Meat, it’s going to be what’s for dinner for quite a while in these parts – and beyond.
Feed the Hungry of Auburn has attended the Gold Country Fair Junior Livestock Auction for 30 years, supporting the FFA and 4-H kids who are selling their animals after raising them since birth, then donating the meat to The Salvation Army, various food closets, rescues and other organizations.
Craig Hollyfield, who along with wife Nita, Michelle Fish and Ken Tokutomi founded Feed the Hungry, said the nonprofit usually receives a donation or two each year, but they were stunned last Saturday (Sept. 11) as the donations, with auctioneer Matt Wolter giving an occasional mention, grew … and grew … and grew – to 15 donated animals.
“We were completely overwhelmed emotionally because we had more donated animals than we had ever had,” Hollyfield said. “People would buy a $3,000 hog or a $2,000 lamb and say, ‘We’re going to donate this to Feed the Hungry.’ Not take it home or to a wholesaler, they’re going to put it right back into our community.”
“We were just in shock, total shock,” Fish said. “And we would look at each like deer in headlights – oh my God, there’s another donation. In a time in our world with COVID and the state of our state and our nation, you’re just blown away at the gifts.”
The buying – and giving – brought many to tears. Feed the Hungry Chairperson Angela Atteberry said one woman broke down after her son sold a dozen eggs for $1,600. The money can go into the sellers’ college accounts or to the cost of raising the animals. Junior Livestock Auction sales topped $590,000 as of Thursday, according to Gold Country Fair CEO Don Ales, with another week of add-ons still to go.
“People at the auction are supporting the children,” Hollyfield said.
“It was just an overwhelming generosity. I have to say, it was a breath of fresh air for me personally because of the atmosphere, the parents, kids, buyers, FFA, 4-H, an incredible spirit of community,” Atteberry said. “It was a true spirit of what we are as a nation. It truly embodied the community and the America I grew up in, where we help one another … out of a sense of joy. The bids went so high they were crying. I wanna tell you, tears of joy. It touched my heart. It made me very thankful and grateful.
“We came home Saturday and the euphoria lasted through the weekend. I was still in awe. It blessed me. It blessed my efforts.”
Feed the Hungry purchased two steers and five hogs with $30,000 in community donations. Add the 15 donated animals – a combination of hogs, goats, lambs and steers – and the live weight added up to 8,200 pounds. The net weight after processing was 4,500 pounds.
“We’re feeding the community,” Fish said. “Just think of all those folks we’re going to feed.”
Who will Feed the Hungry feed? Salvation Army Auburn, Chico and Oroville (this is Feed the Hungry’s third year supporting Camp Fire survivors), Auburn Interfaith Food Closet, Sierra Reach Food Closet in Applegate, Acres of Hope in Auburn, Auburn Renewal Center and more.
“It’s going throughout Placer County: shelters, domestic violence, food closets, seniors, homeless,” Fish said. “We’re going to be able to take care of Placer County better than most counties.”
Atteberry said distribution will start Monday with Salvation Army Oroville and Chico.
“People have to eat while they’re trying to rebuild their lives,” Fish said.
The largest climate package in state history, Governor Newsom highlights transformative $15 billion in funding to tackle wildfire and drought challenges, build climate resilience in communities, promote sustainable agriculture and advance nation-leading climate agenda
Governor signs 24 bills focused on climate and clean energy efforts, drought and wildfire preparedness
At the site of the KNP Complex in Sequoia National Park, Governor Gavin Newsom today highlighted the California Comeback Plan’s over $15 billion climate package – the largest such investment in state history – tackling a wide array of climate impacts facing the state. The Governor today signed legislation outlining investments in the package to build wildfire and forest resilience, support immediate drought response and long-term water resilience and directly protect communities across the state from multi-faceted climate risks, including extreme heat and sea level rise.
