California Ag Network

Category: News

  • Advances in Prune Production Research Meeting, Sept. 26

    Glenn, Calif., (September 22, 2017) – Want to learn about the recent advances in prune research and how they impact your prune management practices? Attend the UC Cooperative Extension’s upcoming meeting on Tuesday, September 26th at the Ord Bend Community Hall (3241 CA-45, Glenn, CA) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The meeting will feature UC Davis Plant Pathologist Themis Michailides, who will talk about cytospora canker; UC Davis Plant Pathologist Bob Johnson, who will talk about wood rot fungi; and UCCE Farm Advisor Emeritus Rich Buchner, who will talk about his prune rootstock trial research. The meeting will follow with a Question and Answer session to help growers and PCAs plan to apply research results ahead of the pruning season. Registration is $25 online (sacvalleyorchards.com/events/) and $35 at the door, and includes lunch.

  • California Continues to Lead in Certified Organic Farms, Acres, & Sales

    Washington, D. C., (September 22, 2017) – California, with $2.9 billion in certified organic sales, continued to lead the nation in certified sales, accounting for 38 percent of the U.S. total in 2016. It also had the largest share of certified organic acres and farms. Three states had more than 1,000 certified farms: California (2,713), Wisconsin (1,276), and New York (1,059).

    Ten states accounted for 77 percent of U.S. certified organic sales, virtually the same share as in 2015 and 2014.

    Crops accounted for 56 percent of the sale of certified organic production; livestock, poultry, and their products accounted for 44 percent. Organic production encompasses a wide range of commodities, including livestock and poultry products (primarily milk and eggs), with 2016 sales of $2.2 billion; vegetables, $1.6 billion; fruits, tree nuts, and berries, $1.4 billion; livestock and poultry, $1.2 billion; and field crops, $763 million.

    The top commodities in 2016 were:

    • Milk – $1.4 billion, up 18 percent
    • Eggs – $816 million, up 11 percent
    • Broiler chickens – $750 million, up 78 percent
    • Apples – $327 million, up 8 percent
    • Lettuce – $277 million, up 6 percent

    Other top organic crops were strawberries, grapes, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, hay, spinach, and mushrooms.

    NASS (the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service) conducted the 2016 Certified Organic Survey in conjunction with USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). “RMA relies on the information to expand crop insurance options and set price elections for organic production, “said RMA Acting Administrator Heather Manzano.

    The survey is a census of all known U.S. farmers and ranchers with certified organic production in 2016. Producers must meet the standards set out by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service’s National Organic Program and be certified compliant by an approved agent of the program. Survey results are available at www.nass.usda.gov/organics or the Quick Stats database at https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov.

     

  • Decreasing Forest Density Will Reduce Fire Risk, Build Climate Resilience

    Davis, Calif., (September 21, 2017) – California needs to increase the pace and scale of efforts to improve the health of its headwater forests — the source of two-thirds of the state’s surface water supply. Management techniques including prescribed fire, managed wildfire and mechanical thinning can help rebuild resilience in these forests and prepare them for a challenging future.

    These are among the key findings of a report released today by the PPIC Water Policy Center.

    Decades of fire suppression have increased the density of trees and other fuels in headwater forests to uncharacteristically high levels and resulted in massive tree die-offs and large, severe wildfires. Improving forest health will require reducing the density of small trees and fuels on a massive scale.

    This will require changes in the regulation, administration, and management of forests. Many of the recommended reforms in forest management can take place at low or no cost. But implementing them will require vision, determined leadership by state and federal officials, and the backing of an informed public.

    “Actions to arrest the decline in forest health will take place far from urban centers,” said Van Butsic, a coauthor of the report and a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley. “But all Californians will benefit through continued supplies of high-quality water, natural environments, forest products and recreational landscapes.”

