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Big Grant for Dairy’s Net Zero Initiative

Dairy’s Net Zero Initiative Gets Boost with $10 million Research Grant

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research has awarded a $10 million grant to support U.S. dairy’s Net Zero Initiative as a critical on-farm pathway to advance the industrywide 2050 Environmental Stewardship Goals set through the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

In California, UC Davis and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources scientists will collaborate on the nationwide project addressing carbon sequestration, soil health and nitrogen management.

“The Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research grant in partnership with Soil Health Institute and Dairy Research Institute are funding research that will positively impact the future of animal and plant agriculture in a world with increasingly limited natural resources,” said Deanne Meyer, UC Cooperative Extension specialist based at UC Davis, who studies livestock waste management.

Working with California dairy forage and almond producers, UC Cooperative Extension scientists and technicians will evaluate and demonstrate the impacts of using manure products as fertilizer in combination with more traditional soil conservation practices.

“With this research, there’s a potential to expand the use of dairy manure products beyond forage crops to crops such as almonds,” said Nick Clark, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor for Fresno and Tulare counties. “We expect results to demonstrate that groundwater quality and quantity can be protected and preserved, and crop yields can be maintained without increasing net greenhouse gas emissions from crop production.”

Clark added, “We look forward to working with our local producers and connecting with our national partners and collaborators to examine and demonstrate the best practical solutions that science has to offer for farming in tomorrow’s world.”

California dairy operators who would like to participate in the experiment may contact Clark for more information at neclark@ucanr.edu.

Data from the “Dairy Soil & Water Regeneration: Building soil health to reduce greenhouse gases, improve water quality and enable new economic benefits” project will be broadly shared among the dairy community. The six-year project will provide measurement-based assessments of dairy’s greenhouse gas footprint for feed production. It will also set the stage for new market opportunities related to carbon, water quality and soil health.

“Addressing the U.S. dairy industry’s emissions is a critical solution to climate change,” said FFAR Executive Director Sally Rockey. “I know dairy farmers are working hard to decrease their environmental footprint and I’m thrilled to support their efforts by advancing research needed to adopt climate-smart practices on dairy farms across the country.”

Through foundational science, on-farm pilots and development of new product markets, the Net Zero Initiative aims to knock down barriers and create incentives for farmers that will lead to economic viability and positive environmental impact.

“After six years, we will have data that accurately reflect our farms’ greenhouse gas footprint for dairy crop rotations with consideration for soil health management practices and new manure-based products,” said Jim Wallace, Dairy Management Inc. senior vice president of environmental research. “We expect to develop critical insights that link soil health outcomes, such as carbon sequestration, with practice and technology adoption. This will provide important background information to support the development of new carbon and water quality markets.”

The project will be executed across four dairy regions responsible for about 80% of U.S. milk production: Northeast, Lakes, Mountain and Pacific. In addition to UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and UC Davis, collaborators include the Soil Health Institute and leading dairy research institutions, including Cornell University, Texas A&M AgriLife Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, University of Vermont, and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research in Idaho.

Dozens of dairies representing climates and soils of these major production regions will participate in a baseline survey of soil health and carbon storage. Additionally, eight farms, including five operating dairies, two university research dairies and one USDA ARS research farm, will participate in the project. These pilots will be used to engage farmers in soil health management practices and monitor changes in greenhouse gas emissions, soil carbon storage, soil health and water quality.

The FFAR grant will be matched by financial contributions from Net Zero Initiative partners such as Nestlé, the dairy industry, including Newtrient, and in-kind support for a total of $23.2 million. The funds will be managed by the Dairy Research Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity founded and staffed by Dairy Management Inc., whose scientists will serve as the project leads to address research gaps in feed production and manure-based fertilizers.

About the partners

FFAR builds public-private partnerships to support bold science that fills critical research gaps. Working with partners across the private and public sectors, FFAR identifies urgent challenges facing the food and agriculture industry and funds research to develop solutions.

NZI is an industrywide effort led by six national dairy organizations: Dairy Management Inc., Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, International Dairy Foods Association, Newtrient, National Milk Producers Federation and the U.S. Dairy Export Council. This collaboration represents a critical pathway on U.S. dairy’s sustainability journey.

For more information about dairy sustainability, visit www.usdairy.com/sustainability.

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu and support our work at donate.ucanr.edu.

