Worker Safety

Biocontrols Conference & Expo

Biocontrols Conference & Expo, March 3-4, 2016, Monterey, California

Learn everything you need to know about agricultural biocontrols from the experts.

Join your peers, leading organizations and industry experts at the Biocontrols Conference & Expo for two days of hands-on education devoted solely to the use of biocontrols in agriculture presented by Meister Media Worldwide, a media solutions provider for worldwide specialized agriculture, in cooperation with the Biopesticides Industry Alliance (BPIA), and the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA). The Biocontrols Conference offers educational sessions, continuing education credits (CEUs) for pest control advisers (PCAs), certified crop advisers (CCAs) and other state certification programs, and an expansive Expo with top suppliers of biocontrol products and related services.

New for 2016!

Two optional, concurrent add-ons on the last afternoon of the event (additional fees may apply):

1.Tour of two leading Monterey-area specialty-crop growing operations that use biocontrols as part of their integrated pest management programs:

-Biocontrols USA Tour

-Pacific Plug and Liner, Watsonville, CA

2.Hands-on workshop on the use of beneficial insects in a greenhouse environment

Agenda Sampling:

-8 Tips To Get The Most Out of Your Biocontrols Program

-A look at the most common active ingredients and how to handle them to get the best results, Lance Osborn, UF IFAS

-What’s Next In Biocontrol?

-Regulatory Update, Bob McNally, EPA

-Pipeline Update – what types of new products are coming?

-The Future Isn’t Biocontrol. It’s IPM

-Understand The Value of Biopesticides – Do they Pencil Out for You?

-How To Evaluate/Field Test a New Research Biopesticide

-Biopesticides and Beneficials: Make Them Work Together, Frank Sances, Pacific Ag

-Fruit and Tree Nuts: Hands-on, How-To Topics

-Using Green Lacewings in almond and pistachio, Brad Higbee, The Wonderful Co.

-Vegetables: Hands-on, How-To TopicsMycorrhizae: Why it Makes Sense in Strawberries, Johan Pienaar, Mycorrhizal Applications.

Monterey Bay, the conference location, is in close proximity to the heart of major California specialty-crop production: vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals in Monterey County and the Salinas Valley, and affords you the opportunity to tie-in a long weekend in the Monterey Bay area.

Meister Media Worldwide and its leading family of brands including American Vegetable Grower®, Western Fruit Grower® / American Fruit Grower® and Greenhouse Grower®, CropLife®,

Having celebrated its 15th anniversary in September 2015, BPIA is dedicated to fostering adoption of biopesticide technology through increased awareness about their effectiveness and full range of benefits to a progressive pest management program.

Dedicated to the professional development and enhancement of its members’ education and stewardship, the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) represents more than 75% of the nearly 4,000 California EPA licensed pest control advisers (PCAs) that provide pest management consultation for the production of food, fiber and ornamental industries of this state.

California Ag Today2021-05-12T11:05:58-07:00January 28th, 2016|

Almond Conference Announces AIM Strategy

Annual Almond Conference Announces AIM Strategy and Improved Leadership

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

Leadership was the recurring theme for the 3,000+ attendees over the three-day 43rd Annual Almond Conference, hosted by the Almond Board of California last week in Sacramento. “We are focused on the fact that the almond industry is accepting its responsibility to provide leadership for California agriculture and to use our treasure and talent to work on solutions for a lot of the problems that are very daunting,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board. “We have talked a lot about what is expected by consumers and by consumer product goods companies, which is our customer base,” Waycott noted.

At the conference, the Almond Board launched Accelerated Innovation Management (AIM), a major strategic effort designed to further increase the almond industry’s efficiency and sustainability, that features four major initiatives described by Waycott:

Water Management and Efficiency – A focus on accelerating almond farmer transition to more efficient irrigation scheduling and management practices to maximize the most crop per drop of water. This initiative, which builds on the 33 percent reduction in water used per pound of almonds achieved by the industry over the last 20 years, includes working with farmers to fine tune irrigation techniques and adopting more advanced water management technologies.

