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Teaching Kids to Cook California’s Bounty

California Farmers Donate Fruits Vegetables, Nuts and Beef to Cook

 

About 2,725 Consumer Science (formerly home economics) high school students at 15 different high schools will learn how to cook with locally grown produce and meat. The San Joaquin Chapter of California Women for Agriculture (SJ CWA), San Joaquin-Stanislaus CattleWomen and the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation (SJFB) have partnered to locate more than 500 pounds of cheese, olives, pumpkins, dry garbanzo beans, walnuts and beef for the students to cook this semester.

For three consecutive weeks starting October 22 and 29 and November 5, 2019, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm at the San Joaquin Office of Education in Stockton, each teacher will receive two commodities, recipes and handling material to share with their classes. The local agriculture organizations hope to both teach students what is grown locally and showcase the freshness of locally sourced produce.

The fresh pumpkins and dry garbanzo beans provided by the San Joaquin Chapter of Women for Agriculture were donated by local pumpkin grower, Van Groningen and Sons of Manteca (vgandsons.com) and the Rhodes-Stockton Bean Co-Op of Stockton. SJ CWA provides this “hands on educational” cooking opportunity for local high school students enrolled in consumer science courses to give them a snapshot of the variety of crops and commodities grown/raised in San Joaquin County. Teachers and students are provided with a variety of educational information regarding the nutritional value of each of the commodities along with cooking tips and recipes.

SJ CWA Chapter President, Dr. Marit Arana, said, “This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the commodities grown and raised in our county. We are grateful for the opportunity to work collaboratively with our donors and for our partnerships with both the San Joaquin-Stanislaus CattleWomen and San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation. It takes a team effort to bring an educational experience of this size and scope to so many students within our county.”

San Joaquin County Agriculture is ranked seventh in the nation in dollar value at $2.5 billion and sixth out of 58 counties in the state. California produces about 400 different agriculture commodities and about half the fruits and vegetables in the United States.

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October 22, 2019 – CWA donation of pumpkins and dry garbanzo beans

October 29, 2019 – CattleWomen donation of walnuts and beef

November 5, 2019 – SJFB donation of table olives and cheese

Pick-Up Times – From 4:00pm to 5:00pm at 2911 Transworld Drive, Stockton, CA. under the solar panels in Stockton at the San Joaquin Office of Education

For information contact:
Lora Daniels
916-215-1494
SanJoaquinCWA@gmail.com

2019-11-01T16:43:07-07:00November 8th, 2019|

Don’t Fear Pesticide Residues

New Report Seeks to Reassure Consumers, Calm Unwarranted Safety Fears re: Pesticide

This time of year, food becomes a primary focus of conversation as we turn our thoughts to colder weather, cozy family dinners and the holidays.  Food should be a source of fun, healthiness and good flavors – it should not be a source of fear.  But, when it comes to fruits and vegetables, some groups actively promote inaccurate messaging designed to evoke fear in an effort to promote one farming method over others.

Study after study and government sampling programs repeatedly confirm the safety of produce.  Decades of studies also show the significant health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, including the prevention of diseases and increased lifespan.  Yet these groups continue promoting disparaging messaging and have even increased the veracity of their statements in recent promotional efforts.

Even more concerning is this is done in light of peer reviewed research which is showing that when consumers are exposed to inaccurate messaging about “high” residues, they state they are less likely to purchase any produce – organic or conventionally grown.  With only one in 10 Americans eating enough produce each day, registered dietitians and nutritionists have a hard enough time working with clients and consumers on overcoming barriers to consumption, now they also have to counter safety fears?  Doesn’t seem right.

Now a new report seeks to reassure consumers by describing how information from complex risk assessments can be misinterpreted in news stories and by certain groups. “Consumers should feel confident, rather than uncomfortable, when purchasing fruits and vegetables,” says Dr. Carl K. Winter, Cooperative Extension Food Toxicology Specialist Emeritus at the University of California, Davis, and chair author of the Council of Agriculture Science and Technology publication. Continue reading blog post.
2019-10-31T20:56:16-07:00November 7th, 2019|

Robotic Dairies Saves on Labor

Robotics Slowly Coming Into California Dairy Barns

 By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

It’s all associated with labor shortages, and skills and dairies aim to do something about it by bringing in robotics into the milking parlor

“If you have 3,000 cows, robotics will be a huge investment; however, most of the data collected is for robots in smaller operations,” said Daniela Bruno, who earned a Veterinary Medicine degree in Brazil and then went to grad school at UC Davis. She is a UCANR Dairy Advisor for Fresno County. “Many dairies are interested in how the robots will work in their operation because of major labor shortages,” she said.

