The recent early Spring freeze hit various Ag commodities all over the state, and the extent of the damage so far is unknown. Fortunately, most vineyards were still dormant at the time; however, some early white wine grapes, such as Chardonnay, had begun budbreak when the freeze hit. Watch this interview with Temecula grower JD Harkey, who shared how some of the vineyards fared. Read more in the April issue of American Vineyard Magazine, coming soon!
Sacramento, Calif., (March 30, 2018) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is now accepting applications for the 2018 Alternative Manure Management Program (AMMP).
The AMMP is one of two programs designed by CDFA to reduce dairy and livestock greenhouse gas emissions. The program will provide $19-33 million in grants to California dairy and livestock operators to implement non-digester manure management practices that reduce methane emissions.
Applicants must access the 2018 Request for Grant Applications at www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ammp/ for detailed program requirements and application instructions.
CDFA has partnered with the State Water Resources Control Board to utilize its online application site, the Financial Assistance Application Submittal Tool (FAAST). All prospective applicants must register for a FAAST account at https://faast.waterboards.ca.gov to apply. Applications and all supporting information must be submitted electronically using FAAST by Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. PDT.
CDFA will present three workshops and two webinars on the 2018 AMMP competitive solicitation process. Workshops and webinars will feature an overview of the program and requirements, a review of the application questions, a live demonstration of the online application system and more. There is no cost to attend the workshops; however, space is limited and CDFA request that attendees register in advance. To register, email grants@cdfa.ca.gov with your name and contact information, the workshop you would like to attend, and the number of seats required.
Workshops and webinars will be held at these locations on the following dates:
To register for the two webinars, please visit the program webpage at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ammp/.
All prospective applicants should access the AMMP webpage (https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/ammp/ ) for information regarding additional, free-of-charge technical assistance conducted by non-profit organizations, Resource Conservation Districts and California academic institutions to assist in the submission of AMMP applications.
Prospective applicants may contact CDFA’s Grants Office at grants@cdfa.ca.gov with general program questions.
The Alternative Manure Management Program is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap and Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.
Visalia, Calif., (March 30, 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. Winter wheat and oats are enjoying the latest rains, growth is excellent. Ground preparation is continuing for spring row crops. Overall last week’s rainfall was beneficial to field crops.
Vineyards continue to be pruned and tied. Stone fruit orchards are continuing to bloom and leaf out. Almond and stone fruit trees are blooming and leafing-out. Soil leveling continues in some fields in preparation for new plantings. Bee apiaries remain in almond and stone fruit orchards. Pomegranate and walnut orchards continue to be pruned. Pomegranates are starting to leaf-out. Pistachios are being exported to Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Lithuania, Spain, and Turkey. Almonds are being shipped to Barbados, Colombia, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
Navel oranges, Mandarins, and lemons continue to be harvested, but at a slower rate. The harvest of late variety navel oranges continues, and fruit are showing some grading issues. The extent of freeze damage to citrus fruit is still being determined. Some hedge-rowing and skirting of orange groves continues to be preformed. Navel oranges are being exported to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Mandarins are being picked and shipped to Indonesia, Japan, Korea, and New Zealand. Seedless tangerine groves continue to be netted in preparation for the coming bloom. Lemons are being exported to Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea. Minneola tangelos continue to be shipped to Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands. Some citrus trees are being planted. Some olive groves continue to be pruned.
Squash and cucumber seedlings continue to grow under hot-caps and hot-tunnels. Greenhouse vegetables continue to be harvested. Strawberry and plantings are progressing well and maturing. This week’s warm, dry weather will be a benefit. Greenhouse blueberries were exported to Taiwan.
Last week’s rain was boost for rangeland quality. The fed cattle market held steady at $127.00 per hundred weight this week.
Retail nurseries are stocked up on both perennial and annual plants for the spring season. Bare-root roses are being received and processed for reshipment to various U.S. states, Canada, France, Japan, and Korea. Some mature olive trees are being dug for landscape purposes.
Citrus Bloom has been declared to start in District 1 beginning at 1:00 a.m. Saturday morning, March 31,2018.
Beltsville, Maryland, (March 30, 2018) – Not all of nuts’ calories are taken up by the human body; on some of them, the body gets a free pass, according to studies by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists.
Physiologists David Baer and Janet Novotny, with ARS’s Food Components and Health Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, recently looked at how many of an almond’s, walnut’s, and pistachio’s calories can actually be used by the human body rather than how many calories are in each nut.
