California Ag Today: California Walnut Growers Support its Board

CALIFORNIA WALNUT GROWERS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT CONTINUTATION OF MARKETING ORDER

Ninety-five percent of eligible California walnut growers who voted and ninety-three percent of the volume represented in the referendum favored continuing the Federal Marketing Order and the efforts of the California Walnut Board. This is the first continuation referendum vote ever held by the industry.

“It’s rewarding to know that the work of the California Walnut Board is recognized by the growers and handlers we strive to serve,” said Dr. Jerome Siebert, Chairman of the California Walnut Board. “When we come together as an industry, we are powerful at addressing challenges and generating far-reaching results for all California walnut producers.”

Voting in the referendum took place from April 1 through April 19, 2014 and those eligible to vote were growers engaged in the production of walnuts within the state during the period September 1, 2012 through August 31, 2013. In order for the referendum to pass, at least two-thirds of eligible producers must vote in favor of continuance. Since the order was amended in 2008, a vote is now required every six years.

“We’re grateful for the continued support of our growers, who see the value of working together to benefit the entire industry,” said Dennis A. Balint, Executive Director of the California Walnut Board. “There is more work ahead, but we’re starting from a good place and will continue to build on several decades of experience, relationships, research and success.”

The California walnut industry is made up of more than 4,000 growers and 100 handlers. The growers and handlers are represented by two entities, the California Walnut Board and the California Walnut Commission.

California Ag Today

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:31-07:00May 21st, 2014|

Federal Government announced that the production of food and fiber in California are no longer important.

Statement by CCM President Joel Nelsen

Today the Federal Government announced that the production of food and fiber in the nation’s number one agricultural state and the highest producing agricultural counties are no longer important.

Two agencies, the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Marine Fisheries Service have determined they can’t create a solution that allows an affordable food supply to be the strength of this nation.

They tie themselves up in knots relative to “what if” scenarios while trying to convey a desire to create a solution when in fact their solution has been and continues to be zero.

Over a million acre feet of water was added to storage since the Armageddon announcement earlier this year and yet not one drop can be made available to senior water right holders thereby forcing the Eastside of the San Joaquin Valley to go dry?

As managers they are woefully inadequate to be a positive influence inasmuch they have repeatedly allowed water to be released or not captured in the past several months that could have lessened the extensive nature of this drought.

They made the decisions to lose water; they made the decisions to keep water; and they made the decisions that negatively impact thousands of people all the while occupying an office hundreds or thousands of miles away from the impact center.

Ronald Reagan was right: “Government is the problem.” Now will the state and the Brown Administration allow the federal government to create a food, fiber, and economic disaster in this state and thus follow the leadership model perfected by two federal agencies?

Or will they and our elected officials not allow bureaucracies to do nothing and subsequently provide a solution path that undoes this unprecedented decision?

Former President Dwight Eisenhower was also correct when he stated it is real easy to farm when you are thousands of miles away from the property which for a bureaucrat is piece of paper and their plow is a pencil.

“This has to be one of the more ridiculous statements and decision ever made by any administration.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:33-07:00May 14th, 2014|

Central SJV Growers Frustrated Re: 100% Water Allocations in Northern California

Cannon Michael: There is a Complete Lack of Common Sense

Water Allocations Unfairly Distribute Suffering in the Central Valley

Feather River growers in Northern California have 100 percent water allocations and it’s very frustrating to Central Valley Farmers.

“True, it’s a drought year but there have been opportunities to get water south of the Delta that have been completely blown by mismanagement, over-regulation, a complete lack of common sense, and lack of understanding what the real needs are,” said Cannon Michael, a 6^th generation California farmer in Merced County.

“The California Water Resources Control Board, and the Bureau of Reclamation have sent more than 1.8 million acre feet of water out the Golden Gate only for a possible need for fish. When you have such a dramatic need for humans, it’s just insanity; and at a some point, it all has to catch up with a lot of people,” said Michael, who has had to set aside 15 percent of his farm due to no water.

“The people who are regulating and the people who are legislating have insulation from this for a little while, but it eventually is going to catch them,” Michael said. “The problem for me is that these regulations hurt the poorest of the people and the minority community, who are already having a tough time.”

“These regulations and low water allocations are taking away valuable fresh food and milk, and all the things people need for life. It’s taking away jobs and will displace thousands of workers who will have to get in food lines to survive. And this is completely unnecessary,” said Michael.

“There could have been way more water allocations exported safely this year. There were no fish at the pumps and we have the data to prove it,” said Michael.

“We had good storms in February, March and April, but the majority of that water went out the Bay; it wasn’t even close,” said Michael.

