The implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and and other anticipated water restrictions pose major challenges for California agriculture. Without effective solutions, economists have estimated that up to one million acres of farmland will be fallowed, resulting in a revenue loss of $7.2 billion per year. As the state’s top agricultural commodity, dairy farming is an important part of the SGMA challenge. Fortunately, dairy farmers have an excellent track record for water savings and are continuing to adopt innovative strategies to advance environmental sustainability and help meet the water conservation challenges ahead.

According to researchers at University of California, Davis, the amount of water used per unit of milk produced in the state has decreased more than 88 percent over the past 50 years. This is primarily due to improved feed crop production and water use efficiency. A large portion of the water savings can be attributed to the use of byproducts as feed.

More than 40 percent of feed ingredients used on California dairy farms are byproducts of other agricultural and food production processes, which are provided as dairy feed without any additional water needed for production. This includes materials such as almond hulls, tomato and citrus pulp, cotton seed, and brewer’s grain, which could otherwise be wasted. Dairy farmers work with nutritionists to incorporate these materials into well-balanced, nutritious rations for cows. In this way, dairy farms work in harmony with the state’s other agricultural and food production industries—making for efficient use of water resources.

While dairies typically grow the majority of their non-byproduct feed ingredients using recycled water from the dairy, feed is also grown out-of-state, further reducing in-state water use by more than 30 percent. Over the past 50 years, California dairy farmers have also significantly increased the amount of feed crops they grow per acre of land, providing tremendous environmental benefits—reducing the amount of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides needed, while also reducing the energy to irrigate crops, and the amount of fuel used by tractors. Water use and feed production will remain an important topic moving forward, which is why California dairy farmers continue to implement new strategies and technologies to boost water use efficiency and promote overall sustainability.

One example of these efforts was recently awarded a prestigious sustainability award from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. Sustainable Conservation and Netafim partnered with De Jager Dairy and two other California dairies to develop and demonstrate a new way to grow dairy forage crops: a subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) system that uses manure effluent. The system delivers plant nutrients found in dairy manure beneath the soil surface, improving irrigation water use efficiency and nutrient use efficiency, while providing other environmental benefits. Thanks to this partnership effort and grant funding now being provided by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), more dairy farms will soon be able to implement this approach.

The manure SDI system will serve as an important tool in the implementation of SGMA for two reasons: the conservation of water (nearly 40 percent more crop produced per drop of water) and a more efficient use of manure nutrients as fertilizer. As acres of farmland will need to be fallowed to meet SGMA requirements, dairy farmers will need to ensure manure nutrients produced on their farms continue to be used in ways that best to protect water and air quality, while helping build healthy soils. The organic matter and nutrients found in dairy manure have potential to help improve the health and water-holding capacity of soils throughout the state.

Dairies are an integral part of any sustainable food system. The state’s dairy farms play an important role—from providing nutritious dairy foods and180,000 year-round jobs, to utilizing thousands of tons of byproducts as feed, while offering a source of organic matter that can help promote healthy, more resilient soils. California dairy farms also continue to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability—reducing water use by adopting innovative practices.

Likewise, dairy farms will continue to be an important part of the conversation—as farmers, stakeholders, and officials at both the local and state level continue developing plans to achieve sustainability in groundwater use and protect the environment.

Link to story on Dairy Cares web site

California agriculture is vital to the nourishment of our citizens, our economy and our environment. From the farm, to the packing and/or processing plant, and into the hands of consumers, California’s bounty is in high demand this time of year.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) acknowledges the hard work and dedication that it takes to bring these products to our table, and it is our priority to help ensure that all of agriculture is putting the health and wellness of our agriculture workers front and center as we continue to manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

We know it is important to have outreach and educational materials available to agriculture stakeholders. To help distill the latest guidance and resources, CDFA has created two flyers for farmers, ranchers and farmworkers, in English and Spanish.

