Fresno, Calif., (July 18, 2017) – Fresno County Farm Bureau is accepting applications to be part of the 2017-2018 Future Advocates for Agriculture Concerned about Tomorrow (FAACT) Class XV. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 24.
The FAACT leadership development program provides community leaders with a comprehensive education highlighting specific issue areas in agriculture. Both agricultural and non-agricultural, community-minded individuals are encouraged to apply. The eight session topics this past year included:
Fresno County Agriculture Introduction: Celebrating diversity through the past, present and future
Cultivating Minds and Ideas: Agricultural education, research and the consumer
Agricultural Regulation: The good, the bad and the putting you out of business
Politics and Agriculture: Governments’ roles in the growing of our food
Water: CVP and Delta
Labor, Food Safety, Trade & Marketing
Water: The Kings River System
Class wrap-up
Beginning on October 2, class participants will meet once-a-month for a day-long seminar to discuss current issues in food and fiber production. Tuition for the program is $550 for Farm Bureau members and $650 for non-members, which will include a FCFB membership for one year. The deadline to apply is July 24.
Click here to complete the FAACT application. Questions may be directed to FCFB at 559-237-0263 or info@fcfb.org.
Sacramento, Calif., (July 18, 2017) – The cattle industry in California has undergone dramatic changes over the last few decades. International competition and opportunities, new regulatory requirements, fluctuating feed costs, changing consumer demand, economies of scale and competing land uses all affect the bottomline in cattle ranching. Ranchers have experienced increasing production costs while revenue has not kept pace with costs.
To help ranchers make business decisions, new cost studies for beef cattle production have been released by UC ANR Agricultural Issues Center and UC Cooperative Extension.
“These studies are useful to new and experienced ranchers, lenders and other agribusiness companies, as well as government officials, researcher and students who want to know basics of ranch practices and the costs and returns that can be expected for a well-managed operation,” said Daniel Sumner, director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center. “The studies show ranges of net returns under alternative price scenarios to help indicate sensitivity of returns to cattle market conditions.”
The analyses are based on a hypothetical well-managed ranching operation using practices common to the northern Sacramento Valley. The three studies are based on a herd of 300 cows and bred heifers, 60 yearling heifers and 15 bulls. An 11 percent cull rate is applied to the herd. An 89 percent calf crop with three percent mortality before weaning is assumed.
All rangeland and pasture is rented per animal unit month. Ranging analysis tables show net revenue over a range of prices. The costs, materials and operations shown in this study will not apply to all ranches. Ranchers, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors, and other agricultural associates provided input and reviewed the methods and findings of the study.
Free copies of these studies and other sample cost of production studies for additional commodities are also available. To download the cost studies, visit the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics website at https://coststudies.ucdavis.edu.
The cost studies program is funded by the UC Agricultural Issues Center and UC Cooperative Extension, both of which are part of the UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
For more information or an explanation of the calculations used in the studies, contact Donald Stewart at the Agricultural Issues Center at (530) 752-4651 or destewart@ucdavis.edu; Larry Forero, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Shasta and Trinity counties, at lcforero@ucanr.edu, or Jeff Stackhouse, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Humboldt and Del Norte counties, at jwstackhouse@ucanr.edu.
Visalia, Calif., (July 14, 2017) – 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 Alfalfa fields are making excellent progress; and being irrigated, cut, and baled. Planting of corn and sorghum for silage is complete, but still being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop is in various stages, from newly planted to already producing tassels, and the earliest planted corn is developing ears. Wheat harvest for grain is finishing up, and straw is being baled. Cotton continues to be irrigated, cultivated, and growing well. Cotton is forming squares and blooming. Black-eyed beans continue to be irrigated and cultivated. Last year’s crop is being exported to Korea.
Mid-season peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to both domestic markets and exported to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand. Last season’s almonds and pistachios are being exported to the Belgium, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards continue being irrigated. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continues in orchards. Asian pears are being exported to Mexico. Table grape harvest has begun throughout the county, and grapes are being exported to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, and Vietnam. Grapevines continue to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color.
Valencia orange harvest continues primarily for the domestic market. Regreening is becoming more common due to the higher temperatures. Valencia oranges are being exported to Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Harvest is nearing an end due to the high temperatures and overall fruit availability.
