California Ag Network

Category: Non-Video

  • 101st Annual Meeting of Members Celebrates Farm Bureau Leaders

    Tulare, Calif., (April 27, 2018) – Tulare County Farm Bureau is pleased to announce their annual celebration of members and leaders to take place during the 101st Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner to be hosted on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 6:00 pm at the Heritage Complex in Tulare.  Tickets for the event are $50 each and can be purchased by contacting the Tulare County Farm Bureau at 732-8301.

    Tulare County Farm Bureau will present the following major awards: the Agriculturalist of the Year Award, Service to Farm Bureau, Friend of Farm Bureau, Agricultural Business of the Year, and Educator of the Year; along with graduating the 33rd class of youth leaders and awarding over $21,000 in local scholarships to 24 deserving students.  Being honored this year with major awards are:

    Agriculturalist of the Year – Brian Watte

    Brian Watte will be this year’s Agriculturalist of the Year.  Farm Bureau’s highest honor recognizes leaders in our community who give tremendous support to the farming community through leadership, generosity, and service to organizations.  Brian farms west of Tulare on ground that his family has owned since 1959.  The Watte family has been strong community leaders in agriculture, and in support of the International Agri-Center, and the founding and development of events at the Center. Brian has shown tremendous devotion, leadership, and support to the International Agri-Center, and is a leader in the farm community.  He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the American Pistachio Growers Association, and is head of their Marketing Committee. Brian is also current Chairman of the Board for International Agri-Center, and a past Grounds Chairman, and was World Ag Expo Show Chairman in 2000. Brian and his wife Patti have three grown children who all live nearby and continue to be directly involved in agriculture.

    Service to Farm Bureau Awards – Kelly Mitchell and Larry Stoneburner

    Kelly Mitchell and Larry Stoneburner, two dedicated volunteers will both be honored this year with service awards.  Kelly Mitchell is the owner of Mitchell Insurance Services agency in Visalia, and provides farm and crop insurance to local farmers in the community.  Kelly has been an avid supporter of the Fundraiser Committee of the Farm Bureau, involved since 2005 as a donor, committee member, and stalwart volunteer.   Larry Stoneburner, a retired doctor, and owner of KTIP Radio has been an active Farm Bureau volunteer since 2006 when he joined the Farm Bureau.  Larry has served on almost every committee of the Tulare County Farm Bureau.  Both individuals exemplify service, dedication, and volunteer spirt and are being honored for service to the organization.

    Friend of Farm Bureau Award – Jim Vidak

    Soon to retire after a long and distinguished career in education, Tulare County Superintendent of Schools, Jim Vidak will receive the Friend of Farm Bureau award.  Jim’s leadership and support towards the Farm Bureau’s agricultural education programs is well known, and his friendship and passion towards agricultural literacy is deeply appreciated.  Mr. Vidak has offered over two decades of support, collaboration, and leadership to the Farm Bureau through shared efforts on school garden funding and support, the calendar art contest, hosting an annual Superintendents’ Breakfast with the Farm Bureau and numerous other educational activities. We are honored by Jim’s commitment and dedication to agricultural education in the County, and appreciate his support and friendship to the Farm Bureau.

    Agricultural Business of the Year Award – Valley Tech Agricultural Laboratory

    Valley Tech Agricultural Laboratory, founded in April 1997, will be named this year’s Agricultural Business of the Year, for their dedicated service to the agricultural community, and their philanthropic support of many local organizations and the Farm Bureau. Each year Tulare County Farm Bureau honors a local business that has shown extraordinary support to Farm Bureau and the greater agricultural community.  Owners Sam Modesitt, Joe O’Brien, and Jeff Sa have distinguished themselves as community friends and supporters to the agricultural industry through their professional services and as an allied business that serves agriculture in an exemplary manner. Valley Tech Agricultural Laboratory’s goal is to help growers who use their testing and consulting services have a successful crop year after year. Agriculture cannot succeed without allied support industries and businesses like Valley Tech Agricultural Laboratory, who offer their outstanding service and knowledge to help advance agricultural operations and provide them with solutions for their agronomic needs.

    Educator of the Year – Frank Tebeau

    A dedicated career educator, currently in the Industrial Technology division at College of the Sequoias, Frank Tebeau is an outstanding educator in every respect.  Frank started as an agriculture instructor in 1976 at Washington Union High School and a few years later accepted a position at Mt Whitney High School, where he had the opportunity to teach alongside his former ag teachers. In 1997, Frank moved to College of the Sequoias where he has served as an agricultural faculty member teaching animal science, welding, and mechanics courses.  He currently serves on 11 advisory committees, and has developed more than 100 courses for COS in agriculture and industrial technologies.  He believes that Career Technical Education is critical to helping young people reach their potential and be both college and career ready and has served as a mentor and coach to thousands of young people throughout Tulare County over his distinguished career in agricultural teaching.

