California Ag Network

Category: News

  • Egg-Citing News – Food Prices Down for Easter

    Fresno, Calif., (April 13, 2017) – Lower retail prices for several foods, including eggs, ground chuck, sirloin tip roast, chicken breasts and toasted oat cereal resulted in a significant decrease in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Spring Picnic Marketbasket Survey.

    “As expected due to lower farm-gate prices, we have seen continued declines in retail prices for livestock products including eggs, beef, chicken, pork and cheese,” said John Newton, AFBF’s director of market intelligence.

    The informal survey showed the total cost of 16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $50.03, down $3.25 or about 6 percent compared to a year ago. Of the 16 items surveyed, 11 decreased, four increased and one remained the same in average price.

    Egg prices are down sharply from a year ago and also are down slightly from the third quarter of 2016.

    “Egg prices continue to move back toward long-run average prices following the bird flu of 2014/15,” said Newton. “The Agriculture Department is currently monitoring bird flu detections in the Southeast U.S. If detections continue, retail poultry prices could feel an impact due to lower exports or changes in supply,” he said.

    “As farm-gate prices for livestock products have declined and remained lower, prices in the retail meat case have become more competitive,” Newton said.

    Retail price changes from a year ago:

    • eggs, down 41percent to $1.32 per dozen
    • toasted oat cereal, down 15 percent to $2.83 for a 9-ounce box
    • sirloin tip roast, down 13 percent to $4.95 per pound
    • ground chuck, down 10 percent to $3.92 per pound
    • chicken breast, down 6 percent to $3.17 per pound
    • apples, down 6 percent to $1.55 per pound
    • flour, down 5 percent to $2.36 for a 5-pound bag
    • shredded cheddar cheese, down 4 percent to $4.10 per pound
    • deli ham, down 3 percent to $5.42 per pound
    • bacon, down 3 percent to $4.65 per pound
    • potatoes, down 1 percent to $2.68 for a 5-pound bag
    • bagged salad, up 6 percent to $2.34 per pound
    • white bread, up 2 percent to $1.72 per 20-ounce loaf
    • orange juice, up 1 percent to $3.22 per half-gallon
    • whole milk, up 1 percent to $3.27 per gallon
    • vegetable oil, no change, $2.55 for a 32-ounce bottle

    Price checks of alternative milk and egg choices not included in the overall marketbasket survey average revealed the following: 1/2 gallon whole regular milk, $2.10; 1/2 gallon organic milk, $4.20; and one dozen “cage-free” eggs, $3.48.

    The year-to-year direction of the marketbasket survey tracks closely with the federal government’s Consumer Price Index report for food at home. As retail grocery prices have increased gradually over time, the share of the average food dollar that America’s farm and ranch families receive has dropped.

    “Through the mid-1970s, farmers received about one-third of consumer retail food expenditures for food eaten at home and away from home, on average. Since then, that figure has decreased steadily and is now about 16 percent, according to the Agriculture Department’s revised Food Dollar Series,” Newton said.

    AFBF, the nation’s largest general farm organization, began conducting informal quarterly marketbasket surveys of retail food price trends in 1989. The series includes a spring picnic survey, summer cookout survey, fall harvest survey and Thanksgiving dinner cost survey.

    According to USDA, Americans spend just under 10 percent of their disposable annual income on food, the lowest average of any country in the world. A total of 117 shoppers in 31 states participated in the latest survey, conducted in March.

    Source: American Farm Bureau Federation, News Release, April 11, 2017

     

  • Fresno County Farm Bureau Congratulates Journalism Award Recipients

    Fresno, Calif., (April 13, 2017) – Fresno County Farm Bureau (FCFB) announced the recipients of its 23rd Annual Journalism Awards this evening at the organization’s inaugural Arts & Hops event, held at Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company in downtown Fresno.

    Almost 40 entries were received from local publications, websites, radio and television stations. The criteria for the awards were: awareness of agriculture’s importance in the Valley; use of visuals to tell the story, where applicable; thorough and objective coverage of the issues, given time and space limitations; and portraying the “human side” of the industry, making the issues relevant to consumers and/or producers.