Certified producers are picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmer’s Markets. Yellow squash, Zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green Chili peppers, and cucumbers are being harvested and shipped domestically. Blueberry harvest is slowing down in most parts of Tulare County. Blueberries are being exported to Canada, the European Union, Japan, and Taiwan. Sweet corn harvest is picking up with more roadside stands opening and sales at the local Farmer’s Markets. Melons are being irrigated and prepared for the upcoming harvest.
Low elevation rangeland continues to dry and conditions are fair to good, but quality is continuing to decrease. Cattle are still being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations are providing more grass than previous years. Feed costs for cattle remains high. Fed cattle prices remained at $128.00 per hundredweight. Harvested grain fields are being sheeped-off in the southern portions of the county.
Nursery shipments are slowing overall. Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets have decreased due to the hot summer temperatures. Small amounts of citrus nursery stock continue to be sold. New wells continue to be drilled, with many existing wells showing higher levels due to increases in the water table.
Tualre, Calif., (July 14, 2017) – Farm Bureau wanted to alert our members that the County of Tulare has released a DRAFT proposal of a groundwater ordinance that will impact groundwater extractions and property rights. If approved, it would be a prohibition on groundwater usage that takes effect potentially before the enforcement of the new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act laws set to take effect in 2020.
Linked here is a draft ordinance that addresses extractions of groundwater in Tulare County. The County’s Ag Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and the County’s Water Commission has participated in discussions on a Groundwater Ordinance over a year back, but neither advisory body has seen a draft until now. To date, this attached draft has not been presented to the Board of Supervisors.
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Pete Vander Poel has directed staff to send the initial draft of the Tulare County Groundwater Ordinance to APAC and the County Water Commission to review and provide feedback to the Board. Staff to the board anticipate the attached draft will be presented to the Board of Supervisors for their first look at a regular scheduled Board meeting in early September.
Water Rights in California are unique in many respects, and this type of prohibition on extractions may impact agricultural users in many adverse ways, we encourage you to study this closely. The Tulare County Farm Bureau board of directors and staff will also be reviewing this in the weeks ahead.
Santa Barbara, Calif., (July 13, 2017) – When children grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables, they are much more likely to eat healthy food, so for decades California politicians, teachers and nutrition educators have advocated for a garden in every school. However, UC Cooperative Extension experts in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties found that garden care can dwindle over time.
Volunteers gather in the garden before the first outdoor lesson. The course is taught by Lisa Paniaqua, standing on the left, school garden sustainability coordinator for UC CalFresh in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
“Students and their parents ‘age out’ of their elementary schools,” said Shannon Klisch, UC CalFresh community education supervisor in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. “The turnover in expertise and level of commitment can vary widely, leaving some schools with either weedy, abandoned vegetable patches, or no garden support at all.”
UCCE offers UC CalFresh, federally funded nutrition education for CalFresh recipients (formerly called Food Stamps). UC CalFresh nutrition educators in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties saw a need to mobilize highly trained community members who could develop, support, sustain and teach from school gardens. UC CalFresh joined with UC’s 4-H Youth Development, Master Food Preserver, and Master Gardener programs to launch a pilot project called “UC Garden Nutrition Extenders.”
“We don’t have enough staff to work the gardens in every school, so we’ve started recruiting and training volunteers,” said Lisa Paniagua, school garden sustainability coordinator for the UC Garden Nutrition Extender program in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
“By enlisting passionate volunteers, nutrition educators could significantly multiply the number of students who had access to school gardens, nutrition education, and training in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in the garden,” said Katherine Soule, Ph.D., youth, families, and communities advisor in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Klisch said UC Garden Nutrition Extenders are local members of their school communities.
“They are often parents, neighbors or staff and they have a personal investment in seeing the youth and the school environment flourish, which makes for a much more sustainable intervention and increases community capacity to sustain a garden program,” she said.
The practice involved finding something yellow, red, green, brown, round and rectangle shaped. They collected leaves, twigs, flowers, seeds, weeds and edible items.
Paniagua, Klisch, and Soule created a hybrid training program integrating volunteers and educators from UC CalFresh, UC Master Food Preservers, UC Master Gardeners and 4-H. They selected a 4-H gardening and nutrition curriculum written by researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, which includes engaging, student-centered, experiential learning while dividing time between the garden and the classroom. The curriculum reinforces goals in Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards, policies that guide public school teaching.
“Teachers will want to know we are familiar with curriculum standards. Applying them adds value to these classes,” Paniagua said.
