California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

Musco Family Olive Co. Offers New Contracts to California Olive Growers

Looking to strengthen the market for California-grown olives, Musco Family Olive Company, the #1 branded olive company in America and the largest packer of ripe olives in the world, recently announced it is offering new contracts to growers impacted by the recent decision of a competitor to cancel its contracts with California farmers.

“We want every farmer impacted by this decision to know that Musco Family Olive Company is committed to the California ripe olive industry. Our gates are open to purchase this year’s crop to meet our increased supply needs from any grower who commits to our modern growing and harvesting goals,” said Felix Musco, the company’s Chief Executive Officer. He added, “Additionally, while preference will be given to those growers who commit to planting mechanically harvestable acreage, we will also offer a one-year contract to as many acres as we can to provide everyone with more time to consider this opportunity.”

The California olive industry has suffered for years from unfair trade benefitting Spanish ripe olives. Using what was later determined to be unfair trade practices, Spanish olive exporters years ago seized the U.S. foodservice market and then moved on to capture the U.S. retail market. The California industry filed a trade action against Spain in 2017, which led to final anti-dumping and countervailing duty rulings last year in favor of the California ripe olive industry. The U.S. Government’s strong enforcement of the trading rights is now providing the California ripe olive industry the care and attention it needs to grow.

As a result of that ruling, the California ripe olive industry has quickly regained substantial market share lost to unfair imports from Spain. With the California industry having regained the U.S. retail segment, Musco Family Olive Company believes the time has come for the domestic industry to turn its sights on becoming the primary provider to the U.S. foodservice market which is, in total, larger than the retail market. Unfortunately, California has lost the lion’s share of that segment in recent years.

“Regaining the lost sales in foodservice is a huge opportunity for the domestic ripe olive industry and could provide a home for 10,000 acres of new plantings in California,” said Felix Musco. He added, “California has long been the largest and most modern producer of agricultural products in the world. We are proud that olives have been a part of this strong industry for many years and we look forward to investing in our future so the California ripe olive industry will thrive and grow for generations to come.”

For many years, Musco Family Olive Company has practiced a long-term, sustainable model focused on the development of modern growing and harvesting techniques. The company was the first to demonstrate and utilize mechanical harvesting as a viable option for picking olives in California. It is committed to modern planting to ensure competitively-priced fruit and strong grower returns. The company has a long-term perspective on the California ripe olive industry and looks forward to working with like-minded growers to build a strong future for the industry. Musco Olive Company recently unveiled its incentive program for planting mechanically-harvestable acreage to its existing growers.“I firmly believe these monumental events can strengthen an industry.

Rather than surrender, I know as a grower and as a packer, now is the time to invest in our California olive industry,” said Dennis Burreson, Musco Family Olive Company’s Vice President of Field Operations and Industry Affairs. He added, “My family’s modern mechanically harvested olive orchards have generated revenue exceeding any other crop we are involved with, including almonds. Because of this, we are now planting additional olive acreage. ”

Musco Olive Company looks forward to sharing and discussing these programs with all interested growers. For growers interested in learning more about Musco Family Olive Co.’s contract offerings they can contact field personnel at (530) 865-4111.

About Musco Family Olive Co.:

Musco Family Olive Co. is a third-generation privately held family owned business and holds the #1 branded market share of ripe olives in the U. S. Musco partnes with hundreds of multi-generational family farmers throughout California’s Central Valley growing premium Manzanilla variety black olives developed and grown in the state for decades. Musco Family Olive Co. is proud of its industry-leading environmental stewardship program and has been recognized with numerous awards. The company is committed to its California growers, long-tenured employees, and countless valued vendors and business partners.

History of the Olive Industry in California:

The California ripe olive industry has a long and storied history. The black ripe olive process was developed in California over 120 years ago by Freda Ehmann of Oroville, California. Thanks to her entrepreneurial spirit and the dedication of 1000 hard-working California ripe olive grower families, consumers can continue to enjoy this traditionally American olive as they have for many generations. For more information about California olive growing family farms, please look here: http://calolive.org/meet-our-growers/

March 29, 2019
Sacramento Farm Day puts kids in touch with Agriculture

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined in the “Sacramento Farm Day” festivities today, hosted by the California Farm Bureau Federation. The event, presented by the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, brings in about 1,000 students and teachers who rotate through several stations to learn about agricultural subjects ranging from pollinators and nutrition to raising livestock and maintaining the health of our soils.

