Reclamation Releases Central Valley Project Integrated Resource Plan

The Bureau of Reclamation today released the final report on the Central Valley Project Integrated Resource Plan. Reclamation investigated climate change impacts on water supplies and demands in the CVP service area and performed an exploratory analysis of potential adaptation strategies to address these impacts.

The Plan was authorized by the CALFED Bay Delta Authorization Act which directs Reclamation to develop CVP Division-specific water needs assessments and work with partners to develop integrated resource plans.

The Plan provides valuable information for other Reclamation studies, including the Sacramento-San Joaquin Basin Study, the CALFED surface storage investigations, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the California Department of Water Resources’ California Water Plan Update 2013.

Reclamation employed a scenario-based planning approach by combining three potential socioeconomic and six climate projections to form 18 scenarios characterizing a wide range of future uncertainties. Potential adaptation strategies identified in the Plan include increased water conservation, storage, conveyance and others.

The Plan Summary Report may be viewed at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/SSJBasinStudy/.

For additional information, please contact Michael Tansey at 916-978-5197 (TTY 1-800-877-8339) or mtansey@usbr.gov.
Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit their website at www.usbr.gov.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:06-07:00March 27th, 2014|

Change in Policy on Fumigant Puts Farmers in Bind

Source: California Farm Bureau Federation

New restrictions have been placed on an important crop protection tool used on more than 40 different California fruit, vegetable, tree and vine crops.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has ended a policy that allows growers in certain areas—also known as townships—to acquire necessary quantities of the soil fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene—sold under the trade name Telone—above an annual allocation cap.

The amount of Telone allowed to be used annually is based on potential exposure averaged over a 70-year span. DPR had allowed more to be used when requested, with the understanding that lesser amounts would subsequently be used so as not to exceed the averaged, 70-year limit.

The affected areas are largely in Fresno, Tulare, Merced, Monterey, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. These areas have used more than the yearly limit of 90,250 pounds set for each township, which is 36 square miles. Some 450 townships in 42 counties use 1,3-D, with about 10 townships likely to be affected by the new policy, according to DPR.

Growers of crops such as sweet potatoes, almonds, walnuts, grapes and strawberries use 1,3-D as a preplant soil fumigant to give their ground a clean start and protect their crops against nematodes and diseases that result in lower yields and quality.

Fumigants continue to face tighter regulatory restrictions, leaving growers with fewer pest management options and less-effective materials. With the international phase-out of methyl bromide, growers have increasingly turned to alternatives such as 1,3-D, and they say the latest limits on the product erode their ability to produce their crops.

“Food costs are going to go up,” said David P. Souza, a sweet potato grower in Merced County, “because the less we produce, the more it’s going to cost. Hopefully, people are ready to adjust to that.”

DPR officials said they understand that no longer granting the exemptions will present challenges for farmers. But DPR Director Brian Leahy said the department “believes in being very protective when it comes to fumigants.”

“We continuously evaluate their use,” Leahy said, noting that DPR has been reviewing 1,3-D since 2009 to assess its toxicity and risk. The department said it expects to complete the study in 18 months.

David Doll, a University of California pomology farm advisor in Merced County, said the change in DPR policy has created a real bind for almond growers who had made planting decisions based on the belief that they would be able to fumigate with Telone.

“I think it caught a lot of people by surprise,” he said. “There were a lot of farmers who were expecting (the cap) to be raised and more Telone to be released, and when it wasn’t, I was getting one call after another from farmers who said they weren’t getting any Telone and they didn’t know what to do with regard to planting their almond orchard.”

He said he’s been advising almond farmers to treat what they can with the limited Telone, if they can get it, and then consider applying chloropicrin, which he said is less effective in managing nematodes but works well against Prunus replant disease. Doll said after seeing his own trial work, he consistently recommends fumigating before replanting.

“I’ve seen the stuff work. I’ve watched orchards developed with and without fumigants,” he said, noting that fumigated trees not only produce a crop earlier, but they have higher yields and also use water and nutrients more efficiently.

“If we have an efficient-running operation, we then can trim back our nitrogen, our water and maintain same or greater production,” Doll added.

