USDA Secretary Brings Water Assistance on Valley Visit

USDA Provides Water Assistance Aid to 73,000 Rural Californians Impacted by Drought

FARMERSVILLE, Calif., July 18, 2014 -USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced USDA is providing $9.7 million in emergency water assistance to 73,000 residents in 11 California counties experiencing the driest year on record.

“This drought is devastating those who live, work and raise their families in much of rural California,” Vilsack said. “It is threatening the survival of whole communities and livelihoods of folks throughout the state. From Siskiyou County in the north to Kern County in the south, this disaster is crippling communities up and down the 600-mile spine of California.

“The emergency water grants we are announcing today are triple the amount we committed to when President Obama and I visited the state earlier this year,” Vilsack added. “I am proud of the work USDA Rural Development staff in California and Washington, D.C., have done to get this funding to those in need and the work they have done with municipal leaders in these rural communities to help residents, businesses and agricultural producers.”

Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack

Extreme weather, such as the intense drought occurring in the western United States, is putting a strain on water supplies. The Obama Administration is committed to increasing investments in the nation’s water infrastructure to mitigate the impact of climate change and to ensure that all Americans have adequate, safe and reliable water supplies. The National Climate Assessment released earlier this year illustrates the impact of climate change across the country.

This announcement is part of broader Obama Administration efforts to help those impacted by the drought. Through the National Drought Resilience Partnership, launched as part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, federal agencies are working closely with states, local governments, agriculture and other partners on a coordinated response.

The 25 rural California communities are being helped by funding provided through USDA’s Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG) program. This program helps rural communities that have experienced a significant decline in the quantity or quality of drinking water due to an emergency. In January, USDA streamlined the program’s application process to expedite emergency water assistance to communities in need, particularly in drought-impacted areas.

In addition to support from the ECWAG program, USDA is helping rural communities meet their water needs through Water and Waste Disposal loans and grants and Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) grants. USDA Rural Development has also approved grant funding to establish a revolving fund to provide low-interest loans to rural homeowners for household water wells.

For example, the small community of Cameron Creek Colony in Tulare County is struggling due to severe drought. About 10 percent of its residents have no access to water because their wells have run dry. Others have only intermittent access.

The city of Farmersville, Calif., is receiving a $500,000 ECWAG grant to construct pipelines connecting Cameron Creek Colony to the Farmersville water main and linking residents to the water system. This will provide much-needed relief throughout the community.

The grants announced today are contingent upon the recipients meeting the terms of the grant agreement.

Since the start of the Obama Administration, USDA Rural Development has invested more than $310 million to help 345,000 rural Californians receive improved water or wastewater services.

As California suffers through this drought, the Administration has taken action to help those struggling to cope with the hardships it has caused, including:

Designated 57 counties as disaster areas, making farmers and ranchers eligible for emergency loans.
Targeted $25 million from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to help farmers and ranchers implement conservation practices to conserve water, protect fields from erosion and improve access to water for livestock.
Invested $5 million in emergency watershed protection.
Provided $7.6 million to livestock producers through the cost-sharing Emergency Conservation Program.
Invested $750,000 to reduce aquatic weeds clogging irrigation screens, pumps and canals in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River delta.
Set aside $3.3 million of a $30 million national investment to mitigate wildfire threats, protect water resources and provide habitat for at-risk species.
Made continuing research investments in water conservation and use efficiency, as well as capacity grants for the University of California’s Institute for Water Resources.
Established a network of climate hubs, including a sub-hub in Davis, for risk adaptation and mitigation to climate change.
President Obama’s plan for rural America has brought about historic investment and resulted in stronger rural communities. Under the President’s leadership, these investments in housing, community facilities, businesses and infrastructure have empowered rural America to continue leading the way – strengthening America’s economy, small towns and rural communities. USDA’s investments in rural communities support the rural way of life that stands as the backbone of our American values.

#

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:15-07:00July 18th, 2014|

Psyllid Management Area Meetings in Tulare County

Developed by the top minds at University of California, California Citrus Mutual and Citrus Research Board, along with other industry leaders, a new area-wide treatment strategy is being introduced to citrus growers to organize the industry and allow for rapid communication if area-wide insecticide treatments are needed.