    The winners were:

    Audio

    • Kerry Klein, Valley Public Radio, “Climate Legislation an Opportunity for Dairy Digesters, but Hurdles Remain,” October 11, 2016
    • Klein explores anaerobic digesters, a technology that could help dairy farmers meet their methane goals.

    Farm Trade Print

    • Matthew Malcolm, Vegetables West Magazine, “Challenges & Successes with Fall California Harvest,” November 1, 2016
    • Malcolm visits with several vegetable growers to discuss the challenges and successes that California farmers faced during the Fall 2016 harvest.

    General Print

    • Dani Villalobos, The Fresno Bee, “Follow the Crop,” November 12, 2016
    • Villalobos follows the Enzo Olive Oil Company to give an in-depth look at the olive oil production process from tree to table.

    Video

    • Dale Yurong & Dennis Silvas, ABC30, “Brew to Moo,” November 7, 2016
    • ABC30 explores a unique partnership between local breweries and ranchers utilizing beer waste products to provide feed to cattle.

    Serving as judges were: Alyssa Houtby, California Citrus Mutual’s Director of Public Affairs; Liz Hudson, Hudson Farms; and Donny Rollin, Rollin Valley Farms and FCFB President.

    “Our local media plays an extremely vital role in communicating agriculture to our community,” said FCFB CEO Ryan Jacobsen.  “We look forward to continuing to be a resource to our media partners.”

  • A Farm Bill for our planet

    Sacramento, Calif., (April 12, 2017) – CDFA is in the midst of preparing California’s recommendations for the 2018 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is renewed every five years and serves as the policy guideline for food and farming in the United States. The legislation touches all of us in numerous ways, as this series of blog posts explains in greater detail.

    The formula is simple — a healthy planet means healthier, more productive farms.  California’s farmers and ranchers embrace this concept every day. By leveraging the tools provided in the 2014 Farm Bill, California has led the way in on-farm conservation practices, combating climate change, improving habitats, and protecting wildlife. Consider these facts when thinking about California agriculture and its role in protecting habitat life and the environment:

    • 75 percent of California’s private farmland supports wildlife
    • Our climate smart agricultural practices help save an estimated 546,950 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually (That’s the equivalent of removing 12,000 vehicles from our roads!)
    • By acting as a carbon sink, one acre of California rice can remove up to 23,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
    • Efficient irrigation systems  help save 12.2 billion gallons of water per year

    The continued success of environmental stewardship and sustainable management practices depends on a partnership with the federal government. Support for programs in the Conservation and Energy titles of the Farm Bill are instrumental in maintaining the health and productivity of our agricultural lands. Here are some more details about the specific titles and how they assist our farmers and ranchers in maintaining a healthy planet:

    The Conservation Title is the heart and soul of the Farm Bill’s environmental programs.  It authorizes funding for several conservation programs, including the Conversation Reserve Program, (the CRP), the Environmental Quality Inventive Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program.

    Although each of these programs has varying goals and funding, their prerogatives are similar – promote environmental stewardship while protecting the environment.  One program in particular, EQIP, has been particularly successful in allowing California farmers and ranchers to leverage federal assistance to promote a variety of environmental projects. These include improving air quality, addressing wildlife habitats within the California Bay-Delta Central Valley watershed, supporting beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers/ranchers, and creating on-farm energy plans.

    The Farm Bill’s Energy Title allows farmers, ranchers and rural communities across the country to use renewable energy to power their homes while also supporting their agricultural operations.  In California, programs like the Rural Energy for America (REAP) has provided funding to support solar and energy efficiency projects across the state.

    The energy title allows California’s specialty crops to also play a role in biofuel research development.  Programs like the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP), Biomass Research and Development Initiative, and the Bio Refinery Assistance Program (BAP) allow California commodities like almonds and walnuts to be included as potential sources for biofuel.  A recent study found that a blend of almond biodiesel with regular diesel fuel reduced greenhouse gas and total particulate emissions, when compared to diesel fuel alone.  This sort of research is not only promising, it also demonstrates how California farmers and ranchers will continue to play a vital role in supporting sustainability and environmental stewardship in the years ahead.