Merced County farmer Bob Weimer, who grows sweet potatoes, almonds, walnuts and peaches, said the new policy on Telone comes at an especially difficult time when growers are already struggling with dwindling water supplies due to drought.

“If we’re hindered with disease issues underground attacking the roots, then the problems become exacerbated with a shortage of water,” he said.

He said growers’ inability to control pests and diseases wastes critical resources such as water, fertilizer and labor, and undermines the sustainability of the land.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:06-07:00March 26th, 2014|

Ag Students Rally to Try to Preserve Education Grants

Source: California Farm Bureau Federation

Concerns about future funding for high school agricultural classes and leadership programs are being voiced throughout California—and nowhere louder than at the state Capitol, where thousands of students and members of Future Farmers of America rallied last week to try to prevent elimination of the state’s $4.1 million Agricultural Education Incentive Grant program.

“It was gratifying to see the number of legislators who came out to support the students at the Capitol rally,” said Jim Aschwanden, executive director of the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association, who estimated participation at more than 2,000 students.

“They were met with great bipartisan support from both houses,” Aschwanden said. “The kids who came to the Capitol were well prepared to discuss the programs and funding issues, and did a great job of visiting offices.”

Program funding was included in the 2013-14 budget because legislators pressured the administration to preserve it, but the administration suggested the grant program could be scrapped this year.

Agricultural educators across the state currently use the grants to support career-based education that combines FFA leadership and personal development programs with classroom and vocational instruction, he said. The programs develop young leaders who go on to attend post-secondary colleges and career technical education programs at higher rates than their peers, Aschwanden said.

Enrollment in agriculture classes offered at 315 high schools statewide has steadily climbed during the past decade, educators said. Today, about 78,000 California high school students take agriculture-related classes, with strong program growth at urban high schools as well as those in rural communities.

“As teachers, parents, community members and taxpayers, we’re angry,” said Dave Gossman, who heads the agriculture department at Atwater High School. “The decision to eliminate the ag grant program is perplexing because it impacts an education program that has a direct benefit on the lives of our kids and the state’s future.”

Without the grant funding, California’s agricultural programs could be terminated, vocational education experts said.

“Instead of eliminating California’s proven FFA program, why not secure funding and build on the programs to offer more students the opportunity for success?” Gossman said.

“Virtually every region in our state has an FFA program,” Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, said in a letter to legislative leaders, which was signed by nearly 100 members of the Legislature and also noted the rising enrollment in agricultural classes.

The classes include agriscience, mechanics, ornamental horticulture, animal science, agriculture business, plant and soil science, forestry and natural resources.

Andrea Fox, legislative policy analyst for the California Farm Bureau Federation, said Farm Bureau has been “actively involved in ensuring that funding will remain available for the agricultural grant program.” She noted that a Farm Team alert from CFBF generated nearly 400 letters to the governor and legislators in support of the program.

Aschwanden said the next steps in the state budget process will include legislative committee hearings.

“We’re anxious to see what the May (budget) revise looks like in terms of overall funding for education,” he said. “We’re hearing there may be additional funds available for education, which will make these proposed cuts to ag education even more disturbing.”

He said agricultural educators have asked people to contact legislators, “particularly those from urban areas.”

Leaders of “Save FFA.com,” a grassroots group affiliated with the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association, encourage parents and community leaders to write letters to the governor and members of the Legislature. More information on the effort to ensure funding for agricultural education is online at www.saveffa.com.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:06-07:00March 26th, 2014|

Salmonella Data Now at Your Fingertips

Forty years of Salmonella data, a major cause of food poisoning, is now available to the public, the food industry, and researchers in a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The data, collected by state and federal health officials, provides a wealth of information on Salmonella, the top foodborne cause of hospitalizations and deaths in the United States.

Available for hands-on web access for the first time, the Atlas of Salmonella in the United States, 1968-2011 summarizes surveillance data on 32 types of Salmonella isolates from people, animals, and other sources. The information is organized by demographic, geographic and other categories.