The robotic milking machines are stationary in the milking barn, and cows will walk in at an assigned amount of times per day. “I talk about large versus small operations, because each robot, can milk between 65 and 70 cows so that you would need a lot of robots for a 3,000 cow dairy,” Bruno said.

Robotic arm milks a cow.

As far as installing robots, the manufacturer has to come up with a plan. Sometimes they need to build a new barn.

Bruno noted that smaller dairies on the East Coast or Midwest  have many robots, but they’re smaller operations. “They have two or three robots per dairy, while the largest one, to my knowledge, is in Chile, which has 64 milking robots,” noted Bruno.

“But it’s growing in California, due to labor regulations and the number of hours that the workers can milk cows. Dairies are now thinking if they had robots, then they will have to worry less about all the labor issues,” she said.

Bruno described how these robots work, how the cows get to the robots for milking.

“The cows have a collar, and there are several sorting gates that lead to the robot. So let’s say the cow feels the urge to be milked, but the last time she was milked was less than four hours ago. She does not have the permission to be milked again,” noted Bruno. “The dairy can decide if they want the cows milked two, three, or four times a day,” she noted.

The permissions are based on the lactation stage or if she’s a heifer if she’s a first, a second lactation cow. They’re going to control it, and everything is stored in software. And when she approaches the gate, the gate is going to open for the cow if she’s allowed to go, or if she’s not going to be able to be milked yet, the cow is sent to a waiting place where she can rest and eat.

When a cow gets the permission, she walks into the robot milking machines, which will do everything that a dairy employee would do. “It prepares the cow, cleans the cow, and stimulates the cow, then the milking equipment is automatically put on the udders,” Bruno said. “And once the cow is done milking, it applies the post dipping sanitizer on the teat, and the cow is released to go back to its bedding area.”

Bruno said that the robots have many cameras, so they know exactly what they’re doing when they’re pre-treating the cow before milking and milking the cow and post treating the cow after the milking with sanitizer.

And while dairies will need less labor in the milking barn, there will still require employees to maintain the equipment, and there are several companies that offer that service, and prices vary.

“In California, I know of two dairies that have robots already. They’re both in Stanislaus County, and one of the dairies is planning to expand to 10 robots,” she said.

“The dairy operators are pleased to have the robots in place and feel that they could pay for themselves in short order,” Bruno said.

Bruno said she is working with dairy economic specialist Fernanda Ferreira at the  UC Davis research center in Tulare, where there is a project focused on the financial analysis of robots.

2021-05-12T11:17:08-07:00November 6th, 2019|

List of SGMA GSAs and GSPs

 

SGMA Update

GSAs Must Develop GSPs

By Don Wright, California Ag Today Contributor

SGMA uses Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118 to define basins and sub basins and assign them numbers. The San Joaquin Valley Basin is number 5-22. Within it are sub basins with their numbers following a decimal. Each sub basin one Groundwater Sustainability Agency or several, but DWR will only recognize one representative GSA per sub basin. Each GSA must develop a Groundwater Sustainability Plan on its own or as a contribution to an overarching GSP as again, DWR will only deal with one GSP per sub basin.

SGMA

Don Wright

Many of the sub basins with multiple GSAs are combining each of the GSAs’ GSPs into one overarching GSP. Most of the GSAs have released public drafts of their GSPs for review and comment. The following is a list of GSP links. When possible the links go directly to the GSP but many of the links take you to a page that has additional links to the GSPs. Some of them I haven’t found.

Merced Sub Basin 5-22.04

The Merced Sub Basin has formed three Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs): the Merced Irrigation-Urban Groundwater Sustainability Agency, the Merced Sub Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency, and the Turner Island Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency.

GSP https://www.mercedsgma.org/assets/pdf/gsp-sections/Merced-Subbasin-GSP-Draft-Report-Executive-Summary_2019-07-30.pdf

 

Chowchilla Sub Basin 5-22.05

The Chowchilla Sub Basin has four GSAs: Chowchilla WD, Triangle T WD, Madera County and Merced County

GSP https://www.maderacountywater.com/chowchilla-subbasin/

 

Madera Sub Basin 5-22.06

The Madera Sub Basin has seven GSAs: Madera County GSA, City of Madera GSA, Madera Irrigation District, Root Creek Water District, Madera Water District, Gravelly Ford Water District, New Stone Water District.