California Ag Today2021-07-22T16:09:39-07:00July 22nd, 2021|

Amendments Needed on the Farm Workforce Modernization Act

Urgent Amendments Needed to the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 and the Passage of Dreamers Legislation

The U. S. House of Representatives passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021. NFL President Manuel Cunha stated, “Unfortunately, their version of the legislation did not include employees of packing houses or processing facilities under the definition of ‘agricultural labor or services.’ It is our desire to expand the definition to include employees vital to our community and economic sectors.”

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021 would provide farmworkers, who are invaluable to our economy and have lived in this country for years, even decades, an opportunity to earn citizenship.

Community leaders are concerned. Orange Cove City Mayor Victor Lopez said “the hard-working people in our community who work in packing houses should be treated fairly. We urge the Senate to adopt language expanding the definition of the farm workforce.”

Parlier Mayor Alma Beltran, added, “We support our farmworkers. We do not want to split up families. We want our communities to be strong and viable.”

Most recently, the Nisei Farmers League, the African American Farmers of California, the Insure America Project, and numerous Mayors wrote letters to U. S. Senators Feinstein and U. S. Senator Padilla asking them to include employees who work in packing houses and processing facilities to be added to the Senate version of the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021. Cunha stated, “We intend to contact 43 cities in the Sand Joaquin Valley for their support.”

Cunha further stated, “We are also asking legislation for Dreamers be passed concurrently. In light of the recent federal ruling that new applications for DACA must stop, it is even more important our ‘Dreamers’ are not forgotten in the effort to legalize agricultural workers. In our communities, many Dreamers have parents working in agriculture. To not move forward with DACA legislation leaves thousands to uncertain futures and possible family separations.”

California Ag Today2021-08-05T18:06:05-07:00July 21st, 2021|

Center for Land-Based Learning Gets Big Grant

Center for Land-based Learning Awarded $25,000 Bank of America Grant

Grant will support General Operating Funds for the Growing Non-profit

Bank of America has awarded $25,000 to the Center for Land-Based Learning, based in Woodland, to support General Operating Funds for the growing non-profit.

Bank of America has long been a supporter of the Center’s work, with previous grants funding its Green Corps program and a multi-year Neighborhood Builder project. The current funding undergirds the Center’s mission to inspire, educate, and cultivate future generations of farmers, agricultural leaders, and natural resource stewards, through educational programming, job creation, and workforce development efforts.

Lori A. Rianda, Senior Vice President and Local Market Executive for Bank of America Greater Sacramento, remarked of the partnership, “The work that Center for Land-Based Learning does in our community around workforce development within the ag industry and environmental stewardship is truly impactful. We are pleased to partner with CLBL, a true model for what an effective, sustainable community-based organization should be.”

This grant, in providing General Operating Support to the Center, would directly support Workforce Development, specifically through the FARMS Program and California Farm Academy. The Center directly engages in job creation through the internship portion of the FARMS Program, aimed at helping youth ages 16 through 24 to enter the fields of agriculture and natural resource stewardship. The Center also partners with local partners to create and manage paid internships for youth interested in entering these fields professionally.

Mary Kimball, CEO of the Center for Land-Based Learning, expressed her appreciation for the support: “We are thrilled to be funded by the Bank of America Foundation again through this grant. We value our long-term partnership and the investment that the foundation makes in the economic and social well-being of our region through its philanthropic giving.”

California Ag Today2021-07-21T16:59:44-07:00July 21st, 2021|

Drought Assistance Sought for Central Valley

State Senator Hurtado and Congressman Valadao Urge Gov. Newsom For Help in Drought for Central Valley Counties

Today, Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) and Congressman David G. Valadao (R-Hanford) released the following statements regarding a letter they sent to Governor Gavin Newsom and the Federal Drought Task Force to ensure that the south Central Valley will be considered in drought decisions:

“California is one state of many, including countries around the world, that is experiencing a drought unlike any other,” said Senator Hurtado. “Farmers of the Central Valley are world leaders and have been at the forefront of the fight against climate change. Support for our farmers equals support for our food—we may not be able to avoid this water crisis, but we can work to avoid a food crisis. There is no room for partisan politics in addressing this enormous challenge. Congressman Valadao, myself, and the Valley Delegation have been working tirelessly to address the needs of our constituents, farmers and farmworkers. We will continue to do so.”

