Every five years, Congress passes a Farm Bill.  It funds just about everything related to agriculture – including international trade, rural development, and crop payments to some farmers.  U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says California’s $37 billion agriculture industry benefits too -especially the state’s fresh produce growers.

Vilsack: “When you consider the commodity purchases that we do through the United States Department of Agriculture – for school lunch programs, for food banks across the country – they are substantially focused on fruit and vegetable purchases.  So that obviously benefits producers who are producing those fruits and vegetables.”

Still, Vilsack acknowledges that debate over the federal deficit will likely mean less money for the 2012 Farm Bill than in previous years.  And the secretary says direct payments to farmers will likely be reduced.

Listen to Ben’s (Adler )interview with Secretary Vilsack, where they discuss the Farm Bill, trade, food and nutrition programs and food safety:

http://www.capradio.org/articles/2012/01/23/vilsack-2012-farm-bill-will-be-smaller,-but-still-boost-california

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — The Humane Society of the United States and the United Egg Producers announced that they will make passage of H.R. 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012, introduced today by Reps. Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., Jeff Denham, R-Calif., Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., and Sam Farr, D-Calif., a top legislative priority in Congress this year. All of these lawmakers are deeply committed to agriculture, and their federal legislation will lead to improvements in housing for 280 million hens involved in U.S. egg production, while providing a stable future for egg farmers.

The bill will require egg producers to essentially double the space allotted per hen and make other important animal welfare improvements during a tiered phase-in period that allows farmers time to make the investments in better housing, with the assurance that all will face the same requirements by the end of the phase-in period. The legislation is strongly supported by UEP, HSUS, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and other animal welfare groups, National Consumers League, the overwhelming majority of egg farmers, and state agricultural and egg producer groups, including the Association of California Egg Farmers, Colorado Egg Producers Association, Florida Poultry Association, Michigan Agri-Business Association, Michigan Allied Poultry Industries, North Carolina Egg Association and Ohio Egg Processors Association.

In recent years, a growing number of states approved often-conflicting standards for egg production, frequently applying those standards to all eggs sold in the state – including those produced out-of-state. As a result, egg farmers have said they foresee an unworkable patchwork of conflicting state laws that will make interstate commerce in eggs difficult, if not impossible. Egg farmers see a federal standard as the only solution that both enhances hen welfare and ensures a sustainable future for America’s family-owned egg farms, according to the United Egg Producers, which represents egg farmers who produce 88 percent of the nation’s eggs.

“Eggs are a national commodity, and egg producers should have a level playing field – not have different, costly rules in all 50 states,” said Gene Gregory, president and CEO of United Egg Producers. “That’s where we are heading if we don’t pass this federal legislation. We need this legislation for our customers and consumers and the survival of egg farmers.”

“The HSUS and UEP have been long-time adversaries, but have come together and identified a solution that balances animal welfare and the economic realities of the industry,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States. “The nation needs this kind of problem solving, and the Congress should enthusiastically embrace an agreement between all of the key stakeholders.”

“This agreement between the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States represents an important and necessary step in addressing the patchwork of state laws facing the industry and providing stability for farmers moving forward,” said Rep. Schrader. “I take my hat off to both organizations for putting aside their historical differences and working together to reach a deal that provides certainty for our farmers while providing improved conditions for the hens.”

“As an advocate for agriculture and animal welfare, I am pleased to join my colleagues in co-sponsoring this common-sense legislation that will help farmers, consumers and animals,” said Rep. Farr, ranking member of the agriculture appropriations subcommittee. “Having consistent rules and a national standard will help egg producers meet the consumer demand for safe, wholesome food and will send a message that doing what’s good for animal welfare and what’s good for industry economics are not mutually exclusive.”