COVID-19 Awareness for Agriculture (in Spanish) offers straightforward advice on how to prevent, educate and respond to COVID-19. Prevention includes wearing a mask, cleaning and sanitizing frequently, and maintaining physical distance – including keeping everyone healthy by limiting visitors. Education includes staying up to date on the best prevention measures and sharing that information with California’s agriculture workforce in a way that is easy to understand and can be applied and reinforced at work and at home. Responses include knowing what to do if an employee tests positive for COVID-19, who to contact, and how employers can help support employees. 

TIPS: Educating Farmworkers on COVID-19 (in Spanish) reinforces and broadens the education component through highlighting what actions have worked best in the field for farmworker education.

CDFA is distributing these flyers to division/program contacts, CDFA marketing boards and commissions, affiliated associations, county agricultural commissioners and others. CDFA field staff also will carry copies.

Visit CDFA’s COVID-19 Resources for Food and Agriculture to view these and additional materials that are part of CDFA’s continuous effort to support California’s vibrant farming and ranching community.

Tulare County pesticide inspector Juan Rangel (left) delivers masks for farmworkers at a farm in Exeter. This is an example of the State of California and local governments working collaboratively to provide face masks to farmworkers and employers during the COVID-19 crisis. To date, nearly 13 million masks have been delivered to county agricultural commissioners offices for direct distribution within the farm community. 
Farmworkers or agricultural employers in need of surgical face masks are asked to contact their local county agricultural commissioner’s office for more information.

The challenges and anguish of 2020 have impacted us all and exposed deep-seated disparities affecting people of color across all aspects of our society, which must be urgently addressed to create a more just and caring state and nation.

CDFA stands with the Black Lives Matter movement and recognizes the history of institutional and systemic racism in agriculture and its continued role in the present agricultural system. CDFA wishes to emphasize this with a statement of values about equity (viewable in English and Spanish through links and below) that was authored by a team of CDFA employees and shared in draft form for input from employees across the agency. The statement declares that racism and all other forms of bias and discrimination will not be tolerated. The agency will take the following actions to address this:

• Recognize and acknowledge the historic contributions of people of color to agriculture and food systems: Create an outreach and communications plan to feature people of color, farmers of color, and farmworkers on CDFA platforms, and highlight the important historical contributions of farmers of color to California agriculture as well as the history of systemic and institutional racism in agriculture in California.
• Prioritize recommendations contained within the Farmer Equity Report to address increasing the voices of farmers of color in decision-making processes, programs, boards and commissions. 
• Create a task force of CDFA employees who will work with the CCORE (Capitol Cohort on Racial Equity) group to create a racial equity action plan. This will be a collaborative space where all staff can share resources and engage in meaningful conversation.
• Provide educational and training opportunities for all staff:  CDFA will offer implicit bias training for all CDFA staff and research other potential training opportunities that could be offered to all staff.

CDFA will have a series of discussion forums about racism and equity, including an invited speaker series featuring perspectives from people of color and marginalized communities.

Here at CDFA, the work we do every day is vital to the nourishment of people, our economy and our environment. Over the next few months we will be engaging our employees and the public directly for input on how we as an agency can increase our understanding of the role of racism in the history of agriculture and the many ways in which we can affect change through our programs and our actions to ensure an end to racism. 

The recent killings of George Floyd and other people of color underscore how historical systemic and institutional racism perpetuates violence against Black Americans, robbing families of their fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters at an alarming rate. CDFA is taking the actions described above in the quest for meaningful change.  

CDFA statement on racial equity:

Ongoing systemic and institutional racism and inequality continues to be experienced by Black people, other people of color, and marginalized groups on a regular basis. This is a plague in our country, and it must end.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) recognizes that there is a history of racism within agriculture and food systems, the effects of which are still present today. As a Department, we are committed to changing that reality and doing better on behalf of communities of color in California. This includes an ongoing steadfast commitment to eliminate institutionalized racism and inequity in all areas within the Department. 