“Central Valley farmers are doing everything they can to mitigate this crisis, and we need you to do everything you can to help them,” said Congressman Valadao. “Senator Hurtado and I understand the challenges both state and federal officials currently face in allocating extremely limited water supplies to meet all the demands of the state. There is no doubt that the agriculture industry can, should, and currently is playing a role in reducing water use during these difficult times. Not only have many farmers in our districts implemented more modern technology and irrigation practices to efficiently use water, but farmers across our districts have already fallowed fields and prematurely ripped out permanent crops in an effort to reduce water use further. We strongly urge you to think about our Central Valley farmers when making critical decisions on drought mitigation.”

This legislative session, Senator Hurtado has introduced Senate Bill 559–the State Water Resiliency Act of 2021. Senate Bill 559 will allocate $785 million to repairing vital water delivery systems that provide drinking water to communities throughout California and water to sustain the state’s leading agricultural economy. The funds would go to fixing the Friant-Kern Canal, the Delta-Mendota Canal and major portions of the California Aqueduct, all of which have degraded and are losing water as a result of subsidence – the actual shrinking of land.

The Senator is also a co-author of the Water Innovation Act of 2021, which will create the Office of Water Innovation at the California Water Commission-furthering new technologies and other approaches within the water sector. The Senator has also introduced Senate Bill 464, which will expand the eligibility for state funded food benefits to undocumented immigrants, ensuring all residents can access food assistance. Senator Hurtado’s SB 108, which will declare it to be state policy that all people have access to sufficient, healthy food.

California Ag Today2021-07-19T12:47:36-07:00July 19th, 2021|

Converting Food Waste Into Energy

Food Power per Hour

Food Waste Now Generating Power in Many US Cities

Considering that 795 million people around the world go hungry on any given day, it is shocking that many of us throw away food on a daily basis. In fact, one-third of all food produced globally goes to waste each year, amounting to 1.3 billion tons of wasted food with a value exceeding $1 trillion. According to a recently published report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), global hunger could be alleviated if just 25 percent of the food wasted each year was saved instead.

While food loss along the production line is a large contributor to waste in developing countries, in developed countries, food wastage tends to occur after it reaches the supermarket. This wastage is driven by affluent consumers who stock up their refrigerators with far more food than they can possibly eat before the recommended “best-by” dates. As a result, a large portion of uneaten food is discarded and simply replaced with even more food (which may later go uneaten).

The amount of food wasted varies from city to city, and with only nine of the top 25 most populated cities mandating food waste legislation, there is a lot of room for improvement. The good news: We do have cities leading the effort to reduce food waste across the country.

California has recently introduced a Mandatory Commercial Organics Recycling law that requires all businesses to recycle their organic waste. CalRecycle has online resources that help consumers manage food waste, and it has been conducting workshops in support of a newly proposed Food Waste Prevention Grant Program.

As part of its Zero Waste Initiative, the City of Austin, Texas, recently voted unanimously for a city ordinance that requires all large restaurants (over 5,000 square feet) to separate compostable waste from other waste material.The Home Composting Rebate Program offers consumers a $75 rebate on a home composting system after attending a free composting class.

Businesses in New York City have also heeded the call of a Zero Waste Challenge. Restaurants composted organic waste, trained chefs to improve meal planning, reduced the amount of food produced after peak periods, and donated surplus food to an NGO that provides meals to the city’s homeless shelters. The 31 businesses that participated in the challenge collectively diverted 37,000 tons of waste by increasing recycling efforts, composting over 24,500 tons of organic material, and donating 322 tons of food. Additionally, in July 2016 the city mandated Business Organic Waste program, where qualified business are required to separate their organic waste for composting.

Every year the average person in North America may waste around 231 pounds of food, which if converted to energy, could power a 100 watt light bulb for two weeks. If you extrapolate that for the entire U.S. population, it represents a lot of energy that could be saved right there.

A country with a population of 319 million could waste as much as 74 billion pounds of food a year, which if saved could result in tremendous energy savings that could be put to much better use. But to reduce food waste, these savings need to be implemented from the bottom up rather than the top down, starting in individual homes and businesses in towns, cities, and states across the country. If each and every household and business made a concerted effort to reduce food waste, the collective savings regarding energy would be huge.

For more information visit https://www.saveonenergy.com/food-power-per-hour/

California Ag Today2021-07-20T11:00:30-07:00July 15th, 2021|

Chef Finalists Announced for CADairy2Go!