Coordinated treatments are the most effective way to manage the Asian citrus psyllid and thereby protect our state’s citrus from the incurable Huanglongbing disease, and this new strategy lays the framework for how neighboring growers should synchronize treatments to have the maximum impact on this pest. Right now, Tulare County is still in eradication mode, but the industry should plan for what may come next.

Industry leaders have divided Tulare County into “Psyllid Management Areas” in which neighbors can easily work together to time their treatments when the Asian citrus psyllid infests the area. Several meetings have been set up to introduce this strategy to growers, farm managers or PCA representatives from each area. Use the maps, dates, times and locations below to know which area you operate in and which meeting you should attend.

At each meeting growers will learn the details of this treatment strategy, when it should be implemented and how neighboring growers can work together. Growers will have an opportunity to get to know their neighbors and choose amongst themselves a Team Leader to help organize the group and flow communication about treatment timing. Growers working together will make this program successful and will save California citrus from the incurable HLB disease.

Click the link below to view a map to see the division of Psyllid Management Areas in Tulare County and learn which area you are in. The map is interactive – you can click the PMA labels on the map for a more detailed view of that area.

Tulare County PMA Map – http://www.citrusinsider.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/All-Tulare-County-PMAs-Grower-Access.pdf

To RSVP for a meeting, register using the links below or call 559-592-3790.

Many growers may have operations in multiple Psyllid Management Areas. In that case, growers are welcome to attend the meeting time and location that is most convenient for them or attend multiple meetings to get to know your neighbors in all areas.

July 22, 2014 – PMAs in Southern Tulare County
Porterville Veterans Memorial Building

8 a.m. – T-2, T-3, T-4, T-5, T-6, T-7
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=4

9:30 a.m. – T-8, T-9, T-10, T-11, T-12, T-13
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=6

11 a.m. – T-15, T-16, T-17, T-18, T-19, T-21
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=5

1 p.m. – T-14, T-20, T-23, T-24, T-25, T-26
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=7

2:30 p.m. – T-28, T-29, T-30, T-34, T-35, T-36
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=8

4 p.m. – T-31, T-37, T-42, T-43
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=9

July 24, 2014 – PMAs in Central Tulare County
Exeter Veterans Memorial Building

8 a.m. – T-22, T-27, T-32, T-33, T-38, T-39
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=10

9:30 a.m. – T-40, T-41, T-44, T-45, T-46, T-48
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=11

11 a.m. – T-47, T-50, T-51, T-52, T-53, T-54
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=12

1 p.m. – T-49, T-55, T-56, T-57, T-59, T-70
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=13

2:30 p.m. – T-58, T-60, T-61, T-62, T-63, T-76
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=14

4 p.m. – T-64, T-65, T-66, T-67
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=15

August 7, 2014 – PMAs in Northern Tulare County
Kearney Agricultural Center

8 a.m. – T-69, T-71, T-72, T-73, T-77, T-82
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=16

9:30 a.m. – T-74, T-75, T-78, T-79, T-80, T-81
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=17

11 a.m. – T-68, T-83, T-84, T-85, T-89, T-93
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=18

1 p.m. – T-86, T-87, T-88, T-90, T-91, T-92
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=19

2:30 p.m. – T-94, T-95, T-96, T-97, T-98, T-99
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=20

4 p.m. – T-100, T-101, T-102, T-103
Register: http://citrusinsider.org/event-registration/?ee=21

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:16-07:00July 18th, 2014|

Fresno County Crop Value Drops to $6.43 Billion

For the first time in history, Fresno County has two $1 billion crops, and for the first time in 11 years, grapes are not the #1 crop. Now almonds are the top crop produced in Fresno County with a value of $1.1 billion, with grapes coming in second at $1.03 billion. However, despite these highlights, Fresno County crop value in 2013 was $6.436 billion in gross production—a decrease of 2.28 percent of 2012.

Fresno Ag Commissioner Les Wright

As it stands now, Fresno County loses it’s #1 position as top agricultural county in the nation, dropping behind Tulare County, which recently announced a $7.8 billion 2013 crop year. It could get worse when Kern County releases their report in August.

