California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • Grape Crush Report May be Impacted by Government Shutdown

    The ongoing federal government shutdown, which began Dec. 22, may soon affect a key program of great importance to winegrape growers.

    Thursday, Jan. 10 is the deadline for wineries to submit grape purchase data from the 2018 harvest to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Pacific Region office. NASS collects and compiles the data for publication in the Crush Report, which is published annually. The 2019 publication dates are Feb. 8 for the preliminary report and March 8 for the final report. Many purchase contracts between growers and wineries rely on reported prices to establish grape pricing in the following year.

    Currently, NASS staff responsible for producing the report are on unpaid furlough until funding is restored. A continuation of the shutdown makes timely publication of the Crush Report highly uncertain.

    Bill Berryhill, CAWG Chairman

    “The Crush Report, which the industry pays for, provides essential financial information to California winegrape growers,” said Bill Berryhill, a Ceres-area grower and chair of the CAWG board of directors. “Lengthy delays in publishing the report threaten to complicate contract negotiations, interfere with lending activity and make it difficult for growers to budget for the year ahead.

    “We need our elected leaders in Washington, D.C. to quickly resolve this budget impasse and get programs like the Crush Report back up and running,” Berryhill said.

    NASS and many other USDA agencies that are critical to grape growers have been affected by the shutdown. Other agencies include Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Agricultural Research Service, Farm Service Agency, Foreign Agricultural Service, Risk Management Agency, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

  • Using the Sun & Agricultural Waste to Control Pests

    Biosolarization Shows Promise for Conventional & Organic Farmers

    By Diane Nelson

    Farmers spend a lot of time and money controlling weeds and other pests, and often have to turn to chemical fumigants to keep the most destructive pests at bay. Farmers also wrestle with what to do with low-value byproducts of crop production, such as skin, seeds and hulls from fruit, vegetable and nut processing.

    What if those agricultural waste streams could generate alternatives to chemical fumigants and make farming more productive, profitable and environmentally friendly?

    Maybe they can. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, are encouraged by early results from collaborative experiments with “biosolarization,” a process that combines the sun’s heat with soil amendments to manage weeds and other soil-borne pests.

    “It looks promising,” said food science and technology professor Christopher Simmons, who is testing biosolarization with various crops and working with farmers throughout the state. “We still have a lot of work to do, but biosolarization is showing real potential as a safe, sustainable way to control pests while improving crop quality and yield.”

    Strengthening solar power   

    Many backyard gardeners know the power of solarization. When you lay a clear plastic tarp over moist soil, you can trap solar radiation and heat the soil enough to kill weeds and other soil-borne pests. It’s effective, but can take four to six weeks, which is often too long for commercial fields to lay fallow.

    Biosolarization can accelerate and improve the process. Simmons and his team are adding organic amendments such as grape and tomato skins or ground nut hulls to the soil before they tarp it, which promotes growth of beneficial bacteria. The helpful microorganisms compete with pests and temporarily make the soil more acidic and therefore less hospitable to weeds and other pests.

    Together, the soil-heating and microbial activity can reduce the treatment time to days, not weeks.

    “And by activating beneficial microbes in the soil, biosolarization has the potential to improve soil health over the long term,” Simmons explained.

    Testing under commercial conditions

    Chemical fumigants are expensive, and many have been identified as carcinogenic by state and federal regulatory agencies. But when it comes to killing soil-borne pests, they are very effective.

    “Fumigants are broadly biocidal, meaning they affect beneficial microorganisms along with the pests,” Simmons said. “Biosolarization allows more innocuous and beneficial microorganisms to persist in the soil.”

    But for farmers to adopt biosolarization as an alternative to chemical fumigants, the treatment must be effective, predictable and economical. So the team is testing biosolarization with a wide variety of crops, amendments and soils against different pests in various locations at commercial scale throughout the state.

    “We have field trials underway with lettuce, tomatoes, melons and various cover crops,” Simmons said. “And we have a long-term, 10-acre trial with almonds at a conventional orchard in Chico.”

    In Chico, Simmons and his team are collaborating with almond grower Rory Crowley at Nicolaus Nut Company with funding support from the Almond Board of California and the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety. They are one year into a 25-year experiment to see if almond-processing residues and the sun can boost soil health and reduce weeds and other soil-borne pests. So far, Crowley is impressed.

    “It’s been great for the soil,” Crowley said. “Using biosolarization and a mustard cover crop, we’ve increased organic matter by 1.25 to 1.75 percent, which is a huge jump. That’s good for carbon sequestration and the overall health of the soil.”

