Davis, Calif., (January 30, 2018) – The UC Agricultural Issues Center has released a new study on the costs and returns to establish an orchard and produce walnuts in the northern San Joaquin Valley.
This study assumes a hypothetical farm size of 100 contiguous acres that is farmer owned and operated. Sixty acres are being established to walnuts and 35 acres are planted to other permanent or annual crops. The walnut orchard is planted on a 24-by-24-foot spacing using three-quarters inch caliber nursery grafted trees on a Paradox rootstock. The walnut trees are a late leafing, lateral bearing variety.
Input and reviews were provided by UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors and other agricultural associates. The authors describe the assumptions used to identify current costs for the walnut crop, material inputs, cash overhead, and non-cash overhead. Ranging analysis tables show net 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 study is titled: “Sample Costs to Establish an Orchard and Produce Walnuts, in the San Joaquin Valley North – 2017”
This study and other sample cost of production studies for many commodities are available for download on the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at http://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.
For additional information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, contact Jeremy Murdock at the Agricultural Issues Center at (530) 752-4651, jmmurdock@ucdavis.edu, or UCCE advisors Joe Grant, jagrant@ucanr.edu, David Doll, dadoll@ucanr.edu, or Janet Caprile, jlcaprile@ucanr.edu.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 30, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing the creation of a new unit within its Inspection Services Division called the Produce Safety Program. This unit has been created to assist California produce farms in understanding the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act. The unit will be responsible for conducting on-farm inspections on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that will begin in 2019 to verify compliance with the Produce Safety Rule, which became effective January 26, 2018 for produce farms designated as “large” – defined as those with $500,000 or more in annual sales. Smaller farms will be phased in over the next few years.
“It’s estimated some 20,000 California farms will fall under this new regulation,” explained California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross. “This will be a big job and we will all need to work cooperatively to achieve our vision of 100 percent compliance.”
CDFA’s plan is to first educate farmers about the Produce Safety Rule and then regulate farms by verifying their compliance with it by keeping required records on adherence to best practices and providing ongoing health and hygiene training for workers, among other provisions. CDFA is launching an educational program and is asking produce associations to join-in to help spread the word.
To administer the program, inspectors employed by CDFA are required to be credentialed by the FDA and have specialized training and education to conduct authorized routine inspections on behalf of the federal agency.
Meanwhile, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) will continue to serve in its role to ensure the safety of California’s food supply. If a CDFA Produce Safety Program inspector believes there is a significant and imminent threat to public health on a produce farm, he or she will inform CDPH of the situation for evaluation and potential regulatory action.
Under the Produce Safety Rule, every produce farm must have at least one employee on staff who has completed an FDA-recognized grower training course. CDFA is offering training courses in both English and Spanish at several locations throughout the state. Produce farmers who do not yet have an employee who has completed the training should do so immediately.
“CDFA will also be offering a series of non-regulatory On-Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRR),” said Natalie Krout-Greenberg, Director of CDFA’s Inspection Services Division. “These are designed to give produce farmers a better understanding of what they can expect from a routine Produce Safety Program inspection. Information on how to schedule an OFRR will be available very soon.”
CDFA’s Produce Safety Program is developing an informational website that will be accessible to all produce farmers and the public next month. The website will be located at www.cdfa.ca.gov/prducesafety/.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 30, 2018) – A pacific storm brought heavy rains to much of northern/central California in the early part of the week, with light showers lingering until the early part of the weekend. Snow showers occurred in the mountains above 2,500 feet. Some areas in the valley experienced near freezing temperatures as a cold front passed through mid-week, while southern California experienced light showers associated with the passing front.
Temperature highs ranged in the 50s to 60s in the mountains, 50s to 80s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 70s to 80s in the desert. Temperature lows were between 10s and 20s in the mountains, 10s to 30s in the desert, and 30s to 40s along the coast and the valley.
Winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, and other cereal grains and forage mixes continued to be planted where ground allowed. Recent rain benefited fields that were planted earlier in the season. The fields had signs of good growth. Most winter wheat had emerged and was growing well.Alfalfa fields were being replanted with new rains, and previously planted alfalfa was growing well.