“There are too many left-leaning decisions from the California Water Resources Control Board to the 9^th Circuit Court in San Francisco, which made a recent ruling that hurt agriculture, agreeing that the Bureau of Reclamation did not consider the safety of the Delta Smelt several years ago when it exporter water south. And then on top of everything, Governor Brown pulls the funding from ag education. It is a constant barrage against agriculture, and when will it ever be enough?” asked Michael.

“There is no respect for California agriculture. There are so many people spinning lies about our industry. Do they want all the specialty crops that they enjoy eating coming from other countries? Again, it’s insanity,” he said.

And Michael said the farmer is always, always held accountable while the environmental community is never held accountable. “There is no accounting for what they use the water allocation for when it’s released it to the ocean. There is no report on what good it’s doing. They are not at all held to the same standards as California Farmers.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:33-07:00May 13th, 2014|

State Board of Food and Agriculture to Discuss Agricultural Careers, Innovation and Industry Advancements

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss issues related to innovations, advancements and careers within the agricultural sector at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, May 6th at the World Food Center at UC Davis.

This meeting will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center, University of California, Davis One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616.

“California is at the cutting edge of innovation within the agriculture sector from water use efficiency to research advancements and product development,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “The careers of the future can be found in the agricultural sector and our universities and businesses are leading the way in supporting a vibrant, high-skilled jobs market.”

On average, California agriculture supports approximately 400,000 on-farm jobs related to crop production, harvesting and overall farming. This does not include the non-farm jobs directly related to agriculture such as transportation, marketing and sales.

Nationally it is estimated that more than 16 million jobs are supported through farm and agricultural related activities. As global consumer preferences, food manufacturing and agricultural production continue to evolve, the employment needs of businesses and employee skill-sets will need to change as well.

Invited speakers include: Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, University of California, Davis; Roger Beachy and Josette Lewis, UC Davis World Food Center; Lance Donny, OnFarm; Helene Dillard, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis; Chuck Nichols, Nichols Farms; Dave Dever, Sun World; Dr. Tim Conner, Monsanto; Shane MacKenzie, Superior Farms; Jacob Gomez, UC Davis Aggie Ambassadors; Vanessa Alexander, CalPoly Agricultural Ambassadors; and Katie Fyhrie, California Farm Academy participant.

“Technology is making rapid on-farm advances that benefit farmers and farm workers,” said Craig McNamara, president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture. “We need to encourage more individuals to see that all facets of agricultural production support highly skilled and technical career paths.”

The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and the CDFA secretary on agricultural issues and consumer needs.

The state board conducts forums that bring together local, state and federal government officials, agricultural representative and citizens to discuss current issues of concern to California agriculture.

Follow the board on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/Cafood_agboard

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:37:59-07:00May 5th, 2014|

2012 Census of Agriculture Reveals New Trends in Farming

There are now 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms on 914.5 million acres of farmland across the United States, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Once every five years, farmers, ranchers and growers have the unique opportunity to let the world know how U.S. agriculture is changing, what is staying the same, what’s working and what we can do differently,” said Dr. Cynthia Clark, the retiring head of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which administered the survey. “Today, we can start to delve into the details.”

Census data provide valuable insight into the U.S. farmer demographics, economics and production practices. Some of the key findings include:

Both sales and production expenses reached record highs in 2012. U.S. producers sold $394.6 billion worth of agricultural products, but it cost them $328.9 billion to produce these products.

Three quarters of all farms had sales of less than $50,000, producing only 3 percent of the total value of farm products sold while those with sales of more than $1 million – 4 percent of all farms – produced 66 percent.

California led the nation with 9 of the 10 top counties for value of sales. Fresno County was number one in the United States with nearly $5 billion in sales in 2012, which is greater than that of 23 states. Weld County, Colorado ranked 9th in the top 10 U.S. counties.

The top 5 states for agricultural sales were California ($42.6 billion); Iowa ($30.8 billion); Texas ($25.4 billion); Nebraska ($23.1 billion); and Minnesota ($21.3 billion).

Eighty-seven percent of all U.S. farms are operated by families or individuals.

Organic sales were growing, but accounted for just 0.8 percent of the total value of U.S. agricultural production. Organic farmers reported $3.12 billion in sales in 2012, up from $1.7 billion in 2007.

57,299 farms produced on-farm renewable energy, more than double the 23,451 in 2007.

474,028 farms covering 173.1 million acres were farmed with conservation tillage or no-till practices.

Corn and soybean acres topped 50 percent of all harvested acres for the first time.

The largest category of operations was beef cattle with 619,172 or 29 percent of all farms and ranches in 2012 specializing in cattle.

