WOW” customers.

“We’re committed to building on Hilmar Cheese Company’s strong culture and purpose to improve lives while setting a bold vision for the future,” explained David Ahlem, CEO and President of Hilmar Cheese Company. “The Strategic Plan 2021 identifies the strategies we will use over the next three years to create sustainable growth that is repeatable, ethical and responsible to current and future communities.”

Ahlem continued, “Our cheese, whey protein and lactose business remains core to our future. The Turlock milk powder facility sale supports our plan to focus on products to grow the strength of our business and fulfill our vision for the future.”

Completed in 2015, the milk powder facility integrates advanced processing technology to manufacture whole milk powder and skim milk powder for the export market. CDI will offer positions to Turlock-based Hilmar Cheese Company employees so they can continue their roles in producing high quality milk powder.

The close of the purchase and transfer of plant ownership and associated assets is anticipated to happen May 2019. Hilmar Cheese Company will continue operations with no impact to the dairy farm families who contract to sell their milk to the company.

April 24, 2019
February Income over Feed Cost Margin Triggers Second 2019 Dairy Safety Net Payment

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that the February 2019 income over feed cost margin was $8.22 per hundredweight (cwt.), triggering the second payment for dairy producers who purchase the appropriate level of coverage under the new but yet-to-be established Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) program.

DMC, which replaces the Margin Protection Program for Dairy, is a voluntary risk management program for dairy producers that was authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill. DMC offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.

Sign up for DMC will open by mid-June of this year. At the time of sign up, producers who elect a DMC coverage level between $8.50 and $9.50 would be eligible for a payment for February 2019.

For example, a dairy operation that chooses to enroll an established production history of 3 million pounds (30,000 cwt.) that elects the $9.50 coverage level on 95 percent of production would receive $3,040 for February.

Sample calculation:

$9.50 – $8.22 margin = $1.28 difference$1.28 x 95 percent of production x 2,500 cwt. (30,000 cwt./12) = $ 3,040DMC premiums are paid annually. The calculated annual premium for coverage at $9.50 on 95 percent of a 3-million-pound production history for this example would be $4,275.

Sample calculation:3,000,000 x 95 percent = 2,850,000/100 = 28,500 cwt. x 0.150 premium fee = $4,275

The dairy operation in the example calculation will pay $4,275 in total premium payments for all of 2019 and receive $6,626.25 in Dairy Margin Coverage payments for January and February combined. Additional payments will be made if calculated margins remain below the $9.50/cwt level.All participants are also required to pay an annual $100 administrative fee in addition to any premium, and payments will be subject to a 6.2% reduction to account for federal sequestration.

Operations making a one-time election to participate in DMC through 2023 are eligible to receive a 25 percent discount on their premium for the existing margin coverage rates. For the example above, this would reduce the annual premium by $1,068.75.

“The Dairy Margin Coverage program will provide an important financial safety net for dairy producers, helping them weather shifting milk and feed prices,” FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce said. “We continue to work diligently to implement the DMC program and other FSA programs authorized by the 2018 Farm Bill.”

On December 20, 2018, President Trump signed into law the 2018 Farm Bill, which provides support, certainty and stability to our nation’s farmers, ranchers and land stewards by enhancing farm support programs, improving crop insurance, maintaining disaster programs and promoting and supporting voluntary conservation. FSA is committed to implementing these changes as quickly and effectively as possible, and today’s updates are part of meeting that goal.

Additional details about DMC and other Farm Bill program changes can be found at farmers.gov/farmbill.

April 24, 2019
Heat Illness Prevention Alert!

Summer is coming, and temperatures are rising to levels of concern for heat illness for farm employees. “Weather forecasts are looking at highly increased temperatures in the coming weeks,” shared Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of Nisei Farmers League. “In some areas, an increase of more than 20 degrees than what we are used to at this time of the year. Please follow the important rules for being sure your employees are safe.”