Sustainable Water Resources – First, an exploration of how to best leverage a unique strength of the California Almond industry—its acreage—to accelerate natural flood-year groundwater recharge of aquifers. Collectively, California’s aquifers are the state’s largest water storage system; water recharged through this program would benefit all Californians, not just farmers. Second, an investigation of opportunities to recycle water from multiple sources, such as municipal wastewater, as a way of increasing overall water availability for farmers and all Californians.

Air Quality – Investigation of various methods the almond industry can help meet the Central Valley’s exacting air quality standards. This initiative will scrutinize all components of almond farming that impact air quality and evaluate opportunities to decrease emissions. This initiative will identify alternatives, such as decreased fossil fuel use, that will result in cleaner air for all those who live in California’s Central Valley—farmers, their families, and surrounding communities.

22nd Century Agronomics – A recognition that we need to better understand and then adopt the technologies that will lead California farming into the 22nd century. The Almond Board of California will lead a comprehensive exploration of almond farming techniques, bringing an exploratory mindset to consider all options as to what innovations and technical “leap frogs” will be needed to sustainably farm in the future. Each component of almond farming will be considered, from land preparation and varietal development, to equipment and processing.

Link: Almond Board of California

California Ag Today2016-05-31T19:27:01-07:00December 14th, 2015|

ALRB on Entering Private Property

ALRB on Entering Private Property to Educate Workers: Is the ALRB going too far?

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

The California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) wants to enter private property farmland for the purpose of educating farmworkers on their rights as farm laborers in California. Of course, farmers want their workers to be happy and content with their work and that means knowing and understanding their rights as farmworkers.

“But the ALRB is going too far,” said attorney Ron Barsamian of Barsamian & Moody in Fresno, which represents many agricultural businesses throughout California in labor and employment law.

“I wanted to get into some pragmatic issues that I feel have not been considered. For instance, the lack of efficiency in trying to get access to all these different ranches is just not going to work,” said Barsamian. “You are going to have staff tied up forever. I don’t think they have taken into account the different geographical areas, the different ag sectors. For instance, are you going to spend as much time educating two or three people working at a dairy as you would a crew of 50-60 people?”

California Ag Today2016-05-31T19:27:06-07:00October 15th, 2015|

Winegrape Grower Earns SIP Certification

Dana Merrill, Winegrape Grower Earns SIP Certification

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

Dana Merrill is a seventh-generation farmer of an eighth-generation Californian farming family and president of Mesa Vineyard Management, a premium vineyard management service on the Central Coast. A graduate from Cal Poly with an Agriculture Business degree, He is a member of the Merrill Family Estates, an estate that produces premium winegrapes for its Pomar Junction Winery, and he’s extremely involved with the Paso Robles Wine Community.

Recently, his winegrape growing operation earned the Sustainability In Practice (SIP) certification.

“We worked very hard to attain this certification,” Merrill said. “Most of the changes were positive moves. It’s not meant to be a penalizing certification, but there are specific restrictions. For example, we don’t use any Class I restricted materials. If the US Environmental Protection Agency has commented about a substance, ‘Hey, that is Class I. It may be legal, but as an herbicide, it has a tendency to leach into the groundwater,’ then the SIP system won’t allow it. There are times when I’ve said, ‘Boy, I wish I could use a certain material,’ but there are some I simply cannot use in order to qualify for the certification.”

Merrill continues, “The SIP also takes into account how you treat your labor. For example, more ‘points’ are awarded if you offer a benefit program, continuing education support, a retirement program, or health insurance. These days, everybody has to offer health insurance, but points are awarded for that, even though some of us have offered it for over 20 years. Points are also earned for best-practice management whether it is fertility management, soil probes, or having water meters on all your wells and using the information to manage how you irrigate. The idea is to encourage folks to do more and raise the bar.”

“Being SIP-certified helps with marketing too,” noted Merrill. “If you get the SIP seal on a bottle of wine, a consumer can go be assured of the excellent quality of that product.”