“Salmonella causes a huge amount of illness and suffering each year in the United States. We hope these data allow researchers and others to assess what has happened and think more about how we can reduce Salmonella infections in the future,” said Robert Tauxe, M.D., deputy director of CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases. “The more we understand Salmonella, the more we can make progress in fighting this threat all along the farm to table chain.”

CDC estimates that Salmonella bacteria cause more than 1.2 million illnesses each year in the United States, resulting in more than 23,000 hospitalizations and 450 deaths.

Salmonella infections most often cause vomiting or diarrhea, sometimes severe. In rare cases, Salmonella illness can lead to severe and life-threatening bloodstream infections.

By providing data by age, sex, geography, and season of the year in a downloadable format, the Atlas allows users to view national trends in reported cases of human Salmonella infection over time, problems in specific geographic areas, sources of Salmonella, and the connection between animal and human health.

Serotyping has been the core of public health monitoring of Salmonella infections for over 50 years. Now, scientists use DNA testing to further divide each serotype into more subtypes and to detect more outbreaks.

With the next generation of sequencing technology, advancements continue as the laboratory can find information about the bacteria in just one test.

The data presented likely represent just the tip of the iceberg since many cases of human salmonellosis are not diagnosed and reported to the health department. This underreporting may occur because the ill person does not seek medical care, the health care provider does not obtain a stool culture for testing, or the culture results are not reported to public health officials.

The Salmonella group of bacteria has more than 2,500 different serotypes, but fewer than 100 cause the vast majority of infections in people. Older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and children under five years old have a higher risk for Salmonella infection. Infections in these groups can be more severe, resulting in long-term health consequences or death.

To access the Atlas, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/reportspubs/salmonella-atlas/index.html.

For more information on Salmonella, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/.

For more information on food safety, please visit: www.foodsafety.gov.

For more information about preventing Salmonella infections, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/prevention.html.

If you have any questions, please contact: CDC Media Relations at (404) 639-3286.

Patrick Cavanaugh2017-09-03T01:26:27-07:00March 26th, 2014|

Walnut Board Referendum to Start March 29

Walnut Farmers Support Continuation of Calif. Walnut Board

California walnut producers will be asked later this month to vote in a referendum to decide whether or not the programs of the California Walnut Board will continue for another five years. California Walnut Board Referendum Ballots will be mailed to all California walnut producers March 29 and they must be returned via mail with a postmark not later than April 19.

The California Walnut Board is a federal marketing program operating with oversight from the United States Department of Food and Agriculture. The program works in conjunction with a separate, but cooperating, entity called the California Walnut Commission. For operating efficiencies the two programs are implemented by the same staff based in Folsom, CA.   Much more information about these programs is available on the web at www.walnuts.org.

In short, the California Walnut Board (CWB) conducts activities in the following areas: production research, food safety, grades & standards, regulatory matters and U.S. marketing activities. Meanwhile the California Walnut Commission (CWC) is charged with: health and nutrition research, export market development, educating government officials and communicating with industry members.  The USDA requires growers, who fund marketing order programs like the CWB through mandatory assessment, vote to decide if they want to continue with the programs every five years.

Several members of the California walnut industry are speaking out about the good work of this program and urging walnut farmers to vote in favor of continuing the program. These growers attribute the CWB with much of the industry’s success and note that California is currently experiencing an all-time high price per pound AND an all-time high crop size.

“In my opinion, all growers in California have benefited directly from research funded by the California Walnut Board,” said Todd Ramos, who farms 640 acres of walnuts in Yolo and Solano counties. “In recent years walnut growers have seen average yield per acre increase, quality of our product improve, increasing tonnage and record high prices. This is a direct result of the research funding and market development provided by the California Walnut Board.”

Ramos explained that an observable benefit from this funding and research is the release of California’s three most planted varieties, Chandler, Tulare and Howard and that the walnut breeding program is currently evaluating over 70 unreleased varieties which will lead to additional releases in the future. The financial support and direction provide by CWB has led to the development of disease resistant rootstocks such as VX211, Vlach and RX1. To ensure the walnut improvement program continues to be a priority for researchers, the CWB has set up an endowment of $2 million at University of California, Davis.  Ramos further noted that with respect to daily farming practices by all growers in California, the CWB has supported research on blight control, ethrel use, control of husk fly and codling moth along with spider mite management and pheromone puffers. The CWB Research Committee has also subsidized research on pruning, crown gall, water management, soil fumigation and planting density.