    Youth Awards and Recognition – Numerous students will be also recognized at the banquet including 26 students graduating from the 33rd class of the nationally recognized Youth Leadership program. The outstanding Youth Leadership participant award will be awarded to a student of the class who was selected as an exemplary member of this year’s program. The outstanding participant will receive a $1,000 scholarship upon enrollment in college.

    Scholarship Recipients for 2018 – Scholarship recipients from throughout Tulare County, listed below will be recognized, 24 students are receiving $21,000 in scholarship aid.   Awards are made possible by the Tulare County Farm Bureau’s charitable trust fund, which is a 501c3 charitable trust for Educational and Scholarship programs of the Farm Bureau.  Donations for scholarships are made by contributors throughout the year, and are always appreciated.  Memorial awards have been established by certain families, and the Scott Shannon memorial award is a renewable award for up to $2,000 total.   All other awards listed below are one-time awards. New in 2018 the Ken and Cindy Williams Scholarship for $2,500 has been added to the fund, to be offered to a student pursuing agriculture engineering or other technical agriculture trade programs of study.

     

    First Name Last Name Award Name  Amount School
    Kiara Benavides TCFB Ag Career  $      1,000 Woodlake High School
    Erick Burgos Student of Farm Employee  $      1,000 University Preparatory High School
    Lauren Davis Scott Shannon Memorial  $         500 El Diamante High School
    Lauren Davis Mary Rankin Memorial  $      1,000 El Diamante High School
    Sarah Dreyer Merit Award  $         500 Cal Poly, SLO
    Jared Faria TCFB Young Farmers and Ranchers award  $         500 Mission Oak High School
    Hayley Fernandes Merit Award  $         500 Mission Oak High School
    Garon Gostanian Scott Shannon Memorial  $         500 Redwood High School
    Garon Gostanian Ken and Cindy Williams Scholarship  $      2,500 Redwood High School
    Bailey Gruber Scott Shannon Memorial  $         500 Golden West High School
    Bailey Gruber TCFB Young Farmers and Ranchers award  $      1,000 Golden West High School
    Grace Guthrie Merit Award  $         500 Cal Poly, SLO
    Taelor Hire Merit Award  $         500 Exeter Union High School
    Lauren Leonardo Student of Farm Employee  $         500 Mission Oak High School
    Jaqueline Longino Student of Farm Employee  $         500 University Preparatory High School
    Pia Martinez TCFB Ag Career  $      1,000 Woodlake High School
    Tanner Nuckols COS RRS Endowment  $         500 Strathmore High School
    Aaron Oppedyk Student of Farm Employee  $         500 Mission Oak High School
    Abbigail Prins TCFB Ag Career  $      1,000 Mission Oak High School
    Charliez Racicot Scott Shannon Memorial  $         500 Mt. Whitney High School
    Charliez Racicot Two Year College  $         500 Mt. Whitney High School
    Edgar Sanchez Student of Farm Employee  $         500 El Diamante High School
    Cole Shannon Scott Shannon Memorial  $         500 Central Valley Christian
    Kelsey Story Scott Shannon Memorial  $         500 Golden West High School
    Taylor Stout Fred and Marilyn Collison Memorial  $      1,000 El Diamante High School
    Lindsey Swall TCFB Young Farmers and Ranchers award  $      1,000 Mission Oak High School
    Ashley Tartaglia Merit Award  $         500 Central Valley Christian
    Payton Thomas Scott Shannon Memorial  $         500 Redwood High School
    Payton Thomas Frank Ribeiro Memorial  $      1,000 Redwood High School

     

    For more information about this year’s honorees or to attend the dinner, contact the Farm Bureau office at 559-732-8301. Tickets at $50 each are available please call soon as seating is first come, first served.  Reservations for a full table of 8 may be requested in advance.

  • Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance Announces Farm Bill Priorities

    Washington, D. C., (April 27, 2018) – The Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance (SCFBA), a national coalition of more than 120 specialty crop organizations, has announced its 2018 farm bill priorities focusing on programs for a healthier America heading into Wednesday’s U.S. House Agriculture Committee meeting on the Farm Bill. The SCFBA appreciates House Agriculture Committee Chairman Conaway recognizing the importance of specialty crops in the initial draft of the legislation.

    The SCFBA legislative priorities include enhancing nutrition programs, continued support for the Specialty Crop Block Grant program, combatting invasive pests and diseases, and support for trade and research funding. In each case, these measures would assist the specialty crop industry’s ability to compete and grow in domestic and global markets.

    Specialty crop production, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, nursery and greenhouse commodities, contributes significantly to the U.S economy, accounting for $66 billion in farm gate value and 33 percent of farm cash receipts for crops.