GSP https://www.maderacountywater.com/madera-subbasin/

 

Delta Mendota Sub Basin 5-22.07

The Delta Mendota Sub Basin has 24 GSAs: the Counties of Merced, Madera and Fresno, the Cities of Dos Palos, Firebaugh, Gustine, Los Banos, Mendota, Newman and Patterson, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, Turner Island WD, Ora Loma WD, DM-II, Northwestern Delta Mendota, Patterson ID, West Stanislaus ID, Widren WD, Central Delta Mendota Regional Multi-Agency, Farmers WD, Aliso WD and Grasslands.

GSP http://deltamendota.org

 

Kings River Sub Basin 5-22.08

The Kings River Sub Basin has seven GSAs: James ID, North Kings, McMullin Area, Kings River East, Central Kings, North Fork Kings and South Kings.

GSP

North Kings https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CgjQ4-oY3AVaKXOexcJnyi3gaVhk5DPM/view

 

Westside Sub Basin 5-22.09

The Westside Sub Basin has one GSA: Westlands WD

https://wwd.ca.gov/draft-gsp/

 

Kaweah River Sub Basin 5-22.11

The Kaweah River Sub Basin has three GSAs: Eastern Kaweah, Mid Kaweah and Greater Kaweah.

GSP East Kaweah

https://ppeng.sharefile.com/share/view/sd08385c0b564a85a/fo4153c4-8351-4fc2-ae23-87be2dbeb1f0

Mid Kaweah https://www.midkaweah.org/documents

Greater Kaweah http://greaterkaweahgsa.org/resources/groundwater-sustainability-plan/

 

Tulare Lake Sub Basin 5-22.12

The Tulare Lake Sub Basin has seven GSAs; South Fork Kings, Mid Kings, Alpaugh ID, El Rico, Mid Kings River, South Fork Kings and Tri County WA

https://southforkkings.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-0906-tulare-lake-subbasin-gsp-prelim-draft_for-upload.pdf

 

Tule River Sub Basin 5-22.13

The Tule River Sub Basin has six GSAs: Alpaugh, Delano-Earlimart, Lower Tule River, Pixley, Eastern Tule and Tri-County

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1P1M5tayhYI0Jc0-8Tm1o832nQ8WBBibj

 

Kern Sub Basin 5-022.14

The Kern Sub Basin went from two GSAs to 11 since SGMA began.

Kern River http://www.kernrivergsa.org/?page_id=966

Buena Vista WSD http://bvh2o.com/BVGSA-GSP-DRAFT.pdf

Kern Groundwater Authority http://www.kerngwa.com/gsp.html

Semitropic WSD

Olcese WD https://olcesewaterdistrict.org/sgma/West Kern WD

 

Arvin Edison WSD http://www.aewsd.org/

Tejon Castaic WD

Wheeler Ridge Maricopa WD

 

2019-11-01T16:36:48-07:00November 5th, 2019|

California Hemp Industry in the Making

California Hemp Growth Registrations Skyrocketed in 2019

By Robert W. Selna, Califonia Ag Today Contributor

California hemp growth registrations skyrocketed in 2019 due to federal decriminalization and a nationwide demand for hemp-derived products. A full-fledged statewide hemp industry has not quite arrived however, due to new regulations and limitations placed on hemp-based CBD products.

Hemp is defined as cannabis with extremely low concentrations of THC (not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits CBD in food, beverages and cosmetics, regardless of whether the CBD is derived from cannabis that includes THC (the psychoactive constituent of cannabis) or from hemp.

California Hemp Field

On Oct. 29, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its long-awaited interim rule for domestic hemp production, which is a key step in implementing the 2018 Farm Bill and allows the USDA to approve hemp production plans developed by individual states. California is in the process of creating such a plan, and once it is approved, the state’s hemp industry is expected to expand.

Federal and State Laws

During the past year, California’s fledgling hemp businesses have waited patiently for the federal interim rule and closely monitored two bills that state legislators introduced to take advantage of a vast new hemp business opportunity. As the legislative session came to a close, results on the bills were mixed.

