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You can read the PDF version of the March Issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine HERE!
Growers experienced unusually early warm temperatures this year throughout the state that was followed by a severe freeze that lasted long enough to do some damage to various crops in California. Although it will take some time to determine exactly how much damage the freeze caused, watch this brief interview with Alexander Ott from the California Blueberry & Apple Commissions as he shares some initial results.
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You can read the PDF version of the January/February Issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine HERE!
Sacramento, Calif., (February 22, 2018) – Interplanting existing prune orchards where established trees don’t fill their space is a long accepted practice to increase grower income while limiting costs compared to complete orchard removal and replanting. This is often done in older orchards either by interplanting down the existing tree row or changing the direction of the tree rows 45° and interplanting on the diagonal between two existing trees.
Research by Dr. Themis Michailides since 2016 has shown pruning wounds on young trees are especially vulnerable to infection by Cytospora, Botryosphaeria, and/or Lasiodiplodia fungi. These infections damage developing scaffolds, potentially limiting orchard productivity over time.
Growers should reconsider interplanting prunes – or at least how they treat interplanted trees — due to the risk of pruning wound infections. The primary source of the infections in interplanted trees are the mature trees in the orchard — often in decline themselves due to those same canker and wood rot diseases.
Pruning wound infections can be minimized by
1) pruning in late summer of spring with no rain in the forecast or
2) pruning during winter and spraying Topsin-M® or Topsin-M® + Rally® after pruning and before the next rain to protect the cuts from infection. Dr Michailides reports that Topsin-M® is especialy effective against Botryosphaeria. Adding Rally® could be helpful for resistance management.
With yield and net income limited by tree spacing that is too wide and/or tree health in some older blocks, growers must choose between interplanting and removal/replanting. While pruning wound infections can speed the rate of tree decline in interplanted orchards reducing grower returns.
By Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa and Sutter/Yuba Counties.
Sacramento, Calif., (February 15, 2018) – Warm and sunny winter days are no cause for celebration among the farmers, ranchers and forest managers who rely on UC Agriculture and Natural Resources’ research-based information and expertise to make their work more profitable. Such is the feeling shared by UC Cooperative Extension advisor Dan Macon in his Foothill Agrarian blog. He began worrying more than a month ago about the spate of dry weather in the state.
“While I’m a worrier by nature, I think worrying about the weather is natural for anyone who relies on Mother Nature directly,” Macon wrote.
The UC Food Observer blog warmly praised the quality of Macon’s blog in a post titled The NeverEnding (#drought) story.
“He knows his subject and he writes well about it. I read every post, but his most recent piece about Old Man Reno, one of his farm dogs, really resonated with me. Read his blog every chance you get: it will make you feel better about life,” wrote Rose Hayden-Smith, the author of the UC Food Observer.
The column included a shout-out about the recent launch of a three-video series on the drought produced by UC ANR’s California Institute for Water Resources (CIWR). The series opens with Cannon Michael of Bowles Farming in Los Banos. The alfalfa grower works with UCCE specialist Dan Putnam.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding about alfalfa as a crop,” Michael said. “It does take water to grow it, as with anything, but you get multiple harvests of it every year.”
Videos two and three will be launched March 2 and April 6.
The UC Food Observer also recommended a blog produced by the CIWR’s Faith Kearns – The Confluence. She recently wrote about how California’s idea of “natural” beauty may have shifted during the drought.
Sacramento, Calif., (December 8, 2017) – Come join us on Thursday, January 4, 2018 for the 23rd Annual Sacramento Valley Cling Peach Day. The meeting will be 8:30 a.m. – Noon, followed by Lunch: Noon – 12:45 p.m. The meeting will be in the Ag Building Meeting Room, 142 Garden Highway, Yuba City.
The meeting program will be as follows:
Cooperative Extension Sutter-Yuba Counties ¨ 142A Garden Highway, Yuba City, CA 95991-5512 Office (530) 822-7515 ¨ Fax (530) 673-5368 ¨ http://cesutter.ucanr.edu/
Meeting Sponsored by: University of California Cooperative Extension, Sutter-Yuba Counties
Co-Sponsored by: Sutter County Agricultural Department – PCA and Private Applicator Credit pending- 1 hour (.5 hour of regulations)
CCA Credit pending 2.0 hours.
RSVP to the UCCE Sutter-Yuba office at (530) 822-7515 or mlsearcy@ucanr.edu by Tuesday, January 2nd if you plan to stay for lunch.
Charitable Contributions for Farmers
It is common for businesses to receive tax deductions for cash donations, but did you know that the agriculture community can donate fresh foods for a similar benefit? California farmers and agriculture businesses have the opportunity to donate fresh fruits and vegetables in return for some pretty hefty tax breaks.
How much is the deduction? 
In order to calculate the federal deduction and the California credit, your accountant will need to know the cost basis of the donated fruit as well as the fair market value (FMV) of that fruit as of the date it was contributed.
Normally, the federal deduction for inventory contributions is limited to the FMV on the date of contribution or the cost basis of the inventory, whichever is lower. However, there is an enhanced deduction allowed for the contribution of food inventory to a qualified organization that allows for an “above-basis” deduction. This deduction equals the lesser of: (1) the basis of the contributed inventory plus one-half of the ordinary income that would have been recognized if the inventory had been sold for FMV on the contribution date, or (2) twice the basis of the property. As is often the case, there are special rules for certain taxpayers. If you are not using full absorption to account for your inventories, consult with your accountant as special rules will apply.