    The SCFBA was established to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crop agriculture and improve the health of Americans by broadening the scope of U.S. agricultural public policy. It is co-chaired by the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, the National Potato Council and Western Growers Association.

    “Specialty crop producers across the nation are united in providing consumers with healthy eating options by expanding the consumption of fruits and vegetables, bolstering research and pest management and supporting grower initiatives to improve competitiveness,” said John Keeling, executive president and CEO of the National Potato Council. “For this work to continue, this next farm bill must address these priorities.”

    Tom Nassif, president and CEO of Western Growers Association, said, “SCFBA is advocating for a common set of priorities with this next farm bill, reflecting mutual objectives of U.S. growers and shippers across regions and commodities. We look forward to working with our allies in all specialty crop organizations who share many of our priorities, as well as with U.S. agriculture stakeholders.”

    Mike Stuart, president of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, said, “We’re encouraged that lawmakers recognize the success of past farm bill investment in the specialty crop industry. We’re seeking their continued support for our growers who work every day to provide better access to higher quality and more affordable fruits and vegetables.”

    Robert Guenther, Senior Vice President of United Fresh Produce Association stated, “We are encouraged that support for fresh produce continues to be a priority for the committee. There are areas in this bill we would like to see improved but now more than ever, it will be vital for Congress to come together on both sides of the aisle in a bi-partisan manner which historically occurs to provide the support the industry needs.”

    In a letter to the House Agriculture Committee today, the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance urged the following actions:

    Enhance funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) – The SCRI was established in 2008 to address the critical research needs of the specialty crop industry. Since then, 288 research projects for specialty crops have been funded, enhancing the industry’s competitive prominence in the domestic and international marketplace. SCRI is one of the most oversubscribed research programs; current funding allows for only 10 percent of the requested projects to be funded. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to dedicate $105 million annually for the SCRI program.

    Continue the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program at a full $9 million annually.Authorized in the 2002 Farm Bill, TASC addresses technological barriers that prohibit or threaten the exports of U.S. specialty crops. TASC has been responsible for more than 275 grants to address these barriers even though it has only been funded at $9 million. A new ruling by the Office of Management and Budget means all new programs will lose their baseline funding by Sept. 30. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to ensure full funding in a reauthorized farm bill or if the current farm bill is extended.

    Increase funding to combat invasive pests and diseases. The specialty crop industry strongly supports efforts to protect the domestic market from the increasing threat of harmful plant pests and diseases entering the United States. The farm bill has provided funding and direction for innovative initiatives that help identify and mitigate offshore threats and improve pest detection and rapid response. More than 1,700 projects have been funded since this program’s inception in the 2008 Farm Bill. SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to continue supporting these programs at $75 million annually, with the goal of enhancing its funding in five years by a modest $7.5 million to fund the National Clean Plant Network.

    Ensure healthy eating in low-income families. The farm bill has funded the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, which will reach more than 4 million low-income elementary students nationwide this year.SCFBA urges the House Agriculture Committee to maintain the intent of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program while clarifying all forms of fruits and vegetables are permissible only when there are hardships preventing access to fresh.

    In addition, the SCFBA supports continued funding for the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables among low-income consumers who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), focused on retailers that operate year-round and have more accessible hours to maximize the opportunity for healthy food purchases. The Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives (FINI) grant program focuses on SNAP families who spend 80 percent of their benefits with participating retailers. The SCFBA believes this program should only include fruits and vegetables. SCFBA supports the House Agriculture Committees efforts to increase FINI funding levels.

    Continue strong funding of Specialty Crop Block Grants.  One of the key aspects of the last two farm bills was the extension of the Specialty Crop Block Grant program through fiscal year 2018. The program is a much-needed effort to help specialty crop producer’s balance the challenges and uncertainties of agriculture production with improvements to their products and the access consumers have to those products.

    Increase access to foreign markets. Specialty crop growers face significant obstacles in the development of export markets and unique challenges because of the perishable nature of their products. The Market Access Program (MAP) assists producers in their efforts to create, expand and maintain access to foreign markets. The Alliance strongly supports continuing key programs that address sanitary, phytosanitary and marketing barriers to the export of U.S. specialty crops. SCFBA encourages the House Agriculture Committee to increase funding for the MAP program in the next Farm Bill.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (April 27, 2018) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Corn is still being planted as weather and soil conditions allow. Some fields are emerging. Winter wheat and oats are being cut, dried, and baled. Alfalfa is maturing and harvest has started. Ground preparation is continuing for spring forage and row crops. Cover crops are being incorporated into the soil.