H.R. 3798, the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012, would:

• require conventional cages to be replaced during an ample phase-in period with new, enriched colony housing systems that provide all egg-laying hens nearly double the amount of current space;
• require that, after a phase-in period, all egg-laying hens be provided with environmental enrichments, such as perches, nesting boxes, and scratching areas, that will allow hens to express natural behaviors;
• require labeling on all egg cartons nationwide to inform consumers of the method used to produce the eggs – “eggs from caged hens,” “eggs from hens in enriched cages,” “eggs from cage-free hens,” and “eggs from free-range hens”;
• prohibit feed- or water-withdrawal molting to extend the laying cycle, a practice already prohibited by the United Egg Producers Certified program;
• require standards approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association for euthanasia of egg-laying hens;
• prohibit excessive ammonia levels in henhouses; and
• prohibit the transport and sale of eggs and egg products nationwide that don’t meet these requirements.

THE PORTERVILLE RECORDER

Organic produce is no longer just for Birkenstock-donning, flannel shirt-wearing, long-haired hippies from San Francisco.

That stereotype is long gone.

What isn’t gone — and doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon — is a burgeoning group of consumers throughout the world who desire fresh fruits and vegetables that are free of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

John France, a local farmer and businessman, is one of many who has answered consumers’ call for these crops, which can be labeled and sold as “organic” only if they meet certain federal regulations and criteria.

France, a certified grower of organic crops since 1989, is the president of Porterville-based Homegrown Organic Farms, which markets and sells 15 different organic commodities for 45 farmers throughout California and Oregon.

Last year, Homegrown administered the sale of more than 1 million cartons of organic produce for its growers. The company’s cold storage and main distribution center, from which the organic goods are shipped nationwide and to Canada, is located in the small Kern County town of Arvin.

“There’s not a market in the world that I can’t access,” said France, whose own ranch, which is managed by Strathmore-based farm agriculture management company Agricare, is home to about 650 total acres of organic citrus, grapes, walnuts and blueberries in southern Tulare and Kern counties.

For France and other organic producers, the markets are certainly there. The only potential obstacle is one of logistics.

Unlike conventional farmers, organic growers don’t apply post-harvest fungicides to their produce. These fungicides, in some years, can drastically extend the shelf life of some fruits and vegetables.

So France said he and his organic brethren “have to be on top of [their] game,” making doubly sure that the crops are picked, packed and sold when the time is absolutely right. If not, the growers could suffer badly by losing out on adequate returns for their commodities.

“We can’t just park stuff in a cold storage,” France said. “We have to know what’s in the cooler, how old it is, the condition of the fruit and when it comes out.”

In this way and others, organic farming is different from conventional farming.

Organic producers have to grow organically for three years before they can become certified by federally accredited California Certified Organic Farmers. Their handling costs are higher, and they have to be more “proactive” rather than “reactive” to make sure certain problems — ones that would be handled by traditional farmers with pesticides or other chemicals — don’t arise in the first place.

In a lot of ways, though, organic farmers are the same as their big brothers on the conventional side.

Organic producers, just like traditional growers, have to keep their yields as high as possible. They have to know soils and climates, too. Most importantly, they have to deliver a quality product that consumers want.

“If you’re not prepared and don’t know what you’re doing,” France said, “you can get upside down really quick.”

But France hasn’t gone upside down — not even close. That’s because he’s made the proper investments, he’s developed a solid business model and he’s immersed himself in a market that seems to be growing by the day.

“You have to be willing to spend money to make money, just like in any business,” he said.

Contact Alex K.W. Schultz at 784-5000, Ext. 1050 or aschultz@portervillerecorder.com.

Follow him on Twitter @AlexKWSchultz.

by Mary Rothschild | Jan 20, 2012

By Paula Parisi January 17, 2012

The five cases of EHV-1 diagnosed Jan. 11-15 in Orange County, CA, have been contained, according to sources close to the situation.

Although the California Department of Food and Agriculture has not given the official “all clear,” animal health branch chief Dr. Kent Fowler confirmed that the five cases were identified at a single facility and all affected horses have been quarantined. Movement to and from the facility has been halted except in emergency situations (for which a special permit must be obtained).