Cunha emphasized the need for adequate shade and rest, water, training and an emergency plan. It’s also critical to know and comply with recent changes to regulations regarding heat illness prevention, as follows:

Ø Acclimatization:

o      Plan for new hires who will be exposed to heat to which the employee’s and body hasn’t yet adjusted.

o      New employees must be closely observed for their first two weeks on the job.

o      Allow employees to properly acclimate to high heat temperatures.

o   Supervisors must be extra vigilant with new employees and stay alert to the presence of heat related symptoms.

o   New employees will be assigned a buddy to closely watch for discomfort or symptoms of heat illness.

Ø Shade:

o   Must be made available to 100% of the employees on rest breaks or meal periods when temperatures equal or exceed 80 degrees (NFL recommends to have shade available at the start of the day)

o   May be provided by any natural or artificial means (ex: trees or vines that allow for workers to sit under comfortably is sufficient)

o   If providing shade tents, shade tents should provide enough shade so that a person can sit in a normal posture fully in shade without being in physical contact with another worker.

Ø Water:

o   Must be fresh, pure, and suitably cool.

o   Shall be located as close as practicable to the area where employees are working. (NFL recommends you provide a water station at shade area)

o   Have a replenishment plan in writing.

Ø High Heat Procedures (triggered at 95 degrees):

o   Encourage employees to take rest periods.

o   Monitor employees during recovery and develop a buddy system

o   Be sure crews are manageable (ex: 20 workers per crew)

o   If possible, change work schedule to adjust to the temperature.

o   You will be required to take a 10 minute paid break every two hours. You will need to record all breaks.

For more information, visit Cal/OSHA website: http://www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/dosh_publications/ESPHIP.pdf

April 23, 2019
California Grape Acreage Report 2018 Summary

California’s 2018 grape acreage totaled 925,000 acres. Of the total grape acreage, 863,000 were bearing while 62,000 were non-bearing. The wine-type grape acreage is estimated at 637,000 acres. Of the total acres, 590,000 were bearing and 47,000 were non-bearing. Table-type grape acreage totaled 132,000 acres with 121,000 bearing and 11,000 non-bearing. Acreage of raisin-type grapes totaled 156,000 acres, of which 152,000 were bearing and 4,000 were non-bearing.

The leading wine-type varieties continued to be Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Flame Seedless was the leading table-type grape variety. Thompson Seedless continued to be the leading raisin-type variety and was utilized for raisins, fresh market, concentrate, and wine.

OBJECTIVES

The California Department of Food and Agriculture partners with the Pacific Regional Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to conduct an annual acreage survey of California grape growers. The purpose of this survey is to provide annual grape acreage with information on new plantings and removals. It is a continuation of a long series of industry- funded grape acreage surveys.

This report consists of two parts:

 Estimated grape acreage — bearing, non-bearing, and total.

Detailed data by variety, and year planted — as voluntarily reported by grape growers and maintained in our database.

With perfect information, the estimated grape acreage and the detailed data would be the same. However, this will never be the case for the following reasons:

A voluntary survey of approximately 8,300 grape growers is unlikely to attain 100 percent completeness.

 It is difficult to detect growers who are planting grapes for the first time.

 The detailed data reflects vine removals from over 17,000 acres during the past twelve months. Of this number, significant acreage was harvested in 2018 prior to being pulled out. As a result, harvested acreage removed in 2018 is included in the estimated acreage, but excluded from the detailed data.

PROCEDURES

The major source of the grape detailed data was a questionnaire mailed to all grape growers from our database. The mailing was sent in late October 2018 to approximately 8,300 grape growers. The questionnaire contained previously reported crop, variety, and acreage information preprinted. Producers were asked to update the information with new plantings, removals, and any other corrections; new growers were mailed a blank questionnaire. Growers were given six weeks to respond by mail. A telephone follow-up was then undertaken. Field personnel personally visited large growers who did not respond by mail.

To arrive at the estimated grape acreage, the grape acreage data base was compared with data provided from the 2017 Census of Agriculture and the Department of Pesticide Regulation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We sincerely thank the many farm operators, owners, and management firms providing the information. Funding was provided by an assessment on wine grapes plus funding from the California Table Grape Commission and the Raisin Administrative Committee.