    Vineyards are leafing-out and some are in the early stages of flowering. Leaf removal is being conducted in some vineyards. Stone fruit has completed its bloom period. Immature fruit on early varieties is being thinned. New orchards are being planted. Cherries are sizing and some are starting to show color. Pomegranates, persimmons, and kiwis are blooming. Walnuts and pistachios are starting to bloom. Pistachio nuts are being exported to Australia, Chile, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, and Latvia. This season’s almonds are developing nicely. Almonds are being shipped to Belgium, Colombia Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Vietnam.

    The harvest of late variety navel and Valencia oranges continues. Navel orange fruits are showing some grading issues. New fruit is being sprayed to prevent thrips damage. Navel and Valencia oranges are being exported to China, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. Seedless tangerine groves remain netted for the bloom. Lemons continue to be harvested and packed for export to China and Japan. Grapefruit are being packed and exported to China, Japan, and Korea. Citrus trees are being planted. Olive trees are blooming.

    Squash and cucumber seedlings continue to grow in the fields. Greenhouse vegetables continue to be harvested. Strawberry and plantings are progressing well, with bloom and mature fruit being picked. Blueberries are being exported to Taiwan. Additional summer vegetable fields are now being prepared for planting.

    Rangeland forage is in good condition, and recent rains will benefit the new growth of grasses and forbs. The warm weather will accelerate drying, especially on south and west facing slopes. The fed cattle market is at $120 per hundred weight this week.

    Retail nurseries are stocking up on both perennial and annual plants for the spring season. Some mature olive trees are being dug for landscape purposes. Bare-root roses are still being processed and shipped to various states and Canada. Local wholesale nurseries are busy shipping nursery stock to local and out-of-state nursery outlets, as the demand for spring plants grows.

    Petal Fall was declared in District 1 beginning at 1:00 a.m., Tuesday, April 24, 2018.

  • Can We Better Prepare Hens for Cage-Free Living?

    Davis, Calif., (April 26, 2018) – Consumers are clamoring for cage-free eggs, and producers are scrambling to meet the demand.

    In 2017, nearly 16 percent of all hens in the U.S. were in cage-free production. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 75 percent of all laying hens will need to be cage free by 2026 to meet market demand.

    Cage-free housing is more spacious for hens, but the extra room comes with added risk of collisions and broken bones. Many cage-free hens are developing breast or “keel” bone fractures when they misjudge the distance between perches and platforms and collide with other birds and features in their environment.

    But help is on the way. A team of animal welfare experts from the University of California, Davis, is leading efforts to explore whether complex rearing systems for chicks can reduce bone fractures. Funded by a $432,000 grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the project will measure whether an active upbringing can help chicks develop stronger bones, as well as cognitive and navigational abilities.

    “With improved navigational skills, hens may be less likely to collide with other birds on route to food and water,” said Maja M. Makagon, an assistant professor with the UC Davis Department of Animal Science who is leading a team of collaborators from UC Davis, Iowa State University, the University of Bristol in England and the University of Bern in Switzerland.

    When landings fail – Laying hens have experienced keel-bone fractures for decades, but the incidence is rising as more flocks are raised in open, multi-tier systems. “Cage-free” can mean different things on different farms, but typically cage-free birds flap around in large, vertical, enclosed spaces to reach food, perches and nesting areas. Today’s hens are not especially adept at flying, and sometimes their landings fail.

    Broken keel bones are likely painful. Research shows that when given a choice of feed, hens with broken bones will select feed laced with anti-inflammatory medication. There is also evidence that fractures can affect egg quality.

    Can active upbringing help? – Farmers have various ways of raising chicks in the first 16 weeks of life. Some farmers rear chicks in flat, enclosed spaces, like on a barn floor, and others raise chicks in multi-tiered systems.

    Makagon and her team will test whether birds reared in more complex, multi-tiered settings will fare better in cage-free housing.

    “We hypothesize that if you expose birds to environments that are vertical in nature, two things will happen: keel bones will develop stronger and birds will be better at navigating space,” she said.

    The team will measure the prevalence of keel-bone damage on a broad scale at commercial farms in the United States and identify the relationship between rearing environment and keel-bone strength.

    Then, researchers will conduct similar tests on a small scale at UC Davis. They will rear chicks in pens with different levels of vertical complexity and evaluate how that affects keel-bone development and a bird’s cognitive and navigational skills.

    A team effort – From UC Davis, Makagon is working with Richard Blatchford, an assistant Cooperative Extension specialist, and Kristina Horback, an assistant professor, both with the Center for Animal Welfare in the UC Davis Department of Animal Science.

    Project members also include Suzanne Millmann, professor of biomedical sciences at Iowa State University; John Tarlton, professor of regenerative medicine at the University of Bristol, England; and Michael Toscano, group leader at the Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits (ZTHZ), University of Bern, Switzerland.

    The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is funding two additional grants to address the health and productivity of laying hens: Purdue University will test whether nutritional interventions can strengthen bones, and the University of Edinburgh will expand efforts to breed hens with stronger bones.