In mid-October, Governor Gavin Newsom approved SB 153, which modified California hemp regulations so that they would align with the anticipated interim rule. In contrast, state lawmakers failed to decide on AB 228, which would have legalized the statewide manufacture and sale of food, beverages and cosmetics that include hemp-derived CBD. The bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee without a vote.

Following the lead of a handful of other states, including Colorado and Oregon, California Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) tried to address the federal CBD disconnect through AB 228. AB 228 contradicted the FDA, which deems products with CBD as “adulterated,” and prohibits them from being introduced into interstate commerce.

The FDA’s position is based on its decision to approve CBD as an active ingredient in the pharmaceutical drug Epidiolex, which treats a rare form of epilepsy. In turn, the FDA deems CBD to be like all other active drug ingredients, which may not be added to food and dietary supplements. Aguiar-Curry vowed to bring back AB 228 in early 2020.

Thus far, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has followed the FDA’s restrictions on CBD. Meanwhile, one can find hemp-derived CBD wellness products in small health food stores, as well as large chain supermarkets, which has caused confusion among consumers statewide.

The FDA and CDPH prohibition is seen by many as inconsistent with the spirit of the 2018 Farm Bill, which generally approved the production and sale of hemp, as well as the interstate commercial transfers of hemp and hemp products, including hemp-derived CBD. The Farm Bill decriminalized hemp by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act, but the bill did not remove marijuana. The federal government has long described marijuana as cannabis that includes more than trace amounts of THC. California, however, regulates a commercial cannabis industry separate from hemp.

Representatives in Congress are starting to awaken to issues surrounding the FDA’s CBD prohibition. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has taken baby steps to resolve the problem. In mid-September, McConnell introduced a bill that could result in the FDA adopting a more lenient framework for hemp-derived CBD products. Specifically, the legislation directs the FDA to issue “an enforcement discretion policy” that would give the agency latitude and possibly lead to recognition that CBD products are safe.

Industry Growth

Legislative hiccups and regulatory confusion aside, the California hemp industry is gaining momentum. Q3 statistics from the California Department of Food and Agriculture show that the number of registered hemp growers in California increased from 74 in June 2019 to 292 as of August 26. In addition, there are now at least 629 registered hemp cultivation sites and 17,571 acres associated with growers and seed breeders.

Under the 2018 Farm Bill, counties may only allow limited cultivation pilot programs until the USDA confirms that their state’s hemp plan conforms with federal rules. However, until the USDA’s interim rule issuance on Oct. 29, there was a chicken-and-egg problem. California and other states have struggled to draft federally compliant hemp plans not knowing exactly what to expect in the interim rule. As a result, at least half of California countries have temporary bans or restrictions on hemp cultivation.

The federal interim rule clarifies states’ hemp regulation responsibilities, including practices for record keeping, methods for testing hemp to ensure that it is below the legal THC limit, and plans for the proper disposal of non-compliant hemp. In addition, the interim rule makes it clear that states and Native American tribes may not prohibit the interstate transport of hemp that has been legally grown under federal and state laws.

California is said to now be working on its hemp conformance plan. SB 153 aids that effort by adding testing, enforcement, and other administrative provisions and extending the state’s deadline for completing a federal hemp conformance plan from Jan. 31, 2020 to May 1, 2020.

Despite an evolving legal landscape, the California hemp industry is gearing up for a big 2020. The publication of the interim rule and support for legalizing hemp-derived CBD products should propel the California hemp industry closer to a wide-open market.

Rob Selna an attorney for Wendel Rosen, with offices in Oakland an Modesto. He  is  an active member of the firm’s Land Use, Real Estate, and Cannabis practices, and represents clients in a wide range of transactional and regulatory matters. He chairs the firm’s Cannabis practice group and frequently writes and speaks on related legal issues.

2021-05-12T11:05:01-07:00November 4th, 2019|

Kincaid Fire Hurts Many Ag Operations

Kincaid Fire Destroys Several Wineries and Cattle Ranches

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

The Kincaid Fire, which focused on Sonoma County, did cause much damage to agricultural operations.

“Sonoma County is very familiar with fires, and I wish that were something we couldn’t say. But this fire was a little bit different than the one that hit us in 2017,” said Tawny Tesconi. Executive Director of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.

The Kincaid fire burned a little bit differently, in the sense that in actuality impacted more of our small cattle ranches, this time around. Tragically in the previous fire, it was a lot of homes that were burned.