    Changing the way forestry work is funded — and in some cases securing new funding — will also be needed to help expedite forest improvements. The authors suggest reforms that will enable the private sector and government agencies to use existing tools and funding opportunities more effectively and collaborate more easily on larger-scale management projects. One key recommendation is to find opportunities to combine revenue-generating timber harvesting with other management work to help offset the costs of efforts to improve forest health.

    “Making forest health a top land management priority for public and private lands would be a critical first step in reversing the degraded condition of the state’s headwater forests,” said report coauthor Henry McCann, a research associate with the PPIC Water Policy Center.

    The report, Improving the Health of California’s Headwater Forests, was supported with funding from the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and the US Environmental Protection Agency. In addition to Butsic and McCann, the coauthors are Jeffrey Mount and Brian Gray, both senior fellows at the PPIC Water Policy Center; Jodi Axelson, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist at UC Berkeley; Yufang Jin, an assistant professor in the Department of Land, Air, and Water Resources at UC Davis; Scott Stephens, professor of fire science and co-director of the Center for Forestry and Center for Fire Research and Outreach at UC Berkeley; and William Stewart, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist and co-director of the Center for Forestry and Center for Fire Research and Outreach at the UC Berkeley.

  • California State Fair Seeks New Cultural Advisory Council Members

    Sacramento, Calif., (September 21, 2017) – The California State Fair is now accepting applications for its Cultural Advisory Council. The Cultural Advisory Council (CAC) enhances the outreach efforts of the Cal Expo Board of Directors and staff in cultural communities throughout the state. The CAC also advises the Board on matters pertaining to California State Fair multi-cultural programs related to education, entertainment and other activities.

    Applicants to the CAC should be leaders from diverse cultural communities throughout California and represent a variety of interests and expertise in the areas including, but not limited to: agriculture, arts, community services, education, entertainment, finance, health, government, law enforcement, legal, media, marketing, small business and youth.  CAC members serve at the pleasure of the Cal Expo Board of Directors. Once selected by the Board, a member will serve one term of two-years. Upon completion of that term, a member will have the opportunity to apply for reappointment by the Board for up to two additional, consecutive terms of three-years each and one final two-year term after a one year break.

    Qualified candidates should fill out the application form located atCAStateFair.org/cultural-advisory-council.  The deadline for submitting an application is Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

    For questions, please contact Sue O’Brien at sobrien@calexpo.com

  • Blue Jacket Program Returns this Fall

    Tulare, Calif., (September 21, 2017) – The Tulare County Farm Bureau’s Education and Scholarship fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable trust, is excited to announce the return of the Blue Jacket Bonanza program. The program is made possible through generous donations to the Farm Bureau’s education and scholarship fund.

    NOTE:   Packets will be mailed to the Ag Departments this week!

    Applications will be online at www.tulcofb.org as well.

    The Blue Jacket Bonanza program was developed to provide freshmen and sophomore students involved in FFA, who do not have the financial means, a chance to earn their own blue jacket. To be granted a jacket a student will be required to complete an application process which entails a written essay, personal interview and community service.

    Applications for Blue Jacket Bonanza will be mailed in the next month, and must be returned to Tulare County Farm Bureau by 5:00 pm on Friday, October 13, 2017, postmarked applications received after the deadline may not be considered. Applications may be mailed to PO Box 748, Visalia, CA, 93279 faxed to 559-732-7029 or dropped off at 737 N. Ben Maddox Way in Visalia. Interviews will be conducted in November at the TCFB office.

    For more information about the program contact us at the Tulare County Farm Bureau at 732-8301.  Applications may be found online at www.tulcofb.org. 

     

  • Cal Poly Named Best in the West by U.S. News for 25th Straight Year

    San Luis Obispo, Calif., (September 20, 2017) – For the 25th consecutive year, Cal Poly has been named the best public, master’s-level university in the West by U.S. News & World Report’s annual America’s Best Colleges guidebook.