Raley’s partners with the event, providing lunch for the students through the company’s Food for Families program. The Dave Joerger Foundation (coach of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings) also supports Farm Day, and Coach Dave came out to make the rounds with Secretary Ross and Farm Bureau Administrator Jim Houston.

Several local TV stations came out to report on Farm Day

Secretary Ross with members of the Delta FFA, who showed students their project pigs, goats, lambs and a horse

Secretary Ross with CFBF Adminstrator Jim Houston and Sacramento Kings Coach Dave Joerger

Learning about pollinators

Snacks and facts courtesy of Blue Diamond

Secretary Ross at the #CAonMyPlate booth

Raley’s Food for Families program provided lunch for 1,000+ students

Secretary Ross with students from American Lakes School

March 28, 2019
Emergency Funds to Address Virulent Newcastle Disease in California
USDA secretary Sonny Perdue is making available an additional $45 million to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and its partners to address the ongoing virulent Newcastle disease (VND) outbreak in Southern California. This funding will allow APHIS and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to strengthen their joint efforts to stop the spread of this disease and prevent it from affecting additional commercial flocks.

“Virulent Newcastle disease is a serious concern for our nation’s poultry industry and we need to step up our response in order to keep this disease out of additional commercial flocks,” said Greg Ibach, USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “At this point, the trade impacts of this outbreak are minimal because APHIS has negotiated agreements with many countries to promote the principle of regionalization, or limiting trade restrictions to areas affected by outbreaks rather than entire States or the entire country. However, if VND were to spread into additional commercial flocks – in California or other states – the impacts could increase substantially.”

“I want to thank Secretary Perdue and USDA for making additional resources available to fight this highly-contagious poultry disease,” said Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “The strong partnership between USDA and CDFA, local government, industry and homeowners is the united stand we need. With everyone’s full effort we can eradicate this disease, just like we did in 2003.”

It is vital that USDA and CDFA put more responders on the ground to increase surveillance and detection in backyard flocks; ensure rapid euthanasia of likely-exposed birds; implement wider mandatory surveillance on commercial farms and help ensure that they are enhancing biosecurity in light of the increased threat; and increase outreach to backyard flock owners.

USDA will also work with CDFA on several steps tostrengthen the response and prevent additional disease spread. These include:
- Ensuring any poultry, poultry products and poultry materials that move out of affected areas will be done with a permit;
- Enforcing the quarantines and mandatory fallow periods for backyard locations to ensure the disease is eliminated before new birds are allowed onsite; and
- Rapid euthanasia of likely-exposed birds.
The $45 million USDA will use for these efforts is being reallocated from emergency funds transferred to USDA, but not used during the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak response in 2014-2015. USDA will routinely reassess this plan and readjust tactics as needed. The goal remains to rid Southern California of VND, while protecting the rest of the country’s poultry from the disease.

Link to CDFA’s VND information page.
March 28, 2019
New Online Water Resource for CA Farmers

Community Alliance with Family Farmers & The Farmers Guild is thrilled to announce that the California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative (CAWSI) website has recently gone through a thorough update. The CAWSI website can be found at www.agwaterstewards.org.

The California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative (CAWSI) was initiated in 2008 by CAFF and other agriculture organizations in order to make information available to farmers about a variety of practices that they could employ to conserve water on their farms. Farmers can find a wealth of information on various types of on-farm water management practices such as dry farming, ponds, and soil, nutrient, irrigation, and stormwater management.

There are over 60 case studies from farms across the state growing a variety of crops and implementing all types of water management practices. There are case studies on farms using recycled water on melons on the central coast to an almond orchard’s smart irrigation scheduling practices in the San Joaquin valley to dry farming with cover crops on the north coast in vineyards.

