Planting Seeds - Food & Farming News from CDFA

Final deadline approaching for Census of Agriculture

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is reminding farmers and ranchers that the window is closing on the opportunity to participate in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. To date, NASS has received more than 1.5 million completed questionnaires. But the national return rate is currently lower than at this point in the 2012 Census. NASS is encouraging U.S. producers who have not returned their completed Census questionnaires to do so as soon as possible. As the absolute deadline of July 31 draws nearer, NASS will turn to increased phone and in-person follow-up.

“If you produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2017, or normally would have produced and sold that much, we need to hear from you,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “If you’re a landowner who leases your land to a producer, we need to hear from you. If you received a census but do not fit this definition of a farm, please write your status on the form and send it back.”

Hamer noted that NASS has already begun to follow up with producers who have not yet completed the questionnaire.

“We sent the questionnaire to many potential farmers and ranchers who may not be familiar with it. The follow-up will give them and other producers the opportunity to ask questions,” said Hamer. “Some farmers and ranchers were waiting until they gathered their tax documents before completing the Census; having that information handy will certainly make filling out the questionnaire faster and easier.”

The Census of Agriculture is the only comprehensive source of agriculture data for every state and county in the nation. Census data are used by policymakers, trade associations, researchers, agribusinesses, educators, and many others. The information helps inform decisions on farm policy, rural development, and new farm technologies. It also aids in the creation and funding of loans and insurance programs and other forms of assistance, as well as in the cultivation of the next generation of farmers and ranchers.

The Census differs from other NASS surveys. It provides important demographic information and data on certain commodities, such as horses, bison, and Christmas trees, that would not otherwise be available. Revisions to the questionnaire in 2017 include new queries about military veteran status, decision-making on the farm, and food marketing practices.

Producers can respond to the 2017 Census of Agriculture online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail. The same law, Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113, that requires response also requires NASS to keep all information confidential, to use the data only for statistical purposes, and to only publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release Census results in February 2019.

For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture or for assistance with the questionnaire, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call toll-free (888) 424-7828.

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CDFA spot livestock inspections in Northern California yield good news

CDFA’s Bureau of Livestock ID and the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department teamed-up this week for surprise inspections of livestock trucks on Highway 97 northeast of Weed. The objective was to make sure ownership and inspection documentation was in order for interstate travel. Thirteen vehicles were stopped and inspected. Those hauling livestock between California and Oregon were all carrying the proper documentation.

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Secretary Ross joins Farmers for Free Trade in stressing the importance of Foreign Markets to California Agriculture

Secretary Ross with former California Farm Bureau president Paul Wenger (L) current president Jamie Johansson (R), and Acampo vintner Aaron Lange (far right)

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined California agricultural representatives today at an event in Acampo, San Joaquin County, hosted by Farmers for Free Trade, to underscore the importance of trade to the state’s farmers and ranchers.

California is largest agricultural producer and exporter in the nation. Combined, the state’s top agricultural exports – almonds, wine, dairy, walnuts and pistachios – almost surpass $10 billion in value. On average, California’s farmers and ranchers export 26 percent of their production to approximately 167 destinations.

Secretary Ross was joined by representatives from the California Farm Bureau Federation, the California League of Food Processors, Lodi Farming, and Lange Twins Family Winery and Vineyard in highlighting the importance of trade to California agriculture.

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CDFA joins multiagency team to stop recycling fraud

CDFA's Border Inspection Station at Blythe, along I-10 near the Arizona border.

CDFA’s Border Inspection Station at Blythe, along I-10 near the Arizona border.

From KDRV.com

NOTE – Under California law, drivers transporting out-of-state empty beverage containers are required to declare the material by submitting an Imported Materials Report at one of 16 CDFA Border Inspection Stations across the state.

In a three-day ‘recycling fraud sting,’ California law enforcement and government officials stopped eight truckloads of recyclable bottles and cans from coming into the state over the Arizona border, according to CalRecycle.

The total payload carried by the accused recycling smugglers amounted to nearly 59,000 pounds of empty beverage containers—equivalent to $87,000 if the deposits were redeemed.

California offers the California Refund Value (CRV) to their consumers, allowing for the return of beverage containers at certified recycling centers for payment ranging from 5 to 10 cents, depending on the size of the container.

Californians pay CRV fees when they purchase drinks in these containers. When bought out of state, the CRV redemptions don’t apply.

Contraband seized in the recycling sting.