For example, while an ounce of almonds has approximately 160 calories, not all of those calories may be available to be used by the human body. When food is eaten, it is broken down into its nutritional components, and its calories are burned for energy. However, just because nutrients are present doesn’t mean the body will readily use them. This is the concept of “bioavailability.”
Many factors beyond a food’s basic composition can influence the bioavailability of its calories. With nuts, that includes whether they are raw, roasted, or ground, and even how well they are chewed.
Nutrition is an integral component of one’s lifestyle—either in a positive or negative way. Over the years, nutrition science has become more sophisticated, and research by ARS scientists is showing that counting calories isn’t always as simple as it may seem.
In their studies, Baer and Novotny found the calorie uptake from pistachios was 22.6 calories per gram, which is 5 percent less than the currently accepted 23.7 calories per gram. An ounce of pistachios has 161.9 calories, but only 153.8 calories are bioavailable. That may not sound like a lot, but a calorie reduction of 5 percent can be quite significant on a daily basis.
Providing accurate information about metabolizable energy (ME) content-calories-of foods is important for reliable food labeling and has health ramifications, according to Novotny.
In a study of walnuts, the team found an even greater discrepancy between what is reported on the label and the ME value. They found that a 1-ounce serving of walnuts contained 146 calories, which is 39 calories—21 percent—less than the label, according to Baer.
Baer and his colleagues also looked at almonds, and here, too, found the trend continued. Almonds were found to have 32 percent fewer calories of ME than what is on the label: 129 calories instead of 168-170 calories.
Los Banos, Calif., (March 29, 2018) – In November 2014, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014. Voters approved this initiative, in large part, because they understood that the future of California depends on building new or enlarged water supply infrastructure, including surface storage projects. Last week, Congress passed, on a bipartisan basis, H.R. 1625, which included funding for the Shasta Reservoir Enlargement Project, Sites Reservoir, and Temperance Flat Dam. Members of Congress who advocated for these projects based their support on the same fact; the future of California depends on investing in new or enlarged water supply infrastructure.
“We are delighted that Congress included in this spending bill money for surface water storage projects,” said Cannon Michael, chairman of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. “This action presents the opportunity for a brighter future for California’s residents, its farms, and the environment,” he said.
Language in the bill included funding to complete feasibility studies for Sites and Temperance Flat reservoirs as well as $20 million for design and pre-construction work on raising Shasta Dam. “Each one of these projects is needed for the future of California, and each project will provide water for both the environment and people,” Michael said. “Enlarging Shasta Dam will provide much needed flexibility to protect cold water for salmon that spawn below the Dam and water supplies for cities, refuges and farms throughout large areas of the State.”
“The flexibility created by increasing Shasta storage is essential for the Bureau of Reclamation to meet its obligations under federal law to operate the Central Valley Project for the benefit of the environment and people,” said Michael. “This is a goal supported over the years by both Democrats and Republicans, and we appreciate the leadership of members on both sides of the aisle on the critical issue.”
Fresno, Calif., (March 29, 2018) – The California State University Trustees approved Tuesday the naming of the Vincent E. Petrucci Viticulture Building at Fresno State, in honor of the late and esteemed professor emeritus of viticulture. The action item was approved by the Committee on Institutional Advancement.
Among his many accomplishments during his 46-year career, Dr. Petrucci led successful fundraising efforts to support students, faculty and capital projects. Most notably, he raised more than $1.5 million for the viticulture building, which houses state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories, a discipline-specific library to serve students and industry and the Viticulture and Enology Research Center.
“Dr. Petrucci was Fresno State’s first viticulture professor and played pivotal roles in developing academic programs and robust and collaborative research programs in viticulture and enology,” said Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro. “His extraordinary work transformed the lives of thousands of students at Fresno State and influenced an entire grape-growing and winemaking industry.”
Dr. Petrucci taught at Fresno State from 1948 to 1993 and helped establish the University’s renowned viticulture and enology program. He was conferred an honorary doctorate of science by the California State University in 1994 before passing away in 2016.
In 1985, Dr. Petrucci founded the Fresno State Viticulture and Enology Research Center, which includes the Vincent E. Petrucci Library, and he served as its director until his retirement in 1993.