For farm partnerships, the result of the above calculation would be passed through to the individual partners within the partnership. The deduction is then limited to 15% of their net income from all businesses that made food contributions. This means that their deduction would be limited to 15% of their net income from the farm entity that made the donation. If individual farmers who are also partners in farm partnerships made food contributions to qualified organizations, then the net income of both activities would be added together in determining the 15% limitation. Any unused deduction can be carried over and used in the five succeeding tax years.
California law
Under California tax law, a qualified taxpayer 
who donates fresh fruits or fresh vegetables to a food bank located in California is allowed a tax credit equal to 10% of the cost that would otherwise be included in inventory costs. In the case of farm partnerships, the credit would be passed through and used by the individual partners. Any unused credits may be carried forward for seven years. It’s important to note that this credit has expired, however, there is a possibility of extension, so speak with your accountant to learn more.
Here’s an example
Partnership A owns a farm that grows fruit. The partnership donates unsold fruit to the local food bank. A determines that the basis of the contributed property is $180,000. A also determines that one-half of the ordinary income that would have been recognized if the inventory had been sold for FMV on the contribution date is $40,000. The deduction would consist of the lesser of: (1) the basis of the property contributed plus one-half the profit = $180,000+$40,000 = $220,000, or (2) twice the basis of $180,000 = $360,000. In this case, the lesser figure of $220,000 would be the enhanced deduction for the food inventory contributed. That deduction would be passed along to the partners of the partnership. The charitable deduction on the partner’s tax returns would be limited to 15% of the income from the partnership that made the food donation.
Please note that if the donated inventory was not included in the opening inventory, but rather was produced during the current year,the donated inventory would be considered
to have zero basis. This means that the enhanced deduction for food inventory would only be $40,000 in the example above, as the $180,000 cost of that fruit would instead be included as part of the cost of goods sold deduction in the current year.
If you have questions about charitable food donations or want to learn more about how to claim the deduction, please contact Sensiba San Filippo Partner, John Slater, at 559.437.0700 or at jslater@ssfllp.com.
Albany, Calif., (November 16, 2017) – Persimmon is a sweet, flavorful fruit that hasn’t gotten much attention. That’s probably because many people don’t know what it is, how to eat it, or that it’s good for you.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators are working to bring this uncommon Asian native fruit into the limelight. In 2016, the United States exported 7.4 million pounds of fresh persimmons valued at $3.6 million and imported 7.4 million pounds valued at $5.7 million (USDA Economics Resource Service).
Persimmons are sold mainly in California, which produces 99 percent of the U.S. persimmon crop, according to Andrew Breksa, a chemist at ARS’s Western Regional Research Center(WRRC) in Albany, California. Persimmon trees are also grown by home gardeners and in some other states.
The fruit, which is high in vitamin C, varies in shape and color. The most common market types are Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu persimmons are light yellow-orange with a tomato- or pumpkin-like shape. Hachiya are dark orange with an acorn-like shape.
The availability of fresh persimmons is limited outside of California, and the fruit is only available for three months-typically late September through December. Breksa and his colleagues are developing ways to dry persimmons so the fruit will be available year round, which may help growers increase profits.
Breksa’s team includes WRRC engineer Rebecca Milczarek and horticulturist John Preece at the ARS National Clonal Germplasm Respiratory in Davis, California. They are working with California persimmon growers and University of California, Davis, to select the best cultivars for commercial and home drying.
Results of this research, funded by a California Department of Food and Agriculture grant, was recently published online in Food Science & Nutrition. Scientists identified the best cultivars for making dried chip-style persimmons and determined how well consumers liked these snacks. Out of 40 cultivars, volunteer tasters preferred chips made from Fuyu, Lycopersicon, Maekawa Jiro, Nishimura Wase, Tishihtzu and Yotsumizo.
Flyers will be distributed where persimmons are sold, detailing the fruit’s nutritional benefits and how to dry it (see persimmon flyers).
Consumers who like persimmons won’t have to wait until harvest season to enjoy them, according to Breksa. They can buy extra fresh fruit when it’s in season and dry it at home.
For more information contact Sandra Avant, ARS Office of Communications.
The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.
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You can read the PDF version of the November/December Issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine HERE!
November has come and growers & PCAs are anticipating the annual Tree & Vine Expo on November 7th at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, held by American Vineyard, California Fresh Fruit, and Pacific Nut Producer Magazines. The Expo will feature educational grower seminars, and state of the grape, nut, and tree fruit industry addresses by Jennifer Williams from the California Walnut Board, Kelly Covello from the Almond Alliance of California, Amy Uber for the California Department of Food & Agriculture, and Erica Moyer from Turrentine Brokerage. A complimentary breakfast and lunch will be provided. The expo provides a great environment for the industry to get together, celebrate the harvest, enjoy some good food, gain continuing education credits and network at an industry trade show with over 130 vendors. DPR has approved 4 hours of PCA credits for the expo, including 1 hr of Laws & Regs. Five hours of CCA credits have also been approved (1.5 hr Soil & Water Management, 1.5 hr IPM, 1.5 hr Crop Management, 1 hr Professional Development). Registration is FREE and will begin at 7:00 a.m., and the meeting will conclude at 2 p.m. Learn more about the Tree & Vine Expo and pre-register here.