In July, the third cohort of future UC Garden Nutrition Extender volunteers gathered at UC Cooperative Extension in San Luis Obispo to learn how they can help schools transform their gardens into fruitful learning activity centers for the students.
One member of the new cohort is Jill Marie, a certified Master Gardener in San Luis Obispo County.
“I live by a school and they have garden beds that are not kept up. I want to get involved and get to know the kids,” she said.
The volunteer teachers learn by conducting the indoor and outdoor curriculum activities and food demonstrations over a four-week period. Their first foray into the UCCE Sunshine School Demonstration Garden began with a mindfulness practice.
“Close your eyes, and just listen,” Paniagua instructed. A moment later she asked, “What did you hear?”
Christina Lawson, director of nutrition at Coast Unified School District, finds ‘something round’ in the garden.
To encourage students to take a closer look at the garden, the class was sent out with egg cartons labeled for a 12-item scavenger hunt, and later asked to select one item to discuss. Reporting on topics are part of Common Core standards for students in third- through fifth-grades and creates discussion learning topics around science, math, engineering, art, and even poetry.
Back in the classroom, the trainees began work in pairs on the next lesson, “Know & Show Sombrero.” With paper, tape and a bag of craft supplies – balloons, ribbons, foam stickers and construction paper – the extenders made hats that represent everything a plant needs. One group used a yellow balloon to symbolize the sun, another had water drops raining down from the brim. A third group sprinkled glitter to represent the nutrients in the soil.
“Why are we putting these on a hat?” Paniaqua asked the class. “The exercise is useful for kinesthetic learners. It reinforces what they learn. At the end, we talk about it and develop conversation skills.”
The half-day session ended with a tasting of purple, yellow and orange carrots.
“In your journals, write words to describe the smell, sight, taste and feel of the three colors of carrots,” Paniagua said.
One of the volunteers Christina Lawson, director of nutrition for Coast Unified School District, laughed.
“We tried to serve purple carrots. Pfft. Zip,” she said. “I’m excited about this. If the kids try them before coming to the cafeteria, it would make my life so much easier.”
Sacramento, Calif., (July 13, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing one vacancy on the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory (CAHFS) Advisory Board. The Board makes recommendations to CDFA and the University of California on matters pertaining to the operations of the CAHFS laboratory system.
The Board consists of representatives of the livestock and poultry industries and practicing veterinarians who utilize laboratory services.
Members serve for two-year terms and receive no compensation but are entitled to reimbursement for actual expenses incurred while attending board meetings.
Individuals interested in being considered for the CAHFS Advisory Board appointment should send a resume by July 25, 2017 to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Animal Health and Food Safety Services, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, California 95814, Attention: Elizabeth Moreno.
For additional information, visit the CAHFS web page at: http://cahfs.ucdavis.edu/ or contact: Dr. Annette Jones, Director, Animal Health and Food Safety Services at (916) 900-5000.
Alhambra, Calif., (July 13, 2017) – In communities around California, urban farms provide fresh produce, community green space, and even job training. However, a 2014 UC ANR needs assessment indicated that urban farmers face challenges, as well as opportunities. They are often beginning farmers, and encounter barriers related to growing in the city, such as zoning restrictions.
A UC Cooperative Extension workshop series in Los Angeles will help city growers build their knowledge on legal, production, marketing and food safety issues.
Building on the needs assessment, a team of UC ANR researchers created a resource website for California urban farmers. This year, team members and local partners are conducting a series of trainings for urban farmers around the state, designed to help city growers build their knowledge in key areas. The series just wrapped up in the Bay Area, and will roll out in Los Angeles starting on July 21. The Los Angeles series dates and topics are:
July 21. Legal Basics of Urban Farming. Are you an urban farmer navigating the rules and regulations related to growing and selling food? A school or non-profit organization involved in farming? This workshop will help position you for success.
July 28. Production Issues and Urban Farms.Are you an urban farmer learning the ins and outs of growing and harvesting crops? This workshop is designed to guide urban farmers through common production challenges related to soil, water use, and pest management.
August 4. Marketing and Business Management for Urban Farmers.From business planning to labor laws, learn the basics to help you succeed.
August 11. Food Safety Basics for Urban Farmers. Learn how to ensure a safe harvest, from the field to the fork.