Pruning and brush shredding continued in stone fruit orchards and vineyards. Herbicides and dormant sprays were applied as conditions permitted. Persimmon harvest continued. Some older, poorly producing orchards and vineyards were removed and prepared for replanting. Navel orangeharvest continued. Navel orangeworm sanitation was ongoing. Pomelos were harvested. Olive growers continued to prune groves.
Pruning continued in nut orchards. Some older orchards were pushed out and the ground was prepped for planting. Some almonds were given a final shake to drop mummies that the mild winter did not remove. Early almond blooms were reported in the Paso Robles area.
Fields were being prepared and planted with winter vegetable crops, but activities have been slow due to wet soils. Lettuce continued to benefit from the recent damp weather and growth looks ideal. Strawberries were growing well. Fall carrots were a week away from harvest. Spring carrots had emerged and were looking well. Beds continued to be prepared for tomatoes. Garlic stands were established and growing well. Weed control was complete on organic onions while conventional onions continued to be irrigated.
Rangeland and non-irrigated pasture were reported to be primarily in fair to poor condition. Recent rainfall was beneficial, but more precipitation was needed for germination and growth of rangeland forage. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued. Sheep grazed on idle crop land, stubble fields, and dormant alfalfa fields. Beehives continued to be placed in almond orchards in preparation for the bloom season.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 29, 2018) – Every facet of the wine industry, from research and science to trends and markets, was examined, discussed and debated at the 24th Unified Wine & Grape Symposium (Unified), which wrapped up here today. The largest wine show of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, the Unified drew thousands of industry professionals from all over the world eager to hear about the impact of recent fires, trends, technology, research and issues shaping their business decisions.
“This was an extraordinarily successful show for our attendees. The Unified offers growers, winery professionals and suppliers the best opportunity to understand and learn how to take advantage of shifting consumer preferences, advances in technology and new businesses trends. If you want to understand what’s happening in the industry and how to stay competitive, the Unified is the place to be,” said John Aguirre, CAWG president.
Put on by the industry for the industry, the three-day show draws on some of the most respected industry experts. The three-days of symposiums included 23 presentations and panel discussions organized by a diverse panel of volunteers who recruited more than 90 experts to speak on topics ranging from wildfires and wine to vineyard mechanization. Complementing those talks was a two-day 170,000 square foot trade show that housed nearly 700 exhibitors.
“While we bill ourselves as a wine show for the Americas, we draw an audience of nearly 14,000 from all over the globe, including exhibitors from nearly 30 countries, with a diversity of languages animating the trade show floor,” says ASEV Executive Director Dan Howard. “You can feel the collective energy on the exhibit floor and registration halls where wine industry professionals greet each other, discuss the latest news and share strategies for staying abreast of changing markets, technologies and regulations.”
In 2019, the Unified will return to the Sacramento Convention Center from January 29-31. Immediately following the 2019 show, the Sacramento Convention Center will undergo a large-scale renovation necessitating a move in 2020. From February 4-6, Sacramento’s Cal Expo will serve as the temporary host site in 2020, where organizers say the ample space, parking and facilities offer an ideal alternative site.
“Cal Expo as a premier agricultural showcase is excited to host the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in 2020,” says Rick Pickering, CEO and General Manager of Cal Expo and State Fair. “We look forward to working with Unified to make the transition extremely smooth and the 2020 show a huge success.”
The organizers of the Unified share that optimism. “We are confident that, while the 2020 show will have a slightly different feel, the quality of exhibits, presentations and networking opportunities will again deliver an invaluable service to all of our guests and the industry,” says Howard. “We’re excited to see the newly renovated center and plan to return to the Sacramento Convention Center in 2021.”
For more information, visit the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium website at www.unifiedsymposium.org.
Sacramento, Calif., (January 29, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Los Angeles County Agricultural Commissioner’s office have eradicated an Oriental fruit fly (OFF) infestation centered near the Hollywood area of Los Angeles County, ending a 75-square-mile quarantine that began August 18, 2017. A total of 9 flies were detected.