Real California Milk Foodservice Announces Chef Finalist For CADairy2Go

Finalists compete for over $22,000 in prizes for innovative use of California dairy

The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) today announced chef finalists in the inaugural CADairy2Go foodservice competition – a spotlight on “to-go” meal innovation. The competition, which will award prize money totaling $22,500 for creative use of California cheese and dairy in off premise dishes, will culminate with a live cook off event July 28^th at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa, Calif.

Inspired by chefs and foodservice operators who made quick, creative pivots to adjust menus for the takeout and delivery model during the pandemic, the Real California Milk Foodservice Team invited 12 culinary professionals to compete in the CADairy2Go preliminary round. This list was winnowed to six finalist chefs and their creations to compete in a live cook-off event July 28^th at the Culinary Institute of America’s Copia location in Napa, Calif.

During the live event, emceed by “Check, Please! Bay Area” host, Leslie Sbrocco, dishes will be evaluated by a panel of three leading culinary professionals: Barbara Alexander, Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator from the American Culinary Association; Neil Doherty, Corporate Executive Chef – Sr. Director of Culinary Development at Sysco; and Duskie Estes, Culinary Personality, Chef and Co-owner of Black Pig Meat Co. and MacBryde Farm.

The 2021 CADairy2Go finalists are:

In the “Cheese+Mac” category, Carrie Baird of Rose’s Classic Americana in Boulder, Colo., preparing Skipjack & Cheesy Mac, a dish inspired by what she cooks for herself with a variety of tastes and textures including four California cheeses, skipjack tuna, charred broccoli, peas and corn along with togarashi, sriracha and furikake seasoning. She will compete against Alex Sadowsky of Twin Peaks in Dallas, Texas, who will showcase California Cacio e Pepe Cheese and Mac, a twist on the classic “cheese and pepper” dish using triple cream California brie and a California manchego.

Under “Cal-Mex”, Gina Galvan of Mood for Food Consulting in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. brings inspiration from family travels to Ensenada to her Surf & Turf Torta entry made with California panela cheese and lobster grilled in adobo butter, skirt steak, chorizo and California cotija cheese fries. Her competitor, Mary Grace Viado of Village Tavern in Birmingham, Ala., will showcase Mexi-Cali Shrimp Scampi, featuring cubes of blackened California panela and served with homemade arepas.

In the “Innovate to Go” category, Marti Lieberman of Mac Mart in Philadelphia, Pa. will be presenting her Rangoon-inspired entry, Mac’n Snax, which brings portability to her five-cheese, ranch mac and cheese made ready for easy snacking or entertaining. She will face off against Brian Mullins of Ms. Cheezious^® in Miami, Fla. who marries grilled cheese with fresh California mozzarella, cheesy pesto and a California Dry Jack cheese frico coating in his Frico Pesto Melt, a partnership of cheesy, gooey and crunchy.

The cook off, hosted July 28^th at the CIA’s Copia facility in Napa, will be streamed on Facebook live at 10:30 a.m. PT (Cheese+Mac), 12:30 p.m. PT (Cal-Mex), and 2:30 p.m. PT (Innovate To-Go) at facebook.com/realcamilkfoodservice. Additional details on the competition and the chef competitors is available at CADairy2Go.

“We were inspired by the creations of the CADairy2Go chefs who really pushed themselves to create recipes that not only spotlight the best of California dairy but also hold up to the rigors of takeout and delivery to ensure a positive consumer experience,” said Nancy Campbell, Business Development consultant for CMAB Foodservice. “This is where dairy shines, bringing flavor and functionality to foodservice operators in an affordable package.”

As the nation’s largest dairy state, California boasts a long list of cheesemakers and dairy processors that are further driving to-go dining innovation. California leads the nation in milk production and is responsible for producing more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. The state is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made exclusively with sustainably sourced milk from the state’s dairy farm families.

California is a reliable, consistent source of sustainable dairy products used by chefs throughout the world. Check out the CMAB’s REAL Makers chefs who rely on California dairy for their dishes.

California Ag Today2021-07-15T10:18:19-07:00July 15th, 2021|

Westlands Awards Eight Students Scholarships

Eight High School Students Awarded Westlands Water District’s 2021 Westside Scholarship

Westlands Water District is proud to announce the eight recipients of its 2021 Westside Scholarship, which recognizes and rewards exceptional academic achievement and leadership shown by graduating seniors at area high schools.

