California Ag Network

Category: News

  • Milk Sustainability Center to Launch this Summer, Supporting Dairy Producers Across the Nation

    Sustainability is more than just a buzzword. In farming, it encompasses responsible stewardship of land and resources, while maintaining economic viability, so that farmers can continue feeding the world for generations to come.  John Deere and DeLaval have joined forces to create a new (free) tool to help dairy farmers measure the efficiency and sustainability of their operations.  California Dairy Editor Matthew Malcolm met with James Peterson from John Deere at the World Ag Expo to gain some insights on how the launch of the Milk Sustainability Center will serve the dairy industry. Watch this brief interview and read more in California Dairy Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • Global Milk Supply and Demand Trends Favor U.S. Dairy

    After a challenging 2023, what can dairy producers expect of the milk market moving forward, based on current global supply and demand trends.  California Dairy Editor Matthew Malcolm met with Senior Dairy Analyst at Rabobank Lucas Fuess to discuss the challenges and opportunities for the California and U.S. dairy industry arising from these trends. Watch this brief interview filmed at the World Ag Expo, and read more in California Dairy Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • Six California Ag Teachers Named Finalists for Golden Owl Award®

    Educators devote countless time, and often their own resources, to helping students pursue their passions. To recognize the contributions of California’s leading agricultural teachers, the California FFA Foundation, in partnership with Nationwide and the California Farm Bureau, is honoring six exceptional teachers as finalists for the Golden Owl Award.

    From September 1 through January 16, nominations were collected for top agricultural teachers from local students, parents, fellow teachers and community members across California.

    Highlighting the profound influence of the FFA, California Farm Bureau President and FFA alumna Shannon Douglass emphasized the significant impact it has on shaping leaders in agriculture. “Farm Bureau sees first hand the tremendous impact that FFA makes, as many of our current leaders across agriculture have roots in FFA,” reflected Douglass. “We are so appreciative of the hard-working ag teachers who provide a great foundation for FFA members that in turn benefits all of agriculture.”

    California’s 2023-2024 Golden Owl Award finalists are:

    • Daniel Crookham, Exeter FFA
    • Rebecca Freeman, Lodi-Tokay FFA
    • Randy Mendes, St. Helena FFA
    • Deanna Morton, Shandon FFA
    • Rick Neugebauer, McArthur-Fall River FFA
    • Marlisa Nordstrom, Buena Park FFA

    Each finalist will be presented with an individualized plaque and a $500 check in front of fellow teachers, students, and supporters at the 2024 State FFA Leadership Conference, March 21-24 in Sacramento. All finalists will be considered for California’s Ag Educator of the Year Award, earning an additional $3,000 and the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy. The winner will be announced on stage at the conference.

    “California FFA is thrilled to collaborate with Nationwide and the California Farm Bureau in honoring exceptional agricultural educators and FFA Advisors,” stated Charles Parker, State FFA Advisor. “The six state finalists showcase extraordinary commitment to equipping students with foundational skills, leadership qualities, and essential knowledge for the future. These educators extend beyond traditional classroom instruction, ensuring students are thoroughly prepared for success.”

    Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award to honor the contributions of teachers and support their programs with additional resources to assist their continued educational efforts. This year, the award program honors outstanding ag educators in eleven states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota.

    “As the need grows for more ag educators across the nation, we are proud to thank and honor these hardworking agricultural teachers for their dedication,” said Brad Liggett, president of Agribusiness at Nationwide. “These educators play a crucial role in preparing students for successful careers in the industry.”

    In conjunction with the Golden Owl Award, Nationwide is contributing $5,000 to the California FFA Foundation, enhancing support for the personal and professional development of both students and advisors.

    About the California FFA Foundation
    California FFA Foundation serves more than 103,000 California students and strives to make a difference in their lives by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through educational education. To learn more about the California FFA, visit calaged.org.