    It’s too soon to tell if the soil improvements will translate to greater crop yield, but Crowley thinks biosolarization could become a good pest-management tool and a valuable use for what would otherwise be agricultural waste.

    “We need to find a home for the co-products of almond processing, so why not see if we can use them to improve soil health while controlling pests?” Crowley asks.

    Field tests continue

    Simmons and his team are testing biosolarization on several annual and cover crops in plots on the UC Davis campus using agricultural waste streams from tomato and wine processing. Soon they will begin tests with strawberries, which are commonly treated with fumigants each season as farmers plant berries anew.

    Simmons’ hope is to demonstrate to farmers that biosolarization can be effective and economical under a wide range of conditions against a broad number of pests.

    “We’re making significant ground,” he said. “We’re hopeful biosolarization can help farmers return food and agricultural waste back into the system to control pests and improve crop production.”

  • Withstanding Extreme Wear in Ag Handling Equipment

    Urethane provides greater wear resistance than steel or rubber, at lighter weight & can be customized to meet individual specifications

    Agricultural bulk handling equipment such as chutes, spouts, elbows and distributors can experience severe wear when transferring millions of bushels of ag products annually, particularly at transitions or rough areas, where “hot spots” of abrasion can occur.

    In such cases, the bare structure of the equipment may not be adequately wear resistant and even traditional steel or rubber protective liners may insufficiently control the abrasion. This can pose a risk of costly spillage and production downtime for clean up and repair.

    For such applications, sheets made from urethane (short for polyurethane) provide far better wear resistance than more traditional options such as steel or rubber. Urethanes are cost-effective, dependable elastomers that combine some of the performance advantages of high-tech metals, ceramics, and plastics, along with the flexibility and resiliency of rubber. Because of this, thinner cross sections can be applied at lighter weight, allowing easier installation.

    Now this “tougher than steel” liner can actually be cut from full sheets of various sizes to fit the contours and shapes of high contact areas, so it can easily be glued, bolted, or welded to provide extreme wear protection wherever it is required.

    While such liners are commonly cut to fit and installed onsite, custom liners made to fit important transitions or more complex configurations can increase reliability, simplify installation, and further reduce production downtime.

    Extreme Wear Resistance

    The outstanding abrasion resistance of urethane elastomers has led to many important applications where severe wear is a problem in industries as varied as agriculture and mining.

    “Rubber is not as abrasion resistant as urethane, and fancy steel liners do not provide sufficient resistance either,” says Charles Pratt, Operations Manager at Kinder Australia, an independent supplier and manufacturer of conveyor and bulk material handling equipment.

    Pratt turned to a proprietary urethane formulation called Kryptane, an extremely wear-resistant material for applications where abrasion, sliding, or impact occurs regularly, by Argonics, one of the U.S.’s largest producers of wear resistant urethane products. The liner is FDA Drygood Handling approved. Examples of its use include chute, bin and hopper liners; pipe, fitting and valve liners; and conveyor liners that withstand abrasive materials.

    “In testing for some applications, we found that the urethane skirtings on the outside of a conveyor can last 10-15 times longer than rubber,” says Pratt. “Compared to a steel liner on the inside of a conveyor, a urethane liner can get 5-8 times the life.”

    Because of its extreme wear properties, the urethane liner excels in grain handling applications. The urethane liner is also resistant to cracking, tearing, breaking, as well as sunlight and temperature cycling, which furthers its reliability in such settings.

    “I have used Argonics lining material at our grain export terminal for over 10 years,” said Bill Hoffer, a retired chief millwright of CHS Inc., a farmer-owned cooperative working to help America’s farmers be more successful. “I have not had to replace any of these liners installed over the last 10 years. We export about 43 million bushels of grain through the system each year and the Kryptane liners show little sign of wear.”

    In many such grain, seed, or rice bulk handling applications, self-installation of the liners is common, according to Doug Maves, an Argonics product engineer.

    “When agricultural users only need minor trimming or simple cutting to line a straight chute or standard shape, they often measure and cut the sheets themselves onsite,” says Maves.

    Standard sheet sizes are 4’x8’, 4’x10’, 5’x8’ and 5’x10’, in thicknesses from 3/16” to 1”; rolls are also available – 4’x25’ up to 5’x100’. The material can be installed/fastened using a bolted technique, glued or welded in place to create rugged and durable lining for chutes, spouts, and other agricultural bulk handling equipment. Polyurethane coated bolts are also available when using a bolt-in technique.