“California is doubling down on our nation-leading policies to confront the climate crisis head-on while protecting the hardest-hit communities,” said Governor Newsom. “We’re deploying a comprehensive approach to meet the sobering challenges of the extreme weather patterns that imperil our way of life and the Golden State as we know it, including the largest investment in state history to bolster wildfire resilience, funding to tackle the drought emergency while building long-term water resilience, and strategic investments across the spectrum to protect communities from extreme heat, sea level rise and other climate risks that endanger the most vulnerable among us.”
When the Governor signed the state budget and related legislation in July, he and legislative leaders agreed to additional discussions during the summer to further refine steps to advance their shared and funded priorities, including natural resources investments. The legislation signed today details investments funded in the $15 billion climate package, which includes:
$1.5 Billion Wildfire and Forest Resilience Package
The $1.5 billion package supporting a comprehensive forest and wildfire resilience strategy statewide is the largest such investment in California history. Building on a $536 million early action package in April ahead of peak fire season, an additional $988 million in 2021-22 will fund projects to reduce wildfire risk and improve the health of forests and wildlands. This includes investments for community hardening in fire-vulnerable areas, strategic fuel breaks and fuel reduction projects, approaches to restore landscapes and create resilient wildlands and a framework to expand the wood products market, supporting sustainable local economies.
This investment implements the Governor’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan published in January, and builds on previous budget investments for emergency management, including funding for additional fire crews and equipment, and executive actions to help combat catastrophic wildfires. Governor Newsom bolstered CAL FIRE’s firefighting ranks in March by authorizing the early hire of 1,399 additional firefighters and in July supplemented the department’s capacities with 12 additional aircraft. The Governor earlier this year launched an expanded and refocused Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force to deliver on key commitments in his Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. Last year, the Newsom Administration and the U.S. Forest Service announced a shared stewardship agreement under which they are working to treat one million acres of forest and wildland annually to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
$5.2 Billion Water and Drought Resilience Package
Climate change is making droughts more common and more severe. The California Comeback Plan invests $5.2 billion over three years to support immediate drought response and long-term water resilience, including funding for emergency drought relief projects to secure and expand water supplies; support for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, with a focus on small and disadvantaged communities; Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation to improve water supply security and quality; and projects to support wildlife and habitat restoration efforts, among other nature-based solutions.
$3.7 Billion Climate Resilience Package
Focusing on vulnerable front-line communities, the package includes $3.7 billion over three years to build resilience against the state’s multi-faceted climate risks, including extreme heat and sea level rise. Investments to address the impacts of extreme heat include urban greening projects, grants to support community resilience centers and projects that reduce the urban heat island effect, and funding to advance the Extreme Heat Framework as part of the state’s Climate Adaptation Strategy. The package also supports coastal protection and adaptation measures, efforts to protect and conserve California’s diverse ecosystems, and community-based investments to build resilience, such as grants to support environmental justice-focused initiatives and funding for the California Climate Action Corps, which supports local climate action projects in disadvantaged communities.
$1.1 Billion to Support Climate Smart Agriculture
Amid climate-driven drought and extreme heat challenges, California is committing $1.1 billion over two years to support sustainable agriculture practices and create a resilient and equitable food system. These efforts include investments to promote healthy soil management, support for livestock methane reduction efforts, funding for the replacement of agricultural equipment to reduce emissions and technical assistance and incentives for the development of farm conservation management plans. The package also supports programs to expand healthy food access for seniors and in schools, other public institutions and non-profit organizations.
$3.9 Billion Zero-Emission Vehicle Package
The California Comeback Plan supports California’s nation-leading climate agenda with a $3.9 billion investment to hit fast forward on the state’s Zero-Emission Vehicle goals and lead the transition to ZEVs on a global scale. The package includes funding to put 1,000 zero-emission drayage trucks, 1,000 zero-emission school buses and 1,000 transit buses, and the necessary infrastructure, on California roads – prioritizing projects that benefit disadvantaged communities. Helping drive consumer adoption, the package funds consumer rebates for new ZEV purchases and incentives for low-income Californians to replace their old car with a new or used advanced technology car.
Additional Investments
The package also includes $270 million to support a circular economy that advances sustainability and helps reduce short-lived climate pollutants from the waste sector, and $150 million that will support urban waterfront parks, with a focus on underserved communities.