“It is marketing in the sense that we are always selling ourselves to the consumer,” Merrill explained. “You know, the consumer may ask, ‘Why should I buy a bottle of SIP wine? Why should I buy California wine?’ I think that branding or labeling conveys a message to customers about what is important to them. Some consumers are very environment-oriented; others are looking primarily for quality. Your label conveys that message. There are customers to whom it is less important, but I see its significance growing. I would say 50% of the people who visit our tasting room find that label on an SIP-certified bottle of wine quite meaningful,” Merrill said.

_______________________

Links

Mesa Vineyard Management

Home

Sustainability In Practice (SIP)

US Environmental Protection Agency

California Ag Today2016-05-31T19:27:07-07:00October 14th, 2015|

3rd in a Series on Mental Health on Farm

Part 3 Mental Health on the Farm:

Isolation in Farm Country

Resources are provided at the end of this post.

In light of Mental Illness Awareness Week last week, Karen Markland, Division Manager for the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health‘s Planning, Prevention and Supportive Services, talked extensively with California Ag Today Editor, Laurie Greene, about members of the local agricultural industry who could be going through significant emotional suffering due to the drought and environmental water restrictions impacting their livelihoods.

Editor: Is there anything unique about how farmers and farmworkers suffer from stress?

Markland: In our experience with farm-working populations, they have a couple of strikes against them. They are geographically isolated in rural areas; they are probably linguistically isolated as well, as their native language is typically not English; and, they are culturally isolated in that many of our cultures believe in not talking about sick minds or sick feelings. Plus there is transportation barriers. Our county is so large that it is very difficult for rural workers to receive any services. And so, we think it is a combination of things that discourage people from reaching out for help.

Editor: Are there financial issues or constraints?

Markland: What we have found is anytime we we use Mental Services Act dollars, we have to do it based on what the community wants. The stakeholders have brought up not a financial barrier, per se, but a transportation barrier. They tell us, “I can’t afford a car. I can’t afford the taxi from Kerman to Fresno or Parlier to Fresno.” They see it as a transportation barrier.

Editor: Is this population at risk?

Markland: There have at least two suicides in the agricultural community, a landowner and a farmworker. That is too many. It is unacceptable, but it has brought to light some uncomfortable subjects that we have to try to make more comfortable. When individuals feel that stressors become more difficult to manage, thoughts of wanting to harm themselves and not wanting to continue or to fight through, become stronger.

Editor: What can you do for people who feel this way?

Markland: We are concerned about the farmworker who wakes up to such serious depression or anxiety and who has to fight through their day. That is no quality of life. So, we have a couple of resources. One that we are proud of right here in Fresno is the Central Valley Prevention Suicide Hotline 1-888-506-5991. This is a 24/7 hotline that has all language capabilities. So no matter what your language, we are here for you. This is a local number. The reason I keep saying local is that the person who picks up that phone call understands the culture of our valley—that we we have farmworkers facing dire drought conditions that others in California do not encounter with the same potential catastrophic loss; and the anxiety behind that, and the longevity of that—that it is not a one-week problem. This isn’t a breakup with a person; this is a long-term problem. So having local people manage the hotline is a wonderful resource.

Editor: Of course, farmers and farmworkers outside of Fresno County may have a similar resource in their counties. (Please refer to resources listed at the end of this article.) Could you tell us how successful has the Fresno County hotline been?

Markland: They are a crisis hotline; plus they are there just to help talk to people who are depressed or anxious. We do “talk-down” calls and rescue calls. This hotline has saved over 53 lives in active rescues in the last 12 months. Individuals have called the hotline as their last resort, and we’ve been able to activate emergency medical services and save their lives. In addition, we do follow-up calls.

Editor: What about follow-up calls?

Markland: If a person calls our hotline, and they have a safely plan, and the staff on the call feels they are safe, they’ll do a follow-up call in two days. Staff will ask if they have stuck with their safety plan, how they are feeling, and if they accessed the support systems they wanted to, because we really are dedicated to having a healthy community.

The Fresno Department of Behavioral Health is dedicated to supporting the wellness of individuals, families, and communities in Fresno County who are affected by, or at risk of, mental illness and/or substance use disorders through cultivation of strengths toward promoting recovery in the least restrictive environment.