EHV-1 is a strain of Equine Herpes Virus. In its most serious form, neuropathogenic EHV, it can be fatal, but most forms produce only cold/flu-like symptoms. There are specific tests to determine whether an animal has neuropathic  EHV-1. Of those who do, only a fraction suffer serious impairment or death.

Of the five current cases of neuropathogenic EHV-1 identified in San Juan Capistrano, only one is exhibiting neurological symptoms.

The Langer Equestrian Group’s Los Angeles Equestrian Center Opener horse show will go on as planned Jan. 20-22 in Burbank, CA. The Blenheim EquiSports Winter Classic show, which was scheduled Jan. 13-15 in San Juan Capistrano, was cancelled due to the proximity of the outbreak, which occurred at a private barn in the area.

California had an EHV-1 outbreak last year marked by three separate cases  that resulted in 22 confirmed instances of neuropathogenic EHV-1, documented May through September, taking a devastating toll on the horse show business.

“This wasn’t like last year, [where the outreak] started at a show [in Utah] and spread when everyone went home,”  LEG CEO Larry Langer said. “These horses never set foot out of their stalls.” Langer lauded BES president Robert Ridland for putting safety first and cancelling his show “as a precaution.”

Ridland said he was in Cincinnati attending the United States Equestrian Federation’s annual meeting when his wife, Hillary, heard EHV-1 had been detected locally. She contacted their  barn manager, Lorraine Tathum, and BES  show veterinarian Dr. Richard Markell, who was able to get confirmation that the CDFA had quarantined a nearby facility. The next morning, Jan. 11, Markell and BES show manager Stephanie Wheeler conferred and made the decision to cancel the weekend show.

“It was a 15 minute conversation,” Ridland recalled. “Even though there was no evidence any of the exposed horses had left their facility or would be coming to our show, Richard advised that the most responsible thing would be to cancel, so we did.”

Only 12 hours earlier Ridland had participated in a discussion with USEF president David O’Connor about implementing a national first alert system that would allow for rapid, accurate and efficient communiqués to disseminate vital health information.

“The idea would be for all 50 state veterinarians to have a hotline to the USEF, so when things like this happen, they can quickly look across all disciplines to see what shows might be affected, because showing and traveling horses are the most common way that this virus spreads.” The disease can be transmitted by touch ― not only equine-to-equine, but also human-to-equine and canine-to-equine. The most common transmission, however, is through shared water and feed sources, Fowler noted.

Ridland said he saw to it that every trainer scheduled to attend the Winter Classic received a personal phone call alerting them to the situation, but explained that BES purposely did not post notice on the BES website or blast it out via email, “because we felt might cause a panic. Often these situations are handled correctly but the panic gets out of hand. A system like the USEF is proposing would go a long way toward minimizing the health and economic exposure we as an industry face in situations like this.”

Prior to 2011, the last case on record in the state originated in 2006 and lingered into early 2007.

Fowler said U.S. data indicates there have been more cases of EHV-1 in the past 10 years than in the 30 prior, but that it is unclear whether this is because there are more outbreaks or because diagnostic tools have improved.  It was only last year that the CDFA put neuropathogenic EHV-1 on the mandatory reporting list for labs. “Emergency conditions must be reported in the first 24 hours. EHV-1 falls into the second category, regulatory reporting, which is the first 48 hours. We moved  it up from the third category, monitored reporting, which means they need to submit data on a monthly basis. Part of the reason we made that change is because we saw an increase in cases while becoming aware of how effective early intervention was in preventing spread of the disease.”

Ridland considers the industry lucky that this outbreak occurred in January – a slow month for horse shows – rather than in February, when things start heating up for the spring season and the HITS Desert Circuit in Thermal, CA.

The CDFA’s Fowler advised that concerned horse owners look for symptoms including a fever, cough, nasal discharge, listlessness or swelling in the lower limbs . In the more severe case of neuropathogenic impairment, horses appear imbalanced and lose motor coordination.