When livestock manure decomposes in wet conditions, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Changing manure management practices so that manure is handled in a dry form can help reduce methane emissions and limit the effects of climate change.
Over the life of the program, CDFA has awarded $78.5 million in grants for 117 projects that are projected to reduce 1.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent over five years — the equivalent of removing 243,310 vehicles from the road.
In this video, we see how manure is recycled to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and also contributes to cow comfort.
CDFA’s State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) was created to provide financial incentives for agricultural operations to invest in irrigation systems that save water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible system components include soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, variable frequency drives, and installation of renewable energy to reduce on-farm water use and energy.
Over the life of the program, SWEEP has made grant awards to 828 projects covering more than 134,000 acres. $80.5 million has been awarded to date, with more than $50.1 million in matching funds. Water savings are estimated to be 37.5 billion gallons annually, enough to fill 70,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
Farmers need right-sized technology. Tools and technology can help farmers improve efficiency, save labor and connect with their customers. But many of the innovations in agriculture today are built for large-scale production, out of reach for most family farms.
From hardware to software, mechanical harvesters to marketing apps, (CAFF) is seeking proposals for technologies that will help level the playing field, strengthen local food systems and promote on-farm sustainability. As part of the 2022 Small Farms Conference, submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges representing farmers, investors, entrepreneurs and the tech industry. Winners will be showcased at the conference as well as at several other agricultural conferences, in video and online with the aim of helping shine a light on your innovation and you make your bright idea a reality.
The Small Farm Innovation Challenge is open to global submissions and can include individuals, teams, students and start-up businesses. Please note that the bulk of promotion and recognition will take place in California. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2021.
Three winners will be announced in January. A formal award ceremony will take place at the 2022 Small Farms Conference, Feb. 27 – March 3rd 2022.
In recognition of Climate Week (Sept 20-26), here’s a video of some of the practices utilized in CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program — helping sequester carbon and save water.
Over the life of the program, CDFA has funded nearly 650 projects with $41.5 million in grants. The projects are building soil health on thousands of acres of farm and ranch land and sequestering an estimated 109,809 metric tons of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) each year — that’s the equivalent of removing 23,724 cars from the road each year.
Western Growers (WG) and S2G Ventures are now accepting applications for the 2021 AgSharks Competition, a unique event where start-up companies pitch their innovations in front of a live audience of the world’s largest specialty crop producers to win a $250,000 minimum investment. Impact-driven entrepreneurs and startups developing systems and technologies that promote a more healthy and sustainable food and agriculture system can apply for the AgSharks Competition at 2021agsharks.splashthat.com. Applications close on Monday, October 11, 2021.
“Our AgSharks Competition is an exciting and impactful event that has already yielded bottom-line benefits for our members,” said Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia. “While there is much more we are doing to speed innovative technologies to our industry, AgSharks creates a special opportunity for agtech entrepreneurs to win the hearts and minds of growers on a very high profile stage. We’re looking forward to this year’s competition.”
Five startups will be selected to pitch their inventions to a panel of growers, shippers, processors and venture capitalists in front of more than 300 fresh produce farmers and industry leaders during the WG Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, on November 9, 2021. In addition to investment capital, the winner(s) will receive international recognition, mentoring from S2G and WG, potential access to farm acreage to pilot their technologies and access to WG’s expansive network of leading fresh produce companies.
“AgSharks leads as the only pitch competition that offers agtech startups an audience with the biggest agricultural companies across the globe,” said Audre Kapacinskas, Vice President at S2G Ventures. “The combination of exclusive access to hundreds of industry leaders plus investment capital to fuel growth are two elements that are crucial for a startup’s success in this industry.”
AgSharks was first held in 2017, and through the competition, three early-stage companies have earned seed money to elevate their businesses to the next level. In fact, past winners Hazel Technologies and Burro, formerly known as Augean Robotics, have since brought their products from development to market. Hazel Technologies recently closed a Series C financing round and is now advancing the industry with sachets that extend the shelf life of fresh produce by as much as three times. Burro is helping solve farmers’ labor woes with the expansion of its fleet of autonomous robots to farms across the west.