Local partners are key to planning and hosting these events, including the Los Angeles Food Policy Council, the Collaborative for Urban Agroecology Los Angeles, Cal Poly Pomona College of Agriculture, Community Services Unlimited, GrowGood, the Growing Experience, and others.
The series will also be held in Sacramento and San Diego in early 2018. For updates and announcements, follow UC ANR’s Urban Agriculture blog, Facebook, and Twitter. And be sure to bookmark our UC Urban Agriculture website which offers resources on production, policies, and more.
Sacramento, Calif., (July 12, 2017) – California is the largest milk producing state, representing 20 percent of U.S. milk production every year. The Central Valley has nearly 1.5 million dairy cows and one of the highest concentrations of livestock in the nation, Figure 1. The Central Valley has faced some extreme heat already this year, with nine days in June over 100 degrees. The historical average daily temperature in the Central Valley is 87 degrees, with a record of 111 degrees. This year, the temperature averaged 91 degrees and peaked at 109 degrees. July is typically the warmest month for this region, averaging a high of 95 degrees. However, the first seven days of July shows this could be an unusually warm month as well. Temperatures were between 97 and 101 degrees July 1-7, with daily forecasts for the next two weeks all above 100 degrees. Figure 2 shows the three-month outlook from the Climate Prediction Center.
Milk production takes a significant hit during times of high heat due to animal stress. However, it’s not just yields that will be affected. Extreme heat can reduce component levels and affect downstream processing by changing the yield in dairy products such as butter and cheese.
California is home to 14 of the 86 butter production facilities in the U.S. These butter facilities produce over 30 percent of the nation’s butter production on an annual basis, averaging about 603 million pounds per year. Butter contains at least 80 percent milkfat and the remainder is water, protein and salt. Because of this heavy milkfat component, yield per pound of milk is highly dependent on the milkfat content. The rule of thumb is 1 pound of butter takes about 21 pounds of whole milk. U.S. milkfat has been climbing steadily higher as components have become a larger and larger piece of the dairy complex. Figure 3 shows the trend line of higher milk fat content over time as well as the seasonality.
Milkfat can be affected by many factors, including weather, nutrition and genetic variability. The seasonality alone on average varies 7 percent from the depths of summer to the highest point in December. California milkfat has been running high this year, about 1 percent above last year. However, data has been released only through May. June data, which should show the impact of the hot weather, will be released July 31, 2017, by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Figure 4 shows California’s milkfat relative to last year and the five year average.
The direct impact heat has on butter production may be difficult to tease out, because California butter plants have been producing less butter this year anyway. Year-to-date, California has produced 6 percent less butter through May, while New York is up 2 percent, Pennsylvania, up 1 percent and other states increased 1 percent. California is also entering into the seasonal low for butter production. In addition, cheese production has increased slightly this year, up about half a percent year to date. If milk components take a big hit in June, its likely cheese production will also be affected. Lower yields on dairy products could prop up the demand for whole milk as it will take larger quantities to produce the same amount of cheese or butter. However, let’s not bet the farm that higher milk prices will follow. Butter and cheese inventories are still at fairy higher levels on a historical basis and exports have dragged notably in the butter complex this year. Total U.S. butter exports through May are down 25 percent, and although cheese exports are up 22 percent, this heat wave is largely regional. California produces a much larger proportion of butter than cheese relative to the national picture. Cheese production in California was about 21 percent of national production in 2016.
Fresno, Calif., (July 12, 2017) – Fields of oats, triticale, and wheat continued to be green chopped for silage or cut, windrowed and baled for hay production. Harvester inspections took place to certify wheat fields for inter-county permits to ship out of the County. Rice was growing well and had herbicides applied as needed.
Alfalfa fields were growing well and the cycle of cutting, windrowing and baling was under way. Alfalfa for seed production also was growing well while being pollinated by honey and leaf-cutter bees. Spraying for lygus and aphids took place in alfalfa. Cotton appeared to be growing well but was really hit hard by lygus and aphids. Growers had a hard time getting a handle on the amount of times they needed to spray. Sweet corn and silage corn continued to show good growth in June. Drip tape was pulled in garlic fields to begin dry out. Sorghum was still being planted and being treated with herbicides and insecticides. Lettuce for seed production was maturing. Alfalfa seed was exported to Saudi Arabia and Sudan.