The Fresno Department of Behavioral Health provides mental health and substance abuse services to adults within the County of Fresno. The programs within our department focus on delivering the highest quality of service. There are over 300 professionals and staff dedicated to providing services in both metropolitan and rural areas. The diversity of our staff has helped us create a department that is sensitive to cultural differences and attempts to bridge the language barriers with our consumers.

Fresno County Crisis Services: 1- (800)-654-3937

Fresno County Behavioral Health: (559) 600-9180
Address: 4441 East Kings Canyon, Fresno, CA 93702
Urgent Care Wellness Center: (559) 600-9171
TTY: Dial 711 to reach California Relay Service
Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline, 888-506-5991, is an immediate and consistent support for individuals in crisis or experiencing a suicidal crisis. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is confidential and free.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 800-950-6264
FresnoNAMI website: http://www.namifresno.org/

Suicide.org Hotlines
- USA http://www.suicide.org/suicide-hotlines.html
- California http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/california-suicide-hotlines.html

California Ag Today2016-05-31T19:27:07-07:00October 12th, 2015|

2nd in Series: Mental Health on the Farm

Part 2 Mental Health on the Farm: Destigmatizing Mental Health

October 4th – 10th is National Mental Illness Awareness week, and National Depression Screening Day is tomorrow, October 8, 2015.

Resources are provided at the end of this post.

Karen Markland, Division Manager for the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health‘s Planning, Prevention and Supportive Services. spoke with California Ag Today Editor Laurie Greene about mental health and the state’s farmers and farmworkers who have experienced increased stress due to the drought and environmental water restrictions impacting their livelihoods.

Editor: Back in April, your department partnered with the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) and the USDA to receive a grant specifically to host a conference called “The Drought Emergency and Preparedness Conference,” (DEAP). DEAP was a full-day event for farmers to discuss the drought and water, but also included representatives from mental health?

Markland: Here was the Department of Behavioral Health, a mental health partner, at an agricultural event. It was fascinating to see the curious looks that implied, “I kind of want to go up there, but I don’t want to go up there.” And by the end of the day, we had attendees and farmers approaching our table. We created an agricultural theme with plants and live videos of our gardening projects to destigmatize and show that mental health and mental wellness speak all languages. So we were pleased to be there.

Editor: We understand the Fresno County Farm Bureau participated?

Markland: Yes, the meeting with the EOC and USDA was actually initiated by the Fresno County Farm Bureau, which is is very interested in the wellbeing of its community. Ryan Jacobson, Farm Bureau ceo/executive director, had received some communication indicating our farmers were feeling stress and that some had lost their lives based on the anxiety and depression brought on by these drought conditions. It was time for us to activate and come together to talk about a very uncomfortable subject.

Our Farm Bureau and the USDA partnered to talk to workers and farmers who aren’t just happy; rather, they are depressed and anxious, and we are worried about them. The collaboration among the Farm Bureau, USDA and mental health was wonderful. It was an amazing dialogue to jointly say, “This is such a stigmatizing topic for a group of individuals who are typically adult male farmers who don’t want to share or hear these words. Yet, we’ve lost lives, so it is time to make a difference.”

Fresno County Crisis Services: 1- (800)-654-3937

Fresno County Behavioral Health: (559) 600-9180
Address: 4441 East Kings Canyon, Fresno, CA 93702
Urgent Care Wellness Center: (559) 600-9171
TTY: Dial 711 to reach California Relay Service
Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline, 888-506-5991, is an immediate and consistent support for individuals in crisis or experiencing a suicidal crisis. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is confidential and free.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 800-950-6264
FresnoNAMI website: http://www.namifresno.org/

Suicide.org Hotlines
- USA http://www.suicide.org/suicide-hotlines.html
- California http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/california-suicide-hotlines.html

California Ag Today2016-05-31T19:27:08-07:00October 8th, 2015|

Import Food Safety, Part 1

Import Food Safety: Only 1 in 60 Containers Is Inspected

By Charmayne Hefley, Associate Editor

This is the first in a two-part series with Rachel Martin, the national chairman of Homeland Security for the National Federation of Republican Women, on import food safety in the United States.