“This information is critical to understanding the conditions of U.S. agriculture and determining future policy,” said incoming NASS Administrator Dr. Joseph T. Reilly. “Today’s data release is the culmination of years’ worth of planning and work that NASS has made openly available for public use.”

Conducted since 1840, the Census of Agriculture accounts for all U.S. farms and ranches and the people who operate them.

For access to the complete data series and tools to analyze this information, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov. A link to census data will also be available on the USDA Open Data portal, www.usda.gov/data.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:37:59-07:00May 5th, 2014|

Drought Could Affect Current and Future Food Prices

California Farm Bureau Federation reported today that with hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland expected to be left unplanted this year due to water shortages, market analysts and economists say shoppers will likely begin to see higher prices on some food items later this year.

Sean Villa, president of Great West Produce, a produce broker in Los Angeles County, said he expects a number of products to be affected later this year, including broccoli, sweet corn and melons from growing regions in Fresno, Mendota and Huron, where farmers will likely cut acreage due to water shortages.

Gary Tanimura, a vegetable grower based in the Salinas Valley, said he will have to reduce his summer melon production in the San Joaquin Valley by about 20 percent due to lack of water.

Tanimura said spring and fall lettuce production in the San Joaquin Valley also could drop by 25 percent to 30 percent this year.

Cindy Jewell, director of marketing for California Giant Berry Farms in Watsonville, said farms in the Oxnard growing region—which typically plant a second crop in the summer for fall production—may not be able to do that this year.

“If the water situation continues to be this severe, there may not be as many of those acres replanted for fall production,” she said, adding that if the drought continues into fall and winter, when most strawberries are planted, it could affect what’s planted for next year’s harvest.

Because California supplies nearly 90 percent of the nation’s strawberries, Jewell said it is not likely that there will be much of a production shift to other regions.

“It’s not like someone else could step in and do that,” she said. “It’s all about climate and location.”

On the beef market, the California drought may have the most impact on niche products such as grassfed, organic or natural beef, said Lance Zimmerman, a market analyst for Colorado-based Cattlefax. Those programs typically rely more on local or semi-regional supplies, he said.

Retail beef prices have risen nationwide, Zimmerman said, because of improved demand and continued declines in supply caused by several years of drought in other major beef-producing regions in the Southern Plains and the Southeast.

In states where drought conditions have improved, ranchers are now trying to build back their herds, so they’re not sending as many animals to market, particularly mature cows, and that has driven up prices on meat cuts such as chuck roast and ground beef, he added.

On the produce market, fair weather accompanying the drought has, for now, caused vegetable crops to come to market ahead of schedule, creating an overlap of products from the desert region and the San Joaquin Valley.

That, combined with reduced demand from East Coast markets due to severe winter weather, has led to temporary oversupplies of some vegetables, Tanimura said, while Jewell reported that berry production has also been stimulated by warm winter weather.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:09-07:00March 18th, 2014|

Farm-to-Fork – It’s Weights and Measures Week

From Kristin Macey, Director, CDFA Division of Measurement Standards

With the “Farm to Fork” concept getting more and more attention, it’s worth noting that it’s essential to maintain the integrity of commerce as food products move from farm to fork.

In observing National Weights and Measures week (March 1-7), CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards (DMS) protects both businesses and consumers in commerce by ensuring fair competition and accurate value comparisons.

DMS works closely with county sealers of weights and measures, who carry out the vast majority of weights and measures inspection activities at the local level.

At the beginning of the farm-to-fork journey, farmers and ranchers purchase the materials they need to produce their harvest.

Accordingly, weights and measures officials are busy reviewing labels and testing feed, seed, fertilizer, plastic pipe, lumber, herbicides, etc. to make sure these production inputs measure up to their stated net weight, measure, or count.

When commodities are transported from the farm, it is important to both buyer and seller that products are being weighed or measured accurately.

This is one reason why DMS licenses weighmasters providing independent assurance that scales are not doctored and that the weights recorded are accurate. Weighmaster certificates validating scales are legal documents used as the basis to buy or sell commodities.

Today, more than $80 billion a year changes hands in California’s economy based on weighmaster certificates.

Foods complete the farm-to-fork trip via retail grocery outlets, or through community supported agriculture or certified farmers markets.

All along this leg of the journey, packaged products are subject to inspection to verify that labeling is truthful and the net content statements are accurate.

All scales used by grocers or at farmers markets are routinely inspected, tested, and sealed by county inspectors, so consumers can have confidence they’re getting their money’s worth.

There are over 300 state and county employees who perform this type of work in California. They are largely unseen, but the fruits of their labors are everywhere.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:38:53-07:00March 5th, 2014|