Sacramento, Calif., (March 29, 2017) – Many south-of-delta water users learned, after months of waiting, that they will only get 65% of their allocation this year. The initial announcement, delayed beyond the usual date comes late for growers looking to make critical decisions on-farm.
“While nature has provided an abundant supply in this record-breaking year and dams continue to be managed for flooding constraints, the broken bureaucratic system is not only unable to deliver full contract amounts, but now comes so late that farmers are left scrambling to make planting decision,” said Wade.
“If this is the best that can be done in the wettest year on record, what do future average and dry years hold?” Wade continued.
Communities who endured years of drought-induced water restrictions must now confront the consequences created by the failure to modernize and improve our system- from delays to increasing water storage and resolving conveyance constraints, to rejecting holistic management of the threats facing native species.
“Water that passes South could be used not only to reduce groundwater use, but to actually recharge and bank it in many places. Recharging water is as important a part of the future of storage as new reservoirs are. We must look to maximize the water we get during wet years and prepare for the future- we have to use the tools and supplies we have.” said Wade.
The State and Federal governments must now work quickly to adopt new, commonsense policies that not only encourage water storage during times of abundance in preparation for times of below-average precipitation, and ensure that agencies pursue outcomes-driven and holistic management strategies of native species, but that these policies are executed working in partnership with water experts from local and regional water management agencies to promote the most effective and efficient management of resources.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 28, 2017) – New South Wales: Our trip to Australia included a trip near the village of of Yenda, for a tour with the irrigation, energy and wastewater
This warehouse contains 1.5 million cases of Yellow Tail wines, about a month’s supply for customers around the world.
management team for Casella Family Brands, the owners of Yellow Tail and Peter Lehmann wines, among other labels. Yellow Tail was launched in the USA in 2001 and quickly surpassed all initial projections to become one of the world’s most recognized wines.
The family-owned winery is a leader in adopting technology in the vineyards and its processing facility. All irrigation pumps are linked by radio and cellular phone for scheduling by computer. Soil moisture probes feed into the information system every 15 minutes along with a network of weather station data. The integrated data management system requires fewer pumping hours–a 25-30 percent savings of energy use- brings reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and it saves money! The computer system from Australia’s Right Energy Solutions was a capital investment with a fifteen-month payback!
Recycling is a key part of this company’s culture. Raw wastewater from the winery is recycled and reused, and rainwater is reclaimed. All cardboard, plastic, oak and glass are recycled. Pomace and other solid waste from the crush are used in the extensive composting yard for the vineyards.
The winery is on the same location where John Casella’s parents started their farming venture after leaving Sicily in 1957. The original winery – a tin shack- and the family home are still there. Another amazing story of a farm family that never gave up!
We traveled back to Canberra through countryside that is mostly grazing and grain production. The wide open spaces reminded me of western Nebraska but the rolling pastures definitely could have been Amador or Calaveras county!
Davis, Calif., (March 28, 2017) – California tree nut growers will soon have to comply with new agriculture water testing requirements under the Produce Safety Rule in the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). University of California researchers and advisors are holding seminars to share information about the agricultural water requirements and proper water sampling methods in order to be in compliance with the regulations.
Almond kernel emerging from dried hull. (Photo: Melissa L. Partyka)
While irrigation or spray water is generally not the source of contamination, it is a vehicle for pathogens that are harmful to humans, especially on produce that is consumed raw; therefore, agricultural water was included as a part of the new regulation.
The UC Cooperative Extension office in Yolo County was the site of the first information sessions for nut tree growers/producers. It was an ideal location, as the fertile soils of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys are home to the largest tree nut production industries in the U.S. Some nuts are also grown in the coastal valley regions and Sierra foothills.
Good news for nut consumers
Almond harvesting in California’s Central Valley. (Photo: Melissa L. Partyka)
The new regulations and the focus on food safety practices, particularly within the nut tree industry, is of great interest because of the popularity of nutritious and delicious tree nuts. I for one am a big consumer. My day starts with almond butter on toast. That’s followed by snacks of raw walnuts and dates. And there’s always the handful of roasted pistachios to be grabbed for a salty treat.
It is lucky for someone who is nuts about nuts to live in California. The state is the nation’s No. 1 walnut, almond and pistachio producer. California produces 80 percent of the world’s almonds. We produce one million tons of almonds each year, followed by walnuts at nearly half a million tons, and pistachios at over a quarter million tons.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture reports the state’s leading agricultural export products by value in 2015 were almonds ($5.14 billion), dairy products ($1.63 billion), walnuts ($1.49 billion), wine ($1.48 billion), and pistachios ($848 million).
