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Now is the time to be monitoring for walnut scale. This is a pest that cannot be ignored in walnut orchards with Botryosphaeria issues. Watch Emily Symmes’ video interview with California Ag Network as she explains how to monitor and control this pest to lower the impact of Botryosphaeria. Read more in the March issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Visalia, Calif., (March 24, 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 Winter forage crops are maturing well. Some growers are starting to harvest silage. Spotty lodging was noted due to the heavy rain and wind. Black-eyed beans are being exported to Cyprus and Korea. Corn seed is being received in advance of planting.
Fieldwork in vineyards continues with: pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding. Bud break is progressing in vineyards. Cherries and late varieties of stone fruit continue to bloom. Heavy rain and hail may have knocked off petals and affected the bloom. Kiwifruit are being shipped domestically and exported to Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan. Almond bloom is winding down. Bee colonies continue to be moved into nuts and stone fruit for pollination. Almonds are being exported to Barbados, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mauritius, South Africa, Spain, and Taiwan. Pistachios are being sent to Belgium, France, Hong Kong, and Vietnam. Some persimmons and pomegranates are leafing out. Some walnut trees are blooming. New orchards are being planted.
The citrus harvest was slowed this week due to the rain. All of the recent rains are having some impact on overall fruit quality. Late navel harvest is underway in some areas. Navel oranges and Mandarins are being shipped to Australia, China, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Minneola tangelos are sent to Japan and the Netherlands. Lemons are being exported to Japan, Korea, Mexico, and New Zealand. Star Ruby grapefruit are starting to be picked, with most of the fruit being packed for the domestic market. Late harvest Finger limes are being exported to the Netherlands. Valencia orange harvest has started. Orange groves are being hedge-rowed and skirted. Growers are starting to net the seedless tangerines to prevent cross-pollination by bees during the coming bloom.
New fields are being prepared for spring planting as weather permits. Cucumbers are being planted under hot caps. Blueberries are blooming. Strawberries fields continue to thrive. Previously planted onions continue to progress well.
Rangeland and dryland pasture quality continue 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.
Bare root rose nursery stock continues to be received, processed, and shipped out. Shipments of wholesale nursery stock are continuing to be strong due to spring sales. Local bare root nurseries are busy digging stock as weather and soil conditions allow. Wholesale citrus nurseries are showing an increase in orders for trees for commercial replants.
Modesto, Calif., (March 24, 2017) – CDFA will be hosting a meeting on April 4 2017 to gather information regarding quota and how it may operate within a California Federal Milk Marketing Order (should producers vote one in down the road). Quota was an important piece of the coops’ proposal and USDA’s willingness to recognize it within its proposed order is a great step. However, USDA did not and will not provide specific details on how CDFA should operate the quota program. It is up to CDFA to determine that and Secretary Ross is calling on the industry for feedback and suggestions. Western United Dairymen will be at the meeting to ask questions and emphasize the importance of a fair program implementation. If you have questions, concerns, or would like Annie to ask a question for you at the meeting if you can’t attend, please contact her at aacmoody@westernuniteddairymen.com or on her cell at 765-543-4483. Details about the meeting can be found in CDFA’s announcement below.
When: 9:00 am on Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Where: Stanislaus County Ag Center 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite B, Modesto, CA 95358
According to the announcement, specifically, CDFA is looking for direction on the following questions:
WUD members are encouraged to attend and provide feedback and suggestions.
Tulare, Calif., (March 24, 2017) – Tulare County students in grades K-12 submitted their entries for Tulare County Farm Bureau’s 20th annual calendar art contest. The goal of the contest is to promote awareness about agriculture in Tulare County and the importance of an abundant and healthy food supply. From entries submitted from all throughout the county, fourteen students were chosen based on the agricultural content, originality, neatness and reproducibility of their artwork.
The students submitted original artwork depicting this year’s theme, A Century of Celebrating the Farmer, to coincide with Tulare County Farm Bureau’s centennial year. All entries were judged by a panel of representatives from the Tulare County Farm Bureau’s Education Committee. The contest is also sponsored by the Tulare County Office of Education.