Drought-stricken San Luis Reservoir in Merced County.
Unless you have a personal connection to the Central Valley or work in agriculture, chances are you haven’t been able to speak directly to a farmer about how they’re experiencing this year’s historic drought.
Recently on KQED Forum, three farmers from the Central Valley, where roughly 40% of the nation’s fruits, vegetables and nuts are grown, shared just how little water they have to work with, how they’re adapting, and what the drought means for their industry long term.
Here are some highlights from the conversation, edited for length and clarity.
How little water are farmers working with?
Joe Del Bosque, CEO of Del Bosque Farms: This year, we got zero water from the Bureau of Reclamation. So we’ve had to look toward other irrigation districts that have higher water rights, and purchase water from them. If it hadn’t been for our ability to buy from other farmers, we would not be able to farm today.
Don Cameron, Terranova Ranch, California State Board of Food and Agriculture president: We rely primarily on groundwater pumped in our region. About 5%, in a normal year, [is] surface water. So we have depended on the groundwater for years. And we are in a critically overdrafting basin, which means we are now dealing with sustainable groundwater management; we need to stop the decline in groundwater.
Stuart Woolf, Woolf Farming & Processing: Our surface water was taken to zero. We have maintained some wells in the area. Traditionally in dry years, we’d lean into our wells, and years ago when we had adequate surface supplies, we would then recharge our aquifers. But we’re seeing the loss of our surface supplies now, and that is basically exacerbating the issues with groundwater out here.
How much more does water cost right now?
Stuart Woolf: In a normal year in Westlands [Water District], for our surface water, we end up paying about $250 an acre-foot. And in a year like this, if you can find it and actually buy it, we’re thinking in terms of like $2,000 to $2,500 per acre-foot, on an incremental cost basis. You can have surface water that you receive that costs $400, $500, the incremental cost being much, much higher. Pumping costs are closer to that $250.
Less water means fewer crops, smaller yields
Joe Del Bosque: We’ve cut back our melon program. We’ve grown asparagus for 20 years and we took that out. We removed the asparagus to try to save our melon program because that’s where our largest focus is. So we sacrificed that crop. And we may also have to sacrifice the sweet corn crop next year.
Don Cameron: It’s been more of an issue with climate. We have the heat. We had 114-degree heat in early June, which caused our tomato plants to abort the flowers and essentially come up with a yield lower than we’ve seen in the 40 years I’ve been farming.
Stuart Woolf: We’ve had to make some difficult decisions, like pulling out almond trees prematurely. Normally they would last 20, 25 years, and we pulled some out recently that were about 15 years old simply because we were looking at the incremental cost of trying to get water to them if we could get it. We just came to the conclusion that when you kind of worked out all the economics and looked at the orchard itself, we’d be better off pulling the trees out early and using water we had on our tomato crop.
Market share matters
Joe Del Bosque: We have some market share with our melons. It’s something that we need to protect. If we do not plant our melons, we lose our market share. And not only that, we lose our very skilled workforce that has been with us for decades. We have people who work in our harvest that have been with us for many years and have done this job very well. Just because we have annual crops doesn’t mean that they’re that easy to fallow. And so that concerns me. If we are not able to plant melons next year, we’re basically out of that program.
Effects on workers
Joe Del Bosque That asparagus [we pulled up], it sustained 70 people for about two months in the early spring, when there aren’t a lot of jobs in this area. So those jobs are going to be gone. Those folks will probably have to migrate somewhere else to look for work.
Don Cameron: We’ve seen some land retirement near us in the past, and the local communities suffer. You see half of some of these small towns boarded up. You don’t see the the economy increasing. It’s really difficult for the communities. It’s hard for our workers. But, you know, it actually stretches even beyond our local reach here. So many of the crops are exported through the Port of Oakland or Long Beach. So the effect is really far-reaching within California.