CDFA and its employees reject and condemn racism in its many forms, from the overt to the subtle. CDFA stands for reform, for inclusion, and for increased tolerance and understanding. CDFA is committed to an open and active pursuit of racial equity. We will move forward with the acknowledgment that there is much more we can and must do. We will start by evaluating the equity of our current activities, including opportunities in the workplace, access to programs that provide assistance, and sensitivity in interactions with the communities we serve.  

We will seek advice from, listen to and partner with those impacted by racism and inequity. We are eager to do this work, to create genuine opportunities and ensure that our state is a California for All. In this time of heartbreak and despair, we stand with all of those who are suffering. We see you. We hear you. We support you. As a Department, we are committed to ongoing learning, improvement, and action as we move forward together.

In Spanish:

El racismo y la desigualdad sistémica e institucional sigue siendo sentida por la comunidad negra y otras personas de color y grupos marginados constantemente y esto sigue afectando a nuestro país. 

El Departamento de Alimentos y Agricultura California (CDFA) reconoce que hay una historia de racismo dentro del sector agropecuario y en los sistemas alimentarios, cuyos efectos todavía están presentes hoy en día. Como agencia y departamento estatal, estamos comprometidos a cambiar esa realidad y hacerlo mejor en nombre de las comunidades de color en California. Esto incluye un compromiso constante y firme de eliminar el racismo institucionalizado y la inequidad en todas las áreas.  

CDFA y sus empleados rechazan y condenan el racismo en todas su formas, desde lo más abierto hasta lo sutil o implícito. CDFA lucha por la reforma, inclusión y mayor tolerancia y comprensión. CDFA está comprometido a una búsqueda abierta y activa de equidad racial. Seguiremos adelante con el reconocimiento de que hay mucho más que podemos y debemos hacer. Comenzaremos evaluando la equidad de nuestras actividades actuales, al igual que las oportunidades en el lugar de trabajo, acceso a los programas que proporcionan asistencia y sensibilidad en las interacciones con las comunidades a las que servimos.  

Buscaremos asesoramiento, escucharemos y nos asociaremos con aquellos afectados por el racismo y la inequidad. Estamos ansiosos por hacer este trabajo, para crear oportunidades genuinas y asegurar que nuestro estado es una California para Todos.  

En este tiempo de angustia y desesperación, estamos con todos los que están sufriendo. Te vemos. Te oímos. Te apoyamos. Como departamento, estamos comprometidos al aprendizaje continuo, el mejoramiento y la acción a medida que avanzamos juntos.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is committed to helping all Californians access healthy and nutritious California-grown food. But for many disadvantaged Californians, our state’s bounty is out of reach.

Two programs helping to bridge the gap between underserved communities and California-grown nutrition are CDFA’s California Nutrition Incentive Program (CNIP) and the Healthy Stores Refrigeration Grant Program (HSRGP).

“I’m eating better because I can afford to get fresh food, fresh vegetables and fruit that I wouldn’t get otherwise,” said one CNIP participant in an evaluation survey. “It gives me a chance to taste and to eat … foods that I wouldn’t feel like I could afford. … I just think it’s fabulous.”

CNIP empowers low-income shoppers to purchase more healthy food for their families while also supporting California farmers. An example of how CNIP works is that for every CalFresh food stamp (SNAP) dollar spent at participating farmers’ markets and retail outlets, CNIP provides an additional dollar for CalFresh shoppers to spend on fresh fruits and vegetables, within set parameters. In three rounds of grants since beginning in 2017, more than $4.5 million of CNIP incentives have been distributed to low-income shoppers at 319 locations.

“It’s really helped our family,” said another CNIP shopper in an evaluation survey. “I mean, my daughter’s 15. She’s loving fruits and vegetables now.”

In corner stores of low-income or low-food-access areas throughout the state, HSRGP funds energy-efficient refrigeration units to stock fresh produce, nuts and minimally processed foods. The program’s purpose is to improve access to healthy food choices for underserved communities; what are often referred to as food deserts. In the past year, approximately $4.5 million of HSRGP grants were awarded to 57 grantees, funding 13 refrigerated trucks and refrigeration units in more than 200 corner stores. The trucks help with produce procurement for corner stores and facilitate mobile markets that can meet shoppers wherever they are.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture, in partnership with the Climate Science Alliance, has released the 2020 Climate Change Consortium for Specialty Crops Report for the Southern California Region, which covers three distinct growing regions: San Diego County, South San Joaquin Valley, and Imperial Valley/Inland Desert.