“Westlands is proud to recognize these outstanding students, whose accomplishments and achievements are points of great pride for the communities on the westside of the San Joaquin Valley,” commented Tom Birmingham, general manager of Westlands. “We hope these students will continue contributing to their communities during their college years and beyond and help build an even better future for generations to come.”

The recipients of the 2021 scholarships are:

Aidan Apgar – Aidan, a senior at Hanford West High School, plans to attend California Polytechnic State University in the fall of 2021 to study business administration. Aidan held a four-year commitment to the Future Farmers of America (FFA) program, water polo team, and swimming team. Aidan’s scholastic and extracurricular involvements were honored with a California Scholarship Federation: Lifetime Member achievement, placement on the honor roll for seven semesters, awards from both the water polo and swim teams, and FFA State and Chapter degrees. Aidan aspires to be in financial management.

Bryan Welch – Bryan, a senior at Coalinga High School, plans to attend California State University, Fresno, in the fall of 2021 to study mass communications and journalism. Bryan has been involved with the Pleasant Valley 4-H club for 10 years, tennis team for four years, Coalinga High School Band for three years, Coalinga FFA Chapter for two years, and as the announcer for the boys and girls basketball teams for three years. Bryan has served in a number of leadership roles with these groups, such as the president of the Pleasant Valley 4-H club, the vice president of the California Scholastic Federation Coalinga High School chapter, and team captain of the boys tennis team. Bryan aspires to become a sports broadcaster.

Chloe Scialo – Chloe, a senior at Hanford High School, plans to attend California State University, Fullerton in the fall of 2021 to study business. Chole has been involved with the Associated Student Body and is a member of the Hanford FFA chapter, earning both Chapter and Greenhand degrees. Chole is also involved with the Sons of Italy, Cabrillo, participated in the Girl Scouts of America and has earned a 10-year award from the Dancers Edge studio. Chloe aspires to become a real estate agent or work in interior design after completing her education.

Carlos Emilio Meza – Carlos, a senior at Lemoore High School, plans to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara in the fall of 2021, studying psychology and brain sciences. Carlos has been involved with the Guitar Club and has completed community service for the local Catholic church by volunteering time at various fundraisers. Carlos’s scholastic achievements have been recognized with an American Legion Award; Carlos also holds two jobs, one at Domino’s and another at a landscaping business. Carlos aspires to attend medical school and become a doctor or surgeon.

Jacquelin Garcia – Jacquelin, a senior at Tranquillity High School, plans to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara in the fall of 2021, studying psychology. Jacquelin has been involved with the Youth Leadership Institute, FFA, Anime club, and Drama club, and has taken on leadership roles as the President of Yearbook and Secretary of the Art Club. Jacquelin’s scholastic and extracurricular involvements have earned a Student of the Month award and an award for outstanding academics. Jacquelin aspires to become a psychiatrist.

Marcos Rivera Hernandez – Marcos, a senior at Mendota High School, plans to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz in the fall of 2021 to study computer science. Marcos has been a member of the Mendota FFA where he has earned an FFA Chapter and Greenhand degrees and conducted his own Supervised Agricultural Experience project. Marcos is also a member of the Mendota Junior State of America club, the Mendota National Alliance on Mental Illness Club, Link Crew, and the Mendota Youth Coalition. Marcos aspires to become a software engineer after completing his education.

Omar Almaraz – Omar, a senior at Firebaugh High School, plans to attend the University of California, Los Angeles in the fall of 2021, studying political science. Omar has been the captain of the football and tennis teams, been named a WSL Football Champion, and played for the soccer team. Omar was also involved with FFA, participating in Ag Awareness Day as the Sheep Showman Captain and winning Outstanding Showman and sheep production awards, obtaining a Firebaugh FFA Chapter Degree, and attending the California FFA Made for Excellence and Advanced Leadership Academy conferences. Omar will graduate high school with an associate’s degree from West Hills Community College. Omar aspires to become a government agent and farm owner.

Yasin Dominguez – Yasin, a senior at Riverdale High School, plans to attend West Hills Community College Disitrict in the fall of 2021, studying political science. Yasin has been involved with the Riverdale High School SMART (Students Mobilize Awareness and Reducing Trauma) Club and served as Club President in 2020 and 2021. Yasmin has also participated in the Associated Student Body as Secretary, Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Club as President, After Hours Club as Vice President and Secretary, Big Brother Big Sisters program as a mentor, Environmental Club, Academic Decathlon, AVID, Fresno State Education Talent Search, and Building our Leaders and Dreamers Cohort. Yasin aspires to become a writer and lawyer.

Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 for community college or university expenses. Applicants were judged on their academic performance, school activities, and community leadership.

Westlands Water District congratulates each of these talented students and wishes them the best of luck in their future academic and professional careers.

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About Westlands Water District

Westlands Water District is recognized as a world leader in agricultural water conservation and has served the farmers and rural communities on the westside of Fresno and Kings counties for more than five decades. As stewards of one of California’s most precious natural resources, Westlands continually invests in conservation, and champions farmers deploying innovative irrigation methods based on the best available technology.

California Ag Today2021-07-12T15:49:29-07:00July 12th, 2021|

Westlands: New Drought Affect Life in SJV

Five Things to Know About the Drought

From Westlands Water District

Every person who lives or works in Westlands Water District’s service area knows that California is facing yet another year of drought. We not only read and hear about it in the news, but we see it every single day in the fallowed fields around us. We feel it when we walk through the communities, like Mendota, Huron and Avenal. Drought conditions are affecting life in a very tangible way, especially here in the San Joaquin Valley.

There’s no doubt that the lack of water is having a negative impact on families and communities across the region. Westlands is working hard to collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to reduce the negative impacts of the drought. Here are five things – among many others – Westlands is doing to try to improve the short-term water supplies and advance long-term water reliability policies:

Easing water purchases and transfers

Current drought conditions mean there just isn’t enough water to meet every demand. Not only have all south-of-Delta agricultural repayment and water service contractors had their Central Valley Project allocation reduced to 0 percent, but even municipal and industrial water users have been reduced to 25 percent of historic use. Water levels at lakes and reservoirs around the state are at historic lows.

At times like these, water purchases and transfers are critically important to support the communities and farms in the San Joaquin Valley. During drought, its essential to ensure that farmers receive sufficient water to meet their essential activities in order to sustain the community and the food people need. Westlands is working hard to purchase water, and to ensure that the water is available to the farmers in the District when they need it. That means working collaboratively with local, state, and federal partners, including regulators, to make it as easy as possible to move water as soon as possible.

Groundwater stewardship

The farmers in Westlands have a long legacy of being good stewards of local groundwater resources – in fact, Westlands was formed, in part, because of concern with the groundwater aquifer underlying Westlands, with a focus on monitoring groundwater conditions. Farmers in Westlands have long known that groundwater management was critically important to the long-term viability of the region. The farmers’ and Westlands’ commitment to being thoughtful about groundwater use continues – not only because we’re now required to under the provisions of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) but also because it’s the right thing to do to protect local aquifers.

Supporting major infrastructure investments

The water infrastructure system that brings water to Westlands has suffered from decades of inadequate funding. There has been inadequate investment in new storage to keep up with increased social demands and climate change patterns. The inadequate storage facilities are unable to store sufficient water in the wet periods to sustain the San Joaquin communities in the dry years. There has also been inadequate investment in our conveyance system, which, as a result, has lost carrying capacity. This lost capacity means it costs more energy and money to move less water today than it did just years ago.

In pursuit of improved water infrastructure, the District is proud to support companion state and federal legislation designed to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in much-needed funding to help make necessary upgrades to our state’s major water infrastructure. We also have continually advocated for projects that can help increase above and below ground storage, such as the District’s Pasajero Recharge Project, to help improve water reliability during dry years.

Implementing Voluntary Agreements

The Voluntary Agreements (VAs) – an effort started by then-Governor Jerry Brown and maintained by Governor Gavin Newsom – is aimed at protecting and restoring the Bay-Delta ecosystem while improving reliability for the 35 million people, nearly 8 million acres of farmland, and hundreds of thousands of acres of California wetlands that depend on the Sacramento-San Joaquin watershed.

Westlands is among a broad coalition that supports adoption and implementation of the VAs, which represent a 15 year science-based strategy that provides the resources needed to address the multiple factors that impair the ability of the Sacramento-San Joaquin watershed to serve the many needs California places on it.

Solar Project in the San Joaquin Valley

Farming the sun

Westlands and farmers within Westlands recognize the value of solar energy development, which not only helps California reach its carbon-free energy goals and mitigate impacts of climate change, but it also gives “new” value to agriculture land. There’s already more than 700 MW of operational solar energy in the Westlands footprint – enough electricity to power approximately 130,000 homes. Westlands and the farmers within Westlands are often considering or pursing new solar projects.