Stone fruit harvesting grew throughout June; with nectarines, peaches, and plums all being harvested and packed. Growers saw light fruit set this year due to lingering drought effects, temperature swings and powerful storms. Apricot and cherry harvesting wrapped up. Almond, pistachio and walnuts continued to mature. Nut orchards were treated for weeds and walnuts were treated for codling moth. New almond orchards were still being planted. Raisin, table, and wine grape growers continued to spray for powdery mildew, mites, hoppers, and vine mealy bugs. Early varieties of grapes started to show berry softening towards the end of the month. Pomegranates continued to mature and have pesticides applied to orchards. Almonds, apricots, nectarines, peaches, prunes, raisins and walnuts were exported to Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Viet Nam. Chilean grapes were re-exported to Canada.
Summer vegetable season started off well! Basil, bittermelon, cucumbers (English, Armenian, and Pickle), daikon, eggplant (Italian and Japanese), melons, okra, peppers (bell and jalapeno), tomatillos, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini were all starting to be harvested and showing up in roadside stands. Market onions started to be harvested around the County but only Huron District reported processing onion harvest had started. Growers continued to plant fields of melons, eggplants, cucumbers and squash. Harvesting continued in blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Harvest started in early planted tomatoes. Tomato fields continued to be fertilized, had pesticides applied, and were cultivated by hand-weeding crews. Garlic was maturing nicely. Melons grew well and increased in size rapidly over the last month. Cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon harvest started towards the end of the month with very good market price. Onions were exported to Australia, Nicaragua, Panama, and Taiwan. Squash was exported to Mexico.
Citrus harvesting wrapped up across the County. Orchards started to receive herbicide treatments and were also cultivated and irrigated. Foliar fungicide and nutrient applications were ongoing. Orange groves had sunscreen applied to foliage. Grapefruit, lemons, oranges and tangelos were packed. Valencia oranges were exported to Republic of Korea. Olive orchards underwent some pruning and discing.
Beehives were placed in melon, squash, and seed alfalfa fields for pollination. Sheep were moved into retired farmland and harvested wheat fields. Cattle continued to be shipped out for processing. Range conditions started to decline as the summer heat set in with concerns of potential wildfires. Poultry and egg production was normal.
Sacramento, Calif., (July 12, 2017) – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is announcing three vacancies on the Fertilizer Inspection Advisory Board. The board advises the secretary of food and agriculture on the department’s Fertilizing Materials Inspection Program, which ensures fertilizing materials are safe, effective and meet quality guarantees.
As part of the Fertilizing Materials Inspection Program, inspectors and investigators located throughout the state conduct routine sampling and inspections; respond to consumer complaints; and enforce laws and regulations that governing the manufacturing and distribution of fertilizing materials. The program is funded by fertilizer license fees and assessments.
The term of office for board members is three years. Members receive no compensation, but are entitled to necessary travel expenses. Applicants must hold a current fertilizing materials license or be a representative of a licensed firm.
Individuals interested in a board appointment must submit a resume and a completed Prospective Member Appointment Questionnaire (PMAQ), available on the CDFA website at www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/ffldrs by August 31, 2017.
Send resume and PMAQ via email to Brittnie.Sabalbro@cdfa.ca.gov or by mail to:
California Department of Food and Agriculture
Feed, Fertilizer and Livestock Drugs Regulatory Service Branch
Attn: Brittnie Sabalbro
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
cows and one of the highest concentrations of livestock in the nation, Figure 1. The Central Valley has faced some extreme heat already this year, with nine days in June over 100 degrees. The historical average daily temperature in the Central Valley is 87 degrees, with a record of 111 degrees. This year, the temperature averaged 91 degrees and peaked at 109 degrees. July is typically the warmest month for this region, averaging a high of 95 degrees. However, the first seven days of July shows this could be an unusually warm month as well. Temperatures were between 97 and 101 degrees July 1-7, with daily forecasts for the next two weeks all above 100 degrees. Figure 2 shows the three-month outlook from the Climate Prediction Center.
take a big hit in June, its likely cheese production will also be affected. Lower yields on dairy products could prop up the demand for whole milk as it will take larger quantities to produce the same amount of cheese or butter. However, let’s not bet the farm that higher milk prices will follow. Butter and cheese inventories are still at fairy higher levels on a historical basis and exports have dragged notably in the butter complex this year. Total U.S. butter exports through May are down 25 percent, and although cheese exports are up 22 percent, this heat wave is largely regional. California produces a much larger proportion of butter than cheese relative to the national picture. Cheese production in California was about 21 percent of national production in 2016.