Don Cameron: Right now there are more farms for sale than I’ve seen in the time I’ve been farming. People understand that there are changes, and for a lot of reasons they’re getting out of farming or they’re trying to get out of farming. It’s more difficult to sell a piece of farmland without an adequate water supply that we’re faced with during a drought. .
How farmers are adapting
Don Cameron: We have been very proactive and have developed a groundwater recharge system and put in canals and infrastructure, to bring floodwater onto the farm to actually recharge our groundwater, so that we can be more sustainable in the future and have a much better supply of groundwater.
Stuart Woolf: I think my charge right now is to try to figure out how to optimize the lands that I’m likely going to be fallowing. And so we are looking at industrial solar as kind of a new crop. We are leasing ground, putting solar projects out there. We have one breaking ground in November; it will be about 1,300 acres. So we’re covering up some very productive and diverse farmland with a lease, but we’re generating some rental income, and we’ll take what water allocations we have on those lands and use them on the properties that we are irrigating.
We’re looking at some alternative crops. I’m experimenting. I happen to be a tequila drinker, so I’m planting some agave. We’ve partnered with some other neighbors and taken part of our property to set it aside as a water bank, so when those flood flows do show up and we have access to water, we’ll be sinking it in the ground. And honestly, we’ve looked at other parts of the state where there’s better groundwater or better rights, and we’ve actually developed and invested in some properties in those other areas to try to mitigate the pressure that we have here in western Fresno County.
Stuart Woolf: I think long term, what’s going to happen, we will gravitate to more crops that are just specialty crops that are unique to California that will likely go up in value. And we’ll be growing fewer acres of lower-value crops or water-intensive crops like alfalfa or cotton or grains and what have you. I think our cropping patterns will change over time.
Don Cameron: The state left this at the local level and you’ve got growers and water districts involved, and we will get to sustainability. We have to. I have realized now for many, many years that we have to do something about declining groundwater, and so we took it upon ourselves to get involved early on and put a large project together, that when it’s complete, will actually serve 30,000 acres.
Changes farmers would like to see
Joe Del Bosque: In the short run, [water] transfers would help get us out of this predicament we’re in now. It takes months to get a transfer approved. And even when you have them approved, sometimes they’re still held up.
We should facilitate storm flows to go to places where we can recharge groundwater.
In the long run, we have to have more storage. Today, we’re getting more rain, it seems, and that’s not stored up in the mountains. That needs to come down and be stored here. I think that there are some projects that could be done fairly easily, something as simple as raising San Luis Reservoir 15 feet. I think we have to look at all of these things, because in the future, our storage may not be adequate for the state.
Don Cameron: We know that we have to capture floodwater when it is available. It comes quick. It comes fast. Now we need to be ready. Let’s face it, during the drought is when we need to be building the infrastructure for floodwater capture.
Effects on consumers
Don Cameron: We’re already seeing price increases of 15% to 25% for the fall planted crops. We know that if we get to the end of December and there really isn’t much of a snowpack, a grower is not going to put seeds in a greenhouse to plant tomatoes, let’s say, for next year’s crop. This coming winter is going to be absolutely critical, but you’re definitely going to see higher food prices for things that are grown within California, and if we don’t see adequate snowpack, this will continue into 2023, with limited products possible on your food shelf. We’re growing food here for people, and I think it is sometimes forgotten that if we don’t have the water to produce a crop, someone is going to be short.
California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom continued with a series of farm to school tours, coordinated by CDFA’s Farm to School Program , with a visit to Edwin Markham Elementary School in the Vacaville Unified School District (VUSD) on September 9. The visit highlighted the school’s kitchen, which was recently renovated so that students can be provided healthy, nutritious meals made from scratch each day. The school is partnering with EatREAL Certified, a nutrition non-profit that received a 2020 CA Farm to School Incubator Grant to support schools expanding their farm to school offerings and refining best practices.
The First Partner is with CDFA Farm to School Program Lead Nick Anicich (left) and Edwin Markham Elementary School Chef Richi Wilim as they point to healthy, nutritious meals made from scratch in the school’s “scratch kitchen.”