The Petrucci’s Crush wine, a limited Fresno State Winery edition of a student-produced vintage named in his honor, was introduced in December 2016 at a special release event that included Petrucci, family, friends and alumni, along with the department’s faculty, staff and many students. The wine also commemorated his wife of 69 years, Josephine, who supported him and his career.
The Petrucci’s Crush is a red wine blend designed by Petrucci and former Fresno State winemaker Matt Brain. The vintage is comprised of area Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Merlot grapes.
Fresno State served viticulture and enology students since 1948 through several programs before the Department of Viticulture and Enology was established in 2000. Fresno was the first California State University campus to combine research and academic offerings in both disciplines.
In 1997, Fresno State became the first university in the nation with a winery bonded to market student-produced wines commercially. Program graduates fill leading grape and wine industry positions worldwide.
“Today, Dr. Petrucci’s name is synonymous with viticulture and enology at Fresno State, and our alumni and industry partners can be found in every corner of the world,” said Dr. Sandra Witte, dean of Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology at Fresno State. “It is a distinct honor to name the viticulture building in his memory, given his many enduring contributions to Fresno State and the San Joaquin Valley.”
Since his retirement, Dr. Petrucci published numerous papers and books detailing wine and grape growing best practices.
The V.E. Petrucci Library, which is part of the Henry Madden Library collection, supports and continues his legacy in academics and research in the heart of California’s Central Valley.
Library resources reflect the diversity of its patron community with materials generated by the Department of Viticulture and Enology in the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology by public and private research institutions and associations, and by other resources released regionally, nationally and globally.
Among Dr. Petrucci’s many accolades during his career was lifetime service to the wine grape industry in the Valley by the San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers Association in 2009.
Originally from Escalon in the San Joaquin Valley, Dr. Petrucci earned a bachelor’s degree in pomology in 1947 and a master’s in horticulture in 1948, both from University of California, Davis. He served in the U.S. Naval Air Corps at the end of World War II.
A naming ceremony of the Vincent E. Petrucci Viticulture Building will be held in the near future.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 29, 2018) – California State Senator Ben Hueso will honor California and Baja California 4-H with a resolution in the State Senate at 2 p.m. April 2 to recognize the cross-border team that established a 4-H Club in Mexicali, Baja Mexico, in January 2017.
Last year, UC ANR Vice President Glenda Humiston signed a memorandum of understanding with the Baja California Secretary of Agriculture Development, Manuel Vallodolid Seamanduras, to offer UC’s 4-H expertise to youth south of the border. The agreement increases the academic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation that are part of UC President Janet Napolitano’s Mexico Initiative.
Senator Hueso’s resolution attests to the value of building relationships as a means of cooperative engagement between Mexico and California on shared concerns, such as drought and global climate change. The resolution notes that the creation of a 4-H Club in Mexicali is an inspiring reminder that the need for education doesn’t stop at the border.
Senator Hueso represents the 40th District, which includes parts of San Diego County and all of Imperial County, running along the entire border between California and Mexico.
What: Resolution honoring the establishment of a 4-H Club in Mexicali, Baja Mexico.
Where: California State Senate, Senate Chambers, Sacramento, CA 95814
When: 2 p.m., Monday, April 2, 2018
Who:
Contact: (English) Jeannette Warnert, UC ANR Strategic Communications, (559) 240-9850, jewarnert@ucanr.edu
(Spanish) Ricardo Vela, UC News and Information Outreach in Spanish, (951) 660-9887, Ricardo.vela@ucr.edu
Sacramento, Calif., (March 28, 2018) – On March 13th, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) officially announced an additional 90-day waiver from ELDs for haulers transporting agricultural commodities. The new 90-day temporary delay will take effect March 18th, as the previous delay expires.
ISSUE: The Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate went into effect in December 2017. However, after petitioning by CFBF, AFBF and our partners in industry, DOT granted an initial agricultural exemption that was set to expire on March 18, 2018. With the granting of another extension, it will provide additional time for haulers to comply and the opportunity for us to address the underlying Hours of Service (HOS) challenges.
IMPACT: Additionally, during this time period, FMCSA indicated it will publish final guidance on both the agricultural 150 air-mile hours-of-service exemption and personal conveyance. FMCSA announced it will continue its outreach to provide assistance to the agricultural industry and community regarding the ELD rule.