“Much of the decrease can be attributed to the shortage of water,” said Les Wright, Fresno County Ag Commissioner. “The impacts of drought began to show on our 2012 crop report with decrease of 2.29 percent from 2011. Producers are feeling the affects of the water shortage more in 2014 than in the previous two yeas.”

Water shortages in Fresno County with a large part of the West Side dependent on both state and federal surface water deliveries have meant the annual crop report’s gross value of production has dropped three years in a row.

Details of the 2013 report include an increase of fresh vegetable production in 2013 by 3.8 percent in value led by garlic and fresh market tomatoes, while livestock and poultry decreased in value by more than 16 percent.

Field crops, representing barley, wheat, corn silage, cotton an alfalfa declined nearly 42 percent, while fruit and nut crops increased more than 8 percent.

Wright noted that Fresno County growers exported nearly 26,000 shipments to 99 different countries. “This tells us that we are still feeding the world,” said Wright.

“Once we get water back, we are going to see our ag economy rebound,” said Wright. “Just give the farmers water and they will do the rest.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:16-07:00July 15th, 2014|

Tulare County Reports Stellar 2013 Ag Year!

Marilyn Kinoshita, Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner, reports the county’s 2013 total gross production value increased over 25% to just over $7B. Gross values for Milk, Tulare’s leading ag commodity; livestock and poultry; fruit and nut crops; nursery products; and vegetable crops all increased. Field Crops decreased 6.5% due to a shift towards small grain silage crops.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:19-07:00July 9th, 2014|

UPDATE: ACP Quarantine and Advocacy for Unimpeded Eradication

by Laurie Greene, Editor

CDFA filed a proposed emergency amendment TODAY to expand the ACP quarantine area in response to an “infestation” of the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri, detected in the Farmersville/Visalia area (June 4, 2014), Tulare County. One adult female was found in the area. The proposed 14-mile expansion will include the Visalia area, and the state’s vast ACP quarantine will cover 46,544 sq. miles.

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross

The regulation defines emergency as” a situation that calls for immediate action to avoid serious harm to the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare.” The government code provides,”if the emergency situation clearly poses such an immediate, serious harm that delaying action to allow public comment would be inconsistent with the public interest, an agency is not required to provide notice.”

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross believes that this emergency clearly poses such an immediate, serious harm that delaying action to give the notice would be inconsistent with the public interest. Therefore, Ross proposed that the CDFA Director may adopt reasonably necessary measures such as bypassing the mandatory notice five working days prior to emergency action in order to carry out emergency provisions. Additionally, she requested that the Director be permitted to establish, maintain, and enforce quarantine, eradication, and such other regulations necessary to circumscribe and exterminate or prevent the spread of any pest which is described in the code.

This comes after the California Citrus Industry’s recent backlash against the Executive Committee of the California Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Committee’s proposed easing of the state’s ACP quarantine and eradication efforts.

Joel Nelsen, CA Citrus Mutual President

And, while CDFA uses the word, “infestation”, Joel Nelsen, President of California Citrus Mutual, commented at the recent United Fresh Convention in Chicago, “There were two more ACP finds found in the northeast part of Tulare County. They were individual finds. Intensive trapping and tapping on the trees, looking for the ACP, hasn’t found any more. So one would argue that we’ve got a population—given the finds in the last year—but we’re still talking single digits.” Nelsen believes this demonstrates the eradication programs are working. “We’re supposed to find the ACP before finds a commercial citrus industry, and we’re doing that.”

Nelsen said the Executive Committee’s recent proposal to significantly modify the program was, “based upon some subjective analysis by a team of scientists who in fact believe that there’s more out there than what we can find.”

“So,” he continued, “we’re obligated to prove a negative; and as long as we do the intensive trapping program, as long as we continue the mandated treatment program, as long as we’re aggressively looking for the Asian citrus psyllid—I don’t see how, and industry doesn’t buy into the fact, you have an endemic population. We’re not finding them in volume; everything is isolated.”

“So, when the industry first became aware of this possible change in the treatment zones of the quarantine mandates, the industry challenged CDFA.”