  • California Hosts 17th National Dairy Challenge

    College dairy students – 235 in total – from 28 different states and Canadian provinces recently traveled to sunny California for the 17th annual Dairy Challenge.® This was the first time many of the students had visited a Western dairy, which provided extra intrigue and challenge in their task as a consultant team for a local dairy.

    Visalia, Calif., was home base for the 2018 North American Intercollegiate Dairy Challenge® (NAIDC) held April 12th to 14th, with six area dairies participating in the educational event. Dairy students from 38 colleges worked to improve their dairy management and communication skills, networked with other students, and explored industry careers.

    “It is really incredible to see the California dairy community come together to make this premier event possible for these college students – from host dairies, to agribusiness sponsors and dairy product donors, to the more than 120 volunteers that helped plan and coordinate the Dairy Challenge,” explained Chad Wright, DVM, of Bidart Dairy and NAIDC Board Chairperson.

    Dairy Challenge is a unique, real-world experience where dairy students work as a team and apply their college coursework to evaluate and provide solutions for an operating dairy farm. In Visalia, two programs ran concurrently – the 17th annual Dairy Challenge contest and the sixth annual Dairy Challenge Academy. The events were coordinated by the NAIDC Board of Directors and the Western planning committee.

    This year’s contest included 38 universities, whose four-person teams competed for awards based on their quality of teams’ farm analysis and appropriate solutions. Their farm presentations were evaluated by a panel of five judges, including dairy producers, veterinarians, finance specialists and seasoned agribusiness personnel.

    The Academy provided interactive training for more than 90 students from four-year universities or two-year dairy programs. Academy participants were divided into smaller groups including students from various schools, and dairy industry volunteers worked as Advisors to coach these less-experienced Academy participants as they assessed the dairy and developed recommendations.

    Dairy Challenge Applies Learning to a Real-world Dairy

    Over its 17-year history, Dairy Challenge has helped more than 6,400 students prepare for careers in the dairy industry, dairy production and veterinary medicine.

    The three-day event began with learning stations at Maddox Dairy, Riverdale, CA, where the Maddox team and their consultants helped students better understand California dairy conditions and shared details about reproduction, nutrition, cow comfort, milking protocols and other key areas. Back at the Visalia Convention Center, students enjoyed ice cream sundaes as they poured over the in-depth dairy records for their assigned dairy.

    Day two began with the on-farm analysis, with all students having just two hours to visit their assigned dairy and witness the dairy’s operations. After a question & answer session with the farm owners and advisors, the student teams developed recommendations for nutrition, reproduction, milking procedures, animal health, cow comfort, and labor and financial management.

    On Day Three, students presented their recommendations to the judging panel, visited with sponsors at the Career and Innovation Fair, and learned through presentations from top-level NAIDC sponsors. These talks were presented by:

    • Ryan Camara, Vice President-Credit and Linda Sousa, Assistant Vice President-Credit, Farm Credit West – “How to Prepare for Your Lender”
    • Brad Barham, Sales Support Manager, All West/Select Sires – “Utilizing Data to Maximize Genetic Improvement”
    • Heather Lee, Dairy Regional Account Manager and Kurtis Monteiro, Dairy Account Manager, Genex Cooperative, Inc. – “Bringing Value to the Dairy Industry as a Recent Graduate”
    • Josh Hushon, US Dairy Marketing Communications Lead, Cargill – “Farm Decision Making: Unlocking the Power of Data and Analytics”
    • Christie Underwood, Ph.D., Nutritionist & Technical Consultant, Land O’ Lakes – “Getting Your Career Started: Launching a Successful Path”
    • Jack Hippen, North American and EU Sales Director, ST Genetics – “The History of Sexed Semen”
    1st Place Team – California Polytechnic State University: L to R: Coach Vagnoni, Anthony Echeverria, Amber LaSalle, Matthew Ruby, Tony Lopes

    Eight College Teams Earn Top Awards

    At Saturday evening’s banquet, the following contest teams and students were announced as First Place winners, with each student receiving a $200 scholarship.