“Importing out-of-state empty beverage containers for CRV redemption is a crime,” CalRecycle Director Scott Smithline said. “To prevent this type of fraud, drivers transporting empty bottles and cans into California are required to pass through one of CDFA’s 16 border inspection stations—and CalRecycle is working alongside our law enforcement partners to make sure that happens.”

Eight truck drivers were arrested in the sting:

Tim Bristol, 55, of Tucson, Ariz.
Miguel Dominguez-Lopez, 40, of Los Angeles, Calif.
Henry Juarez, 53, of Oxnard, Calif.
Oscar Lopez, 62, of Mesa, Ariz.
Jose Mineros, 45, of Rialto, Calif.
Tony Perez, 21, of Phoenix, Ariz.
Eduardo Pineda Salcedo, 27, of Perris, Calif.
Eduardo Siordia, 46, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

All of the drivers will be charged with felony recycling fraud, conspiracy, and attempted grand theft, according to CalRecycle. Those crimes can carry sentences ranging from six months to three years behind bars.

The sting represented a combined effort between CalRecycle, the California Department of Justice’s Recycle Fraud Team, CDFA, and the California Highway Patrol.

Link to story

Link to CalRecycle news release

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USDA Under Secretary Ted McKinney meets with California Agricultural Trade Groups

USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney met yesterday with California agricultural trade stakeholders to discuss foreign market opportunities and trade issues.

California is the largest agricultural producer and exporter in the nation, with more than $20 billion in exports in 2016. On average, California farmers and ranchers export approximately 26 percent of their production. Top agricultural export destinations for the state include: European Union ($3.4 billion); Canada ($3.3 billion); China ($2  billion); Japan ($1.4 billion) and Mexico ($1 billion).

The meeting underscored California’s commitment to international trade and the importance of foreign markets. More than 15 agricultural groups participated in the event and welcomed the conversation with Under Secretary McKinney and his team.

USDA Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney (L) with Don Cameron, president of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture

Under Secretary McKinney with California agricultural trade representatives.

 

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Famous in France – CDFA citrus survey crew attracts attention of French news agency

Agence France-Presse producer Sebastien Vuagnat (R) captures video of CDFA environmental scientist Patty Tran (L) and pest prevention assistant Sam Duran surveying a citrus tree in Whittier.

CDFA’s citrus health program is hard at work in Southern California, surveying thousands of trees for signs of huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening, in areas where the disease has already been detected. The objective is to try to contain HLB before it decimates residential citrus trees and threatens commercial groves. A detection of the disease is a death sentence for  a citrus tree – there is no cure for HLB.

A producer for Agence France-Presse, a French news agency, recently caught up with a survey crew in Whittier, Los Angeles County. The European Union, which includes France, is a popular destination for California lemon exports.

In this short video, CDFA environmental scientist Patty Tran demonstrates a part of the survey process that utilizes an effective tool for detecting Asian citrus psyllids, the carriers of the bacteria that cause HLB.

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Kids+Cows: Dairy Council’s new exhibit at the Cal Expo Farm

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and State Fair CEO Rick Pickering joined Dairy Council of California leaders and volunteers at Cal Expo in Sacramento this morning to welcome two busloads of students from nearby Elk Grove to tour a fresh, new exhibit and learn about dairy farms, cows, milk and nutrition. Secretary Ross also did a quick, live interview and walk-thru for local television.

The Dairy Council of California developed the dairy unit at the California State Fair Kaiser Permanente Farm thanks to a grant from the CalAgPlate Grant Program, which dedicates funds from the sale of specialized agriculture-themed license plates to promote agricultural education and leadership activities for students at the kindergarten through 12th grade, post-secondary and adult education levels. Visit CDFA.ca.gov/eGov/CalAgPlate/ for details.

 

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Reflections on Earth Day and the role of farmers and ranchers

Secretary Ross’ father, Howard Barrett, and her stepmother, Shirley Barrett, on the family farm in western Nebraska.

As Earth Day was celebrated this weekend, I couldn’t help but think about how lucky I am to have grown up on a farm with a dad who inspired me with his love for the land.  His life-long curiosity led him to constantly look at new and innovative practices to steward natural resources and improve the care of his cow-calf herd.  His particular passion for the soil led to decades of work with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS, which was still called Soil Conservation Service at that time). It came from his growing up in western Nebraska during the Depression and the Great Dust Bowl years.  He often described the curtains of dirt that darkened the skies and drove people and animals to shelter.  He watched too much precious top soil blow away.