Food safety is a crucial element in the production of food, and many government regulations exist to keep our food safe for people to eat. Yet, Martin explained, those regulations don’t necessarily reach imported food. Specifically, she said, “Due to budget cuts under the Obama administration, only 1 in 60 containers arriving in the U.S. is inspected by Homeland Security.”

Martin’s initial reaction to this statistic was to consider the possibility that terrorists could smuggle in weapons, chemicals and themselves into the United States.

“The second thing that came to mind was food safety,” Martin said because as we grow less food domestically, we import more food. “We’re already overregulated here in California—not only in the United States, but it’s worse here—with mandated inspections, regulations on our food and regulated chemicals, spraying, pesticides and so forth. Yet when food enters the United States, the majority of it isn’t even inspected.”

Martin said her own daughter has been affected by the risks of importing food that is not inspected by or grown under strict U.S. standards set for the United States.

“My daughter’s first job was at a local water park when she was 17-years-old, slicing limes to make juice for the kids there,” said Martin. “The limes were imported from Mexico. My daughter developed a rash on her arm from chemicals that were applied to the limes that looked like she had third-degree burns. It went away in a couple of months, but to this day—she’s now 23—it returns on a random basis.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:27:09-07:00October 1st, 2015|

1st in a Series on Mental Health on the Farm

Part 1 Mental Health on the Farm

Listening for Negative Thoughts

Resources are provided at the end of this post.

California Ag Today Editor Laurie Greene extensively interviewed Karen Markland, Division Manager for the Fresno County Department of Behavioral Health’s Planning, Prevention and Supportive Services about the mental health needs of those in the agricultural industry who may be emotionally suffering due to the severe drought and environmental water restrictions impacting their livelihoods.

Editor: I have observed that depressed people may say something that implies they are having suicidal ideation, but it is just so easy in our society to tell them, “Oh you’ll snap out of it.” In other words, we tend to dismiss these statements. What do you want to say to listeners on how to respond to someone who says something hopeless? What opportunity does this present to the person who hears someone utter something desperate?

Markland: It is so easy, I say it to myself sometimes, “I want to die; I don’t want to go on.” Those are really important messages, though, for people to pick up on. I really feel it is always important to respond genuinely and supportively. Our statewide California Stigma & Discrimination Reduction Program suggests we go back and say something like, “Each mind matters, and you matter.”

This is an opportunity to have that dialogue; yet often, people will look at me like, “What?” But we all have those moments and we all feel that way at times. Tell people there are resources and support systems. Become familiar with them—whether they are family, clergy, a neighbor, a teacher, County services, a hotline. Likewise, let someone else know when you are not having the best of days.

Editor: It seems as if the general population believes that these issues are not medical issues, that they are within someone’s control, and that perhaps someone is weak or has a bad attitude and they need to change their thinking. What would you like to say to people who don’t recognize that mental illness is a medical illness?

Markland: So, there is a lot of dialogue about ‘What is mental illness?’ versus ‘What is mental health?’ ‘What is mental wellness?’ Clearly, mental illness is a diagnosable medical condition. There are categories in which an individual may have a serious mental illness and these include diagnoses like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.

These are serious, long-term illnesses, but there is a whole other spectrum of mental illness such as postpartum depression, anxiety disorders, and depressive disorders, which show signs and symptoms that people are functioning outside of their wellness. These are also medical conditions—medical conditions that can be treated in a variety of ways.

Editor: Of course medication is one option. Are there other options?

Markland: Sometimes it is medication; sometimes it is holistic healing; sometimes it is having a positive self-attitude and making sure you get the sleep and the nutritious diet, exercise and more that you need. So it is truly a diagnosable medical condition that can be treated in a multitude of ways, and what we are seeing right now in mental health is a strong recovery movement. People live, grow and recover from mental illness.