Now, not only does the ACP program remain intact, but TODAY, CDFA Secretary Ross proposed measures for an unhindered and immediate eradication response by CDFA to ACP discoveries.

Featured Photo Credit: Ted Batkin, Citrus Research Board, “Invasive Pests in California” 1/10.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:24-07:00June 18th, 2014|

New ACP Quarantine in Tulare

Big Effort in Place to Minimize ACP Spread

Too many local growers, its about eliminating and controlling the spread of the invasive insect which can carry a deadly disease on citrus known as citrus greening.

Gavin Iacono, a Deputy Ag Commissioner for Tulare County, where a new quarantine for asian citrus psyllid has been established.

“With this latest finds in the Ivanhoe area, the CDFA has expanded the quarantine which means now that it will connect the Dinuba area quarantine and then the rest of the county quarantine,” said Iacono. “So that realistically now the quarantine a goes from almost the Reedley area all the way down to just south of the Kern County line. Through the whole citrus belt area now.” He added.

Iacono notes that restrictions found in the quarantine.

“Well with the quarantine, it everything thing will be the same as previously to move fruit outside the quarantine. It has to either has to be field cleaned or would to have to have a spray treatment on the orchard prior to picking and then moving. But any fruit that is staying within the quarantine it has no restrictions whatsoever, it can move freely within the quarantine.” said Iacono.

Iacono says the fruit is safe once it gets inside the packing house.

“Once the fruit has gone through the packing process, its no longer considered a host of the asian citrus psyllid, so then they’re free to be able to ship it anywhere they want to.” said Iacono.

And while the CDFA hasn’t made an official statement, it was reported yesterday that a new ACP has been discovered in a trap, west of Farmersville, in Tulare County.

We will keep you updated.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:27-07:00June 6th, 2014|

Could CDFA’s ACP Control Policy Devastate Our Citrus Industry Like Florida’s?

Citrus Industry is Fired Up Over Softened ACP Control Policy

By Patrick Cavanaugh

It seems that CDFA officials are giving up on controlling the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) in Central California citrus growing areas! It sure looks like it.

Ever since the May 12 ACP trappings in the Lindsay area of Tulare County, there has been a major back-step in what has been an aggressive mandatory spray program to control any possible live psyllids within an 800-meter radius around the trap.

Now CDFA is suggesting that the spray programs should be voluntary and only 400 feet around the trap find.

According to Joel Nelsen, president of the Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual, “The conversation relative to the change in eradicating or treating for the ACP came about with a discussion between a few members of the scientific community and the department.”

“Frankly, the industry was unaware of this possible change in the program. When it was first released to the AG commissioner, it shocked everybody–is my understanding,” Nelsen said.

“And as a result, last Friday afternoon, the executive committee members from our pest and disease management committee had a very direct conversation with senior leadership of the CDFA. I understand that the conversation was extremely candid, somewhat emotional; if the industry to is going to be supporting a program to the tune of 15 million dollars, they want a say in how the program is run. And evidently, the Department of Agriculture is making some subjective decisions that we don’t believe are appropriate.”

“From my perspective, there were mistakes made at the onset of this program that we had to learn from; and if we don’t take seriously—psyllid control, psyllid control, psyllid control!—we’re going to end up in the same type of quandary that our colleagues in Florida, Texas, Mexico and even Brazil are in.

Too many psyllids, an endemic population, some of which will contract citrus greening disease and eventually contaminate citrus trees, could devastate central California’s $2 Billion industry. “If we even allow one psyllid to continue to foster a population, then we have failed at our effort. And so from the perspective of Citrus Mutual, we are in an eradication mode,” Nelsen said.

“We are in a position in which we can find isolated psyllids and treat, and we are in position where continuous trapping and tapping (with bats and trays in searching for psyllids) and intensive trapping is not finding an endemic population. So for the department to argue that the population is endemic, its a ‘what if’ scenario that we don’t think is appropriate.”