Other Ag operations have been impacted, as well. “Several wineries that have been confirmed as burned is Soda Rock, and then, also Fieldstone. And I don’t want to say any others because I haven’t been able to confirm those,” said Tesconi. “There might be a few other actual winery structures that have burned, and it did hit our vineyards as well. Some of those vineyards are seeing some end post structure damage

However, Tesconi said that vineyards are very excellent firebreaks. Many of the homes that are surrounded by vineyards were able to make it through the fire. “I think any structures that burned came from flying embers,” she said.

There was a severe wind in the Kincaid fired, and it was part of the worst of two worlds hitting at the same time due to the PG&E shutoffs. “But luckily, Sonoma County is very grassroots and very community-based. We’re all helping each other out, and we’re very strong. And so, we’ll come through this one too, like we did the last one, but it’s just a little too close for comfort as far as timing goes.”

This fire was initially caused by PG&E equipment failure. “But I have to say, one thing that I have to shout out and recognize is the effort of our local sheriff and our county administrators and staff. They started doing the necessary evacuations of communities early on. And that can be tough in our county with 500,000 people,” she said.

The evacuation was focused on about 190,000 people. And officials were very organized, in that they evacuated different areas at different times. But even then, it took some four hours to go 10 miles. “So if there’s anything we learned and other communities can learn from this is that we all complained about having to be evacuated when we didn’t think we were in any danger, but it was the safest thing. Lives were saved. No lives were lost on this fire,” Tesconi said.

Some Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards had not been harvested yet. And with grapes are hanging and subjected to smoke—it can cause smoke taint grapes, which leaves them unusable. “We still are trying to get that figured out. The one great thing that our sheriff allowed us to do is that he was allowing our vineyard managers in and pick grapes, even in areas that had been in the evacuation zones because we know about smoke taint,” said Tesconi. “We don’t want to see smoke taint. So our guys got on it. People were helping with the harvest. One vineyard that had already finished harvesting for the year would send their staff over to help get the grapes off a neighbors vine.

One ranch that was the hardest hit was the LaFranchi Angus Ranch, which is up in Knights Valley, right on the Sonoma/Napa line. The family has been ranching for the last 107 years. And they lost seven houses. They lost most of their barn structures. They lost all of their hay, and they don’t know if they lost any animals yet, they’re still trying to assess that. “We’ve been doing a hay drive here at Sonoma County Farm Bureau to get them a couple of loads of hay to get them through the next couple of weeks,

“I’ve got word that there’s another cattle ranch up on the Geyser Ridge. They lost a lot of structures. They lost all their fencing,” said Tesconi. “They’re trying to keep 200 cow/calf pairs on the ranch without any fencing. So I’m sure that’s a challenge.”

“We’re still reaching out to our members, trying to asses all the damages because we have tons of support coming in. We were just notified that American AgCredit is donating a $25,000 matching grant for a program we’re running through Sonoma County Farm Bureau for people to help our farmers that are in trouble,” noted Tesconi. “If anybody wants to donate to that, they can go to our Facebook page, Sonoma County Farm Bureau. So, the awful thing is that we’re going through the tragedy. The good thing is that we’re extremely well supported by all of Sonoma County in our Ag industry.”

2019-11-01T16:42:23-07:00November 4th, 2019|

Early UC Hemp Research Already Yielding Results

Understanding the Best Cultural Practices for Industrial Hemp

For the first time ever, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) researchers harvested an industrial hemp crop at one of its nine research and extension centers this fall.

“It’s an interesting crop,” said UC Cooperative Extension specialist Bob Hutmacher. “We don’t have a lot of experience in UC ANR with hemp at this time. There is a tremendous amount of research that can be done to understand its growth and best cultural practices, optimal planting dates either by seed or transplants, irrigation and fertilization management, and, particularly, to address pest and disease management.”

Bob Hutmacher

Industrial hemp can be produced for grain and fiber, however, many growers currently consider the most profitable component of the crop to be cannabidiol, or CBD, and related compounds. CBD is valued for its purported health benefits. It is said to reduce inflammation, pain, nausea, depression and anxiety, among other conditions.

Hutmacher said he and colleagues around the state are interested in learning about industrial hemp production opportunities, and feel there is a place for UC ANR research to support the fledgling industry. Already, there are some observations coming out of these small trials.