    About Nationwide

    Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the United States. Nationwide is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard & Poor’s. An industry leader in driving customer-focused innovation, Nationwide provides a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans, annuities, mutual funds and ETFs; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle and boat insurance. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

  • Dairy Producers Can Enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage

    Dairy producers are now able to enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC), an important safety net program offered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides producers with price support to help offset milk and feed price differences. This year’s DMC signup began Feb. 28, 2024, and ends April 29, 2024. For those who sign up for 2024 DMC coverage, payments may begin as soon as March 4, 2024, for any payments that triggered in January 2024.

    USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has revised the regulations for DMC to allow eligible dairy operations to make a one-time adjustment to established production history. This adjustment will be accomplished by combining previously established supplemental production history with DMC production history for those dairy operations that participated in Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage during a prior coverage year. DMC has also been authorized through calendar year 2024. Congress passed a 2018 Farm Bill extension requiring these regulatory changes to the program.

    “FSA is announcing the sign up for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage. We encourage producers to enroll in this important safety net program. In reviewing 2023 margins and the more than $1.2 billion in Dairy Margin Coverage payments issued to producers, Dairy Margin Coverage is proven to be a program to reduce risk for our dairy producers,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “If 2023 taught us anything, it’s that we honestly have no idea what will happen in the market in any given year. Producers who took advantage of this affordable risk management tool for the 2023 program year, were able to mitigate some financial impacts on their operations. At $0.15 per hundredweight for $9.50 coverage, risk protection through Dairy Margin Coverage is a relatively inexpensive investment in a true sense of security and peace of mind.”

    DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer.  In 2023, Dairy Margin Coverage payments triggered in 11 months including two months, June and July, where the margin fell below the catastrophic level of $4.00 per hundredweight, a first for Dairy Margin Coverage or its predecessor Margin Protection Program.

    2024 DMC Coverage and Premium Fees 

    FSA has revised DMC regulations to extend coverage for calendar year 2024, which is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024, and to provide an adjustment to the production history for dairy operations with less than 5 million pounds of production. In previous years, smaller dairy operations could establish a supplemental production history and receive Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage. For 2024, dairy producers can establish one adjusted base production history through DMC for each participating dairy operation to better reflect the operation’s current production.

    For 2024 DMC enrollment, dairy operations that established supplemental production history through Supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage for coverage years 2021 through 2023, will combine the supplemental production history with established production history for one adjusted base production history.

    For dairy operations enrolled in 2023 DMC under a multi-year lock-in contract, lock-in eligibility will be extended until Dec. 31, 2024. In addition, dairy operations enrolled in multi-year lock-in contracts are eligible for the discounted DMC premium rate during the 2024 coverage year. To confirm 2024 DMC lock-in coverage or opt out in favor of an annual contract for 2024, dairy operations having lock-in contracts must enroll during the 2024 DMC enrollment period.

    DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran. To determine the appropriate level of DMC coverage for a specific dairy operation, producers can use the online dairy decision tool.

    DMC Payments

    DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses.  These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay.

    More Information

    USDA also offers other risk management tools for dairy producers, including the Dairy Revenue Protection (DRP) plan that protects against a decline in milk revenue (yield and price) and the Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) plan, which provides protection against the loss of the market value of milk minus the feed costs. Both DRP and LGM livestock insurance policies are offered through the Risk Management Agency. Producers should contact their local crop insurance agent for more information.

    For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage or contact your local USDA Service Center.

  • Prepare Now to Apply for This Substantial California Dairy Funding Opportunity

    Many California dairy producers have heard of and even participated in CDFA’s Alternative Manure Management Program; but there is now an additional program available to California dairy producers for a considerable amount of funding known as the Dairy Plus program.  Investing in manure separators, dairy digesters or even vermifiltration wastewater treatment systems have a real positive impact on lowering a dairy’s carbon footprint; however, the cost of purchasing any one of these systems is often far out of reach for the dairy producer.  Watch this brief interview with Paul Sousa from Western United Dairies as he explains the new Dairy Plus program and how dairy producers can prepare and qualify for the funding.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • UC Davis & Iowa State Students Earn DCHA Scholarships

    The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (DCHA) awarded $1,000 scholarships to Conor McCabe, son of Jean and John McCabe, West Linn, Ore., a University of California-Davis PhD candidate; and Irene Nielsen, daughter of Miriam Weber Nielsen, Potterville, Mich., an Iowa State University undergraduate student. The DCHA scholarship program recognizes outstanding students pursuing a degree in agriculture, with a particular interest in calf health and future productivity.