Melissa L. Partyka, an ecologist at the UC Davis Western Institute for Food Safety and Security, (WIFSS) and Ronald F. Bond, a water quality researcher and field coordinator with WIFSS, are engaging local growers on issues of food safety and helping to educate them on not only the regulations but on ways to improve their water quality.
They are affiliated with the Western Center for Food Safety, a Food and Drug Administration Center of Excellence, and are helping break down the regulations for the growers, regulations which can be a little overwhelming to the untrained.
Agricultural water, according to FSMA, is that water used to irrigate, treat, harvest, wash commodity or equipment on farm.
Growers are required to test water if it:
Comes in contact with the harvestable portion of the commodity
Is used to clean harvest equipment
Is used to mix pesticides/fungicides applied to commodity
Is used by harvest crews to wash hands
As of January 2016 growers will have 2 to 4 years (depending on farm size) to comply with most aspects of the Produce Safety Rule. Basically, the larger the production, the higher potential for risk to the consumer. How often a grower samples water depends on the water source. Well water requires an initial four samples, followed by one sample per year. Surface water, requires an initial 20 samples, followed by five samples per year. Water samples should be collected as close to harvest as is practical. During a long harvest season, samples can be spread out; in short harvest seasons, samples should be collected closer together; and in multiple harvest seasons, samples should be taken near each harvest if water is coming from the same source.
San Luis Obispo, Calif., (March 28, 2017) – Jim and Michelle Marderosian, longtime supporters of Cal Poly’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and key leaders in the citrus industry, have pledged $1.5 million to the college’s new J.G. Boswell Agricultural Technology Center.
The gift will fund a new plant pathology lab that will be used to diagnose and explore plant diseases and disease control strategies.
Jim Marderosian founded Bee Sweet Citrus in 1987 in Fowler, California, as an independent packer and shipper of California oranges. In the last 30 years, the company has expanded and grown to be a leader in the industry and now ships citrus products including navel and Valencia oranges, lemons, grapefruit and mandarins throughout the United States and overseas through export.
The Marderosians both attended Cal Poly in the 1970s; Jim Marderosian attended Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business and Michelle Marderosian studied social sciences and business. They hope the gift will inspire others to invest in Cal Poly’s renowned Learn by Doing education.
“The plant pathology lab in the J.G. Boswell Agricultural Technology Center will give Cal Poly students the ability to research different environmental affects, diseases and agricultural pest issues to compete with the ever-changing world conditions,” Jim Marderosian said. “When students graduate, they will be prepared to handle the industry challenges happening now and in the future.”
The Applied Sciences Innovation Labs within the J.G. Boswell Agricultural Technology Center, expected to be complete in 2021, will feature 11 labs, each dedicated to an important emerging issue in agriculture, nutrition and the food industry.
“The support of industry leaders such as Jim and Michelle Marderosian is essential to providing our students access to state-of-the-art technology and learning opportunities,” Dean Andrew Thulin said. “We are grateful that they share our vision of making our college the best in the nation.”
The Marderosians have a daughter and three sons: Chelsey, Thomas, Marcus and Steven. The two youngest sons are enrolled at Cal Poly studying agricultural systems management. Their oldest son, Thomas, graduated from Cal Poly in 2013 and now works for the family business running the technical department. Chelsey, a CPA, also works for the family businesses.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 28, 2017) – The week oscillated between warm and wet to dry and cool two separate times last week, as early springtime Pacific systems moved through the State.
Rain totals were up to a quarter of an inch along the southern coast, increasing gradually to nearly two inches near San Francisco. The southern valley saw one-and-a-half inches, increasing northward to four inches near Napa. An inch was the norm along the southern Sierra foothills, increasing northward to three inches in northern foothills. The Sierras saw two to three inches of liquid-equivalent precipitation, with snow falling above 7,000 feet. A combination of warm temperatures and rain led to a substantial decrease in the snowpack except at the highest elevations in the northern Sierras. Lodgepole, at 6,700 feet in the southern Sierras, remains the thickest snowpack with a report of nearly six feet of snowdepth.
Temperature highs were in the 40s to 60s in the mountains, 60s to 70s in the valley and along the coast, and 70s to 90s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 30s in the mountains, 30s to 50s in the valley, 40s to 50s along the coast, and 40s to the 60s in the desert.
Winter forage crops were maturing well. Some growers were starting to harvest silage. Spotty lodging was noted due to the heavy rain and wind. Corn seed was being received in advance of planting. Cotton preparation work was almost done for planting.