    Maves notes that plain liners are suitable for lighter duty applications. For heavier duty applications, he suggests using a backing to prevent potential stretching and to help improve the integrity of the fastening method.

    “When gluing a liner to a structural surface, fabric backed sheets can achieve a stronger adhesive bond,” says Maves. “When bolting a liner, expanded metal or solid metal backed sheets can provide extra strength and rigidity.”

    Custom liners are also available for more complex transition points. These can be engineered and manufactured to the finished size/geometry required by the manufacturer to easily drop into place. This minimizes production downtime along with eliminating the need for measuring, cutting and/or trimming the standard sheet product in order to fit the application.

    “If the liner requires a tighter fit, a complex shape, or multiple pieces to fit certain transition points, then working with the manufacturer for a custom fit may be a better option,” says Maves.

    He notes that such custom fittings increase liner reliability as well as reduce waste, installation time, and production downtime, since fewer sheets, fewer cuts, and less adjustment is needed for onsite installation.

    The process for customizing liners is quite simple for agricultural end users.

    According to Maves, the end user typically provides a sketch, drawing, or photo of the bulk handling equipment to be lined, along with dimensions and notes. The manufacturer then finishes the drawings and provides a quote; if the end user approves, the liner is completed, shipped, and is ready for installation when received.

    Whether used as standard or custom liners, urethane’s extreme wear resistance can offer agricultural design engineers, equipment manufacturers, or end users years or even decades of trouble free handling of bulk products.

    For more information contact Argonics, Inc., 520 9th St., Gwinn, MI 49841; call 800-991-2746; email information@argonics.com.

  • California Fresh Fruit Magazine – December Issue – Read It Here!

    The PDF File may take a minute to load.  Thank you for your patience!

    [flipbook pdf=”http://www.californiaagnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FF-LOW-RES-PROOF-1.pdf”]

  • California Dairy Digital Magazine: December 2018 Issue

    The Light of Service
    A Note from the Publisher
    Organic Excellence with Alexandre Family Farm
    Dairy together, Give Together, Stay Together
    First-Ever California Dairy Sustainability Summit
    Event Unites Industry for Ongoing Collaboration
    New Dairy Advisor in Fresno & Madera Counties
    Daniela Bruno, UCCE Dairy Advisor

  • CDFA’s Work to Regulate Antibiotics in Livestock

    A report issued last week by a consortium of environmental groups on antibiotics in the meat supply chain highlights the importance of work being undertaken by California Department of Food and Agriculture as the first state in the nation to regulate the use of antibiotics in livestock. The report touched on CDFA’s efforts but it is important to clearly state what is being done to implement the legislation in collaboration with sister agencies and a broad, diverse set of stakeholders.

    As of January 1st, 2018, California became the first state in the nation to require veterinary oversight for the use of all medically important antibiotics used in livestock (not just in feed or water). The state law also prohibits growth promotion use and goes above and beyond the federal requirements to prohibit the use of medically important antibiotics in a regular pattern for disease prevention unless necessary for surgical or medical procedures. This is currently the only legislation that requires data collection from willing participants to monitor antibiotic use practices, assess trends in antibiotic resistance, and to inform the development of antimicrobial stewardship guidelines and best management practices to effect change in antibiotic usage.

    The California Department of Food and Agriculture has hired experienced and qualified staff to work with multiple state and federal partners, as well as university researchers, to collect information across California’s diverse livestock production types, coordinating with existing systems and efforts where possible. In less than two years, the Antimicrobial Use & Stewardship program’s efforts, through in-house surveys and contracted studies, have developed data from  nearly 1,400 operations, representing more than half a million animals across 55 counties in California, and- reflecting antibiotic use and management practices across beef and dairy cattle, sheep, and backyard poultry operations.

    Additionally, the Antimicrobial Use & Stewardship program has initiated on-farm sampling, covering a population of more than 50 operations and 128,000 animals in California that will voluntarily be sampled over time. Data collection efforts are ongoing and will continue to expand as the program moves forward.