    McCabe earned his bachelor’s degree in animal science from Cornell University, followed by a master’s degree in animal science from Purdue University. Currently, he is working in the Mitloehner Cattle Air Quality Research Lab at UC-Davis, where he orchestrated a successful grant proposal to perform an entire lactation dairy cattle 3-nitrooxypropanol study to measure impacts on methane emissions, animal health and milk production. Additionally, McCabe taught undergraduate and graduate students, from predominantly urban areas, on appropriate cattle handling procedures, emission measurement methodologies and best data collection practices. For the Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research Center, he developed eight blog writings for a lay consumer audience to communicate awareness of cattle production’s impact on climate and food systems through both an environmental and nutrition lens. During the summer of 2018, McCabe was a clinical research intern with Zoetis; during the summer of 2017, he was a global regulatory operations intern with Elanco. To complement his research and work experiences, McCabe serves as the MooC Davis (Dairy Science Club at UC-Davis) club advisor and American Dairy Science Association president of the graduate student division.

    Nielsen is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in dairy science, international agriculture and agricultural communications. Currently, she works as an undergraduate communications assistant for The Center for Food Security and Public Health, and as an undergraduate research assistant in Iowa State University’s animal science department, under the guidance of Gail Carpenter. As a communications assistant, she composes science-based blog posts for producers focused on disease prevention for food production livestock, coordinates social media for “The Livestock Project” and researches and constructs educational resources for “Day 1 Competencies for Veterinarians,” which are used in veterinary schools in developing countries. In her research role, Nielsen assists in studying associations with pre-weaning health and performance with lifetime outcomes in Holstein dairy cattle. Also, she performs data entry and analysis using PCDART to evaluate the effects of changing management practices, and records calf weights and draws blood for studying the effects of starch diets on beef-on-dairy calves. Last summer, Nielsen interned with CentralStar Cooperative as a research and development laboratory intern, and did research on mastitis pathogen PCR kits, bovine leukemia virus and fatty acids.

    The Dairy Calf & Heifer Association (www.calfandheifer.org) was founded in 1996 based on the mission to help dairy producers, calf managers and those professionally focused on the growth and management of dairy calves and heifers. With a national membership of producers, allied industries and research leaders, DCHA seeks to provide the industry’s standards for profitability, performance and leadership, serving as a catalyst to help members improve the vitality and viability of their individual efforts and that of their business.

  • Record Demand for Butterfat in Dairy Expected to Continue

    At the World Ag Expo, California Dairy Editor Matthew Malcolm met with Corey Geiger, Lead Dairy Economist from CoBank, to get the inside scoop on record growth trends in demand for butterfat in dairy and what this means for California dairy producers.  Watch this brief interview, and read more in California Dairy Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor afimilk for their industry support.

  • California Ag Well Represented in USDA Trade Mission for New Opportunities in South Korea

    Representatives from 49 U.S. companies and organizations will join the U.S. Department of Agriculture agribusiness trade mission to Seoul, South Korea, led by Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor, March 25-28.

    “Exports of U.S. agricultural and related products to South Korea totaled more than $8 billion in 2023, and it is a critical market as we continue to focus on diverse market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural exports,” Under Secretary Taylor said. “U.S. agricultural products are highly valued and trusted by Korean consumers. I’m confident that this trade mission will produce great results for America’s farmers, ranchers, agribusinesses, and exporters, as we work to strengthen trade with our existing partners and expand and diversify the products we offer.”

    South Korea ranks as the United States’ fifth-largest single-export market. Also, as one of the fastest-growing economies in the developed world during the past several decades, and with relativity small amounts of arable land, South Korea relies heavily on imported agricultural goods, especially meat and bulk commodities, to satisfy food and feed demand.