The report is a reflection of feedback and recommendations from producers and agricultural representatives to better understand climate impacts and challenges, and how best to support farms in building their climate resilience. Some of the issues addressed include impacts of drought, weather and precipitation variability; increasing temperatures; and wildfire. Recommendations cover topic areas in planning, incentive funding, research needs, technology advancement, and education and outreach.

CDFA funded this project through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program as a follow up to the statewide Climate Change Consortium effort completed 2013. Consortium members advised more regional meetings to understand local agricultural challenges resulting from climate change. CDFA and its Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation continue to be proactive in understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change on agriculture in California, which is the No. 1 food producing state in the country. The agency remains committed to working on regional agricultural impacts of – and adaption to – climate change.

From a Farm Foundation news release

CDFA environmental scientist Emily Zakowski, who works in the Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis, has been named a 2020-2021 cohort for the Farm Foundation’s Young Agri-Food Leaders and Young Farmer Accelerator programs.

Each of these new programs was established to engage and connect outstanding young leaders in agriculture from across the country, and the programs arise from Farm Foundation’s vision to build a future for farmers, communities, and the world.

The Young Agri-Food Leaders Network is comprised of 10 highly accomplished young leaders in the agri-food and agri-business sector selected to participate in a year-long series of interactive learning and networking experiences, focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the food and agriculture value chain. This program aims to help young professionals build a strong, enduring network of peers in business, farming and government through sponsored attendance at events, virtual conversations, and participation in exclusive learning and networking opportunities. 

The cohorts are:

Andrew Uden, Lincoln, Nebraska: Co-Founder and President, AgVision International

Emily Hennessee, Washington, DC: Policy Coordinator, The Good Food Institute

Emily Zakowski, Sacramento, California: Environmental Scientist, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Erin FitzPatrick, St. Louis, Missouri: Vice President, Rabo Agrifinance

Fabiola Perez, Moline, Illinois: High Value Crop Specialist, John Deere

Michael Zorger, Washington, DC: Senior Associate, The Cohen Group

Nicole Ledoux, Boston, Massachusetts: Co-Founder and CEO, 88 Acres

Stephanie Westhelle, Washington, DC: Development Manager, Sustainability & Partnerships, Fairtrade America

Sylvester Miller, II, Memphis, Tennessee: Sr. Supply Chain Program Manager, Indigo Ag

Tristan Hudak, Sacramento, California: Vice President, Ag BioTech Inc. and Director of New Business Development, Ag Ploutos, Co. Ltd.

“The entire Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis team and I are very proud of Emily on becoming a Farm Foundation fellow,” said Dr. John Steggall, who manages the office at CDFA. “She is going to learn a lot of skills, including leadership skills, that are not taught in the classroom and that will benefit her greatly in her career and at CDFA”. 

As COVID-19 cases rise throughout the state and in advance of the Fourth of July weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the “Wear A Mask” public awareness campaign encouraging Californians to use face coverings – one of the best ways people can protect themselves and others from the virus. The campaign is taking an aggressive approach to slowing the spread of COVID-19, which will save lives and allow the state to reopen the economy. The campaign, which will continue until at least the end of the year, will kick off in English and Spanish and then expand into other languages later this month. 

“We all have a responsibility to slow the spread. It is imperative – and required – that Californians protect each other by wearing masks and practicing physical distancing when in public so we can fully reopen our economy,” said Governor Newsom. “We all need to stand up, be leaders, show we care and get this done.”

The campaign will begin with a statewide push ahead of the holiday weekend. Broadcast and radio PSAs are being distributed in English and Spanish with local ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, Univision, Telemundo, Ethnic Media Services, and iHeart Media affiliates. Billboards and outdoor advertisements are visible statewide in both English and Spanish thanks to ClearChannel, Lamar, VisCom Outdoor, iKahan Media, and LED Truck Media. The campaign includes a variety of shareable social media content with key messages on why and how to wear a mask. 