    CDFA is committed to fulfilling the requirements of state law and continuing to work with all stakeholders to achieve a safe, secure, and bountiful food supply, while reducing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

  • California Dairy Digital Magazine: November 2018 Issue

    California Junior Wins Big at World Dairy Expo
    Samantha Gambonini of Gamlake Dairy
    Moringa to be Tested for Livestock Feed Potential
    An Alternative Forage Crop with Lower Water & Pesticide Needs
    California Dairy Quality Assurance Program Celebrates 20 Years
    California Dairy Leads the Nation in Environmental Stewardship
    California FMMO Advanced Prices & Factors
    Not a Terribly Exciting Start

  • Turning Waste into Energy

    Secretary Ross Addresses National Renderers Association

    If it were up to her, CDFA Secretary Karen Ross would rather we all stopped using the word “waste.” That’s what she told the National Renderers Association last week at their conference in Orange County.

    When more than 62 billion pounds of animal by-products are converted annually into usable commodities such as animal feed, biofuels, fertilizers, soaps, and paints, that’s no longer “waste,” that’s a sustainable livestock and meat industry. Renderers play a critical role to agriculture by recycling fallen animals to protect the health of our livestock populations, public health, and the environment. Renderers also provide a vital service to the restaurant sector by converting used cooking oil into biodiesel.

    When 75 percent of California’s biodiesel production comes from used cooking oil, that’s no longer primarily a “waste” product – it’s an energy product. And when those diesel-substitute biofuels also provide significant greenhouse gas reductions, that’s not “waste,” that’s climate change mitigation. There are more opportunities out there along these same lines – ways to get organic waste out of landfills and into productive, beneficial roles in our marketplace. And California’s Rendering Industry has a long history of leading that transformation.

  • California Fresh Fruit Magazine – November Issue – Read It Here!

    The PDF File may take a minute to load.  Thank you for your patience!

    [flipbook pdf=”http://www.californiaagnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/CFF-LOW-RES-PROOF-1.pdf”]

  • Four Companies Shaking Up Food Safety

    The CDC estimates that 48 million people get sick due to foodborne illness each year – but what if they didn’t have to? Can you imagine a world without foodborne illness? That’s the dream, right? Well, these four emerging technology companies are working hard to make that dream a reality.

    IBM

    Block chain is a buzz word in Food Safety right now – and there is no bigger company in blockchain technology than IBM. But what exactly is this technology? Blockchain is a record keeping technology. Every time an event takes place, blockchain writes it down and puts it inside a very secure block. When you put those blocks together, you have a secure, verifiable, chain of events. IBM has taken this technology and developed a new software solution specifically for food safety called IBM Food Trust. “IBM Food Trust™ is a cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution built on the IBM Blockchain Platform. It provides the highest level of commercially-available, tamper-resistant protection for food transaction data.”  With this technology, IBM is setting the new standard for food traceability.Using the Food Trust software, companies are able to speed up recalls by identifying the issue early and minimizing the time consumers are exposed to an outbreak. Food Trust has the ability to gather real-time data on all you company’s food products, providing a data-based approach to managing recalls. Frank Yiannas, Vice President of Food Safety at Walmart, describes it as “the equivalent of Fedex tracking for food.”

    KANKAN

    In 2017, KanKan developed an Artificial Intelligence-Powered solution for improving personal hygiene among food workers. This data intelligence program has facial AND object recognition technology that help improve food safety practices. In English? If a restaurant owner installed this software in their kitchen, the software would be able to detect food safety violations, who committed them, and record images of the violation for review. Essentially, it’s a red-light camera for the restaurant industry.

    HYPER AI

    In May of this year, Hyper AI won a machine learning hackathon sponsored by Madrona Venture Labs. How did they do it? With an ingenious pitch to help the food industry using hyper-spectral imaging technology that can detect any anomalies in food – such as foreign object OR deadly bacteria. HyperAI is looking to secure funding from Madrona Venture Labs to develop the ai-based food scanning technology, which could be a game changer in improving the safety of our food.

    GENOMETRAKR

    GenomeTrakr is a pathogen identification network created by the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the Office of Regulatory Affairs. The goal? Whole Genome sequencing on over 200,000 common foodborne pathogens. Every day we see cops use radar guns to easily catch people speeding on the highway by separating them from the cars going the speed limit. Whole genome sequencing works like a radar gun – surveilling the food supply for pathogens and allowing public health agencies to detect an outbreak early and act appropriately.

    Technology is changing fast, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Each month, we will bring you a new article on how technology is impacting the food industry. Want to find out more about how technology can improve efficiencies and help your company succeed? Click herefor more great articles from the tech team at Safe Food Alliance.

     

    This article was written by Hillari Bynum, of the Safe Food Alliance

    https://safefoodalliance.com/newsletter/2018-09/four-companies-shaking-up-the-food-industry/