    While on the trade mission, participants will engage in targeted business-to-business meetings and pre-arranged site visits to build new trade linkages, strengthen existing partnerships, observe U.S. products in the marketplace, and discover the latest Korean consumer food trends. Participants will also receive in-depth market briefings from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service and industry trade experts.

    In addition to representatives from the following businesses and organizations, Under Secretary Taylor will be joined by Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward, California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross, Indiana Director of Agriculture Don Lamb, North Dakota Commissioner of Agriculture Doug Goehring, and officials from the Indiana and Kansas state departments of agriculture.

    1. Agropur, Appleton, Wis.
    2. The Akana Group, Inc., Houston, Texas
    3. American Commodity Company, Williams, Calif.
    4. American Egg Board, Chicago, Ill.
    5. American Peanut Council, Alexandria, Va.
    6. Blue Diamond Growers, Sacramento, Calif.
    7. California Fresh Fruit Association, Fresno, Calif.
    8. California Prune Board, Roseville, Calif.
    9. Dragonberry Produce & Sweets, Canby, Ore.
    10. East-West, Moreland Hills, Ohio
    11. Empire Nut Company, Colusa, Calif.
    12. Farm Breeze International, LLC, Tacoma, Wash.
    13. Fresh Pacific International, Fresno, Calif.
    14. Georgia Pecan Commission, Tifton, Ga.
    15. Gladisa USA, Conroe, Texas
    16. Grand Napa Vineyards, Napa, Calif.
    17. Globex International, Inc., New York, N.Y.
    18. Golden Valley Grape Juice & Wine, LLC, Madera, Calif.
    19. Homegrown Organics, Porterville, Calif.
    20. Integra Foods, Bladenboro, N.C.
    21. Jack’s Alimentary Supply, Inc., Lowell, Mass.
    22. Lead USA Global Group, LLC, Monterey Park, Calif.
    23. Limoneira, Santa Paula, Calif.
    24. Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery, Silver City, N.M.
    25. Mountain View Fruit Sales, Kingsburg, Calif.
    26. National Pork Board, Clive, Iowa
    27. Nature’s Sungrown Foods, LLC, San Rafael, Calif.
    28. Norris Farms, LLC, Roseburg, Ore.
    29. Oregon Berry Packing, Inc., Hillsboro, Ore.
    30. Oregon Wheat Commission, Portland, Ore.
    31. Pacific Cheese Co., Inc., Hayward, Calif.
    32. Pet Food Institute, Washington, D.C.
    33. Premium Peanut, Douglas, Ga.
    34. Redwood International, Irvine, Calif.
    35. Sakuma Bros. Farms, Burlington, Wash.
    36. Schreiber Foods, Green Bay, Wis.
    37. Scott Brothers Dairy, Chino, Calif.
    38. Select Harvest USA, Turlock, Calif.
    39. Space Enterprises, LLC, The Woodlands, Texas
    40. Spread the Love, LLC, Los Angeles, Calif.
    41. Talmera USA, Inc., Seattle, Wash.
    42. Tedford/Tellico, Inc., Knoxville, Tenn.
    43. S. Grains Council, Washington, D.C.
    44. S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Folsom, Calif.
    45. S. Soybean Export Council, Chesterfield, Mo.
    46. S. Wheat Associates, Arlington, Va.
    47. S. Wine Exports Company, Ltd., Ravenna, Ohio
    48. USA Rice Federation, Alexandria, Va.
    49. Valley Pride Ag Co., Fresno, Calif.

    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

  • Nuanced Market Dynamics Will Complicate Pace of Rural Broadband Consolidation

    The rural broadband industry has been a major focus for investors, private equity sponsors and government across federal and state levels in recent years. That heightened level of interest and investment has led to an unprecedented amount of private and public capital flowing to rural America to build or expand broadband network infrastructure. Private investors, attracted by the favorable economics of the broadband service business model, are aiming to capitalize on the opportunity to tap underserved markets.