Nelsen said that the pushback by his pest and disease management committee might have made a difference. “I haven’t received anything, but I think that conversation last Friday afternoon yielded some intended results. There’s a reconsideration, and I give a lot of credit to the industry members who stood up the department; but until it happens, its not real,” he said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2021-05-12T11:06:01-07:00June 3rd, 2014|

Ag Theft Crime Ring Taken Down In the Valley

Source: Jessica Peres; ABC 30

Investigators say they’ve taken down a major crime ring. The suspect stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in agriculture equipment.

The Kern County Sheriff’s Office notified investigators that they found more than 1,000 pieces of ag equipment stolen out of Tulare County.

Lawn trimmers, sidewalk edgers and tree pruners are just a fraction of the pieces of equipment found in Southern California that were stolen out of Tulare County.

The equipment was taken from Fruit Growers Supply in Porterville, and Lawrence Tractor out of Tipton, over the last two weeks. Then on Friday, investigators got a break in the case.

Tulare County Acting Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said, “The Kern County Sheriff’s Department was conducting an investigation separate from the commercial burglaries in the Hawthorne area. While they were there they recognized some property that may or may not be related to our burglary.”

What they ultimately uncovered was a highly proficient crime ring, where suspects would steal hundreds of pieces of ag equipment and sell them on the street for one-third of the retail price.

Boudreaux added, “The particular people were not only selling it on the black market but they would send it to people to sell at swap meets.”

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office arrested Rafael Gomez and Israel Garcia, both from Hawthorne, for the thefts.

Stihl branch manager in Visalia, Larry Blamer, says most of the tools sell for upwards of $300.00.

Blamer told Action News, “Stihl brand is not sold to any of the big box stores just independently owned family businesses throughout America and it’s those independent owners that take that hit.”

Stihl has a highly sophisticated serial number tracking system, that helped investigators confirm most of the 1,100 pieces of stolen equipment out of Tulare County. The tools were worth more than $300,000.00.

Blamer says most times when store owners call them about a theft, they’re lucky if they see 1-percent of it returned to them.

Blamer explained, ” I’ve been in business for 35 years and this is the biggest single find of power equipment I’ve seen.”

The sheriff’s office is still investigating the case and says there are more suspects they’re looking for.

They say the crime ring is wide spread. Some of the ag equipment was stolen from as far away as Hanford, San Luis Obispo and even Ohio.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:34-07:00May 8th, 2014|

Tulare County Ag Value Just Behind Fresno!

Tulare County 2012 Crop Report Production Value Up 10 Percent

Tulare County’s total gross production value for 2012 is $6.22 billion. The report, released today, showed an increase of $581 million, or 10 percent above the 2011 value of $5.6 billion.

Dairy products continue to be the leading agricultural commodity in the County, with a total gross value of $1.8 billion, a decrease of 12 percent.

“Milk represents 29 percent of the total crop and livestock value for 2012,” said Marilyn Kinoshita, Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner. “Total milk production in Tulare County remained relatively stable,” she said.

Possibly, if milk prices were a little higher during the year, Tulare County would have beat Fresno County for the first time!

“Livestock and Poultry’s gross value of $661 million represents an increase of 5.8 percent above 2011, mostly due to an increase in value for turkeys, cattle and calves,” noted Kinoshita.

Fruit and nut commodities were valued at $2.8 billion representing an increase of 29 percent. “The majority of this gain was the result of an excellent year for our grape category,” Kinoshita noted.

The total value of all field crops was $776 million, an increase of 24 percent from 2011. “Local demand for dairy feed continues to keep high values for our field crops. Nursery products were valued at $67 million, representing an increase of 2.5 percent over last year. “This minor increase is a reflection of the continued uncertainties in both the housing and agricultural markets,” Kinoshita explained.

Vegetable crops were valued at $20 million in 2012, representing a less than one percent increase.

“The 2012 report covers more than 120 different commodities, 43 of which have a gross value in excess of $1 million. Although individual commodities may experience difficulties from year to year, Tulare County continues to produce high-quality crops that provide food and fiber to more than 84 countries throughout the world,” said Kinoshita.

Kinoshita expressed appreciation to her staff, particularly Lea Pereira, Jacqui Balderas, and Dennis Haines for their contributions to the report.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-08-31T13:28:59-07:00July 23rd, 2013|