    • Michigan State University: Alycia Burch, Nicole Chase, Ethan Haywood, and Ellen Launstein coached by Roger Thompson
    • University of Wisconsin-Madison: Charles Hamilton, Anthony Schmitz, Logan Voigts and Connor Willems Coached by Theodore Halbach and Dave Combs
    • Iowa State University: Kassidy Buse, Brady Goetz, Cassie Krebill and Sabrina Portner. Coached by Hugo Ramirez
    • California Polytechnic State University: Anthony Echeverria, Amber LaSalle, Tony Lopes and Matthew Ruby. Coached by David Vagnoni

    Teams and students earning Second Place and $100 student scholarships include:

    • University of Vermont/Vermont Technical College:  Michelle Poulin, Julee Tellkamp, Sharron Palmer, Quentin Nelson. Coached by Wanda Emerich
    • Cornell University: Cooper Galton, Britney Hill, Jake Palladino, Keith Koerner. Coached by Mike Van Amburgh
    • University of Guelph: Andrew VanderSpek, Jeroen Slits, Matthew Wells, Michael Reijnen, Coached by Trevor DeVries, Robyn Walsh, Matt Groen
    • The Ohio State University: Jaclyn Krymowski, Hannah Meller, Alexandra Houck, Marina Sweet. Coached by Maurice Eastridge

    All Dairy Challenge contest participants received a lifetime membership to Dairy Shrine, compliments of Allflex USA and Lely North America.

    Total Industry Effort

    Five dairy farms opened up their farms for analysis and in exchange, received a wealth of ideas from students and judges. Host farms for the 2018 Dairy Challenge were:

    • Van Beek Brothers, Tipton, CA
    • Double J Dairy, Visalia, CA
    • Rancho Sierra Vista, Visalia, CA
    • Delta View Farms, Visalia, CA
    • Double Oak Dairy, Tulare, CA

    “On behalf of all the students and organizers, we sincerely thank the hundreds of individuals and organizations that made this event possible,” said Cathy Myers, Co-Chair of the event. “We look forward to interacting with these students as they continue onto careers as dairy owners, managers, consultants and the many other support roles that make dairy possible.”

    About Dairy Challenge

    NAIDC is an innovative event for students in dairy programs at North American post-secondary institutions. Its mission is to develop tomorrow’s dairy leaders and enhance progress of the dairy industry, by providing education, communication and networking among students, producers, and agribusiness and university personnel. Over its 17-year national history, Dairy Challenge has helped prepare more than 6,400 students for careers as farm owners and managers, consultants, researchers, veterinarians or other dairy professionals. The next national event will be hosted in Tifton, Georgia, March 28-30, 2019. Four regional events are held in late fall and winter; details are at www.dairychallenge.org.

  • New Labor Laws Factored Into UC Cost Studies for Table Grape Production

    Davis, Calif., (April 25, 2018) – To help table grape growers make decisions on which varieties to grow, the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Agricultural Issues Center has released four new studies on the costs and returns of table grapes in the Southern San Joaquin Valley. The studies on different table grape varieties are each based on a 500-acre farm with vineyard establishment on 40 acres.

    The studies focus on four table grape varieties. There are two early maturing varieties, Flame Seedless and Sheegene-21, that begin harvest in July, one mid-season maturing, Scarlet Royal, and one late maturing, Autumn King, which begins harvest in October. The studies estimate the cost of establishing a table grape vineyard and producing fresh market table grapes.

    “Labor costs are expected to rise with reduced labor availability, increases in minimum wage rates and new overtime rules that went into effect in 2018,” said Ashraf El-kereamy, UCCE viticulture advisor in Kern County and co-author of the cost studies.

    “We included detailed costs for specialized hand labor of certain cultural and harvest operations.”

    The sample costs for labor, materials, equipment and custom services are based on January 2018 figures. A blank column, titled “Your Cost,” is provided in Tables 2 and 3 for growers to enter their own estimated costs.

    “The new California minimum wage law will gradually decrease the number of hours employees can work on a daily and weekly basis before overtime wages are required. There are additional stipulations for overtime wages and scheduling of work that are part of the new law,” said Daniel Sumner, director of the Agricultural Issues Center.

    Input and reviews were provided by UC ANR Cooperative Extension farm advisors, specialists, grower cooperators, California Table Grape Commission and other agricultural associates. The authors describe the assumptions used to identify current costs for table grape establishment and production, material inputs, cash and non-cash overhead. A ranging analysis table shows profits over a range of prices and yields. Other tables show the monthly cash costs, the costs and returns per acre, hourly equipment costs, and the whole farm annual equipment, investment and business overhead costs.

    The new studies are:

    • “2018 – Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Table Grapes in the Southern San Joaquin Valley – Flame Seedless, Early Maturing”
    Flame Seedless
    • “2018 – Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Table Grapes in the Southern San Joaquin Valley – Sheegene-21 (Ivory™), Early Maturing”
    Sheegene-21
    • “2018 – Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Table Grapes in the Southern San Joaquin Valley – Scarlet Royal, Mid-season Maturing”
    Scarlet Royal
    • “2018 – Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Table Grapes in the Southern San Joaquin Valley – Autumn King, Late Maturing”
    Autumn King

    All four table grape studies can be downloaded from the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu. Sample cost of production studies for many other commodities are also available at the website.

    For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, contact Donald Stewart at the Agricultural Issues Center at (530) 752-4651 or destewart@ucdavis.edu.