    While merger and acquisition activity in the rural broadband market has slowed due to high interest rates and other economic headwinds, further consolidation within the industry is expected in the years ahead. However, the degree and pace of rural broadband consolidation is not likely to match what has played out in the cable and wireless industries over the last few decades.

    According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, several forces are driving broadband consolation, including the need for greater scale, investor interest in owning broadband assets and potential M&A interest from large cable operators struggling to grow their broadband base. But the fragmented nature of the market is likely to limit the rate and scope of industry consolidation.

    “Rural broadband consolidation will probably look different than other industries where M&A is largely a function of horizontal integration,” said Jeff Johnston, lead communications economist with CoBank. “The industry is heavily fragmented with thousands of uniquely structured operators offering either fiber, digital subscriber lines, coaxial solutions and more recently, fixed wireless carriers. Typically, this level of fragmentation leads to consolidation only when growth starts to slow, or scale becomes a bigger priority.”

    Independent rural broadband operators have their own unique mission, service territory and business case, which means many will not be M&A candidates. Some of these operators will get overbuilt with fiber from larger players and will struggle to survive. Others operating in high-cost, remote areas may not be attractive assets for an investor or another company to own. And cooperatively-owned operators, which have been formed to serve a specific need and are likely the only provider in the area, have historically been hesitant to sell.

    But given the sheer number of broadband operators and the coverage holes that are being addressed with new fiber networks, it is probable many operators in attractive markets may be considered M&A candidates.

    Institutional investors have been one of the driving forces behind broadband industry M&A over the last five years and will play an important role in future consolidation activity. During the most recent period, investors drove EBITDA valuations higher than most industry participants thought they would ever go.

    However, the ensuing inflationary pressures, labor shortages and higher interest rates all negatively impacted investors’ ability to upgrade networks and turn over their portfolio. Those unforeseen circumstances have impacted investors’ return on investment and will likely cast a cloud over M&A until costs and timelines begin to normalize.

    “Further consolidation will take time to play out, but it does seem to be a question of when, not if,” said Johnston. “It’s also a question of how much. Either way, a broadband operator in rural America providing a reliable service will continue to be an increasingly valuable asset to the future of its community. The pandemic clearly illustrated the vulnerabilities of those without reliable broadband service and AI will be another powerful reminder.”

    Watch a video synopsis and read the report, Shifting Signals Create Uncertainty for Rural Broadband Consolidation.

    About CoBank

    CoBank is a cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 77,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

    CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

  • Westlands Water District Now Accepting Applications for 2024 High School Scholarships

    Westlands Water District is pleased to announce the twentieth year of the District’s annual scholarship program in support of high school seniors pursuing higher education. As a symbol of the District’s steadfast support for San Joaquin Valley youth, the Westlands Water District Board of Directors has once more expanded the scholarship program to award up to twenty $1,000 scholarships to graduating seniors from local high schools in 2024. Over the past 19 years, the District has proudly supported over 120 students to pursue their academic goals.

    High school seniors graduating from the following westside school districts are eligible to apply for the District’s scholarship: Reef-Sunset Unified School District, Coalinga-Huron Unified School District, Firebaugh-Las Deltas Unified School District, Hanford Joint Union High School District, Lemoore Union High School District, Mendota Unified School District, Riverdale Joint Unified School District, and Golden Plains Unified School District.

    “The Westlands Water District Scholarship meant so much to me as it has allowed me to put my education as my first priority. With this scholarship, I was able to purchase my laptop. Without this scholarship, I would not have been able to complete my schoolwork.”

    -Grace Kinney, 2022 Westlands Scholarship Recipient

    Students will be evaluated based on their application, essay, academic transcripts, reference letters, demonstrated leadership, contributions to local communities, career goals, and need. Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 to be used for accredited post-secondary education expenses.

    The deadline to apply for the Westlands Water District 2024 High School Scholarship is 11:59 p.m. on April 21, 2024. All applications and supporting documents must be received by the District on or before the application deadline. Applications and supporting documents may be submitted on the District website.

    For more information, please contact the public affairs office at (559) 241-6233 or at pubaffairs@wwd.ca.gov.

    About Westlands Water District

    Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the west side of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.