    A future farm bill must remain committed to supporting, developing and embracing robust conservation practices. As the country’s leader in the fight against climate change, California farmers and ranchers will continue to utilize the tools provided in the Farm Bill to maintain the health and quality of their operations, while also improving the environment around them.

     

  • Statement on End of California Drought

    Sacramento, Calif., (April 12, 2017) – The Governor declared an end to California’s drought and his administration issued plans to permanently entrench many of the drought restrictions and water use efficiency requirements it brought about.

    “California farmers work every day to make the most out of every drop.  While total agricultural water use in California has remained relatively constant over the last 50 years, the amount of food we produce with that water has increased over 43 percent. Any way you look at it, that’s a pretty efficient use of resources, said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.

    “By planning to prepare for future drought the Administration recognizes that Californians can no longer rely on our broken water system to provide sufficient water to all California water users – urban, farm and environmental. Without fixing our broken system, we face the risk of permanent water shortages during even the wettest of years, and ever-escalating disaster during multi-year droughts.

    “Californians have long known that our state must develop water infrastructure in smart ways to foster prosperity, avert crisis, and ensure our long-term success. In 2014 the voters overwhelmingly passed Prop 1, agreeing to spend money on badly-needed water infrastructure. And yet, projects that have been studied for years and are ready to go remain unfunded. Why? Our water management system with more than 15 overlapping federal, state, and local agencies continues to delay. Sites Reservoir and Temperance Flat alone would add enough water to meet the needs of 4.3 million people for a year or grow over 11 billion salads

    “We must act now to prepare for future droughts by building integrated water storage that helps to grow our economy, protect the environment, and ensure prosperity for future generations. But fixing our broken system goes beyond our urgent need to develop these smart storage solutions. California must pursue robust, adaptive, and durable solutions to the other water management issues confronting us. Local, state, and federal agencies must adopt not only a culture of cooperation, but outcome-oriented policies that encourage responsive, efficient, and smart solutions.

    “We stand ready to roll up our sleeves and work to fix the broken water management system and keep California from a state of permanent drought,” Wade said.

  • Statement from Westlands Water District on 100 Percent Allocation Announcement

    Fresno, Calif., (April 12, 2017) – Today’s announcement by the Bureau of Reclamation of an allocation increase for south-of-Delta Central Valley Project (CVP) agricultural water service contractors from 65 percent to 100 percent is certainly good news. For farmers with permanent crops, the increase is a real blessing. Those farmers will have sufficient, good quality surface water to irrigate their orchards and vineyards that suffer damage when irrigated with poorer quality groundwater. This allocation decision will enable all farmers to avoid pumping an overdrafted groundwater basin.

    But today’s announcement helps underscore a fundamental problem; under existing regulations the CVP is unable to operate as originally designed. The last time Reclamation allocated 100 percent to south-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors was more than a decade ago, in 2006, another exceptionally wet year. In the interim, the State of California has experienced wet years, average years, and dry years. The CVP was designed to deliver full supplies in all types of water years, and the contracts between the United States and the public water agencies that supply farmers stipulate allocation announcements will be made in mid-February. This is intended to enable farmers to make timely planting decisions. However, in the decade since 2006, we have experienced allocations ranging from zero to 80 percent. For three consecutive years, 2014, 2015, and 2016, the allocation amounted to zero. (In 2016, the allocation was 5 percent, but farmers were told the allocation could not be used during the irrigation season.) For farmers who had to make planting decisions several months ago, today’s announcement of an increase in supply comes too late in the season to aid their operations.

    For much of the past two and a half decades, farmers have been forced to make all too familiar and unfortunate decisions to lay off employees, cancel farm plans, and idle much of the most productive farmland in the world, simply because the water delivery system in the state has been paralyzed by laws and regulations. Policies that prevent the CVP from making adequate water supplies available for farmers, except in the most extreme wet years, must be reexamined.

