From Morning Ag Clips

American Farmland Trust, the organization behind the national movement “No Farms No Food,” has published its Women for the Land Program report, “Testing the Women Landowner Conservation Learning Circle Model.” The report, along with illustrative profiles and videos, further supports previous research that women landowners are important in the broader implementation of conservation practices on farms. The interviews also show women-only learning circles work as a means for expanding conservation actions and women who participated want to learn more.

AFT believes supporting this underserved group is critical to more wide spread adoption of environmentally sound farming practices.

Nearly 301 million acres of U.S. land—about a third of the nation’s land in farms—are now farmed or co-farmed by women, and at least 87 million additional acres are in the hands of women landowners. Research shows many women farmers and landowners have a strong conservation and stewardship ethic. They are deeply committed to healthy farmland, farm families and farm communities. However, women face gender barriers affecting their ability to manage their land for long-term sustainability. And while women increasingly are the primary decision makers on farms and inclined towards conservation, they are underrepresented in use of USDA conservation programs.

To help address these issues, AFT launched Women for the Land. Inspired by the Women, Food and Agriculture Network’s Women Caring for the Land program, the initiative includes women-only learning circles designed to break down gender gaps and expand women landowners’ knowledge and confidence. Between 2014 and 2017, AFT, WFAN and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service facilitated 13 learning circles in Illinois and 31 in Indiana.

Jerry Raynor, state conservationist for NRCS in Indiana, is sold on the learning circle concept.  “This type of outreach is new for our agency. We’re usually trying to reach the masses at our field days or workshops, however these women’s learning circles are small and intimate.  You can actually see women connecting and forming relationships. We are hearing about actions these women are taking and it’s exciting to know we are making a difference in their lives.”

The results of the participant interviews published in this report reveal the value of the program and the real-life impact it can have on the land. Women reported taking action as a result of attending the learning circles, including talking to family members about conservation, speaking with their renter specifically about conservation or implementing conservation measures on their land.

“We know from previous survey work done by WFAN that anywhere from 50-70 percent of women who attend a conservation learning circle take a conservation action within 6-12 months of attending,” said Jennifer Filipiak, AFT Midwest director.

She continued, “With this research we wanted to explore further what kinds of actions they take.  We were thrilled to learn 72 percent of the women who attended learning circles were inspired to take action.  But even more exciting is for 23 percent of these women, their efforts resulted in an immediate change that benefited their land – after attending just one learning circle!”

According to NRCS Illinois State Conservationist Ivan Dozier, “Our agency and the programs, assistance and practices we offer can’t accomplish anything without willing and interested private landowners. To find a new and motivated customer base that needs and wants to do the right thing to protect soil and water resources? Nothing could make me happier.”

Anecdotally, the interviews showed women are hungry for the connections and knowledge that can be gained through these meetings. Many expressed the hope for follow-up meetings and additional guidance from expert staff, especially on financial management issues and conservation related assistance.

There’s more work to be done. “Despite having attended learning circles, women may still face barriers. Some of the women who didn’t act said they were concerned about the consequences to their relationship with their farmer if they worked to take more conservation measures. “Our goal is to make them feel more comfortable being an advocate for their land,” stated Heather Bacher, coordinator for Women4theLand, an initiative that has emerged in Indiana as a result of the collaboration with NRCS, AFT and other conservation organizations who share a desire to reach this audience.  “We are thrilled to be working with AFT and others to provide women with the resources they need to be successful,” she added.

In the works are materials to help landowners “start the conversation” with their farmers and vice versa. AFT learned some women are hesitant to talk to their tenant – most all of whom are male — as they don’t want to imply that he’s not a good farmer. They view the farmer as the expert. And, on the farmer side, these conversations can cause him to fear he will lose the land to another tenant. Providing a tool that helps to address these questions and move forward together, AFT believes, will facilitate more productive conversations.

AFT is also expanding the program to additional states– currently running learning circles in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio and California.  To identify regional differences and plan for further expansion, AFT is conducting a survey of non-operating landowners across 11 states where there is a high percentage of rented land.

Link to Morning Ag Clips

By Dee Ann Durbin

U.S. shoppers are still paying more for organic food, but the price premium is falling as organic options multiply.

Last year, organic food and beverages cost an average of 24 cents more per unit than conventional food, or about 7.5 percent more, according to Nielsen. That was down from a 27 cent, or 9 percent, premium in 2014.