New information was added on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) including links to a SGMA Handbook, Department of Water Resources Videos explaining FSMA, and a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources video (all found under the groundwater management tab of the website).

The dry farming section of the website was reformatted and new content was added on Oregon State University’s dry farming grains research as well as videos on dry farming winter squash in western Oregon. While these resources are based on farming in Oregon, there is certainly climatic overlap with certain regions of California.

Additional updates, resources, and videos were added throughout the website. We thank the Water Foundation for their support and our advisory board for their scientific expertise.

Founded in 1978, the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) and The Farmers Guild is a California-based nonprofit that builds sustainable food and farming systems through local and statewide policy advocacy and on-the-ground programs in an effort to initiate institutionalized change.

For more information, contact Evan Wiig at evan@caff.org and 415-710-5692

March 27, 2019
CDFA Internship Program
Agriculture is a major industry for the Golden State. With 80,500 farms and ranches, California agriculture is a $44.7 billion dollar industry that generates at least $100 billion in related economic activity. The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) mission is, “to serve the citizens of California by promoting and protecting a safe, healthy food supply, and enhancing local and global agricultural trade, through efficient management, innovation, and sound science, with a commitment to environmental stewardship.”

In 1919, the California Legislature created a single department responsible for protecting and promoting agriculture. CDFA is now organized into six divisions and operates at more than 100 locations throughout the state. These divisions provide valuable services to producers, merchants, and the public. Many of them are conducted in partnership with local county offices of the agricultural commissioners and sealers.

CDFA strives to support innovation and agricultural diversity. One way to support these efforts is through working with future generations of agriculturalists. The CDFA Internship Program is designed for college students of all majors and backgrounds who have an interest in agriculture, California government, and public service. Internships are for students looking to gain a better understanding of California agriculture, as well as the role CDFA has among the state’s agricultural systems. Internships are available in a variety of divisions within CDFA.

Internships are available to students year round and generally last 10-16 weeks. Students should be available for at least 8 — 10 hours per week, up to 30 hours per week, depending on the internship offered.

Prerequisites may include:
- Enrolled in an accredited U.S. College
- Good academic standing
- At least 18 years of age
What Interns Are Saying

I just wanted to send a quick email to once again say thank you for the internship opportunity over the summer of 2015. I had no idea how much information I had learned from my internship would be invaluable in the classroom. The first-hand experiences and skills I gained during my internship have played such an important role in the classroom! I wanted to express my gratitude to you as I would not be where I am without this amazing opportunity. Please tell everyone I said hello and I hope everyone is doing well!

Nicole Nelsen
Master of Public Health-Veterinary Public Health Candidate
The Ohio State University

AREAS OF INTEREST

Administrative Services
Administrative Services is responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling activities related to fiscal management, personnel, labor relations, budgets, general business services, contract management, and health and safety.

Animal Health and Food Safety Services
Animal Health and Food Safety Services protects the safety and security of meat, poultry, dairy products, and other foods of animal origin; public and animal health through the prevention, detection, and eradication of livestock and poultry diseases and dairy contamination incidents; and cattle owners against loss of animals by theft, straying, or misappropriation through ongoing inspections and investigative services.

For information about Animal Health and Food Safety Services contact:
Samuel Mercado
(916) 900-5021
Samuel.Mercado@cdfa.ca.gov

Executive Office
The Executive Office provides oversight of the Department. Its mission is to serve the citizens of California by promoting and protecting a safe, healthy food supply, and enhancing local and global agricultural trade, through efficient management, innovation, and sound science, with a commitment to environmental stewardship.

For information about the Executive Office contact:
Josh Eddy
(916) 654-0462
jeddy@cdfa.ca.gov

Fairs and Expositions
Fairs and Expositions provides fiscal and policy oversight of the network of California fairs and ensures the best use of available funding and provides other consultative services.

For information about Fairs and Expositions contact:
John Quiroz
(916) 900-5025
John.Quiroz@cdfa.ca.gov

Inspection Services
Inspection Services provides professional services that support and contribute to a safe, abundant, quality food supply; environmentally sound agriculture practices; and an equitable marketplace for California agriculture.