“The virus is always present in the equine community, but is mainly dormant, the way people carry the virus for cold sores,” Los Angeles equine vet Dr. Bruce Ramey said. “For virologists it’s a non-event. Occasionally a horse will have a very serious reaction and that’s what scares everyone. In fact, a minority of the horses develop neurological signs.”

Fowler recommends common sense vigilance. “If you have any possibility of exposure, we recommend taking the temperature twice a day, and if it’s up above 101.5 notify your private veterinarian.” There are nasal swab t and blood tests used to definitively diagnose the disease. While there are no “labeled vaccines” for the neuropathogenic strain of EHV-1, experts feel that some of the commercially available high-antigenic vaccines can offer protective benefits.

“That is something people should talk to their private vet about, getting on a good herd health program,” Fowler said.

If no new cases are diagnosed 21 days after the last reported incident the CDFA will release the quarantine.

For updates, visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/animal_health/equine_herpes_virus.html.

Central Valley farmers are slowly getting hip to the idea that tilling land before planting seeds may not always be necessary.

Conservation tillage has long been in vogue in places such as the Midwest and South America. Now in California, leaving land undisturbed between planting and harvesting cycles has started to catch on.

Advocates say conservation tillage is an array of practices aimed not only at saving farmers money, but also enriching the soil and improving air quality.

In 2010, Valley farmers used conservation tillage practices on 14 percent of crops surveyed, according to a University of California study. That’s up from about 10 percent in 2008.

Between 2008 and 2010, Central Valley farmers switched to conservation tillage on nearly 1 million acres used to grow row crops such as corn and wheat silage, according to Sustainable Conservation, a nonprofit located in the Central Valley. That’s more than 1,500 square miles and represents nearly 15 percent of all row-crop acreage in California. From 2004 to 2010, conservation tillage practices rose 24 percent for all silage corn acreage in the San Joaquin Valley.

“There has been a definite trend towards greater use of these systems, especially for crops like corn that readily lends itself to these practices,” said Jeff Mitchell, agricultural scientist with UC Davis.

For California farmers, the decision whether to adopt conservation tillage isn’t always a clear one.

“The reason people did it back (East) is soil erosion,” Mitchell said. “You can’t tolerate soil loss where there are rolling hills.”

Conservation tillage techniques that allow the previous year’s stalks and roots to naturally decompose in the field, creating a hardy layer of topsoil that doesn’t blow away in the wind.

But that’s not as big of a concern in the relatively flat Central Valley. In California, traditional tillage practices that rip up and turn over land are a relatively inexpensive way to prepare soil for the planting season.

Michael Crowell, 69, said he was “skeptical” when a Bay Area company first offered its services to help him transition his corn and grain fields to conservation tillage. “But I said ‘come in and do 20 acres and we’ll just see what it looks like,’ ” he said.

Six years later, the 69-year-old dairy farmer in Turlock uses conservation tillage techniques on every acre of his farm. “It reduces the amount of equipment that you need to have to operate,” he said. “It also reduces the amount of fuel required to plant a crop. And it requires less labor because you’re not running as much equipment to get the job done.”

Crowell said there are tradeoffs. For example, with conservation tillage, crops have to be dry when harvested — otherwise the ground becomes too compacted and nutrient levels have to be measured closely.

However, he said conservation tillage not only saves him money, it also improves the health of his soil. He recently returned from a conservation tillage convention in St. Louis. He said many farmers he met there have been able to significantly reduce their use of nitrogen and other fertilizers because of the their soil quality.

“Once you start this, you don’t want to destroy the ecology, the soil structure, the organization that’s down there as far as bacteria and enzymes that are working in the soil,” he said. “We look at this dirt and we just think we’re standing on dirt. No. You go out in that field and that dirt is a living organism. It’s just alive. There are earthworms everywhere. And on tilled fields show me that. You just don’t see it.”

Reporter Joshua Emerson Smith can be reached at (209) 385-2486 or

jsmith@mercedsunstar.com.