The Oriental fruit fly is known to target more than 230 different fruits, vegetables, and plants. Damage occurs when the female fruit fly lays her eggs inside the fruit. The eggs hatch into maggots and tunnel through the flesh of the fruit, making it unfit for consumption.
The Oriental fruit fly is widespread throughout much of the mainland of Southern Asia and neighboring islands including Sri Lanka and Taiwan, and has invaded other areas, most notably Africa and Hawaii.
Following the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), CDFA uses a male attractant technique in its eradication effort for this pest. This approach, which has successfully eliminated dozens of fruit fly infestations in California, significantly reduces the amount of insecticide required to eradicate the population, and only targets the fruit flies – no other insects or animals are harmed.
Federal, state and county agricultural officials work year-round to prevent, deter, and eliminate the threat of invasive pests and diseases that can damage or destroy our backyard gardens, agricultural products and natural environment. The efforts are aimed at keeping California’s food supply plentiful, safe and pest-free.
While fruit flies and other invasive species that threaten California’s crops and natural environment are sometimes detected in agricultural areas, the vast majority are found in urban and suburban communities. The most common pathway for these invasive species to enter our state is by “hitchhiking” in fruits and vegetables brought back illegally by travelers as they return from infested regions of the world. To help protect California’s agriculture and natural resources, CDFA urges travelers to follow the Don’t Pack a Pest program guidelines (www.dontpackapest.com).
Davis, Calif., (January 29, 2018) – Oakleaf, Mizuna, Red Rib Chicory, Lollo Rosa, and Lamb’s Lettuce, are the names of a few of the leafy vegetables which graced my salad plate. The thinly sliced fresh red onion, juicy pomegranate kernels, and fresh citrus dressing added to the delectable ensemble. I, as well as so many other California diners, have grown accustomed to the taste-bud sensations that await us in this day of the farm-to-fork movement.
Ronald F. Bond collecting samples in the Salinas Valley. (Photo: M. L. Partyka)
As I inhaled my salad, I couldn’t help but think of the recent E. coli O157:H7 outbreak that affected at least 24 people in the U.S. and more than 40 in Canada. Originally it was blamed on Romaine lettuce, but early in January the CDC said in a statement that the likely source of the outbreak in the United States appears to be leafy greens. However, officials have not identified a specific type of leafy green or specifically where it originated.
A 2013 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control revealed that 46 percent of all foodborne illnesses that led to hospitalization or death between 1998 and 2008 were attributable to fresh produce. The report brought to the consumers’ attention that, while fresh fruits and vegetables are the cornerstones of a healthy diet, when improperly handled, they can be fatal.
In spite of these sobering statistics I feel confident to continue my consumption of raw produce, in part because of the knowledge of such things as the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program administered by CDFA to create and deliver educational materials for growers to assist in conducting agricultural water sampling and environmental assessments. The grant is part of an effort to help growers meet the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) standards for safe foods.
Western Institute for Food Safety and Security (WIFSS) and UC Agricultural and Natural Resource (ANR) personnel – including plant pathologist Bennie Osburn, UC Cooperative Extension specialist Alda Pires, UCCE specialist Erin DiCaprio, and WIFFS staff Heather Johnson and Ronald Bond – are developing a guide for California’s mid- and small- farm specialty crop growers to meet the requirements of the PSR. Training materials, including online and face-to-face field exercises, will be developed for extension specialists and farm advisors. To facilitate the learning experience, there will be online information in multiple languages including Spanish, Hmong, Mandarin and English to meet the diverse needs of California specialty crop growers. The final step in the process will be to deliver the course materials in seven outreach workshops in those regions of California where mid- and small-sized growers are located.
With UC Davis and UC ANR working together to support California specialty crop growers as they work to meet the new compliance standards of the FSMA PSR, we can long enjoy the abundant, fresh leafy green produce produced in California’s fertile valleys.
Visalia, Calif., (January 26, 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 winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, other cereal grains and forage mixes, continue to be planted where the ground allows. As always more rain is needed to maintain good growth and avoid irrigation.
The last of the stored table grapes continue to be exported to China and Mexico. Kiwifruit are being sent to domestic markets and exported to Mexico. Pistachio nuts continue to be exported to Austria, Hong Kong, India, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, and Vietnam. Almonds continue to be shipped to Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Walnuts are being exported to China. Pruning continues in vineyards, and the brush is being shredded. Dormant sprays are being applied as the weather allows.