My dad, like his father and grandfather before him, wanted to leave the land – pastures and cropland – better than he found it for his children and the generations to follow. That commitment lives on in my brother, Dan Barrett, the current steward of our family farm. Dan is the fourth generation.  A farmer’s farmer.  He has worked hard to bring the farm into agronomic balance, and he has been in the NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program for about ten years. He was identified as a leader for his soil health and wildlife-friendly practices. He has successfully incorporated conservation rotational grazing and cover crops to bring what he terms “liveliness to the soil”. He is also one of the kindest people I know!!

That long-term generational view held by our family, a passion for stewardship of the land and its natural resources, is what it means to be in farming and ranching.  I see it every day in California agriculture.  That love of the land fuels my passion  to connect the stewardship actions of our 76,000-plus family farmers and ranchers to the public benefits created for the forty million Californians who make this special place their home.  That care for the land, in addition to the nutritious bounty that we grow in California, makes our state a better place to live!  It has never been more important to understand and support the potential of working landscapes to address climate change, and the essential role of private landowners in making it happen.

While California agriculture is already being impacted by climate change, Ag is also key to mitigating climate change. California’s Climate Change Investments have resulted in multiple incentive programs to facilitate climate adaptation strategies and the implementation of practices to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequester carbon.  Significant investments are being made on farms and ranches to improve manure management and reduce methane emissions; to increase water, fertilizer and energy efficiency; to replace older equipment and dirty engines; to protect croplands and rangelands at risk of conversion and the generation of more GHG emissions; to utilize waste biomass to generate renewable energy; and to sequester carbon to reduce GHG emissions and improve soil health, thus enhancing climate and drought resiliency and productivity.   Ultimately, these climate smart agriculture investments will ensure the continued economic viability of California agriculture and its role in sustaining food security.

As recent coverage of how soil can be managed to sequester carbon and be a solution to climate change creates a buzz for what is possible on working landscapes, I want to thank my Dad and honor his memory for his love of the land.  Truly, he and generations of farmers and ranchers are important caretakers of our planet Earth.

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Sustainable beef, social media and the environment – from Forbes

By Neil Yeoh

Christine Su, the millennial co-founder and CEO of PastureMap, a San Francisco-based social venture, is building a technology platform for the meat industry to help reward producers for regenerative practices. PastureMap’s ranch management software is making regenerative grazing easier for over 9,000 livestock producers in 40 countries with grazing planning, soil, and rainfall tools.

PastureMap seeks to provide consumers and supply chains with new levels of traceability: every day and pasture that an animal spent on grass can be traced, as well as every ton of carbon sequestered on a specific plot of land. Data like this is necessary for consumers to make informed decisions on the food we purchase.

To help achieve PastureMap’s mission of improving rancher profits by building healthy grasslands, the company partners with Point Blue, a science-focused nonprofit conservation organization. Together with Point Blue’s Rangeland Monitoring Network of 70 ranches in California, PastureMap is developing soil and ecological monitoring for livestock producers managing their land.

Most recently, PastureMap received grant funding from Elemental Excelerator, a growth accelerator focused on community impact. This grant funds PastureMap to build the first region-wide soil data sharing platform in California’s San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys enabling ranchers to compare their soil data regionally, and learn from each other on how to improve grazing practices to drive soil health.

Agricultural counties in San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of multiple pollutants, including nitrogen runoff, pesticides, and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, ranchers are uniquely able to drive local, place-based impact by building soil health and reducing emissions in farming communities. A 1% increase in soil organic matter can hold 20,000 gallons more water per acre when it rains. This makes the entire land more resistant and fertile in drought-prone California. “PastureMap is working to bring needed innovation to communities that are often left behind,” says Su.

Regenerative agriculture and soil building provides clean water and air to surrounding communities, and prevents droughts and floods—all critical to farmer livelihoods and to the health and safety of surrounding communities. Su summarizes it well for conscious everyday consumers, mentioning that she’d “rather eat food that actively drew carbon back into the ground, restored streams and rivers, and prevented droughts in [her] local communities,” than food that was grown in a lab. So no need to necessarily give up your burgers, but do seek out the information you need to purchase meat from farmers and ranchers that sequester carbon and build healthy grasslands.