For information about Inspection Services contact:
Cecilia Baumann
(916) 900-5197
Cecilia.baumann@cdfa.ca.gov

Marketing Services
Marketing Services assists in the promotion and administrative oversight of agriculture marketing programs in order to promote California agriculture products.

For information about Marketing contact:
Jeff Cesca
(916) 900-5011
jeff.cesca@cdfa.ca.gov

Measurement Standards
Measurement Standards is responsible for the enforcement of California weights and measures laws and regulations. The Division’s activities are designed to ensure the accuracy of commercial weighing and measuring devices; verify the quantity of both bulk and packaged commodities; and enforce the quality, advertising, and labeling standards for products.

For information about Measurement Standards contact:
Rebecca Bland
(916) 229-3042
rebecca.bland@cdfa.ca.gov

Pierce’s Disease Control Program
Pierce’s Disease Control Program is responsible for minimizing the impact of the Pierce’s Disease/Glassy-wing sharpshooter pest-disease complex and its vectors in California.

For information about the Pierce’s Disease Control Program contact:
Roger Spencer
(916) 900-5252
Roger.Spencer@cdfa.ca.gov

Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services
Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services protects California’s food supply from the devastating impact of exotic pests; environment and natural resources from direct pest impacts and increased pesticide use; public from pests that pose human health threats; and position in the global economy.

For information about Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services contact:
David Pegos
(916) 654-0317
david.pegos@cdfa.ca.gov
March 26, 2019
100+ Water Ag Organizations Urge Congress to Address Western Water Challenges

Over 100 organizations representing water and agricultural interests in the Western U.S. urged Congress today to use any infrastructure package under consideration to help address severe hydrological conditions in the West.

“As a nation we must continually invest in the Western water infrastructure necessary to meet current and future demands,” the groups stated in a letter sent to key congressional committees and Western senators. “Our existing water infrastructure in the West is aging and in need of rehabilitation and improvement.”

President Trump has said infrastructure might be one area that both political parties in the 116^th Congress can agree upon. The Democratic Party’s to-do list also includes an ambitious infrastructure program. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OREGON) – one of the recipients of the letter – now chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he intends to lead efforts to produce a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure bill to fund transportation and water projects.

“As water flows down from the Colorado Rockies – not unlike the water wheels of days gone by – it still drives the economies of thousands of communities on its way to the ocean,” said Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association President Robert Sakata. “As we ask more of this precious resource, we can’t ignore the creaks and groans from outdated infrastructure, as well as the offerings of new technologies to improve water use efficiency.”

“The recent wet weather notwithstanding, we know that persistent drought conditions in the western United States are the new normal,” said Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif. “For this reason, our nation must invest, in earnest, in the long-term security of our water supplies in the West.”

The letter underscores that water conservation, water recycling, watershed management, conveyance, desalination, water transfers, groundwater storage, and surface storage are all needed in a diversified management portfolio.

“We need you to ensure that Western water users have every tool available to survive and recover from years of drought and to prepare for the hard, dry years the future may hold,” the letter states. “We call upon each of you to push forward on infrastructure and in so doing you must use any infrastructure package to not only address our nation’s chronic needs surrounding roads and bridges, but to also include water infrastructure needs for storage and conveyance.”

March 25, 2019
Farm Bureau Seeks Action for Olive Growers
The recent announcement of table olive processing contracts being cancelled by Bell-Carter Foods on nearly 4,500 acres of olives grown in Tulare County has Tulare County Farm Bureau paying attention. Farm Bureau is asking state and federal officials to take action to assist those growers impacted by these contract cancellations.

Specifically the ask from growers is to help close a loophole that has allowed a foreign company to acquire ownership in a US based olive processor, and flood the market with cheap foreign olives while displacing California olive growers. What happens in this commodity can certainly happen in others.

In Tulare County approximately 4,500 acres of olives will be impacted by this action, prompted by the announcement that a European conglomerate, Dcoop, has acquired a 20% ownership interest in Bell-Carter Foods and will be shipping cheaper grown Spanish and Argentine olives into the US for processing under a loophole that will allow the company to avoid paying tariffs on their imported raw unprocessed olives.