    The 2018 guidebook lists Cal Poly in 11th place overall in the West for regional universities.

    The Western regional list includes 141 public and private institutions in 15 states that provide “a full range of undergraduate and master’s-level programs but few, if any, doctoral programs.” (Universities that grant doctoral degrees, such as those in the University of California system, are listed in a separate category.)

    “We are honored that U.S. News has now recognized the value of a Cal Poly education for a quarter of a century,” Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said. “This impressive distinction would not be possible without our talented and dedicated faculty and staff, who provide the foundation for our students’ successful Learn by Doing experience, along with our crucial industry partnerships and continued support from our generous alumni and friends.”

    Cal Poly’s College of Engineering ranked No. 7 on the list of best engineering master’s/bachelor’s programs in the nation, in a tie with Bucknell University of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Among specialty programs, the college’s computer engineering program was ranked No. 2 nationwide; civil engineering tied for second; and aerospace, electrical and mechanical engineering each ranked third.

    Cal Poly also ranked sixth in the West for most veteran-friendly universities — a listing that shows military vets and active-duty service members which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help them make pursuing a college education more affordable. Cal Poly is also the top-ranked public university in this category.

    The U.S. News rankings methodology focuses on academic excellence, with schools evaluated on hundreds of data points and up to 15 measures of academic quality. Overall, the rankings emphasize student outcomes — such as graduation and freshman retention rates — which carry the most weight at 30 percent.

    For more on Cal Poly’s ranking, visit: https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/cal-poly-1143.

    Contact: Matt Lazier
    805-756-7109; mlazier@calpoly.edu

  • CDFA Announces Funding For The 2017 “CALAGPLATE” Grant Program

    Sacramento, Calif., (September 20, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is currently accepting proposals for the 2017 California Agriculture Special Interest License Plate (CalAgPlate) grant program. This program makes available an estimated $260,000 in grant funding to promote agricultural education and leadership activities for students at the K-12, post-secondary, and adult education levels. Proceeds generated through the sales of specialized, agriculture-themed license plates through the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) have made this opportunity available.

    “Investments in agricultural education benefit all consumers by raising awareness on food and fiber production in our state as well as the stewardship practices of California’s farmers and ranchers in bringing these products to the marketplace,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.

    A purchase of a CalAgPlate helps to fund educational opportunities statewide which include agricultural workshops, farm tours and the State FFA Leadership Conference. The CalAgPlate program has funded more than $734,629 in youth educational activities since the program’s inception.

    Funding is available on a competitive basis for state-adopted Agricultural Education Programs (Education Code Section 52450-52454), government agencies, and non-profit organizations that administer agricultural education programs. The application deadline is October 20, 2017.

    For further information and grant application materials, please visit: www.cdfa.ca.gov/calagplate

    You can help support agricultural education and the CalAgPlate program by purchasing a special interest license plate at your local DMV office or online today.

  • 11 Water, Ag, And Energy Start-Ups Selected To Receive Valley Ventures Support

    Fresno, Calif., (September 20, 2017) – The Valley Ventures Accelerator at Fresno State announced its fall cohort of start-up companies that will receive venture capital direction and support in the water, agriculture and energy technology industries.

    The three-month program will provide professional guidance on growing sales, company value and profitability for 11 emerging companies from primarily California, as well as Brazil, Chile and Malaysia.

    “The fall cohort will represent a diverse range of technology and entrepreneurial talent in the water, energy and agriculture industry and represents a collective revenue of $2 million annually and $3.5 million in equity funding,” said program coordinator Benjamin Francis. “We believe each company that has been selected exemplifies extraordinary potential to scale and accomplish great things in the Central Valley.”