Citrus harvest continues. Navel and Mandarin oranges continue to be exported to Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, and Peru. Navel oranges are trending towards larger sizes, with some packers having difficulty fulfilling orders for the smaller sizes. Pomelos are being harvested and sold domestically, as well as exported to China and Japan. Melogold hybrid grapefruit continue being exported to Japan. Lemon exports are in high demand for China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand. Finger limes are still in high demand, with exports going to France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Olive growers continue to prune groves.
Fields are being prepared and planted with winter vegetable crops, but activities have been on the slow side due to wet soils. Lettuce continues to benefit from last week’s damp weather, and growth looks ideal. Strawberries are growing well at roadside stands. Blueberries are still being brought into the county for planting.
Last week’s rainfall was beneficial for rangeland forage, but conditions are fair until more growth is seen. More rain is needed to help with germination and growth of rangeland forage. Supplemental feeding has been required. The fed cattle market price is holding at $120.00 per hundred weight this week.
Bare-root roses are being received and processed for reshipment out-of-state, with exports to Canada. Bare-root berries are being received at wholesale nurseries Nursery shipments have slowed due to the winter weather conditions.
Washington, D. C., (January 26, 2018) – In the United States, as in many prosperous nations, foreign workers play a critical role in the production of our nation’s food supply. As Congress struggles with the contentious issue of illegal immigration, it is important that legislators consider the disastrous consequence if no workers show up to grow, harvest and ship our nation’s fruits and vegetables, even if only for one season.
If our president, senators and congressmen are willing to consider the needs of American farmers — and the importance of sustaining a domestic food supply — in their deliberations over immigration policy, the strategy they develop quite possibly could end illegal immigration altogether.
During my 16-year term as a congressman representing California’s agriculturally diverse San Joaquin Valley, I sought to address the labor needs of America’s specialty crop farmers. I co-authored H.R. 3142 (2003), H.R. 884 (2005), H.R. 371 (2007), and H.R. 2414 (2009), and championed initiatives that would end illegal immigration while protecting farmers. This can happen only by strengthening border security, implementing E-verify (an electronic employment verification system), allowing foreign workers to come and go with the season, and permitting those who are otherwise law-abiding to continue their contribution in food production.
Today, as an executive for a California-based agricultural trade association (our growers, packers and shippers help produce most of our nation’s domestically grown fruits) I am again confronted with the ongoing difficulties of ensuring a stable, legal workforce in the face of our government’s failed immigration policies. The challenge remains the same for American agriculture: bring an end to illegal immigration and do no harm to our domestic food supply.
In the past, most foreign worker programs originated from the executive branch of government as treaties. Some of those treaties became legislated programs, such as H2A. In the West, the Bracero program was negotiated with Mexico to address agricultural labor needs, until its termination in the 1960s.
The border was open for migrant workers to cross to harvest crops as they ripened; generally, workers returned to Mexico when the growing season ended. However, as border enforcement increased over the years, so did the dangers and expense of crossing the border. As a result, many workers remain in the United States. Now, most agricultural labor in the western United States is unauthorized residents — estimated at 400,000 in California and 800,000 nationally.
So, while every American should support the immediate removal of dangerous and violent criminals, a majority of these immigrants crossed the border as poor and downtrodden souls. The idea of immigrating by the letter of the law under desperate circumstances seems like ivory-tower semantics, especially in the absence of robust border security and a legitimate foreign worker agreement.
In this, the United States shares the blame of enabling illegal immigration along with those who crossed illegally. It is those immigrants that specialty crop agriculture cannot survive without, even for one year, while waiting for a new guest worker program and tighter border security.
Since the annulment of the Bracero program, the agricultural workforce issue has not been adequately addressed. Sound immigration policy is mired down in the Beltway swamp of politics. In our partisan Congress, anything but border control and mass deportation is amnesty to some, while open borders and a pathway to citizenship seem perfectly acceptable to others. Fifty years of congressional debate has produced nothing.