There’s a lot of variation within those numbers. The average price for a gallon of organic milk — $4.76 — is 88 percent higher than the $2.53 shoppers pay for a gallon of regular milk. Organic eggs have an 86 percent premium. At $4.89 per loaf, organic bread is double the cost of regular bread.

Parents buying organic baby food, on the other hand, pay just 3 percent more than they would for conventional baby food. In mid-January, a bunch of organic kale was 5 percent more than organic kale, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Some organic products — like artichokes, soy milk and Granny Smith apples — may even cost less than their conventional counterparts.

There are many shifting factors behind the prices for organic foods. Premiums for milk and eggs tend to be much higher, for example, because the government has very specific rules for what “organic” means. For example, cows producing organic milk must be allowed to graze for at least one-third of their food intake, says Jeremy Moghtader, the manager of the campus farm at the University of Michigan.

The rules “have real benefits to the animal, the consumer and environment, but they do increase the price of production,” Moghtader said.

Organic and conventional vegetables are grown in similar ways, so the price difference tends to be lower. Organic farmers can save money by not using pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, but they may have to pay more for workers to pull weeds or control bugs, Moghtader said.

One reason organic premiums are falling is the increase in products on the shelves. Organics used to be confined to health food stores and high-end groceries like Whole Foods, but mainstream stores are increasingly offering them. Kroger, one of the nation’s largest grocery chains, says it stocks 9,000 organic items in its stores and notched $1 billion in organic produce sales in 2017.

On a recent weekday, Kroger was selling Simple Truth organic orange juice — its in-house brand — for $3.49 for 52 fluid ounces. That was $1 more than the same size of conventional Kroger-brand orange juice, or 49 cents more than conventional Tropicana-brand orange juice.

Costco’s Kirkland Signature store brand introduced organic eggs in 2007 and organic beef in 2012. Walmart’s Great Value store brand sells a 15-ounce can of organic pumpkin for $1.88; that’s just 10 cents more than conventional Libby’s brand canned pumpkin.

Consumer demand also impacts prices. Right now, demand for organics is outpacing supply in many categories. U.S. sales of fast-moving consumer goods — a category that includes food, beverages and toiletries — were flat last year, but sales of organic goods jumped 9 percent, Nielsen said.

Millennial households are leading that charge, as they stock up on organic milk and baby food for their children. But other generations are also buying more organic products. Overall, 88 percent of American households have bought organic food or beverages.

“Consumers are more focused on products that have some benefit to them,” Sarah Schmansky, a vice president of growth and strategy at Nielsen.

In some cases, organics are breathing life back into dusty grocery aisles. Sales of conventional lunchmeat and cheese at the deli counter had been weakening, since consumers didn’t want to wait for them to be sliced. But buyers seeking fresh, organic options are returning to the deli. Sale of organic deli lunchmeat have risen an average of 18 percent annually over the last four years, while organic deli cheese sales are up 26 percent.

Schmansky said food scares — like E. coli outbreaks traced to lettuce — are also leading some consumers to organic labels because they trust them.

While price premiums may continue to drop, it’s difficult to say if they’ll ever go away entirely, says Ryan Koory, a senior economist at Mercaris, a data firm that tracks organic agriculture.

Looser government policies and crop insurance programs better tailored to small organic farms could help lower those premiums, Koory said.

A recession could also lower consumer demand for organics, and therefore their price premiums. But if the last recession is any guide, those premiums could bounce back quickly.

Link to story

By Jessica Nusbaum and Julia Ann Easley, UC Davis

Airline menus boasting California wines, vineyard growing histories and even a movie screenplay set during Prohibition are among the latest additions to the wine collections of the library at the University of California, Davis.

Wine Institute, the leading association for the California wine industry, has donated its organizational archives and book collection to UC Davis. They complement the extensive wine collections already at the university and will help researchers understand how the California wine industry recovered from Prohibition and rose to the level of international prominence it enjoys today.

“We’re delighted to see our materials become part of the university’s rich collection on California wine and to make them broadly available to scholars, researchers, writers and wineries,” said Robert P. “Bobby” Koch, president and CEO of the institute.