Pat Mecklenberg of Derby Orchards in Rio Oso shares Ramos’ support of the CWB.   “As a business owner, I cannot think of a better investment than investing in our own industry,” she said. “Looking at the increased market demand for walnuts for the past ten years and all that the California Walnut Board has done to promote California walnuts, it’s clear to me this program has given us a better return on investment than any other place I have invested money.”

Pete Jelavich, a walnut farmer in Sutter and Yuba counties, also voiced his support of the CWB. “CWB provides many benefits to walnut farmers including: being proactive in providing information and implementation of food safety programs for industry members; monitoring and inspections of outbound product to buyers and consumers; providing research for insect and disease control, propagation of new varieties, as well as pursuing the use of safer, better, and more effective controls to get product from the farm to the consumer and promoting the many health benefits that have been published through the efforts of the California Walnut Commission. I strongly support the vote to continue the operations of the California Walnut Board.”

“The programs of the Walnut Marketing Board are really effective and they are an integral part of the industry’s great success, especially over the last few years,” said Jonathan W. Field, manager of the Walnut Bargaining Association, a group which supports the efforts of the CWB. Field cited the exceptional production and marketing data developed through the CWB as critical in helping growers make planting decisions; handlers find new markets; banks to make financial decisions and for his organization, the Walnut Bargaining Association, to establish fair grower prices and maintain good returns for growers and handlers. “The historical data available could be lost if the marketing order is not continued.”

Field also noted that CWB provides a forum for discussion of issues that impact the growing and marketing of California walnuts such as: food safety; pests and disease pressure; improved production practices; product theft; drought, etc.  “No other forum is available specific to walnuts that has the credibility of the CWB,” he said.

Donald Norene, who also farms walnuts in Rio Oso, summed it up and reminded walnut farmers of the importance of the upcoming referendum.  “This spring we walnut growers have an important decision to make on behalf of our industry,” said Norene. “The continuation of the California walnut marketing order is dependent on the outcome of the vote.

Growers should consider the numerous benefits – crop production research, new variety research, methyl bromide replacement research, food safety efforts, domestic market promotion and the viability of the entire industry – we receive for the small cost of the California Walnut Board’s assessments.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:06-07:00March 26th, 2014|

Extended Deadline for USDA Value-Added Producer Grants

TODAY, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency announced a two-week extension for grant applications for the Value-Added Producer Grant program. The new grant deadline, April 8, was necessary due to changes to the program included in the 2014 Farm Bill that was recently signed into law.

“Value-Added Producer Grants create jobs and economic growth in rural communities by increasing income and marketing opportunities for farmers and by improving the local economy through job development and retention,” said Ferd Hoefner, policy director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). “VAPG also enhances food choices for consumers, helping farmers meet growing demand for high quality, value-added local and regional food products.”

Farmers’ Guide to Value-Added Producer Grant Funding

To help farmers, farm groups, and farm coops understand the program and the current funding cycle, NSAC today re-issued its Farmers’ Guide to Value-Added Producer Grant Funding. The updated free Guide provides helpful hints to improve a producer’s chances of obtaining funding from the highly competitive program and provides clear information on the program’s application requirements, including a step-by-step description of the application and ranking processes.

Veteran Priority Added

The two week extension will allow groups who have already submitted funding applications to revise their proposals if the new farm bill’s addition of returning veteran farmers to the program’s priorities is applicable to their proposal.

Other program priorities include small and medium-scale family farms, beginning farmers and ranchers, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. “We urge everyone who submitted a VAPG application to make a determination in the coming days as to whether their proposals need to be modified or not,” said Hoefner. “As part of the new farm bill, Congress added a veteran’s preference to a variety of programs, including VAPG, and applicants whose project includes returning veterans will want to highlight that aspect of their project.”

In addition, the 2014 Farm Bill also clarifies that group projects that include more than a single farmer are to be ranked in terms of how well they advance the program’s priorities by the review panels that evaluate all of the proposed projects. USDA will also be implementing this change as part of the current funding round.