    The companies are:

    • AQUAOSO— water rights management buyer and seller trading platform
    • Avsonic — automated cattle soaker system
    • BovControl— analytics platform for cattle operations
    • Deep Root Irrigation— irrigation products for landscape and agricultural usage
    • Drought Diet Products — sub-irrigation zone pipe for greywater and rainwater catch and release
    • DSPii— soil moisture sensing through aerial application
    • ECO2Mix— carbon dioxide-based water pH control system for irrigation units
    • Fluid Pulse— wireless irrigation valve controls for use on existing water pipelines
    • GroGuru— precision soil moisture, salinity and temperature monitoring system
    • Nanomass — unit converting biomass into powdered fuel to be used in coal plants
    • REDtrac— online agricultural well, water and soil efficiency monitoring system

    Companies accepted into the program demonstrated the potential to have an economic impact in the region and the ability to improve the efficient use of scarce resources. Other evaluation criteria included company scalability, potential return, environmental impact, fundability, commercial value, personnel skills and leadership.

    Participants will take part in exercises and learning modules led by Central Valley professionals, investors, industry and technical experts, successful entrepreneurs and target consumers.

    The program also offers companies access to Fresno State research staff and facilities, as well as product testing through the Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center, Center for Irrigation Technology and 1,000-acre University Agricultural Laboratory.

    The three-year accelerator program is coordinated by the International Center for Water Technology at Fresno State. Program funding was made possible by a $500,000 federal grant through the Regional Innovation Strategies i6 Challenge and Seed Fund Support Grants competition and the BlueTechValley innovation cluster funded by the California Energy Commission.

     

  • UC ANR is a Natural Partner to Help Bridge California’s Digital Divide

    Sacramento, Calif., (September 19, 2017) – Even as the digital revolution has changed the world, there are thousands of California residents in rural areas that do not have an internet connection adequate for engaging in modern technology.

    With offices in all California counties and several research centers located in remote locations, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Vice President Glenda Humiston and UC ANR Chief Innovation Officer Gabe Youtsey believe UC ANR is in a position to forge partnerships with government, industry, and other academic organizations to connect rural Californians with high-speed internet.

    UC ANR Chief Innovation Officer Gabe Youtsey, far right, testifies before Rep. Anna Caballero (blue jacket), staffer Peter Ansel, and Rep. Monique Limón. (Photo: Anne Megaro)

    Youtsey testified at a rural broadband informational hearing in Sacramento on Aug. 28 held by the Assembly Select Committee on Economic Development and Investment in Rural California, chaired by Rep. Anna Caballero (D-Salinas), and the Communications and Conveyance Committee, chaired by Rep. Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles.)

    In his testimony, Youtsey characterized the presence of UC ANR in California for the lawmakers.

    “We are a network, not a place,” he said. “We have more than 1,500 very applied academics; I call them academics with muddy boots because our job is really to turn science into on-the-ground solutions.”

    While it is potentially expensive to bring broadband internet connectivity to every resident of California – from the far reaches of Modoc County in the north to remote desert communities near the Mexican border in the south – those communities’ lack of high-speed internet is also exacting a high medical, social, and educational cost.

    “High-speed connectivity is needed in rural communities not just for entertainment,” Youtsey said. “It’s about online education, medical care, banking and businesses. Digital inclusion is an issue of economic justice.”

    Youtsey likens the spread of broadband internet to a successful initiative in the 1930s to promote rural electrification in the U.S. The program was managed by the U.S. Rural Electrification Administration, one of the agencies created under the New Deal, President Franklin Roosevelt’s sweeping legislation that helped lift the United States out of the Great Depression.

    The government’s role in “internetification” could be an investment in infrastructure, Youtsey said.

    “It is very expensive to bring wired internet connectivity to places where it has never been before,” Youtsey said at the hearing.

    At one UC ANR location, the UC Sierra Foothills Research and Extension Center, laying a wired connection was cost prohibitive.

    “The internet provider had to beam a signal from Marysville, up to the top of the Sutter Buttes, and then beam 26 miles across the valley to our location. That was about a $150,000 one-time set-up cost. That’s just not realistic in many cases,” he said.