The impacts to our local economy will be felt by many, including the olive growers who have lost their processing contracts, and the 1500 estimated farm workers who could find their annual income severely impacted by the loss of the harvest work that is traditionally done in September and October when olive picking occurs. “These are highly skilled workers that will lose some of their most lucrative earning opportunity with this acreage going out of production,” stated olive grower Bill Ferry.

Significant impacts that concern Farm Bureau and local growers are:
- loss of farm revenue to the olive growers who lost their processing contracts;
- abandonment of groves causing nuisance, and pest and disease concerns for adjacent landowners;
- farm labor contractors reducing hours available to their workers during the pruning and harvesting periods for olives, loss of those jobs and workers leaving the sector entirely;
- consumers being sold products from foreign countries with less strenuous food safety regulations;
- farm land acreage being lost, which may cause premature development in rural areas;
- excessive costs to growers on redevelopment of land into other agriculture crops
- uncertainty with Sustainable Groundwater Management Act reductions in groundwater supplies;
- loss of tax revenue to the county and region generated by these job.
While there is one other major table olive processor in California, Musco Family Olive Co. is not able at this time to ensure that all of this contracted acreage could be processed in their facilities. Until it is known, the displaced growers face great financial uncertainty.

Olive growers also have less than one week to determine if they will renew their crop insurance for the 2019-20 growing season. It would be difficult to incur the expense for crop insurance for a crop they cannot sell.
March 22, 2019
Organic Farmers Association Announces Newly Elected Governing Council and Policy Committee

The Organic Farmers Association is a national membership body of American organic farmers. The Association’s mission is to provide a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers. Its purpose is to build and support a farmer-led national organic farmer movement and national policy platform by: developing and advocating for policies that benefit organic farmers; strengthening and supporting the capacity of organic farmers and farm organizations; and supporting collaboration and leadership among state, regional and national organic farmer organizations.

Members of the Organic Farming Association are represented by a Governing Council, Advisory Committee, and Policy Committee. Recently, new representatives were elected to the Governing Council and Policy Committee for 2019. These representatives will serve 2-year terms, up to 3 consecutive terms (no more than 6 consecutive years). Newly elected members begin their terms at the annual meeting on March 13, 2019 in Washington, D.C.

2019 Governing Council

The Council includes 19 members. From each of the six regions, the council includes 2 certified organic farmers and 1 organic farm organization. In addition, Organic Farmers Association’s fiscal sponsor, Rodale Institute, also has a seat on the council. All Council Members have identical rights and responsibilities, except that only farmer members have the right to vote. The fiscal sponsor, if it has a certified organic farm, also has a vote.

* = Newly elected

Farmers (Voting)

California Farmer Representatives
*Judith Redmond, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA

Steve Beck, Kings River Produce, Inc., Hanford, CA

Midwest Region Farmer Representatives
*Dave Bishop, PrairiErth Farm, Atlanta, IL

Joannee DeBruhl, Stone Coop Farm, Brighton, MI

North Central Region Farmer Representatives
*Mike Kelly, High Meadow Farm, Johnson Creek, WI

Harriet Behar, Sweet Springs Farm, Spring Valley, WI

Western Region Farmer Representatives
*Nathaniel Powell-Palm, Cold Springs Organics, Bozeman, MT

Jessica Gigot, Harmony Fields, Bow, WA

Southern Region Farmer Representatives
Jennifer Taylor, Lola’s Organic Farm, Glenwood, GA

*Loretta Adderson, Adderson’s Fresh Produce, Keysville, GA

Northeast Region Farmer Representatives
David Colson, New Leaf Farm, Durham, ME

*Maryrose Livingston, Northland Sheep Dairy, Marathon, NY

Advisory (Non-Voting)

California Organization Representative
Phil LaRocca, Chair, California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)

Midwest Region Organization Representative
Renee Hunt, Program Director, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA)

North Central Region Organization Representative
*David Perkins, President, Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)