“Some people believe that hemp is a pest- and disease-free plant. That’s not what we found,” Hutmacher said. “In the absence of suitable measures for control, corn ear worms seemed to thrive in hemp, and did an astounding amount of damage to cultivars in our small plots.”

The scientists were forced to use a pesticide to control the pest and reduce damage to developing buds. The hemp produced in the trial will be destroyed after harvest data has been collected. The experience with corn ear worm and other pest issues demonstrate that pest control will require significant study, particularly if a goal is to produce the crop organically.

“Markets for some industrial hemp products may require low pesticide residues. If hemp is produced organically, some preliminary observations this year suggest farmers will have to put a big effort into pest and disease control,” he said.

Plant breeding can be another area of UC research. Hemp’s natural genetic variations produce plants that vary widely in growth habit, size, response to day length, and time to maturity. There are hemp cultivars that mature when the plant is 18 inches tall and others that shoot up 12 feet high at maturity. Hemp grown for CBD production from seed or as transplants can vary greatly in size and other characteristics, such as amount of branching and the number of fruiting forms per plant. Multiple plant and production system factors also will influence options for mechanical versus hand harvesting.

Another breeding concern for growers is producing a crop with economic levels of CBD or other compounds of commercial interest, while staying within regulatory limits for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive compound found in marijuana, a related plant. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, an industrial hemp crop grown in the state may have no more than 0.3% THC when plant samples are analyzed.

“You don’t want to risk too high a THC level,” Hutmacher said. “Farmers must test to make sure THC is at a level to meet regulations. If it’s too high, CDFA regulations would require the crop be destroyed.”

Working with UC breeders, integrated pest management scientists, agronomists, irrigation specialists and agricultural engineers, there should be good opportunities to finesse hemp production at UC ANR’s network of research and extension center system across California.

Research center locations stretch from Holtville, in the low desert at the California-Mexico border, to Tulelake, just south of the Oregon border. Other centers ideal to answer hemp research questions include the UC Davis campus, the Hopland REC in Mendocino County, the Hansen REC in Ventura County, and the South Coast REC in Orange County.

2019-10-29T17:51:23-07:00November 2nd, 2019|

Devol Hired by Almond Board To Help Growers

Almond Board Hires Devol to Lead  

 The Almond Board of California (ABC) welcomes Tom Devol as its new Senior Manager of Field Outreach and Education. In his position, Devol will lead a team that engages directly with growers to help them tackle in-orchard challenges and create advancements and efficiencies on their operations. Before arriving at ABC, Devol worked as director of grower services in Field Monitoring and Control for Jain Irrigation, Inc.

“The Almond Board is committed to providing growers with boots-on-the-ground support in our journey toward the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals. We believe walking alongside growers to help them push past barriers to producing a better crop is vital to the future of the California almond industry,” said ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott.

Devol’s resume includes nearly 20 years of experience in irrigation technology. Though he started his career in sales, in 2003 he transitioned to an irrigation design role at Durham Pump & Irrigation. In this position, Devol had the opportunity to meet with growers to define their irrigation needs, design a system that met those needs and then deliver a final, installed system.

Devol recalls the day a grower pulled him aside and told him that while he was grateful for being sold a valuable irrigation system, he had no way of knowing how it was performing and what he could do to maintain it. That comment struck a cord with Devol, so much so that he switched his career focus to field monitoring and grower support and remained in those jobs up until joining the Almond Board.

“Growers are some of the best people to work with, and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve them in this capacity,” Devol said.

In his role at the Almond Board, Devol will work with growers to help them solve the issues that keep them up at night – irrigation system efficiency, effective pest management, etc. – while also encouraging them to continue advancing towards the almond orchard of the future. Two major industry efforts will drive Devol and Field Outreach and Education Specialist Ashley Correia, who joined ABC this past year, in their outreach to growers: the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) and the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals.

Devol and Correia will assist growers in self-assessing their orchards using the nine CASP modules, a process that shows growers the progress they’ve made and the opportunities for improvement that lie ahead. Each time a grower completes an assessment and initiates improvements on their operation, they support the entire California almond industry in its effort achieve the 2025 Goals, not only by providing data that helps the industry track progress towards the goals but also by implementing better practices in the areas of water use, pest management, zero waste and dust that will help them farm more efficiently for years to come.