    For information about local table grape production, contact UC Cooperative Extension viticulture specialist Matthew Fidelibus at mwfidelibus@ucanr.edu, UCCE viticulture advisor Ashraf El-kereamy in Kern County at aelkereamy@ucanr.edu, UCCE entomology advisor David Haviland in Kern County at dhaviland@ucdavis.edu, UCCE weed advisor Kurt Hembree in Fresno County at kjhembree@ucanr.edu, or UCCE viticulture advisor George Zhuang in Fresno County at gzhuang@ucanr.edu.

  • California and Chile to Co-Host Webinar On Climate Adaptation Strategies

    Sacramento, Calif., (April 25, 2018) – Prolonged droughts. Erratic rainfall. Fluctuating temperatures. These extreme weather events are just some of the many ways climate change is exacerbating existing challenges faced by farmers and ranchers across the globe.  According to the United Nations, more than 80 percent of the damage and losses caused by drought is to agriculture, especially livestock and crop production

    But instead of sitting idly by, farmers – in California and around the world – are adapting to these changes. They are implementing new technologies, forming partnerships and exploring innovative solutions that will better prepare them for climate induced extreme weather events.

    To better explore these strategies and solutions, the California Department of Food and Agriculture will host a webinar titled, “Chile and California: Exploring on-farm climate change adaptation strategies.”

    This free webinar brings together farmers, research scientists and government representatives from Chile and California to discuss strategies and practices to help growers around the world adapt to the impacts of climate change. The event will be held on April 25, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

    Registration information can be found at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2207220504546643969

    California continues to work in collaboration with international partners to foster knowledge-sharing partnerships to address climate change impacts on agriculture. This webinar is the tenth in a series of international discussions focusing on climate smart agriculture. For more information, contact Jaydeep Singh at Jaydeep.bhatia@cdfa.ca.gov.

  • Unplanned Effect of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act

    Water Attorney Shortages – Advocacy & Ethical Conflicts

    The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) has led to an unintended and unpublicized effect: a shortage of water law attorneys that can provide non-conflicted representation of farmers, water districts and groundwater sustainability agencies (“GSAs”). Although in the past, water law attorneys had to bridle the ethical and advocacy wall between representing farmers and the related water districts, which often times have common and similar goals, the new environment has made it extremely difficult or impossible to be able to ethically, and with proper advocacy, represent farmers, GSAs and water districts when the goals of the GSA, which may likely just be another hat of the water district, are so adverse to the interest of the farmers.

    With the stakes so high on the potential limitation on use of well water by GSAs, can an attorney represent the GSA (i.e., likely the water district) in formulating groundwater sustainability plan (“GSP”) regulations and at the same time represent a farmer, who has critical concerns about any reduction in water use. The common sense answer is no. How can you advocate for GSA restrictions on water uses for no net loss of groundwater and at the same time represent the farmer who surely does not want any restriction or limitation on their ability to use groundwater.

    The lawyer is in the position of being disloyal and not appropriately advocating either for the water district/GSA or farmer, as it would be a rare occasion that a farmer’s instructions to their attorney is “I am fine with the rules that are generated by the GSA in order to make sure there is no net loss in underground water.” Thus, the farmer, water district and GSA are put in a position of all three needing separate legal counsel, which leads to the conclusion that there may be more of a shortage of water law attorneys in the State of California than there is underground water.

    In the upcoming year and a half, the conflict is heightened by the requirement that by January 31, 2020, critical overdraft areas, which are largely in the central part of California, are required to have developed and implemented their GSP regulations. If the regulations are not strong enough to show that they will lead to no net loss in groundwater, the State of California steps in and takes over the oversight of the development of the regulations and possibly enforcement.

    Considering the political environment of the north and south, and what they express sometimes with respect to the central valley’s farm operations and use of water, it is a scary proposition to think that the State will come in and be the drafter of such regulations and oversight without the same concerns of a local water district and GSA to the particular farming operations and regional issues. It would be great if the state understood that the central part of California produces about 90% of what Americans want to see on their table, and therefore, recognize that a nation must be able to feed its people and this is truly an area that should be protected for no other reason than national security. Unfortunately, the State seems to disregard those facts or assumes that the nation primarily just wants corn and potatoes on their table. That is a separate article in itself.

    If you are a farmer or water district, you may be saying to yourself “well it seems to be working ok currently, my water attorney has represented both the water district in this process and me.” That may be correct, and as I said, that may have been fine for the past SGMA items, which related largely to the formation of the GSAs. The GSAs are primarily made up of the water districts, so not very controversial and most farmers would prefer that the GSAs be made up of the water district, as the people sitting on the water districts’ boards are usually farmers.