The waiver and guidance will be published in the Federal Register in the near future; CFBF will share as it becomes available. It should be noted that drivers who are operating under this waiver must carry a copy of the notice and present it to motor carrier safety enforcement officials upon request. In addition, any carriers operating under this waiver must notify FMCSA within 5 business days of any accident.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On February 20th, AFBF submitted comments that included CFBF’s recommendations to the Hours of Service Regulatory Guidance Concerning the Transportation of Agricultural Commodities. This included concerns about hauling live animals and perishable crops.
Farm Bureau continues to work with FMCSA and USDA during these next 90 days on the possibility of a long-term exemption for haulers transporting agriculture commodities. Conversations with our allies in the legislative body continue to develop language for a one-year delay, which could be included in the omnibus bill.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 28, 2018) – As California’s extra virgin olive oil becomes one of state’s fastest growing agricultural industries, the California State Fair awards the best olive oils in the Golden State in the CA State Fair Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition.
This year, our expert judges were led by Orietta Gianjorio who is an internationally certified sensory evaluator of olive oil and former member of the UC Davis and California Olive Oil Council tasting panels. Together, the judges analyzed and evaluated 189 of the best olive oils grown, processed and bottled right here in California.
“The purpose of this competition is to promote quality, and find olive oil made with passion and integrity,” said Gianjorio. “I am pleased with the level of professionalism and expertise, as well as the number of outstanding oils we tasted. This really is the Best of California!”
Double Gold, Gold, Silver & Bronze awards are given based on individual merit. Best of Show, Best of Class and Best of California Awards are given by comparison tasting among eligible entries of 94 points or higher.
The 2018 Top California State Fair Olive Oil Competition winners are:
You can find the complete list of winners at castatefair.org/california-commercial-extra-virgin-olive-oil/.
The top extra virgin olive oil competition winners will be acknowledged on Thursday, June 21, on the west steps of the Capitol. Later that evening, the winning producers will sample their oils at the Best of California Tasting event at Cal Expo, held prior to the California State Fair Gala benefiting The Friends of the State Fair. You can find more information about the Best of California Tasting Event at CA.org/gala.
The olive oil competition winners will also be presenting during the CA State Fair Taste of California Experience Classes July 13- 29th. Fair guests can learn how to taste, pair, and use the best California olive oils during these classes taught by olive oil experts. Registration for these classes begin in May at CA.org.
For interviews with the winners of the CA State Fair Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition, contact the Media Center at 916-263-3108.
About the California State Fair: The California State Fair is an international award-winning fair, receiving top honors at the International Association of Fairs and Expositions out of more than 1,100 fairs world-wide. The California State Fair is dedicated as a place to celebrate the best the state has to offer in agriculture, technology and the diversity of its people, traditions and trends that shape the Golden State’s future. We invite you to join us for the 165th California State Fair, July 13-29, 2018.
Washington, D. C., (March 27, 2018) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Partnerships & Public Engagement (OPPE) today announced up to $8.4 million in available funding for training and technical assistance for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers. Funding is made through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (also known as the 2501 Program).
“The USDA is committed to reaching all farmers and ranchers,” said OPPE Director Diane Cullo. “Through the 2501 program, the USDA is building lasting relationships among these farmers and ranchers, the local organizations that serve them, and the USDA’s local, state, regional, and national offices.”
The 2501 Program was originally authorized by the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, and Trade Act of 1990. 2501 grants seek to enhance the equitable participation of socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers in USDA resources and programs, such as Farm Service Agency loans or grants through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). Projects may focus on conferences, training sessions, educational materials, or new programs to help these farmers and ranchers thrive and succeed.
Eligible applicants include community-based organizations, networks, or coalitions of community-based organizations; 1890 or 1994 institutions of higher education; American Indian tribal community colleges or Alaska Native cooperative colleges; Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education; other higher education institutions; Indian Tribes or national tribal organizations. Eligible entities must have experience in providing agricultural education or other agricultural-related services for socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers and ranchers.
The deadline for applications is May 15, 2018. See the request for applications for full details. Learn more about this funding opportunity through two teleconferences on March 28, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. EST and April 25, 2018 at 2:00 p.m. EST. To join each session, call 1-888-455-1685 and use passcode 7087935.
Examples of FY 2017 funded 2501 projects include a grant to the National Hmong American Farmers, Inc., to provide technical and direct assistance to Hmong farmers in central California who face barriers to successful farming due to poverty and cultural and linguistic isolation. A Florida State University project reached veterans with workshops, online agricultural courses, and 15 farm apprenticeships and managerial apprenticeships at private farms.