Field work in vineyards continued with pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding. Bud break was progressing in vineyards. Cherries and late varieties of stone fruit continued to bloom. Reports of heavy rain and hail may have knocked off petals and affected the bloom. Kiwifruit were being shipped to foreign and domestic marketplaces. The citrus harvest was slowed due to the rain. Late navel orange harvest was underway in some areas. Navel oranges, Mandarins, lemons, Star Ruby grapefruit, and late harvest Finger limes were being packed and exported for foreign and domestic marketplaces. Valencia orange harvest started. Orange groves were being hedge-rowed and skirted. Seedless tangerine groves continued to be netted to prevent cross pollination by bees during the coming bloom. Blueberries were blooming. Strawberry fields continued to thrive. Previously planted onions continued to progress well.
Almond bloom continued to slow down. Almonds and pistachios continued to be packed and exported mainly to foreign marketplaces. Some walnut trees were blooming. Bee colonies continued to be moved into nut and stone fruit orchards for pollination.
In Fresno County, garlic and onions have solid growth, due to excess moisture. In Madera County, tomato bed preparation was ongoing and over half of the tomatoes have been planted. In Tulare County, new fields were being prepared for spring planting as weather permitted. Cucumbers were being planted under hot caps.
Rangeland and dryland pasture quality continued to improve with all the recent rainfall and intervening warm weather. Some cattle ranchers have increased their herd size to take advantage of the improved forage conditions.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 27, 2017) – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) today released a revised proposal for regulating the use of agricultural pesticides near school sites and licensed child day care facilities. The department is inviting the public to comment on the revisions during a 15-day period.
The revised draft regulation reflects extensive public input received during the most recent round of public review, which included three formal hearings and ended in December. The original proposal was issued in September 2016, after the department held a series of public workshops in five locations around the state.
The proposed regulation would provide an extra measure of protection to public K-12 school sites and licensed child day care facilities from the risk of short-term pesticide exposure, and help increase communication between growers and school sites/licensed child day care facilities. It would also assist these sites in responding to inquiries and potential incidents.
“We believe this regulation will provide Californians with probably the most robust protection in the nation for schoolchildren when agricultural pesticides are applied near their school,” said Brian Leahy, Director of DPR. “It simply makes it more difficult to create an unacceptable pesticide hazard at a school site.”
The proposed regulation will affect about 3,500 public K-12 schools and licensed child day care facilities and involve approximately 2,500 growers in California. While many counties in California currently have varying requirements for notification of certain pesticide applications near schools, the proposed regulation would be the first statewide standard.
The key revisions to the proposed regulation include:
Growers will not be required to notify school sites/licensed child day care facilities and the county agricultural commissioners (CACs) of pesticide applications made within a quarter mile of these facilities 48 hours before they occur. However, growers will still be required to provide annual notification of the pesticides expected to be applied within a quarter mile of these facilities. See example.
The revision also clarifies the definition of “school site” and other terms: For example, it makes clear that the regulations do not apply to school buses or vehicles not on school property, and that County Agricultural Commissioners (CACs) may identify an adjacent park used regularly by schools on the weekdays as part of a school site.
The regulation is anticipated to become effective January 1, 2018.
Any interested person can submit written comments on the proposed revisions to the regulation between March 20, 2017 and 5:00 p.m. on April 4, 2017 to dpr16004@cdpr.ca.gov. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to Ms. Linda Irokawa-Otani, Regulations Coordinator, Department of Pesticide Regulation, 1001 I Street, P.O. Box 4015, Sacramento, California 95812-4015. FAX: (916) 324-1491.
Background
The proposed regulation would:
Prohibit many pesticide applications within a quarter mile of public K-12 schools and child day care facilities from Monday through Friday between 6am and 6pm. These include all applications by aircraft, sprinklers, air-blast sprayers, and all fumigant applications. In addition, most dust and powder pesticide applications, such as sulfur, would be prohibited during this time.
Require California growers to annually notify public K-12 schools and licensed child day care facilities and the CAC about the pesticides expected to be used within a quarter mile of school sites and licensed child day care facilities.
Each Annual Notification, PDF (846 kb) must list the pesticides expected to be used during the upcoming July through June period. This list must be provided to the school principal or child day care facility administrator by April 30 each year.
The notice must include among other things:
The name of pesticide products (and the main active ingredient) to be used
A map showing the location of the field to be treated
Contact information for the grower/operator and the CAC
The website address for the National Pesticide Information Center where additional information on pesticides may be obtained
The regulation also includes a provision that allows flexibility to accommodate extracurricular activities and other factors. Public K-12 schools /licensed child day care facilities and growers may develop alternative arrangements that provide equal or more protection than the regulation, but it must be in writing and approved by the CAC.
Adriana Stagnaro with the Gold Ridge RCD teaches students from local elementary schools about pollination and how food is grown. The girl on the right is smelling pollen locally harvested at Hector’s Honey Farm.