Timothy J. Kane, JP Conte Fellow in Immigration Studies at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, has it right when he says, “The immigration quagmire in Congress may be a consequence of misplaced authority. Is immigration a domestic policy or a foreign policy? A purely legislative, domestic approach has simply not worked.” Indeed, the legislative branch will need help from the president, who could negotiate with foreign partners while working with Congress to end illegal immigration.
Through a diplomatic agreement such as a treaty, trade or executive agreement, President Trump could break the immigration impasse and provide the farm sector the assurance of an uninterrupted supply of labor while effective border control is put in place. On a parallel track, while Congress considers strengthening border security, the president could negotiate an agreement with foreign countries, resulting in conditional legal status for qualifying farm workers residing in the United States.
There are benefits to this strategy. It could:
Eliminate incentive for hiring undocumented individuals by requiring use of a federal employment verification system (E-Verify);
Serve as a blueprint for other industries that, to a lesser degree, depend upon a foreign labor supply;
Secure cooperation with Mexico and/or other nations to make sure workers fulfill their obligations;
Include a fee to address program administration and border security priorities;
Specify immigration enforcement action, including deportation, against foreign nationals failing to qualify or refusing to participate.
We must use a scalpel, not a hatchet, to end illegal immigration and protect the U.S. food supply. The combination of an agreement from the executive branch, E-Verify, and strong border enforcement from Congress could do just that. Now is the time to take a fresh approach to immigration reform, starting with agricultural labor.
George Radanovich is a former Republican U.S. representative for California’s 19th District, serving from 1995 to 2011. He is president of the California Fresh Fruit Association, a voluntary, nonprofit agricultural trade association. Reach him at gradanovich@cafreshfruit.com.
Fresno, Calif., (January 25, 2018) – Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS) has partnered with Safe Food Alliance (SFA) through a California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) contract to provide Food Safety Modernization (FSMA)-required Produce Safety Trainings for Central and Southern California growers for a low price of $35 per attendee.
Most farms are required to have at least one designated supervisor who has been trained in accordance with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety rule. Upon completion of the course, attendees will receive an official certificate from the Association of Food & Drug Officials.
Scheduled upcoming trainings:
February 19, Spanish only, DoubleTree Hotel, Fresno
February 20, Spanish only, International Agri-Center, Tulare
March 1, Spanish only, International Agri-Center, Tulare
March 15, Spanish only, Four Points by Sheraton, Bakersfield
March 22, Spanish only, Fresno County Farm Bureau, Fresno
All trainings will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an 8 a.m. registration time. Click here to register for a training near you. For additional information, contact the Food Safety Training Partnership at 916-561-5672 or info@foodsafetytrainingpartnership.com.
Davis, Calif., (January 25, 2018) – MORNING, 2047: WORK IS WELL UNDER WAY as day breaks on this farm in California’s Central Valley. A robotic tractor drives along rows of tomato plants, with a snip-snip-snip as weeds are cut away. A drone hovers over a field, looking for signs of disease. In the feedlot, sensors show which cattle are thriving and which are eating less – an early sign of illness.
From her office, the farm’s manager checks data flowing in on crops and livestock, what is being done and what needs attention. Across the farm, skilled workers tend to machines as well as to plants and animals.
Thanks to technology, this farm of the future produces more food, measured by inputs of land, labor, energy or materials than ever before and does so with less water and less impact on the environment and climate. And it also provides skilled careers for a new generation of farmworkers.
That’s the vision behind the Smart Farm Initiative at the University of California, Davis, one of the “Big Ideas” that the campus hopes will capture the attention of collaborators, donors and supporters.
“Smart Farm is about addressing the grand challenges in agriculture, using technology to increase production of food and renewable energy in the face of a changing climate,” said David Slaughter, professor of biological and agricultural engineering at UC Davis, who is leading the initiative. “What will a farm look like in 50 or 100 years? We have to address population growth, climate change and labor issues, and that has brought a lot of interest in technology.”