The reality of our changing climate means that droughts may become even more frequent. Westlands is continually working to proactively to ensure the investments are made to reduce climate and drought impacts – not only this year but for many years to come.

California Ag Today2021-07-07T13:25:42-07:00July 7th, 2021|

UCANR’s Jeannette Warnert Retires

Warnert Served 31 years as a UC Communications Specialist

Communication methods have rapidly evolved over the past three decades. To ANR’s benefit, Jeannette Warnert has been an enthusiastic early adopter, figuring out how to use new media to deliver ANR news.

“When I started with UC ANR, there was no internet and no email,” Warnert said. “We photocopied news releases and mailed them to media, who transcribed them if they wanted to use the material. Film was dropped off at a lab, which provided us a proof sheet from which we could select black-and-white prints to mail to the media. Our jobs evolved rapidly and we had to continually update our skills as new technologies were introduced over the years.”

Along the way, she tutored her colleagues to use the World Wide Web and social media to disseminate information.

“I’m continually impressed by Jeannette’s work ethic, can-do attitude, the quality of her writing, and her willingness to take on new projects,” said Linda Forbes, Strategic Communications director. “She is incredibly organized, always reliable, has great ideas and she’s passionate about ANR’s mission and people.”

Before joining UC ANR, Warnert worked as a reporter at a small daily newspaper in Los Angeles, in a hospital public relations department, and in public relations for Toyota Motor Sales. After marrying and moving to Fresno, she worked briefly for the Fresno Fair and Radio Bilingue, then accepted the UC ANR public information representative job in 1990.

“I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to learn about agricultural science and work with so many intelligent and dedicated academics and staff,” Warnert said. “Knowing about the work of UC ANR makes me hopeful about the future, even as we face so many threats like drought, wildfire, climate change, invasive pests, etc. I especially enjoyed covering conservation agriculture for more than 20 years with stories about the potential for no-till and cover crops to improve soil health, sequester carbon, reduce dust emissions, and use less water while maintaining farms’ economic viability.”

Jeff Mitchell, UC Cooperative Extension conservation agriculture specialist based at Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, described her as a “wonderful encourager and lifelong very good friend.”

“I consider Jeannette Warnert one of the exceptionally valuable workgroup colleagues that we could have ever had,” Mitchell said. “She was ever-ready in the trenches during our early formative days with superbly crafted communications, clear advice and guidance on outreach issues, and just an all-around level-headed colleague. She contributed so much to all that we have done over the years.”

Warnert, whose parents immigrated from The Netherlands, is fluent in conversational Spanish and often collaborated with the News and Information Outreach in the Spanish team.

In retirement, Warnert plans to spend more time with family – including her baby granddaughter and 90-year-old mother. “I hope to volunteer with the California Naturalist program and plan to apply to be a UC Master Gardener volunteer in Fresno County when the next class opens,” she said. “I’m also looking forward to more traveling, hiking, gardening, knitting, sewing, and cooking.”

California Ag Today2021-07-06T15:02:17-07:00July 6th, 2021|

Breeding Drought Resistant Crops Part Two

Drought-Resilient Tomatoes – Part Two

By Tim Hammerich with the Ag Information Network

As thousands of acres of California cropland are going fallow due to lack of water availability this year, researchers at UC Davis are trying to understand how to breed more drought-resilient crops. Some of that work is being done on tomatoes by Siobhan Brady and her colleagues, who are focused on cells within the plant’s roots.

“For the first time, we actually looked at what’s happening in those individual cells both in a lab, but also in a field environment. And that’s the first time that’s really been done at this resolution, which is really, really exciting. The second really high level of finding is that we’re able to integrate some genetic information from wild populations that are drought tolerant. And to be able to look at how xylem cells are formed,” said Brady.

“So the xylem are basically these long hollow pipes. They’re the ones that are responsible for transporting the water from below ground to above ground. Or transporting the nitrogen, the phosphate, etc. And so we now understand some of the genes that control that. And some of them were the ones that we expected from other species, and some of them were new and really unexpected.”

Brady hopes this work can be applied not only to tomatoes, but to other crops as well.

California Ag Today2021-06-30T20:06:20-07:00June 30th, 2021|

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