    One last positive note, the water unused from this year’s allocation will remain in storage for next year. We look forward to a timely, adequate allocation for the next growing season.

  • Lake County Walnut Update, April 25th

    University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) invites growers and others involved in the North Coast walnut industry to attend the 2017 Lake County Walnut Update to be held Tuesday, April 25th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Scotts Valley Women’s Club, 2298 Hendricks Road, Lakeport. The facility is wheelchair accessible. Topics will include an overview of the 2016 Lake County walnut season and outlook for 2017, laws and regulations update, irrigation and canopy management, carbohydrate physiology, integrated pest management, organic transition and cultural practices and industry-supported marketing and research.

    The meeting is sponsored by UCCE, Lake County Department of Agriculture, and the California Walnut Board. There is no registration fee and refreshments will be provided courtesy of the California Walnut Board. The agenda and directions to the meeting site can be viewed at http://celake.ucanr.edu. For further information contact UCCE at (707) 263-6838 or email celake@ucanr.edu.

  • Hands-on Ventura CropManage Workshop, May 11

    Bringing CropManage to the Field

    Date: Thursday, May 11, 2017 8:00am – 12pm

    Location: UC Cooperative Extension, Ventura County California Conference Room,
    669 County Square Dr. Ste. 100 Ventura, CA 93003

    • Learn how to use CropManage to support irrigation and nutrient management decisions and record keeping
    • Learn about the new version of CropManage (3.0)
    • 2.5 hours CCA CEU approved; VCAILG hours applied

    CropManage is a free online decision support tool for water and nutrient management of coastal crops. Even with the wet winter, water conservation will continue to be of concern in Ventura County, and water regulations will continue to be tied to efficient nutrient management. CropManage can play an important role in providing quick decision support on water and nutrient management on a field-by-field basis.

    At this free workshop, we provide hands-on training so you can learn how to navigate and use CropManage for assisting with water and nitrogen management decisions and record-keeping. We will also cover updates to CropManage, which will making it more compatible with in-field use by farm staff.

    Crops currently supported by CropManage include strawberry, head and romaine lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, spinach, baby lettuce, cilantro, and mizuna. CropManage will soon include leaf lettuce and bell peppers.

    Who should participate: Ventura County vegetable and berry growers, ranch managers, and other farm staff, and technical service providers are welcome. The workshop is for both new and current CropManage users.

    What to bring: This is a hands on workshop so please bring a tablet or laptop computer so that you can follow along.

    Please RSVP by Monday, May 1 to Patricia Rodriguez at 805 645-1474 or parodriguez@ucanr.edu Space is limited.

    Full Agenda

  • Strawberry Fumigant Workshop in Ventura, April 28

    Fumigants and Non-Fumigant Alternatives: Regulatory and Research Updates

    28 April, Friday 8 AM-NOON

    Ventura County

    UCCE Conference Room, 669 County Square Drive, Ventura.

    Schedule (English) • Schedule(Spanish)

  • Fresno County Department of Agriculture Crop Report for March

    Fresno, Calif., (April 10, 2017) – In each District- oats, triticale, wheat and winter forage showed good growth and head development. Fields were fertilized and sprayed for broad leaf weed control. Grains planted for soil amendment in vineyards and row crop fields were disced under. The strong winds at the end of the month blew over some grain fields in the Kerman District. In the Firebaugh District, rice fields were prepared for planting.

    Established and fall plantings of alfalfa grew rapidly and needed treatment from weeds and insect pest. Some growers started to cut and windrowed their crop. Across the County, growers continued to prepare for cotton, with a few fields being planted. Garbanzo beans in Firebaugh and Huron emerged and showed rapid growth. Planting of field and sweet corn started and wet silage was cut for dairy feed. Alfalfa seed was exported to China and Saudi Arabia. Shallots were sent to Mexico and Jack beans were exported to United Kingdom.