Fresno County Crisis Services: 1- (800)-654-3937

Fresno County Behavioral Health: (559) 600-9180
Address: 4441 East Kings Canyon, Fresno, CA 93702
Urgent Care Wellness Center: (559) 600-9171
TTY: Dial 711 to reach California Relay Service
Central Valley Suicide Prevention Hotline, 888-506-5991, is an immediate and consistent support for individuals in crisis or experiencing a suicidal crisis. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and is confidential and free.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline: 800-950-6264
FresnoNAMI website: http://www.namifresno.org/

Suicide.org Hotlines
- USA http://www.suicide.org/suicide-hotlines.html
- California http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/california-suicide-hotlines.html

California Ag Today2016-05-31T19:27:10-07:00September 22nd, 2015|

ALRB Education Does Not Require Worksite Access

Barry Bedwell Says ALRB Education for Farmworkers is Okay, But Not Worksite Access

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Deputy Editor

Officials from the California Agricultural Relations Labor Board (ALRB) held a public hearing in Fresno TODAY to talk about their proposal for worksite access– private operating farms–to educate farmworkers about the ALRB, and that did not sit well with ag leaders. Barry Bedwell, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association based in Fresno and other ag leaders questioned the ALRB’s motives.

“The real proposal has to do with granting legal access to ALRB agents to agricultural worksites for the purpose of educating workers about the Agricultural Labor Relations Act,” Bedwell said. “Education alone is something that no one I’ve talked to is against, clearly. We want people to understand their rights under the law.”

The Act provides, encourages and protects collective-bargaining rights for agricultural employees, but as Bedwell explained, access to a private worksite is a totally separate legal issue.

“It’s really complicated, unfortunately, because ALRB’s staff has shown to a great degree over the recent couple of years, a distinct bias towards organized labor,” Bedwell said. “The Act is all about a worker’s right to get one or more people together to complain about work conditions and to ask for certain things. It doesn’t mean the employer has to grant them; it’s really about worker’s rights.”

Bedwell said the request from the ALRB is distinctly not about a union’s rights, and “it’s never been about the employer’s rights,” Bedwell said. “We know that. But in this case, we think it’s at best premature to talk about workplace access without first understanding the issue of knowledge [or the lack thereof] out there currently and the best ways to conduct that education.”

Pointing to heat illness prevention and Cal/OSHA as a great example, Bedwell said, “Cal/OSHA did not ask for access to go onto someone’s private property. Instead, they said, ‘We will create the information systems through various media and through seminars which agriculture helped to organize and fund.’ We think that’s a great model for educational services, and we could help.”

California Ag Today2016-05-31T19:28:05-07:00September 10th, 2015|

Grape Harvester Safety

Grape Harvester Worker Safety

By Charmayne Hefley, Associate Editor, California Ag Today

Worker safety is top-of-mind for agriculture, and a special raisin and wine grape mechanical safety training event was held in the Fresno County town of Easton. Grape harvester safety suggestions were conveyed in both English and Spanish to more than 150 attendees.

Ryan Jacobsen, CEO of the Fresno County Farm Bureau, one of the event sponsors, said, “It’s no secret, grapes are one of the top crops here is Fresno County. So this raisin and wine grape mechanical harvest safety training is really just to make sure that all of our employers and employees have a safe harvest.”

“They’re working with some machinery that is used only during the harvest time,” said Jacobsen, “which is only a six-week to eight-week period of time. So we just want to get more familiarized with safety as the upcoming season approaches.”

“Most importantly,” Jacobsen continued, “farmers and farmworkers are working a lot of long hours during the harvest season, and this is just a constant reminder that safety is the number one priority. It’s most important that our folks go home safe every evening,” Jacobsen said.

Clint Erling, and his employer, Kingsburg Cultivator, also known as KCI Equipment, which manufactures vineyard equipment such as mechanical raisin harvest machines and almond harvesting equipment, wants to make sure everybody’s safe and gets to go home at night. “Some of this equipment can be extremely dangerous,” Erling explained, “so we engineer guards for areas of the machine to increase worker safety, while maintaining the machine’s effectiveness in the field.”

Worker safety is important to Erling, even after the sale. “We go to the field and work with farmworkers during the harvest or on any projects they’ve got going on,” he said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:28:09-07:00July 23rd, 2015|

Previous 345 Next