Link to story

 

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Can dirt save the Earth? From the New York Times Magazine

Hands cradling a small plant in dirt

By Moises Velasquez-Manoff

EXCERPTED

When John Wick and his wife, Peggy Rathmann, bought their ranch in Marin County, Calif., in 1998, it was mostly because they needed more space. Rathmann is an acclaimed children’s book author — “Officer Buckle and Gloria” won a Caldecott Medal in 1996 — and their apartment in San Francisco had become cluttered with her illustrations. They picked out the 540-acre ranch in Nicasio mostly for its large barn, which they planned to remake into a spacious studio. Wick, a former construction foreman — they met when he oversaw a renovation of her bathroom — was eager to tackle the project. He knew the area well, having grown up one town away, in Woodacre, where he had what he describes as a “free-range” childhood: little supervision and lots of biking, rope-swinging and playing in the area’s fields and glens.

The couple quickly settled into their bucolic new surroundings. Wick began fixing leaks in the barn. Rathmann loved watching the many animals, including ravens, deer and the occasional gopher, from the large porch. She even trained the resident towhees, small brown birds, to eat seed from her hand. So smitten were they with the wildlife, in fact, that they decided to return their ranch to a wilder state. For nearly a century, this had been dairy country, and the rounded, coastal hills were terraced from decades of grazing. Wick and Rathmann would often come home and find, to their annoyance, cows standing on their porch. The first step they took toward what they imagined would be a more pristine state was to revoke the access enjoyed by the rancher whose cows wandered their property.

Within months of the herd’s departure, the landscape began to change. Brush encroached on meadow. Dried-out, uneaten grass hindered new growth. A mysterious disease struck their oak trees. The land seemed to be losing its vitality. “Our vision of wilderness was failing,” Wick told me recently. “Our naïve idea was not working out so well.”

Wick was especially bothered by the advance of a prickly, yellow-flowered invasive weed called the woolly distaff thistle. He pulled it, mowed it, doused it with herbicides. But the distaff kept moving into what had been pasture. He thought about renting goats to eat the weeds and brush, but they were too expensive. He even considered introducing wild elk, but the bureaucratic hurdles seemed too onerous.

Then Wick and Rathmann met a rangeland ecologist named Jeff Creque. Instead of fighting against what you dislike, Creque suggested, focus on cultivating what you want. Squeeze out weeds by fostering conditions that favor grasses. Creque, who spent 25 years as an organic-pear-and-apple farmer in Northern California before earning a Ph.D. in rangeland ecology, also recommended that they bring back the cows. Grasslands and grazing animals, he pointed out, had evolved together. Unlike trees, grasses don’t shed their leaves at the end of the growing season; they depend on animals for defoliation and the recycling of nutrients. The manure and urine from grazing animals fuels healthy growth. If done right, Creque said, grazing could be restorative.

This view ran counter to a lot of conservationist thought, as well as a great deal of evidence. Grazing has been blamed for turning vast swaths of the world into deserts. But from Creque’s perspective, how you graze makes all the difference. If the ruminants move like wild buffalo, in dense herds, never staying in one place for too long, the land benefits from the momentary disturbance. If you simply let them loose and then round them up a few months later — often called the “Columbus method” — your land is more likely to end up hard-packed and barren.

Wick was persuaded. He began preparing for the cows’ return. He dug wells for water, pounded in steel posts and strung nonbarbed wire. He even bought a molasses lick to supplement the animals’ diet of dry thatch. He didn’t want medicated livestock excreting drugs that might harm the worms and insects living in his soil — most cows are routinely dewormed — so he tracked down a herd of untreated cows and borrowed them for the summer of 2005.

The cows beat back the encroaching brush. Within weeks of their arrival, new and different kinds of grass began sprouting. Shallow-rooted annuals, which die once they’re chewed on, gave way to deep-rooted perennials, which can recover after moderate grazing. By summer’s end, the cows, which had arrived shaggy and wild-eyed after a winter spent near the sea, were fat with shiny coats. When Wick returned the herd to its owner that fall, collectively it had gained about 50,000 pounds. Wick needed to take an extra trip with his trailer to cart the cows away. That struck him as remarkable. The land seemed richer than before, the grass lusher. Meadowlarks and other animals were more abundant. Where had that additional truckload of animal flesh come from?

Creque had an answer for him. The carbohydrates that fattened the cows had come from the atmosphere, by way of the grass they ate. Grasses, he liked to say, were like straws sipping carbon from the air, bringing it back to earth. Creque’s quiet observation stuck with Wick and Rathmann. It clearly illustrated a concept that Creque had repeatedly tried to explain to them: Carbon, the building block of life, was constantly flowing from atmosphere to plants into animals and then back into the atmosphere. And it hinted at something that Wick and Rathmann had yet to consider: Plants could be deliberately used to pull carbon out of the sky.

Link to rest of story

Link to CDFA’s Healthy Soils Program

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