“The program will function better with the new approach for determining which group project proposals best contribute to advancing the congressional-mandated priorities for small and mid-sized family farms and for beginning, minority, and veteran farmers.” commented Hoefner. “We applaud USDA for implementing this provision and the veterans priority as part of the current grant cycle.”

Second Grant Round This Year Possible

Congress appropriated $13.8 million in fiscal year 2013 and $15 million in fiscal year 2014 for VAPG. Both sums will be added together for this current grant round. Whether USDA awards the entire combined amount, or something less than that, will depend on the quality of the proposals received.

In addition to the $15 million in appropriated funds for fiscal year 2014, the 2014 Farm Bill also provides the program with $63 million in funding that can be used over the course of the next five years. USDA may decide to use a portion of the $63 million in a second grant round later this year; final decisions are pending.

“We are pleased USDA is combining two years’ worth of appropriations in this grant round, and that they are considering a possible second round later this year,” said Hoefner. “This will allow Rural Development to catch up and hopefully get back on a normal year-by-year grant cycle beginning in 2015.”

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a grassroots alliance that advocates for federal policy reform supporting the long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources, and rural communities.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:06-07:00March 25th, 2014|

AG CRIME ALERT!

AG CRIME ALERT:

Source: San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office

STOLEN TRACTOR CASE # 14 -6799

On March 20th at approximately 3:00 p.m., our office took a report of a stolen John Deere tractor model number 7330. It was last seen on March 19th at 5:00 p.m.

It was taken from the area 8 Mile Road and lower Sacramento Road, Stockton Ca.

Any information please contact the Sheriff’s Office at (209) 468-4400.

MAKE: John Deere
YEAR: 2009
MODEL: 7330
COLOR: Green
VIN #: RW7330E005413
LAST SEEN: 3-19-14 @ 1700 HRS

NOTICED MISSING: 3-20-14 at 10:00 a.m.

STOLEN FROM: Eight Mile Rd. & Lower Sacramento Rd. Stockton

Any info contact the rural crimes unit at (209) 468-4798 / 468-4400 or at lvictoria@sjgov.org.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:06-07:00March 25th, 2014|

USDA Modifies Farm Loan Programs to Give More Opportunity to Producers

Farm Loan Modifications Create Flexibility for Farmers and Ranchers

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack TODAY announced increased opportunity for producers as a result of the 2014 Farm Bill. A fact sheet outlining modifications to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Farm Loan Programs is available here.

“Our nation’s farmers and ranchers are the engine of the rural economy. These improvements to our Farm Loan Programs will help a new generation begin farming and grow existing farm operations,” said Secretary Vilsack. “Today’s announcement represents just one part of a series of investments the new Farm Bill makes in the next generation of agriculture, which is critical to economic growth in communities across the country.”

The Farm Bill expands lending opportunities for thousands of farmers and ranchers to begin and continue operations, including greater flexibility in determining eligibility, raising loan limits, and emphasizing beginning and socially disadvantaged producers.

Changes that will take effect immediately include:

Elimination of loan term limits for guaranteed operating loans.
Modification of the definition of beginning farmer, using the average farm size for the county as a qualifier instead of the median farm size.
Modification of the Joint Financing Direct Farm Ownership Interest Rate to 2 percent less than regular Direct Farm Ownership rate, with a floor of 2.5 percent. Previously, the rate was established at 5 percent.
Increase of the maximum loan amount for Direct Farm Ownership down payments from $225,000 to $300,000.
Elimination of rural residency requirement for Youth Loans, allowing urban youth to benefit.
Debt forgiveness on Youth Loans, which will not prevent borrowers from obtaining additional loans from the federal government.
Increase of the guarantee amount on Conservation Loans from 75 to 80 percent and 90 percent for socially disadvantaged borrowers and beginning farmers.
Microloans will not count toward loan term limits for veterans and beginning farmers.