“I feel like my whole career has built me up to this point and I’m excited to share all I’ve learned in the past decades with growers. There’s a real need for grower support in the area of new technology. Knowing how to determine what technology works well in their orchards and then, equally important, knowing how to use, it is a passion area of mine and is key for the industry to understand in order for it to continue advancing towards a more sustainable future,” Devol said. 

Devol will lead the Field Outreach and Education team from his base in Chico while Correia will continue to focus her efforts in the southern part of the valley from her home near Tulare area. The Almond Board is in the process of hiring a third member of the Field Outreach and Education team to round out the grower expertise and geographic coverage of the team. 

“The Almond Board invests heavily in research to improve growing practices, but the return on that investment only pays off if growers have access to the information they need to implement those practices in their orchard,” said ABC’s Senior Director of Global Communications Daren Williams. “Through our Field Outreach and Education program, the Almond Board hand-delivers production tips and best practices to the growers we are here to serve.” 

Those interested to learn more about CASP are invited to arrange an in-orchard visit with Devol, who may be reached at tdevol@almondboard.com and (530) 570-5558. Industry members are also encouraged to hear Devol present on a panel titled, “Research Update: How Much and When to Irrigate,” on Wednesday, December 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at The Almond Conference 2019.

2019-11-01T12:52:47-07:00November 1st, 2019|

Ag Leaders Support Farm Workforce Modernziation Act

New Farm Workforce Act Would Be Big Step to Immigration Reform

Noting that California farmers and ranchers have long sought reforms and improvements to immigration laws that would enhance the lives of agricultural employees and their families, the California Farm Bureau Federation said it supports a bipartisan bill introduced today.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, introduced by Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, and Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., would improve agricultural visa programs and accommodate immigrant agricultural employees already in the United States, while assuring border security.

“This comprehensive legislation contains key elements that address current and future workforce needs for agricultural employers and employees in California and throughout the nation,” CFBF President Jamie Johansson said. “The reforms in the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019 will provide much-needed solutions for agricultural employers and employees.”

The act would allow immigrant agricultural employees in the United States to earn legal status through continued agricultural employment.

“We need to deal fairly with the existing agricultural workforce and their immediate families,” Johansson said. “The people who work on farms and ranches are valued members of rural communities. Their contributions to our communities and our food system should be recognized by allowing them a chance to gain legal status.”

The bill would also modernize and streamline the existing H-2A agricultural visa program, to provide more flexibility for employers and ensure critical protections for foreign employees.

“Improvements to the H-2A program would make it much more flexible and valuable to California farm employers and employees,” Johansson said. “For example, a pilot program in the bill would allow H-2A employees to move from farm to farm for employment, a portability option California producers have long sought. And, for the first time, the bill would accommodate guestworker visas for year-round operations such as dairies and nurseries.”

The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 36,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 5.6 million Farm Bureau members.immigration reform

From California Citrus Mutual

It is with great excitement that California Citrus Mutual announces our support for the “Farm Workforce Modernziation Act” introduced today by Congresswomen Zoe Lofgren, chair of the Judiciary Committee.

“We applaud Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and members of the California congressional delegation that provided leadership on this critical issue,” states California Citrus Mutual President Casey Creamer. “The Farm Workforce Modernization Act creates a pathway to securing a legal workforce now and in the future while also providing stability and security to our employees and their families.

“This legislation is critical to the sustainability of the fresh produce industry and our continued ability to grow fresh and healthy citrus products in California. The existing system is out-of-date and does not meet the needs of employers or employees. We must put aside political differences and create a reasonable solution. California Citrus Mutual remains committed to working with our partners, Representative Lofgren, and members of Congress to resolve outstanding concerns and reach a deal that can supported in the United States Senate and signed by the President,” continues Creamer.food safety

From Western Growers Association

“On behalf of Western Growers members, farmers across the country who depend on an adequate supply of labor for their livelihoods, and American consumers who prefer a safe and secure domestic food supply, we wish to thank Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Dan Newhouse for approaching the agricultural labor crisis in a thorough, practical and bipartisan manner.

 

“The Farm Workforce Modernization Act addresses two critical needs for American agriculture – to retain existing, experienced workers and to ensure a reliable future flow of guest workers. Furthermore, after a satisfactory transition period, the bill includes E-Verify for agricultural employers, demonstrating the commitment our industry has made toward a long-term labor solution.