    Youtsey said UC ANR would like to leverage its remote locations as launch points for public-private partnerships for rural broadband, a plan that dovetails an initiative now being considered by state legislators.

    Assembly Member Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) has introduced AB 1665, known as the Internet for All Now bill, which aims to ensure social and economic equity for all Californians in the digital age. This bill would approve funding by Dec, 31, 2022, for infrastructure projects that would provide broadband access to no less than 98 percent of California households.

    “We support passage of the bill, but we’re not going to stand still,” Youtsey said.

    Already, UC ANR is creating partnerships with rural communities to provide shared internet connectivity. One project underway is located at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Centernear Parlier, a 15,000-resident community in rural southeast Fresno County that has one of the state’s highest percentages of Latinos. After connecting the center with fast one-gigabit speeds, UC ANR is planning to outfit all 330 acres with outdoor wireless coverage to support research and innovation. The next step will be to pilot a public-private partnership with the local community to work with the center and a vendor to share costs and make affordable broadband upgrades for both the residents in the community and UC researchers.

    Another project is located at the UC Lindcove Research and Extension Center at the eastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley near Exeter, an agricultural city of 10,000 near the Sierra Nevada foothills.

    “We don’t have this site lit up yet. We’re working hard on beaming a signal from Visalia, 25 miles away,” Youtsey said. “Once we have it here, we’re in the heart of the state’s citrus region. We’re surrounded by commercial citrus farmers who all struggle immensely with getting broadband. We hope to be part of the solution.”

  • Last PRB Meeting is Behind Us: Referendum Likely Coming to California Producers Next Month

    Modesto Calif., (September 19, 2017) – That’s it, folks – the Producer Review Board (PRB) finally completed their recent mission to develop a recommendation outlining the criteria for a stand-alone producer funded quota program. The fourth and last meeting occurred on September 12, where the group of 15 dedicated producers reviewed the draft language alongside a myriad of written comments submitted by industry. While the PRB may have given the approval to move along its recommended Quota Implementation Plan (QIP) to the Secretary, the PRB is still in existence and may be assigned another mission in the future.

    So, what does the QIP look like? For one, it is very similar to the revised draft the PRB submitted to CDFA after the August 2, 2017 meeting. Most importantly, it is very similar to the current quota program. Producer costs and payments remain virtually the same (along with regional quota adjusters). The main difference is that with the QIP, producers will see the quota program funding directly come out of their milk check. This means that all California Grade A milk producers will see a deduction on their milk check that should range between $0.37/cwt to $0.40/cwt. The amount is not different from what is currently happening with the quota program; the difference comes from the fact that right now the program’s funding comes out of the pool, which means that unless you work at CDFA, you don’t see that amount each month.

    That said, despite the fundamental similarities there are a few details that are different between the current and the proposed program. On one hand, some of those details were deemed impossible to fix by the PRB according to CDFA due to a lack of legislative authority. On the other hand, other details could have been changed but the PRB made the decision not to. The mandated producer survey at least every five years is an example that comes to mind. This survey is not something that currently exists, but despite some voiced disagreement on the concept (notably by WUD in its comment letter) CDFA suggested it was added and the PRB did not remove it from the language. While this is not the same as a mandatory referendum, it does bring the quota program under the microscope more frequently than it currently is. When producers buy quota, they do so because they feel it is a safe asset – not something up for review every five years. That being said, the PRB ultimately has shown dedication to protecting quota, which should help with what they decide to do with the results of such a survey.

    Now that the PRB is done with their mission, we wait for the Secretary to review the proposed QIP. If all goes well, you should receive a ballot in your mailbox sometime in October (see timeline below). Keep an eye out for a large 9X12 envelope with an indication on the front that a ballot is enclosed. Inside will be the Plan language, a ballot (in a different color), a cover letter and a postage paid return envelope.

    By Annie AcMoody, Director of Economic Analiysis