Slaughter is working to attract funding that will move Smart Farm from a collection of ideas and programs to an integrated initiative. He hopes to establish a physical presence for the initiative on campus west of Highway 113, with labs and workshops, experimental fields, educational space and a “droneport” for working with unmanned aerial vehicles. Other items on the wish list include new facilities for plant sciences and a “vertical farming” facility for experimenting with ways to grow crops in very limited space. New funding from private philanthropy, foundations or government grants could support researchers and students, including one or more endowed professorships.
“What will a farm look like in 50 or 100 years? We have to address population growth, climate change and labor issues, and that has brought a lot of interest in technology.”
By bringing together a diverse group of researchers, Slaughter hopes Smart Farm will accelerate the development of agricultural technologies such as robotics, plant science and animal care. At the same time, Slaughter and colleagues want to create a new generation of high-tech farmworkers while the current workforce transitions to jobs less dependent on hard manual labor.
“David’s approach is refreshing, because he is considering how the workers and the machines work together,” said Professor Adela de la Torre, vice chancellor for Student Affairs at UC Davis, who studies health and development in Latino and Chicano communities.
Some of those robots can already been seen out in the fields at UC Davis. For example, with support from the US Department of Agriculture, Slaughter’s team has built an automated cultivator to replace weeding by hand. Towed behind a tractor, the machine identifies weeds in a row of crop plants and cuts them out of the soil.
The cultivator can distinguish crops from weeds because the crop seeds are coated with the fluorescent dye that transfers to the young plant as it shoots and grows. The dye gradually wears away, but there is enough on younger plants to enable the cultivator to pick them out and snip out the non-glowing weeds.
Another robot in field trials at UC Davis is a box on rails with a telescopic neck armed with cameras. The robot zips through a stand of sorghum taking pictures and collecting data on the plants and how much light they capture. The data goes back to a plant breeder who can use it to make new selections for the next round of breeding crosses.
“Farmers will have knowledge right down to the level of individual plants,” Slaughter said.
Plants have some obvious advantages for robotic management: They don’t move, and they aren’t going to, say, kick over a robot or try to eat it. But there’s still plenty of scope for new technology in raising livestock.
“What we see are opportunities for technology to amplify care,” said Cassandra Tucker, professor of animal science. Tucker specializes in the care of beef and dairy cattle and she sees opportunities to use sensors and information technology to better manage large herds and individual animals.
In production animals, she said, the first sign of ill-health is when an animal’s appetite drops off.
“If we can use sensors on individual animals to monitor food intake and rumination, we could see if an animal is getting sick days before we see other clinical signs,” she said.
In California, beef cattle begin their lives on grass and then fatten on feedlots. The feedlot system brings cattle to market faster, produces less greenhouse gas emissions and uses land more efficiently. But animals can also develop health problems with the change in diet when they come to feedlots. Having more information about individual animals would allow ranchers to optimize their systems based around animal welfare, Tucker said.
Poultry specialist Maja Makagon is using new technology as a tool to understand bird behavior, which could lead to better animal welfare and productivity.
“With poultry, we have not had the technology to look at individual birds, so we have been limited to studying flocks,” she said. “A lot of this data is hard to get at without technology.”
Makagon, for example, is using sensors on individual hens to record when they bump their keelbone (breastbone) against something. Keelbone damage is a significant problem that can affect egg production.
The key to this kind of “smart farming” is making all this information available in ways that are accessible and useful to farmers and workers, Tucker said.
“You need to deliver information to users in some useful way,” she said.
Robots in the fields and sensors in the barn might be attention-grabbing, but there could be a downside for farmworkers. In the past, introducing new technology has meant lost jobs and displaced communities.
In the mid-1960s, for example, UC Davis developed both the mechanized tomato harvester and tomato varieties suited to mechanical harvesting. Mechanization was prompted partly by the end of the “Bracero” program that bought guest workers from Mexico, and also came at a time when the United Farmworkers Union was trying to organize workers and bargain for better pay and conditions.
Historically, new technology is introduced when labor becomes more expensive, de la Torre said.
“Much of the approach of agricultural colleges has been to consider labor as an input of production,” de la Torre said. “But that labor input is a human being. If you only think of technology in terms of production, you don’t consider what it means for workers.”
As a result, introducing new technology has tended to displace workers – especially unionized workers.