Overall winner Eveone Luther, an 8th grader from Sundale Union School District, will have her artwork featured on the calendar’s front cover and will receive a $50 cash award. The additional student artists, listed below, will receive a $25 prize and will have their artwork featured inside the calendar as monthly winners.
During National Agriculture Week, March 19-25, the winners will be presented their prizes at a special presentation at the County Board of Supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday, March 21 at 9 a.m. at the Board of Supervisors’ chambers in Visalia. To learn more about National Agriculture Week visit www.agday.org.
The winning artwork will be used to create a 12-month calendar which celebrates agriculture in Tulare County. Each year, the calendar is printed and distributed to schools throughout the county and is available to the public at no cost. For a copy of the 2017-2018 TCFB Agricultural Art calendar, please contact the Tulare County Farm Bureau at 732-8301. All students that entered the contest will be sent a participation ribbon for their entries.
Winners:
| First Name | Last Name | Grade | Winner Designation | School |
| Gracie | Arciga | 11 | June | Orosi High School |
| Cecilia | Avalos | 8 | October | Sunnyside Union School |
| Kashlin | Baeza | 2 | January | Three Rivers Union School |
| Christian | Carlos | 10 | December | Orosi High School |
| Alejandra | Cisneros | 11 | September | Orosi High School |
| Josias | Diaz | 7 | April | Earlimart Middle School |
| Fernanda | Lara | 3 | August | Saucelito School |
| Eveone | Luther | 8 | Cover Winner | Sundale Union School |
| Madelynn | Mendoza | 11 | March | University Preparatory High School |
| Carla | Parra | 7 | July | Tipton School |
| Maya | Rogers | 2 | May | Sundale Union School |
| Maiya | Soto | 5 | February | Annie R. Mitchell Elementary School |
| Joshua | Talingo | 10 | November | Orosi High School |
| Leah | Vasquez | 12 | Back Cover Winner | Visalia Charter Independent Study |
Sacramento, Calif., (March 23, 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 will explain in greater detail.
The Farm Bill affects well-being of families across the country, including right here in California, by helping to facilitate access to nutritious foods. With the support of the Farm Bill, California is committed to increasing food access for our most vulnerable and food-insecure communities. According to some estimates, up-to 20 percent of Californians are at risk of food insecurity, including more than two-million children, and more than one-million residents live in “food deserts,” where they lack access to basic grocery stores stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. As the country’s largest producer of specialty crops, we must work to change that. Two titles in the Farm Bill – Nutrition and Horticulture – are helping us reach this goal.
Nutrition
The first of these titles is Title 4, or the Nutrition title. As the largest piece of the Farm bill pie (Nutrition accounts for over 80 percent of Farm Bill spending), the Nutrition title creates the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. SNAP is the country’s largest food safety net program, and it helps millions of American families. In California, SNAP is known as CalFresh, and it provides nearly 4.2 million Californians with benefits. This support program also stimulates the economy. According to the USDA, every dollar invested in SNAP generates $1.79 in economic activity. Alongside SNAP, the Nutrition title also provides:
Specialty Crops – Numerous studies suggest that lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables (specialty crops) can result in negative health impacts, including higher rates of diabetes and obesity. Through the Horticulture title, Title 10, the Farm Bill provides California with the support it needs for growth in the specialty crops sector through a variety of approaches, including the creation of promotional programs.
One example of this is “California Food for California Kids: Promoting California Grown Fruits and Vegetables in Summer Meals”. This program, established through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program(SCBGP), promotes the quality and benefits of healthy, freshly prepared meals made with California grown fruits and vegetables. Specialty crop programs receive:
Both of these Farm Bill titles are instrumental in ensuring that Californians as well as all Americans have access to nutritious, safe and healthy food. California is the country’s number-one producer of specialty crops. Our farmers and ranchers are committed to producing fresh fruits, nuts and vegetables that have positive impacts for our families.
Fresno, Calif., (March 23, 2017) – In 2016, annual precipitation was average for the Central Valley and above average for northern California. But the allocation of Central Valley Project water to public water agencies that serve farmers south of the Delta was
only 5%. The federal government blamed the low allocation of water on hydrological conditions, rather than environmental regulations that limited pumping of water and prevented water from being moved through the system to communities south of the Delta.