In the coming weeks, the campaign increasingly will focus on those who have been disproportionately harmed by this pandemic, particularly California’s Black and Latinx communities. Messages will be translated into seven languages and delivered by trusted messengers. In addition, the Listos California emergency preparedness campaign will be supporting paid media efforts and bolstering community engagement efforts.

The “Wear a Mask” campaign received seed funding in partnership with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, The Skoll Foundation, Rick Caruso, Tom Steyer, the CDC Foundation, and Sierra Health Foundation. It’s a continuation of the “Your Actions Save Lives” campaign that has promoted critical public health messaging throughout the pandemic, raising more than $10.75 million in cash and $27 million in in-kind partnerships with multimedia organizations and members of the Governor’s Task Force on Business and Jobs recovery. Additional cash contributions and partnerships will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Videos

Wear a Mask

• English
• Spanish

Behind the Mask

• English
• Spanish

I Care

• English
• Spanish

Billboards

Social Media Assets

As California enters peak summer harvest season, there is increasing concern over the potential impact of COVID-19 on the agricultural workforce. To minimize the risks of disruption to our farms and food supply, the CDC and U.S. Department of Labor recently released joint guidance for agriculture workers and employers.

To facilitate industry-wide adoption of this guidance, Western Growers has teamed up with experts from U.C. Davis, Rutgers University and Colorado State University to conduct a three-part webinar series addressing the practical implementation of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on produce farms and in facilities.

Western Growers is making the recordings of the first two webinars available for the benefit of the entire California agriculture industry. Click on the links below to access the first two webinar recordings:

Part One: Basics of COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plans

Topics Covered

• Current COVID-19 state-of-play
• Key risk factors for produce operations
• How to develop an assessment and control plan
• Screening and monitoring workers
• What to do if a worker gets COVID-19, or has been exposed to COVID-19

Part Two: Assessment and Control Plans: Do’s and Don’ts

Topics Covered

• Hierarchy of controls approach
• Engineering controls
• Cleaning and sanitizing
• Administrative controls
• Personal Protective Equipment

The third and final webinar, which will focus on shared housing and transportation, will be held on July 9^th at 11:00 a.m.

Please contact Cory Lunde at clunde@wga.com or 949-370-8560 for access to any of the resources covered in the first two webinars, or for information on how to register for the final presentation in the Western Growers COVID-19 Webinar Series.

By CDFA secretary Karen Ross

Two months ago Governor Gavin Newsom announced initiatives to combat food insecurity in California, including new funding to expand the California Association of Food Bank’s Farm to Family Program. Additionally, CDFA introduced a #FarmersFeedtheNeed social media hashtag to call attention to Ag’s efforts to assist families in need due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The USDA has a program, as well, making $3 billion available through its Farmers to Families Food Box program for fresh produce, dairy products, and prepared meat for distribution to food banks and other non-profits.

While in Imperial County last weekend, I learned about the efforts of one California company participating in the USDA program. SunTerra Produce’s Brawley operation is committed to supplying 45,000 25-lb boxes of fresh produce per week throughout California and other parts of the west. The boxes include items from throughout the western US.

– Onions (Central Valley)

– Nectarines (Central Valley)

– Potatoes (Idaho)

– Apples (Washington)

– Avocados (Escondido)

– Lettuce (Santa Maria)

-Celery (Santa Maria)

-Melon (Yuma)

– Butternut squash (Central Valley)

-Carrots (Central Valley)

Through this program, SunTerra is able to employ about 60 people who otherwise would not have been working. They are on the job Monday-Friday, averaging 10,000 boxes per day. I am deeply grateful to programs like this for addressing the urgent need for food for families, while helping farmers who have lost markets and also keeping people employed. Kudos to SunTerra and its employees for their efforts as we all work together to address the COVID-19 challenges facing our communities.