“The big plus about the Smart Farm approach is that there can be intentionality in how we introduce technology,” de la Torre said. “We can optimize it for both farmers and workers.”
As well as thinking about how machines and people can best work together, the initiative is developing new thinking about careers in agriculture.
“We’re thinking of a big bold new perspective on how agricultural work is done,” said Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, professor of nursing and director of UC Davis’ CAMPOS program, which promotes opportunities for female and minority scholars in STEM fields. “The next generation of ag workers will be scientists and engineers and we need to start preparing students for that kind of work.”
Traditionally, agricultural labor is hard, grueling work.
“People don’t choose it as a career, they do it for survival,” Slaughter said.
“We’re thinking of a big bold new perspective on how agricultural work is done”
Ray Rodriguez, a professor in the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences, has lived that experience. From the age of six Rodriguez experienced picking cotton, grapes, cantaloupes and tomatoes with his family in the Central Valley.
“You had a bag called a choke-sack that went over the head and shoulder, 50 pounds for the kids, 100 pounds for women, 150-pound sacks for the men. My dad would compete with the other men to see how much they could pick in a day, 300, 400 or 500 pounds,” Rodriguez said.
His last farm work was in 1965, when he picked grapes to raise tuition to attend Fresno City College.
“And I said I’m never doing this again. It’s nothing you want to expose people to unless you have to.”
From Fresno City College, Rodriguez transferred to CSU Fresno for his bachelor’s degree and UC Santa Cruz for his Ph.D. in genetics. He can look back on a career of research and teaching in plant genetics and molecular biology, biochemistry, nutrition and genomics. In 2010, he co-founded the Global HealthShare Initiative, which aims to speed commercialization of low-cost, effective health care solutions in developing countries.
Now Rodriguez and de Leon Siantz are putting together education and training proposals aimed at transforming farm work into a high-tech, high-skills occupation.
Tomorrow’s farmworkers could spend their time repairing machinery, analyzing data or debugging code from a robot. Tasks like those are going to need a wide range of skills and training, from certificate programs to graduate degrees.
“Without a transformation of the farm labor workforce, we are going to see massive displacement of farmworkers and their families,” Rodriguez said. “We have to make this a win-win for farmers, workers, their children as well as for consumers.”
Rodriguez and de Leon Siantz foresee a pipeline that includes middle and high schools, community colleges and universities that provides training for different levels of ability and attainment.
De Leon Siantz has studied the successes and problems of farmworkers and their children in the Central Valley: What keeps the kids in school, what makes them drop out. Creating a new agriculture workforce means engaging with the community, she said.
“We need to reach parents and kids, and help them visualize how their big dreams can be implemented,” de Leon Siantz said.
De Leon Siantz hopes to partner with the national 4-H organization to develop new programs for K12 schools – and which connect to a pipeline of community college, extension, undergraduate and graduate programs that can work for students at every level of ability.
“We have to think in broad ways about working with communities to make broad changes,” de la Torre said. “These communities are very aware of their self-interest, and they are aware when a program is not of benefit to them. If you meaningfully include people in the discussion, you will be far more successful.”
With a long track record in agricultural innovation, UC Davis is naturally well-positioned to invent the future of farming, from crop improvement to robotics. But more significantly, the campus culture of collaboration and cross-disciplinary work can bring a diverse group of people – biologists, engineers, educators, sociologists – to make a transformational shift in agriculture that benefits industry, consumers and communities.
The future of farm work is not about picking but about managing technology. Through the Smart Farm Initiative, Slaughter and colleagues hope not only to invent the technology, but develop the training and career paths that will open up new opportunities in agriculture.
“What better place to train them than UC Davis?” Slaughter said.
Agricultural engineer David Slaughter is leading the Smart Farm Initiative.This mobile robot collects data on plant growth and light intensity in a stand of sorghum.
Professor Cassandra Tucker says technology can put animal welfare at the center of farm decision making.
The tomato harvester developed by UC Davis engineers reduced demand for farm labor to pick tomatoes. (UC Davis Special Collections)
In the past, new technology has benefitted farmers but displaced workers, says Adela de la Torre. Smart Farm aims to optimize technology for farmers and workers.