Western Region Organization Representative
Becky Weed, Board of Directors, Montana Organic Association (MOA)

Southern Region Organization Representative
*Michael Sligh, Program Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI-USA)

Northeast Region Organization Representative
*Ed Maltby, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA)

Sponsor Seat
Jeff Tkach, Rodale Institute

2019 Policy Committee

The elected Policy Committee is made up of 12 voting certiﬁed organic farmer members and six advisory organizational members. Committee members are regionally diverse and reﬂect the national diversity of organic farms. The Policy Committee will facilitate OFA’s policy platform, created by certiﬁed organic farmer members. From its start in the fall of 2016, Organic Farmers Association has been working to build and support a farmer-led national organic farmer movement with a strong voice advocating for organic farmers.

* = Newly elected

Farmers (Voting)

California Region Farmer Representatives

*Kenneth Kimes, Greensward / New Natives, LLC, Aptos, CA

Mark McAfee, Organic Pastures, Fresno, CA

Western Region Farmer Representatives

*Nate Lewis, Oyster Bay Farm, Olympia, WA

Pryor Garnett, Garnetts Red Prairie Farm, Sheridan, OR

North Central Region Farmer Representatives

*DeEtta Bilek, Tom and DeEtta Bilek Farm, Aldrich, MN

Harriet Behar, Sweet Springs Farm, Gays Mills, WI

Midwest Region Farmer Representatives

*Michael Adsit, Plymouth Orchards, Plymouth, MI

Hannah Smith-Brubaker, Village Acres Farm & FoodShed, Mifflintown, PA

Southern Region Farmer Representatives

*Laura Freeman, Mt. Folly Farm, Winchester, KY

Jennifer Taylor, Lola’s Organic Farm, Glenwood, GA

Northeast Region Farmer Representatives

*Luke Gianforte, Gianforte Farm, Cazenovia, NY

Dave Chapman, Long Wind Farm, East Thetford, VT

Advisory (Non-Voting)

California Region Organization Representative

David Runsten, Policy Director, Community Alliance with Family Farmers, Davis, CA

Western Region Organization Representative

*Cara Loriz, Executive Director, Organic Seed Alliance, Missoula, MT

North Central Region Organization Representative

Matthew Miller, Policy Committee Member, Iowa Organic Association, Ames, IA

Midwest Region Organization Representative

*Mallory Krieger, Farmer Training Program Manager, The Land Connection, Champaign, IL

Southern Region Organization Representative

Michael Sligh, Program Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International, Pittsboro, NC

Northeast Region Organization Representative

Edward Maltby, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance, Deerfield, MA

ABOUT ORGANIC FARMERS ASSOCIATION

The mission of the Organic Farmers Association, sponsored by Rodale Institute, is to provide a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers. Its purpose is to build and support a farmer-led national organic farmer movement and national policy platform by: developing and advocating for policies that benefit organic farmers; strengthening and supporting the capacity of organic farmers and farm organizations; and supporting collaboration and leadership among state, regional and national organic farmer organizations. Learn more at OrganicFarmersAssociation.org.

March 21, 2019
USDA Foreign Agricultural Service to Host Farm Bill Listening Session

WASHINGTON, March 2019– The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) will host a listening session Friday, March 22, to solicit input from stakeholders with an interest in FAS programs authorized under the Trade Title of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.

During the session, to be held in room 107-A of the USDA Whitten Building, stakeholders can offer comments on FAS food assistance and fellowship and exchange programs from 1 – 2:30 p.m., and on FAS international market development programs from 2:30 – 4 p.m. FAS will also accept written comments.Individuals interested in commenting on food assistance and fellowship and exchange programs should email ppded@fas.usda.gov to preregister to attend or to submit written comments to the FAS Office of Capacity Building and Development.

Individuals interested in commenting on FAS export market development programs should email podadmin@fas.usda.gov to preregister to attend or to submit written comments to the FAS Office of Trade Programs.When registering or commenting, please list your name, affiliation and program(s) of interest. The registration deadline is 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, March 20, and written comments are due by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 22.