April 23, 2019

California Walnut Commission Electing New Members

This year the California Walnut Commission will be holding elections for members and alternates for the term beginning September 1, 2019 and ending August 31, 2021.

“The diversity of our growing and evolving membership brings valuable perspective to industry. The CWC in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) welcomes participation of women, minorities and people with disabilities,” said Michelle McNeil Connelly, CEO of the California Walnut Commission.

Following are the specifications for the election:

Every two years the Commission law provides for the nomination of 13 members and 13 alternates that will be appointed by the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture.

The following is a list of the member and corresponding alternate positions for the Commission:

Eight Producer Members (four from each district, see below)
Four Handler Members
One public member (nominated by 12 elected members)

All producers and handlers participating in the election must complete a nomination form in order for their name to appear on the ballot. The nomination period is May 1-31. All producer candidates must return the form with at least 15 eligible grower signatures. All handler candidates must submit a petition with at least five other handler signatures.

We anticipate that ballots will be mailed to growers and handlers in late June. The election results will most likely be announced in August.

District 1 is comprised of counties in the state that lie north of a line drawn on the south boundaries of San Mateo, Alameda, San Joaquin, Calaveras and Alpine counties. District 2 consists of all other walnut producing counties in the state south of this boundary line.

If you have any questions please feel free to call the CWC office at (916) 932-7070.

About California Walnut Commission

The California Walnut Commission, established in 1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers. The Commission is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The CWC is mainly involved in health research and export market development activities. For more industry information, health research and recipe ideas, visit www.walnuts.org.

April 19, 2019

Turlock Irrigation District General Manager Casey Hashimoto Retires

Turlock Irrigation District (TID) General Manager Casey Hashimoto is retiring after 9 years of running the utility. He announced his intention to retire at the end of 2019 to the TID Board of Directors. Hashimoto’s tenure includes many accomplishments, including keeping electric rates among the lowest in California, improving reliability in the energy system, implementing new technologies, enhancing the water delivery system, all while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.

Hashimoto served a total of 34 years at the District, holding many titles including 10 years as the Assistant General Manager, Electrical Engineering. Throughout his career he participated with various utility industry organizations including the California Municipal Utilities Association, Northwest Public Power Pool, Association of California Water Agencies, and American Public Power Association among others.

“Casey has provided TID impeccable leadership in his 9 years as general manager,” said Charlie Fernandes, TID Board President. “He navigated the District through difficult transitions in both the water and energy industries all while keeping a watchful eye on the bottom line. He will greatly be missed,” said Fernandes.

Following Hashimoto’s retirement announcement, the TID Board of Directors is initiating the process of finding a successor.

A native of the Central Valley, Hashimoto graduated from California Polytechnic State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and is a licensed professional electrical engineer in the state of California.

About the Turlock Irrigation District (TID)

The Turlock Irrigation District, located in Turlock CA, is the first publicly owned Irrigation District and is one of only four today that provides irrigation water and power to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers within its service area. TID has been in the retail electric business since 1923. TID provides safe, low-cost, reliable energy to a growing customer base that today exceeds 100,000 home, farm, business, industrial and municipal accounts. TID also serves 5,800 irrigation customers covering approximately 150,000 acres of farmland. For more information about TID visit www.tid.org and follow @TurlockID (opens external link in new window) on Twitter.

April 19, 2019
Statement on Bureau of Reclamation’s April Allocation Announcement

The Bureau of Reclamation announced the allocation for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project agricultural water service contractors is being increased to 65%. In light of current hydrologic and reservoir conditions, this minor increase is astonishing.

Thomas Birmingham, Westlands Water District’s general manager, stated: “This announcement begs the question, what has to happen before south-of-Delta farmers served by the Central Valley Project can get a full supply?”

Since October 1, 2018, the beginning of the current water year, California has been blessed with abundant precipitation; the 2018-19 water year is now classified as wet. As of April 8, 2019, the snow water content in the northern and central Sierra Nevada were 160% and 163% of the long-term average, respectively. Storage in every CVP reservoir used to supply south-of-Delta CVP agricultural water service contractors was more than 100% of average for that date. Indeed, these reservoirs were and remain in flood control operations.