Additional modifications must be implemented through the rulemaking processes. Visit the FSA Farm Bill website for detailed information and updates to farm loan programs.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:07-07:00March 25th, 2014|

California Table Grape Commission News

Grape Commission Positions Itself for Continued Industry Growth

New and expanded positions in international marketing, digital media/community service, and marketing communications

Fabian Garcia

Fresno, CA – The California Table Grape Commission recently hired Fabian Garcia as the new assistant director of international marketing, and expanded the responsibilities of Rachel Scott and Jeff Klitz in the areas of digital media/community service and marketing communications, respectively.

Fabian Garcia fills the new position of assistant director of international marketing. A native of Santa Barbara, Garcia studied international relations at American University in Washington, D.C. and traveled frequently to east Asia. He speaks Spanish and Mandarin Chinese and spent several years in Shanghai, China where he worked as a market researcher at the USDA Agricultural Trade Office. Garcia joined the commission in January and in his new role assists in developing and implementing the commission’s international promotional programs, with an emphasis on China.

Rachel Scott

Jeff Klitz

Rachel Scott, digital media and community service manager, has been with the commission for five years. She has a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in organizational communications and Spanish (double major); before joining the commission, she spent two years in Japan teaching English. Rachel’s new responsibilities include content development and management of the Grapes from California website and social media platforms, which includes Facebook and Pinterest and the launch of a Twitter account this year. On the community service side, she will assume a greater role in managing the programs, which include scholarships, grants and donations.

Jeff Klitz, assistant director of marketing communications, has also been with the commission for five years. Jeff is a native to the San Joaquin Valley, growing up in Fresno, and has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo. Jeff has been involved in helping coordinate components of the commission’s communications and research programs, but will now begin assisting in the development and implementation of the broader consumer communications program for Grapes from California.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:07-07:00March 24th, 2014|

50 Most Powerful People in 2014 Food World

Source: Colman Andrews

These men and women decide what and how you eat, whether you realize it or not.

The ability to make things happen, rewrite the rules, change the conversation and shift the paradigms; the people with power in the food world decide or influence what and how and where and why we eat.

Their power is economic, legislative, sometimes inspirational. They’re the agribusiness moguls who decide what crops to plant and how to harvest, process, and sell them.

They’re the heads of major food processing and distribution concerns and retail food outlets (that is, the people who actually put food on our tables).

They’re the scolds and nannies — and admirable consumer advocates — who tell us what we should and shouldn’t eat and why, sometimes upending whole industries in the process; the key figures in the governmental agencies concerned with the economics and the safety of our food supply; the media stars and public figures who sway our food opinions and stimulate our appetites; the chefs and restaurateurs who introduce us to flavors and culinary ideas, and establish and maintain standards for the preparation and presentation of food. They’re the journalists, in whatever medium, who report on all of the above.

Any catalogue of powerful people — and certainly any ranking of them in order of perceived power— is bound to be highly subjective. That doesn’t mean that it has to be arbitrary.

To come up with our list of The 50+ Most Powerful People in Food in America, our editors assembled an initial roster, based on research done gradually over many months, then added and subtracted, fine-tuned and developed.

We read news stories, annual statements, editorial analyses. We consulted with experts in the various fields we cover. We had endless discussions and occasionally strenuous debates.

Our ultimate criterion was simply this: Is each person on our list capable, whether by dint of corporate station, media access, moral authority, or sheer personality, of substantially changing, improving, and/or degrading the quality and variety of the American diet or the way we think about it?

Choosing which men and women in the American food world to include on our list was difficult enough; arranging them in order of power was a far greater challenge.

Here is the finalized list:

50. Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson, Co-Founders, The Food Tank 

49. Adam Rapoport, Editor in Chief, Bon Appetit 

48. Matt Maloney, CEO, GrubHub Seamless 

47. Bill Marler, Foodborne Illness Lawyer and Attorney

46. Steve Ells, Founder/ Co-CEO, Chairman, Chipotle Mexican Grill 

45. Tom Colicchio, Chef-Restaurateur and TV Personality

 44. Catherine Cassidy, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, Taste of Home 

43. Ingrid Newkirk, President and Co-Founder, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 

42. Mark Bittman, Journalist and Author 

41. Tracey Ryder, President and CEO, Edible Communities Publications 

40. Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief, Food & Wine 