WHAT: Foreign Agricultural Service Farm Bill Listening Session

WHEN: Friday, March 22, 2019

1 p.m. – Food Assistance and Fellowship and Exchange Programs

2:30 p.m. – Export Market Development Programs

WHERE: USDA Whitten Building, Room 107-A, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender

March 21, 2019
Ag Council of California Celebrates Centennial

Agricultural Council of California’s Annual Meeting, which was held March 4-5 in Monterey, marked a historic event this year as the organization celebrated 100 years of working on behalf of farmers and farmer-owned businesses. The event was held in conjunction with CoBank’s Pacific West Customer meeting.

“Reaching 100 years as an organization is a remarkable accomplishment,” said Carl Hoff, Ag Council chairman and president and CEO of Butte County Rice Growers, during his address. “Our founders had vision and foresight, and we are proud to have continued to fulfill their mission to provide our members a valuable service as they engage in the noble effort of feeding the world.”

Hoff took a retrospective look back at California’s agricultural industry in 1919 and compared it with the present environment. Vast changes in technology, farming methods and California’s population mean that many of the issues that Ag Council addresses on behalf of its members are different than they were in 1919, but the mission to ensure a better business environment for its members has not altered. During his address, Hoff also recognized the four cooperatives who have been members the entire 100 years-Blue Diamond, Sunkist, Sun-Maid and Sunsweet.”

Our steadfast commitment is to focus on the issues and ensure a sustainable future for our industry,” he added. “Agriculture has changed, our members’ businesses have changed, but we have made the hard choices and thrived through the years.”

In her annual address, Emily Rooney, president of Ag Council, also underscored the changes that have occurred since the founding of Ag Council, but also quoted the organization’s original charter mission, which has served as a roadmap for the last 100 years: An organization shall “be formed for the purpose of drafting beneficial legislation and guarding against vicious or dangerous laws which might affect agricultural interests.”

“While sometimes many of us feel like we are under attack in California, I believe it is not our principles, but our practices, that are under scrutiny. And, innovation can help us address those concerns,” she said. “As challenging as that can be, Ag Council has been successful in finding opportunities to address these issues while creating the change that optimizes our future.

“Rooney discussed Ag Council’s efforts in several policy areas, and a more detailed accounting of the organization’s advocacy work can be found in the Centennial Impact Report, which was released during the annual meeting. A full copy can be accessed at www.agcouncil.org.

This year’s Annual Meeting featured a Centennial Celebration on Monday evening. Gonzales FFA provided a presentation of the colors, and students Amy Aceves and Cynthia Ruiz spoke about their experiences with FFA and thanked Ag Council and its members for their support. The evening also included a presentation of a U.S. Senate Resolution by Shelly Abajian, director of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Central California Office as well as the release of a video chronicling the history of Ag Council. Prior Ag Council Presidents Lee Ruth and Don Gordon were in attendance to help celebrate this historic event.

The General Session held the following day, and moderated by Jackson Gualco of The Gualco Group, featured Dr. Daniel Mountjoy, of Sustainable Conservation who spoke about the role of groundwater in California agriculture and his work to promote a sustainable future via various innovative methods; Dr. Joseph Castro, president of California State University, Fresno; and, Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.

The 100th Annual Meeting concluded with a luncheon that honored California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross as the recipient of the prestigious 2019 California Cultivator Award. As a Nebraska native and former staff person of Ag Council, Ross offered a heartfelt acceptance of the award. “Working at Ag Council was an important chapter in my career. The members and leadership opened my eyes to the miracle of California agriculture and that has become the best part of my job to reflect on how lucky we are to be involved in this industry.

“For more information about Ag Council’s Annual Meeting, visit www.agcouncil.org.

About Ag Council

Founded in 1919, Agricultural Council of California is a member-supported organization advocating for more than 15,000 farmers across California, ranging from farmer-owned businesses to the world’s best-known brands. Ag Council serves as the farmers’ voice in California government. Ag Council works tirelessly to keep its members productive and competitive, so that agriculture can remain California’s number-one industry and members can continue to produce the highest quality food for the entire world. For more information, visit www.agcouncil.org.

March 21, 2019