    However, now the GSAs are mandated to create GSP regulations which will have as their main purpose to restrict your ability to use groundwater, and heaven forbid you are near a river or tributary to a river and it is concluded that you are drawing water from such flow by your proximity within two miles, half a mile, who knows. In such cases, you will probably be prohibited from drawing any water from your well (unless you have riparian rights), because they will assume it comes from a source created by the river or its tributary.

    We do not fully know what will be acceptable to the State as regulations. However, a review of SGMA and the various commentator statements on the same suggest regulations, especially in critical non-attainment areas, to include, but not be limited to, the following: well registration, investigation of water rights for those suspected of not complying, reporting of extractions, reporting of surface water storage, well spacing requirements, limitations on groundwater extractions, related fees and assessments, enforcement actions for noncompliance, fees on groundwater extraction, and even the possibility of jail time if you go over your allotment.

    Over the next year and a half, the GSAs will be holding public hearings and allowing for comments on the GSPs, and this is a critical time if you are a farmer for you to be properly, and with strong advocacy, represented in such process. Even representing more than one farmer could be a serious advocacy problem. Different farms in areas under the same GSA have different concerns and problems. Mentioned above briefly, the issue of how close you are to a river or tributary to a river, as opposed to those that will not have to advocate regarding such issue. Since the outcome of such an issue may not be purely based and likely won’t be on good science, the adjacent farmer who is outside the distance, whatever that be, from the river, would see it as an advantage for the neighbor not to use its well as it potentially could affect their usage on their farm just across the property line. Many other examples regarding such conflicts between farmers are not too hard to contemplate. At the same time, the water districts/GSAs are going to want to make sure that their regulations are strict enough, so that the State does not take over the entire process and enforcement.

    In my opinion, an attorney representing both the farmer and water district/GSA in such matters has to be disloyal to either one or both of such parties in any negotiations on the development of the regulations. You also need to understand that once these regulations are in place, they are in place, and there are very limited appeal or challenge rights with respect to the same. Thus, sitting back and seeing how things develop, is truly pennywise, pound foolish, or should I say ounce wise, and acre-foot foolish.

    For the legal professional, the consequences are fairly clear and understood with respect to providing representation in such a highly conflicted area: inability to provide the highest level of representation, a smear on their professional integrity, state bar disciplinary consequences, malpractice consequences (breach of fiduciary duty/duty loyalty or confidentiality), reputational consequences and disqualification. The consequences to the farmer for such dual representation could be more significant in that the regulations could have been better tailored to that farmer’s particular operation causing the farmer to lose valuable water, removal of permanent crops, and of course, a loss in revenue. If the dual representation attempts to be “fair” to both sides, especially in a critical non-attainment area (i.e., central California), there is a strong possibility that the State may come in and take over the regulatory process and enforcement. This would not be good for the farmer or the water district.

    What does all of the above mean for you now if you are a farmer? It means the next year and a half are critical for you to be involved and have an advocate that is only on your side in monitoring and advocating on the new regulations that are being formulated by the GSA. The thought that there is some advantage to a farmer, because his attorney also represents the GSA/water district, is a fallacy, because of the competing interests and that attorney is prohibited from providing services that utilize his knowledge of the water board/GSA that have been obtained during representation of such entities – a direct conflict with an attorney’s sworn oath of loyalty to clients.

    Any questions regarding this article or SGMA can be directed to Christopher A. Brown, Esq., Real Estate and Environmental Law Department Chair at Dowling Aaron Incorporated at cbrown@dowlingaaron.com or 559-432-4500.

  • California Fresh Fruit Magazine – April/May Issue – Read It Here!

    [flipbook pdf=”http://www.californiaagnet.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/FFruit0418_PROOF2.pdf”]

  • UC ANR’s Elkus Ranch is an Outdoor Classroom for Local Youth

    Half Moon Bay, Calif., (April 24, 2018) – Each year, about 9,000 kids visit the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Elkus Ranch in Half Moon Bay for hands-on educational experiences in urban horticulture, nutrition, food safety, pest management, livestock management and food preservation, reported Sara Hayden in April 2018 issue of Half Moon Bay Magazine (the article begins on p. 16).

    Hayden visited the ranch with photographer Jaime Soja when a group of preschoolers descended to explore the garden and meet the farm animals.

    “They can taste and touch and smell things – feel the wool of a sheep or an egg, know where their food is from, where the clothing fiber comes from,” said Kathi Baxter, UC Cooperative Extension environmental science educator at Elkus Ranch. “Ideally, kids would get the idea that space is necessary to grow food. We’re hoping to plant that seed of stewardship here.”

    The Elkus family donated the 125-acre ranch in the 1970s as a gift for youth. The ranch’s operating budget depends heavily on grants and donations.

    For more, visit the Elkus Ranch website at http://ucanr.edu/sites/elkus_ranch.