Birmingham added, “I know that Reclamation staff understands the consequences of the decisions they make. Reclamation staff understands reduced allocations in a year like this needlessly increases overdraft in already overdrafted groundwater basins. Reclamation staff understands delayed allocation announcements make it nearly impossible for farmers to effectively plan their operations. If Reclamation’s leadership could, they would make a 100% allocation. But Reclamation’s hands are tied by restrictions imposed by biological opinions issued under the Endangered Species Act. These restrictions have crippled the CVP and have provided no demonstrative protection for listed fish species, all of which have continued to decline despite the draconian effect the biological opinions have had on water supply for people.”

Birmingham concluded, “Notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by the biological opinions, Westlands firmly believes that there is sufficient water to allocate to south-of-Delta agricultural water services contractors 100%. Today’s announcement by Reclamation is disappointing for every south-of Delta farmer served by the CVP, and we hope Reclamation will increase the allocation quickly to enable farmers to quit pumping groundwater.”

After 2019, no one will be able to argue that water supply reductions for south-of-Delta CVP agricultural water service contractors are a result of hydrologic conditions. This year demonstrates only too well the crippling consequences of ineffective and unchecked regulations. Because of restrictions imposed on operations of the CVP under the guise of protecting fish, the CVP cannot be operated to satisfy on of the primary purposes for which it was built, supplying water to farmers.

April 19, 2019
WIA announces IGNITE, a women-owned business expo

If your product or service has value in agribusiness and you have a women-owned business, the place for you to be is at IGNITE, the just-announced expo that shines a light on women-owned businesses with offerings to the ag sector. Hosted by Women in Agribusiness, IGNITE will take place during opening day – September 25, 2019 – of the 8th annual Women in Agribusiness (WIA) Summit here at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, September 25-27.

From accounting services to agtech innovations to business planning and promotional expertise, women-owned businesses from all sectors will benefit from direct placement in front of some of the largest multinational companies in the world, such as Cargill, Land O’ Lakes and Wells Fargo. Additionally, IGNITE will include strategies and tactics on how to complete the certification process of being a women-owned business, which creates more opportunity to work with these global giants.

With hours from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the expo includes opportunities to meet potential customers, demonstrate products or services, and support peers and colleagues in the sector. Two special presentations will be featured at the expo: Today’s Tips for Small Businesses and The Importance of Being Certified.

“Supplier diversity is a key issue for most food industry giants,” said Joy O’Shaughnessy, chief operating officer of Women in Agribusiness and director of the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit.“At the same time there is a bevy of women looking to advance the prospects for their businesses. We are thrilled to introduce this platform to bring these two groups together to address their critical goals in onesetting, facilitating face-to-face communicationfor the ease of doing business.”

About IGNITE

Women business owners who want to showcase their service, product or business offering in support of the agribusiness sector
Ag and food companies, supplier diversity professionals, procurement professionals.

Where: Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, Minnesota

When: WIA Summit opening day, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Why: To support and highlight women-owned businesses, provide guidance with certification efforts, and facilitate the introduction to multiple international corporations seeking services, as well as increase awareness of internal supplier diversity programs

Local procurement professionals may attend the showcase for free (business card required), while local women-owned businesses may exhibit for a fee. Admittance is free for those who are registered for the Women in Agribusiness Summit, and there is a nominal fee for Summit attendees to exhibit. All participants – free or not – must register to attend IGNITE.

Learn more about the expo – and the annual Women in Agribusiness Summit, which brings together nearly 800 women to learn about current industry outlooks and trends, develop valuable professional skills in an interactive and innovative forum, and network with influential executives in the sector – at womeninag.com.

About Women in Agribusiness

Women in Agribusiness is a business unit of HighQuest Group, a global agribusiness consulting, events and media firm. The Women in Agribusiness initiative took root in 2012, with the first conference held in Minneapolis. WIA initiatives have grown to include the WIA Membership, WIA Demeter Award of Excellence, Student Scholarships, and the WIA Quarterly Journal. Learn more at womeninag.com.