“The introduction of this bill, which is the product of many months of dedicated work and careful negotiation between legislators, staff, and key stakeholders, constitutes an agreement that few thought was possible. However, this is just the beginning. What lies ahead is a very important process that will require the support of both political parties and the President.

“The Farm Workforce Modernization Act has the resounding support of the agriculture community, and contains principles that have historically received backing on both sides of the aisle. We, along with our Congressional champions and partners in the Agriculture Workforce Coalition, commit ourselves to moving the Farm Workforce Modernization Act forward this legislative session.”

2019-10-30T18:25:24-07:00October 31st, 2019|

A Start on Comprehensive Immigration Reform?

Immigration Reform

Farm Workforce Modernization Act Introduced Today

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Today Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, with the 19th Congressional District, representing San Jose and Santa Clara Counties, became the first representative to listen to the need for immigration reform for agricultural workers.

Lofgren introduced the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to the House of Representatives.

This is an immigration reform bill to improve agricultural job opportunities, benefits, and security for undocumented workers in the United States. This bill also allows for the petition of spouses and children to be granted status and includes a revamping of the current agricultural guest worker program, known as H2-A.

Manuel Cunha

Manuel Cunha, Jr., President of Nisei Farmers League, praised representative Lofgren, “Congresswoman Lofgren has worked tirelessly and is committed to getting much-needed immigration reform, which has been long over-due. She is working with other representatives in our Valley, including Congressmen Costa, Panetta and LaMalfa, Cox and Harder, who also believe our hard-working laborers and their families must feel safe and be granted legal status,” noted Cunha.
“Lofgren’s Committee deals with agricultural workers here, taking care of them and their immediate family. If it’s the wife or the husband or the kids, they will have an opportunity to become a Blue Cardholder, then eventually go into a permanent green card,” explained Cunha. The Blue Card it temporary.

“And down the road, if they wish to apply for citizenship, they could because that’s already in the law,” Cunha said

So in that, now what happens is that the house judiciary committee did an ag piece to take care of the current workers here, getting them into status, as long as there are no criminal records. And they’ve had to work in agriculture for a minimum of a hundred days a year.

This process represents 1.6 million farmworkers in the US, which California has about 500,000.

To qualify and advance to permanent residency, those ag workers must stay working in agriculture for a minimum of three years. “Then they would have advanced to the front of the line for residency if they stayed working in agriculture for a minimum of a hundred days a year,” Cunha said.

If we run short of workers, then we have a guest worker provision. The old H-2A is being modified. And that would allow those workers to come into work in the US up to 10 months, in some cases up to 36 months Those folks after eight years would be eligible to apply for the Blue Card of residency. So there’s a place even for those H-2A people down the line.

“Now there’s a catch to all of this and the catch for agriculture is that at the end, let’s say they give us three years to get everybody signed up into the blue card; those people then have this three years already, the agriculture industry would have to go into E-Verify. So, in other words, we would now be responsible for every worker hired after the third year. After the third year, we have to go into E-Verify every farmer, and every labor contractor would have to be registered in E-Verified,” explained Cunha.

Another objective would streamline the I-9 check “The grower would be able to scan your blue card, and it would have all the information necessary for the I-9, and it would meet that obligation. So the Farm Workforce Modernization Act will do some things that are innovative to take a lot of paperwork away from having to do things over and over again,” noted Cunha.

Once the Farm Workforce Modernization Act passes the House, it will go the Senate. It will need to concur with the Senate’s plan. “And upon doing that, making the changes and making sure we have the correct definition for agriculture because right now it’s too narrow, but it needs to be broadened a little bit. For the ag industry, the Senate’s side would be done.

And then when they go back to the house side, where the members will work together through the deals, get everything ironed out, and then after that happens, there are two other bills over in the Senate that have to move at the same time. And that’s the Dreamers and the temporary protective-status (TPS) people. This is for people from countries that were having civil war and unrest, where thousands and thousands of people would be killed. They came here for protection. Those people’s visas would be extended.

“Then we come back later next year we start helping the undocumented in construction and manufacturing. So we start inching away at each of these industries,” Cunha said.

“But if you do dreamers, you do TPS’s, and you do agriculture, you’re probably going to take away around three and a half to 4 million of the 8 million undocumented workers,” Cunha noted. “And that’s a big dent into that program.”

2019-10-30T13:33:21-07:00October 30th, 2019|

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