    Bloom season ended for stone fruit and almond orchards in March. Both fruit and nuts were sizing rapidly. Pistachios began to push and new shoots where visible towards the end of the month. Pomegranates were showing good growth. Foliar feeds, fungicide applications, field irrigation, and weed control by herbicide spray or discing took place in almond, apricot, nectarine, peach, and prune orchards. Grape vines leafed out well across the County and were treated for mealy bugs and powdery mildew. Vineyards were treated with herbicides or disced to control weeds. Vineyards continue to be removed and replaced with almond, pistachio, or walnuts. Almonds, Asian pears, dry cranberries, dry figs, dry prunes, pistachios, raisins, and walnuts were exported to Algeria, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Viet Nam.

    Spring arrived and with that the last of the winter crops of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, collards, gailon, and kale were harvested. Some roadside stands opened with strawberries and a few vegetables offered for sale. The rains slowed down transplanting of tomatoes, with roughly only 20% of process tomatoes being planted. Cantaloupe and watermelon plantings started in Huron district. Tomato and melon fields were fumigated, with herbicides and fertilized applied prior to planting. Garlic and onion fields were irrigated and showed good growth. Asparagus and blueberries were harvested. Spring lettuce harvest started on March 21, with good prices on both head and leaf lettuces. Parsley was also harvest in Huron. Lettuce and asparagus was exported to Canada, Japan and New Zealand.

    The citrus bloom started towards the end of the month, and with that, mandarins and tangerines were netted to keep them seedless. Harvesting of citrus started to wind down overall. Post-emergent herbicides and foliar fertilizers were used in orchards. Grapefruit, lemon, mandarin, navel, and tangelo were exported to Belgium, Chile, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, French Polynesia, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and United Arab Emirates. Olives in the Sanger District went through pruning and discing.

    With the bloom season done in almonds and stone fruits, bees were returned to states of origin Bee incidents where up this season as the wet weather pushed back the application of dormant insecticides, which coincided with the start of bloom. The bees remaining in the area fed off the explosion of flowering weeds. Rangeland continued to be in prime condition for cattle and sheep to graze. Livestock was also moved out of alfalfa fields and into retired farmland. Ranchers shipped out cattle for processing.

  • WUD Opposes SB 1 – The Largest Fuel Tax Increase in California History

    Modesto, Calif., (April 10, 2017) – Led by Governor Brown and legislative leadership, SB 1 was amended and ushered through the process to impose the single largest gas tax increase we have seen. The bill will generate $52 billion dollars over the next ten years to fund deferred maintenance on state highways, local streets and roads, and to improve trade corridors, transit and transportation facilities. SB 1 passed yesterday evening in the late hours earning the bare minimum of “aye” votes to secure a 2/3rds vote threshold needed to win approval.

    Most impactful to our members is the bill’s tax on diesel fuel which starting on November 1, 2017:

    • Increase in the diesel excise tax by $0.20 per gallon
    • Increase in the diesel sales tax by 4% per gallon
    • Increase in the vehicle license fee between $25 – $175 annually based on the value of the vehicle

    WUD communicated strongly to legislators the impact to the dairy industry. And, although this is not the outcome we had hoped for, we are proud of the opposition strategy we executed. With a targeted budget we engaged over 500,000 people on social media, generated 35,000 signed petitions, and drove 2,000 phone calls to legislative offices. WUD’s campaign successfully activated a base of people that we can energize again on future legislative/regulatory battles. This effort demonstrates yet again why elections matter and the need to continue to build our political strength as an industry.

    Particularly relevant was the fact legislative democrats enjoy a 2/3rds supermajority in both houses of the Legislature which was earned in the 2016 election cycle. Given the political environment and leadership’s willingness to use that supermajority to pursue rather aggressive policies that impact animal agriculture is a reality WUD’s leadership must consider as we tackle priority issues – including water quality and short-lived climate pollutants – in the coming year.

    SB 1 diesel fuel cost increase: 1000/head of cows = $30,000 annually 2000/head of cows = $60,000 annually 3000/head of cows = $90,000 annually