April 19, 2019
Western Growers Launches AgTech Innovation Directory
Western Growers has officially launched an interactive directory that acts as a marketplace for agricultural technology (agtech) startups. Found at https://www.agtechpages.com, the Western Growers AgTech Innovation Directory allows users to identify, research and connect with start-up companies who are developing technologies and innovations to solve the biggest issues facing the agriculture industry. These startups are specializing in everything from automation and traceability to data management and aerial imagery.

“As the agtech industry grows and the number of startups continue to increase, farm operators do not necessarily have the time to vet each startup to determine if a partnership is viable,” said Hank Giclas, Western Growers’ senior vice president, strategic planning, science & technology. “The vision of Western Growers AgTech Innovation Directory is to streamline that process, saving farmers time and money by allowing them to easily search for the startup and technology that meets their most immediate needs.”

The directory enables users to learn details about each startup including team size, years in business and product/service descriptions. It also provides access to metrics such as acres deployed, community ratings, funding raised and business reviews.

The advanced search function of the directory allows users to quickly find desired startups. Filter categories include the following:
- Location
- Issues Addressed (food safety, labor availability, water supply/quality, compliance costs, data management, planning & optimization, etc.)
- Solutions Offered (automation/mechanization, pest management, imagery & mapping, traceability, water treatment, irrigation hardware/software, predictive analytics, etc.)
- Crops/Commodities
In addition to serving farmers, the directory will provide agtech start-up companies with the abilit
y to connect directly with growers and potential clients, as well as provide venture capitalists with the opportunity to explore a startup’s progress prior to investing. The directory is open to the public; however, only Western Growers and Western Growers Center for Innovation & Technology (Center) members will be able to post comments and reviews.

The launch of the Western Growers AgTech Innovation Directory is part of the Center’s efforts to accelerate the development and adoption of agricultural technologies. Today, the Center houses 50 startups that are inventing solutions to allow farmers to continue feeding the nation and world.

About Western Growers

Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.
April 19, 2019
New Research Explores Walnuts & Mental Health

Over the past decade, the California Walnut Commission (CWC) has been conducting research on walnuts and various aspects of cognitive health. A new epidemiological study from Dr. Lenore Arab of UCLA, is the first time the CWC has looked at symptoms of depression, and suggests consuming walnuts may be associated with a lower prevalence and frequency of depression symptoms among American adults¹. Researchers examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which draws from a large sampling of the U.S. population. After evaluating study participants for depression, researchers found that depression scores were 26% lower for walnut consumers and 8% percent lower for consumers of other nuts, compared to those who did not consume nuts at all.

More than 26,000 American adults were asked about their dietary intake over the course of one to two days as well as depression symptoms over the past two weeks. Using a widely accepted questionnaire, participants ranked how often they experienced factors such as little interest in doing things, trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, feeling tired or having little energy, and trouble concentrating. According to the findings, walnut consumers were more likely to have greater interest in activities, higher energy levels, less hopelessness (for women), better concentration, and greater optimism.

“According to the CDC, one out of every six adults will have depression at some time in their life. It is important to find low-cost interventions, such as dietary changes, that are easy to implement and may help reduce the incidence of depression,” says lead investigator, Dr. Lenore Arab of the David Geffen School of Medicine at The University of California, Los Angeles.

“Walnuts have previously been investigated for their potential role in cardiovascular and cognitive health, and now we see an association with depression symptoms – providing another reason to include them in a healthy eating plan.”

As with any scientific research, some study limitations should be considered. Due to the cross-sectional observational nature of the study, the findings cannot prove causality and are subject to the risk of diet changing after a diagnosis occurs in response to the condition. Depression may also change typical appetite and eating behaviors resulting in apparent associations that are not causal. In addition, participants were asked about their dietary choices over the course of one to two days, which may not be representative of usual consumption patterns.

April 17, 2019

Category: Non-Video

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About the Turlock Irrigation District (TID)

About IGNITE

About Women in Agribusiness

About Western Growers