Santa Rosa, Calif., (March 27, 2017) – At the Gold Ridge RCD’s Ag Days booth, staff member Adriana Stagnaro had a display of fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans. As students approached the table, she asked “Do you know what all these foods have in common? Bees!” She followed this up by describing how “before these foods were foods, they were flowers first that needed to be pollinated.”
Stagnaro said at the Gold Ridge RCD booth, “students experienced being a bee by having their hands covered in pollen (baking flour) while reaching in a flower for sweet nectar (pieces of candy). They also learned that for as many different foods created by pollination there are also just as many different busy bees. Native bees and honey bees both need our support to do the work of pollination on our farms.”
A few booths down from the Gold Ridge RCD was Clover Sonoma where kids learned about dairy products and making butter. In the same area, kids could visit the Sonoma County Water Agency, PG&E, the Sonoma-Marin Cattlewomen and many others.
In subsequent buildings, children learned more about bees as they ate honeysticks and learned about milk from dairy princess Adrianna Begley as they drank a glass. They sampled kefir and ate fresh apples and oranges. Pegi Ball, Market Manager for the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, helped students plant seeds from farmer’s market vendors. Students sprayed water on the seeds they put in a plastic bag and could take them home to grow their own food.
Children also interacted with students from Petaluma FFA where they took photos in large wooden frames as they tried on blue FFA jackets and other FFA members helped children learn how to use a drill and safety equipment.
In Finley Hall, Jan Loewen, a member of Farm Bureau’s Ag Education Committee, had four large wooden cut-outs (pig, chicken, cow and lamb) and a handful of by-products ranging from easy to more difficult. She asked children if they knew where the products came from, placing them on the wooden animals as students got them correct.
“This was my fourth year working as a volunteer at Ag Days,” said Loewen, “I get so excited to see the kids arriving – many of them ready to learn and experience new things. This year I was able to teach kids where hamburger comes from (many of them didn’t know) and teach them some of the other helpful byproducts we derive from animals. One young lady said she was sure eggs came from bunnies. I helped her learn where eggs came from and even more. It is always a real treat to be involved with Ag Days.”
Students could be found engaged in all forms of agriculture all over the fairgrounds with 73 exhibitors and more than 200 volunteers working hard to educate students where their food comes from.
And while the children were engaged in learning about soil, fruits, vegetables, tractors and more, their faces really lit up when many had their first up close and personal experience with livestock. As children climbed on the fence to reach up and pet a large draft horse for the first time, many looked over to their friends with excitement and exclaimed that they’d never pet a horse before.
Children pet Holstein and Jersey calves, month old piglets, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, chickens and baby chicks, working dogs and more. One exhibitor brought Angora goat kids and Angora rabbits – both animals are known for their soft fur and students were able to contrast both types of fluffy animals as they pet them and were educated about the differences between the rabbits and goats.
Four thousand students learned about agriculture at SCFB’s Ag Days this year, and SCFB hopes that many students will take that knowledge home and share it with family and friends.
Courtesy of Sonoma County Farm Bureau, by By Rachel LaFranchi
Santa Rosa, Calif., (March 27, 2017) – Sonoma County Winegrowers held the 18th Annual Sonoma County Pruning Championship at the SRJC Shone Farm on February 24, 2017. Thirty-eight vineyard workers from across Sonoma County competed for the title of best pruner in the region.
We are proud to recognize Rosendo Avila of Emeritus Vineyards in Sebastopol for taking home the first place trophy and winning a cash prize of $1,500, among other prizes such as tools and gift cards from our sponsors. Samuel Campos of Vimark Vineyard Management in Geyserville finished in second place, Javier Diaz Correa of Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards finished in third place, and Erick Silva of Perez Farming Services finished in fourth place.
Contestants were judged on speed, precision, as well as the accuracy and quality of the cuts. The pruning contest was followed by a lunch and awards ceremony in the vineyards. More than 100 grape growers, wine industry representatives, community members, sponsors, media and others were in attendance to cheer on the competitors and celebrate our vibrant workforce.
With all the rain we received this winter, UC Plant Pathologist Themis Michailides warns growers that the sleeping giant of botryosphaeria and phomopsis will be awakening again. With the potential to cause severe damage in walnut orchards, Themis shared some cultural and chemical tools growers can utilize to keep it under control. Watch Themis’ brief interview with California Ag Network and read more in the March issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
At the Tri-County Walnut Day in Visalia, UC IPM Advisor Emily Symmes addressed growers on the peculiar spike in frosted scale populations in orchards that have been sprayed for walnut scale. Watch her brief interview and read more in the March issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