This year, hydrological conditions are vastly di erent–there is great hope that the allocation will be di erent as well. Indeed, California is experiencing one of the wettest years on record. But just two weeks ago, the Federal Bureau of Reclamation was unable to make an allocation to those same public water agencies. It did estimate that it would be able to supply approximately 900,000 acre-feet of water, which amounts to a 25% allocation. But nal word on the allocation has been delayed until late March, more than a month after allocations are to be made under the terms of water service contracts. Why? Because the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was unable to approve the allocations.
A 25% allocation represents an improvement over the 0% allocation in 2014 and 2015, dry years, and the 5% allocation in 2016, an average year, but is completely antithetical to the extremely wet conditions that exist in the state. Reservoirs are in distress because of too much water, rivers are over owing their banks, water tables are replenishing, and more than 8 trillion gallons
of water has already been sent to the ocean in the past 5 months. Mother Nature has done her share to lift the state from a water crisis, but it appears the broken system is still unable to deliver water to communities in desperate need. So what’s the problem?
The answer is simple. The laws, regulations, and biological opinions, namely the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, and the Endangered Species Act, which are designed to balance water delivery with environmental protection have failed. Regardless of the amount of snow and rain the state receives, the laws have created regulatory water shortages across the entire state, and ironically, they have failed the species they were designed to save. The impacts of these laws vary based on circumstances present in a particular year, but the impacts of an unreliable water delivery system are felt no matter how much it rains. This situation is a classic case of government unable to change in the face of failed policies.
Also, the process itself is awed. Under a biological opinion issued in 2009, the Bureau of Reclamation is required to confer with the NMFS regarding the hydrological conditions to determine the appropriate amount of water allocated to contractors. But rather than improving the operations, the consultation process has delayed decision-making-–to
the detriment of farmers who must make real world decisions about nancing, labor, and water supply. For example, this year the consultation process has delayed the initial allocation announcement to allow the sh agencies to further develop their cold water plan, despite the fact that Shasta is full and the Sierra snowpack is massive.
Sometimes it is hard to pinpoint the cause of a problem; but other times, conditions arise that reveal a point of clarity and the cause of the problem is exposed for everyone to see. We are at that point now. The laws governing California water supply are not functioning properly or with any common sense in a year of overwhelming precipitation and snowpack. And if they cannot function this year, after record precipitation and 2016 Congressional action to improve the process, fundamental changes must be made for them to ever function correctly. It is obvious we need greater reform of the laws governing our water system. Let’s not wait until the next drought.
Johnny Amaral
Deputy General Manager of External A airs Westlands Water District
Sacramento, Calif., (March 23, 2017) – Posted on March 16, 2017 by Karen Ross, Secretary, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Earlier this week I joined people representing a diverse group of interests for a panel discussion about water. The event, in Clovis, was organized by Sustainable Conservation, and its title, The Common Good: Working Together for a Secure Water Future, represents much more than a simple, optimistic slogan. As our discussion made clear, working together is absolutely essential to maintain and build sustainability for California agriculture as well as the state’s ongoing development in all facets.
I was honored to join former Fresno mayor Ashley Swearengin, Sustainable Conservation’s Ashley Boren, the Public Policy Institute of California’s Ellen Hanak, and Central Valley Farmer Cannon Michael. Between the four of us and moderator Mark Keppler of the Maddy Institute, we covered the waterfront, so to speak – all of the modern demands for water were represented. Our group symbolizes the type of partnerships that must come together and move forward to effectively manage our future.
We know that demand for food worldwide will grow significantly over the next several decades, and we know that available natural resources are becoming more scarce – so to reach a point where sustainability can be achieved, all sides in the water discussion must truly communicate with one another. This is no longer about Farms v. Fish. Rather, it’s about building a California where we’re all vested in each other’s success. I hope you’ll take the time to view this video recording of our discussion and then join us in working together for a better water future.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 22, 2017) – The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) 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. 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.
A summary of the highlights of the revised school regulation is available here .
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.
The proposed regulation would:
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 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.
Sacramento, Calif., (March 22, 2017) – In 2016, California’s State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) began the process of updating the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The public comment period officially closed at noon on March 17. (Read CFWC’s comment letter here.)
During that time, loud and sustained objections to the proposed policy have been raised.
“The State of California is simply on the wrong path to achieve ecosystem health on the San Joaquin River and its tributaries,” said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition.
Flow-based approaches in the past have failed; “By focusing solely on the amount of water flowing through the river, the SWRCB staff proposal is relying on outdated science that has been proven ineffective at halting the decline of endangered fish populations.
“If adopted in its present form, the policy will have a devastating impact on drinking water, sanitation needs, food production, groundwater, the economy and jobs for people stretching from the Northern San Joaquin Valley throughout the Bay Area.
“That’s why this proposed regulation is opposed by schools, health departments, farmers, cities, economic development officials, and water agencies throughout the state including the Central Valley, Bay Area, Central Coast, Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire.
Opposition to SWRCB plan is growing; Opposition to this wrong-headed policy has continued to grow and now includes statewide groups like the California Chamber of Commerce and the Association of California Water Agencies, regional organizations such as the Orange County Business Council as well as hundreds of individual Californians. Not even a drought-busting water year like this one could diminish the impacts of this unequivocally bad policy.
“What we need instead is a comprehensive, outcomes-driven, science-based, collaborative approach that includes ‘functional’ flows as well as non-flow solutions that contribute real benefits to ecosystem recovery.
“As the Board goes behind closed doors to deliberate the draft proposal we urge them one more time to listen to the voices representing millions of Californians opposed to the plan and open the door to collaborating on a real solution,” he said.
Fresno, Calif., (March 22, 2017) – “And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, ‘I need a caretaker’, so God made a Farmer.” -Paul Harvey, ‘So God Made a Farmer’ Speech delivered to the National FFA, November 1978
Statement by CEO Ryan Jacobsen: “Three or more times a day, eaters around this country and world consume the incredible bounty that America’s farmers and ranchers produce. Without celebration, their tireless hands collectively work in unison to bring in the safest, most wholesome and affordable food supply on the planet. These behind-the-scenes efforts are not noticed by most in our society whose frequent visits to produce-stocked supermarkets and restaurants have come to be an expectation without ever thinking twice about who grew or raised it.
“Farming and ranching is a lifestyle…a responsibility one takes on because he or she innately has the agricultural spirit in them. While the only certainty about living off the land is the uncertainty it provides, those who are a part of the industry appreciate the life it offers. The markets and the weather are still challenges one must face; however, the future of our livelihoods are now more intertwined with policymakers who have never walked a furrow yet determine the success, or in many cases, the failure, of our ag enterprises.
“As our society has evolved, so has California agriculture. Technology, cutting-edge equipment and infrastructure has revolutionized how our industry produces food. Yet, in so many cases, it still takes a pair of hands to delicately bring delicious, perishable food to your table.
“Today, March 21, National Ag Day (NAD), is set aside to pause and say ‘thank you’ to the men and women of the agricultural industry. From seed to sow and bank to barn, our collective industry of professionals – from farmer and rancher to pest control advisers, ag suppliers, bankers and more – must be recognized for the tremendous job they do in feeding and clothing a growing population. What we have agriculturally-speaking in the San Joaquin Valley is not replicated anywhere else. None of it has happened by accident. Generations of agriculturists have built what we see. Today we celebrate the stewards of our land.”
NAD and National Ag Week (NAW); is a time when producers, agricultural associations, corporations, universities, government agencies and countless others across America gather to recognize and celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture.
As the world population soars, there is even greater demand for the food, fiber and renewable resources produced in the United States.
The NAD program believes that every American should:
In Fresno County alone, FCFB celebrates the more than 5,600 farms, which produce over 400 different crops amounting to over $6.61 billion in agricultural production in 2015, making it one of the leading food and fiber producing counties in the state and nation. Every meal is an opportunity to thank those farmers and ranchers who feed us.
Locally, at their March 16 meeting, the Fresno City Council recognized NAW. In the proclamation, the City Council encouraged “all citizens to be supportive and appreciative of the incredible contributions farmers and ranchers make daily to our community and economy.”
To learn more about NAD, visit www.agday.org.