“The three most significant organizational archives covering the rise of California wine since Prohibition are those from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology, and Wine Institute,” said Axel Borg, the library’s wine subject specialist. “We had the government papers and the scientific research. Now we have the leading industry voice represented as well.”

The Wine Institute Records on the American Wine Industry — currently being cataloged by the library and available for public use by early summer — cover the 20th century after the repeal of Prohibition. They include:

• the collected works of Maupin, an 18th-century French viticulturalist who made significant contributions to the understanding of grape growing
• a photography archive including more than 2,200 images of vineyards, wineries, grape varietals, winemaking, harvesting, events, promotion and more — mostly dating from the 1930s to 1960s
• winery survey data, county records and regional growing histories
• speeches by wine scholars, producers and writers
• wine lists and menus
• approximately 4,000 wine labels
• materials related to wine and popular culture, such as the screenplay for the 1959 film, This Earth Is Mine, set and filmed in the Napa Valley

Leading industry voice on California wine

Formed in 1934 following the repeal of Prohibition, Wine Institute leads public policy advocacy in all 50 states, federally and internationally on behalf of 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses that represent 81 percent of U.S. wine production and more than 90 percent of U.S. wine exports.

‘Greatest wine library in the world’

The UC Davis Library, which has been called the “greatest wine library in the world,” already holds the papers of many of the leaders who shaped the wine industry in California and beyond, including former UC Davis professors Maynard Amerine and Harold Olmo; winemakers Robert Mondavi and Martin Ray; and California-based wine writers Leon Adams, Bob Thompson and Charles Sullivan.

Link to item on UC Davis web site

Note – The California Department of Food and Agriculture is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a state agency in 2019. Throughout the year this blog will feature a number of items to commemorate the milestone.    

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (then simply the Dept. of Ag) began in 1919 when various Ag regulatory programs were pulled together under one umbrella by the state legislature. However, there are several other starting points of note – in 1878, 1880, 1899 and 1913. In fact, the agency has already celebrated a ‘100th anniversary,’ back in 1980.

An early Ag regulatory effort came in 1878, when the legislature passed a law to prohibit the labeling of oleomargarine as butter, but made no provision for enforcement.

Two years later, in 1880–the development embraced for the first 100th anniversary–the legislature appointed a seven-member State Board of Viticulture to protect grapevines from phylloxera root rot.

In 1899, California began its long relationship with invasive fruit flies by pioneering an effort to keep the Mexican fruit fly out of the United States. CDFA’s Division of Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services still battles that pest as well as many others as it carries out its mission to protect California’s food supply and the environment.

Also in 1899, the office of the California State Veterinarian was established by the legislature to “protect the health of all domestic animals of the state from all contagious and infectious diseases, so far as practical.” It gave birth to what is now CDFA’s Animal Health Branch.

In 1913 the legislature created the Office of the State Superintendent of Weights and Measures. The office’s early responsibilities included inspections of railroad track scales and weights and measures used in state hospitals and prisons. The office joined the Department of Agriculture in 1921 as the Division of Weights and Measures and took on duties like mattress inspection and bread standardization. CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards continues with the core functions of that work today, making sure that measurements used in commerce are fair and accurate, although bread and mattresses are no longer among its programs. 

From that multi-faceted beginning CDFA has progressed to a thoroughly modern agency organized into six divisions. The Department operates at more than 100 locations throughout the state. These divisions and their programs provide valuable services to producers, merchants and the public. Many of CDFA’s programs are conducted in partnership with local county offices of agricultural commissioners and sealers.

CDFA strives to support a tradition of innovation and agricultural diversity by working with private industry, academia and public sector agencies. These partnerships allow the department to adapt public policy to a rapidly changing industry – California agriculture.

#CDFACentennial

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of virulent Newcastle disease in a small flock of backyard exhibition chickens in Utah County, Utah. This is the first case of virulent Newcastle disease in Utah. 

This case is believed to be connected to the current outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease in California, as three of the birds at the premises were recently moved to Utah from Los Angeles County, California.  Since May 2018, 299 cases of Newcastle disease have been confirmed in Southern California, primarily in backyard exhibition birds.

Virulent Newcastle disease is not a food safety concern.  No human cases of Newcastle disease have ever occurred from eating poultry products. Properly cooked poultry products are safe to eat.  In very rare instances people working directly with sick birds can become infected. Symptoms are usually very mild, and limited to conjunctivitis and/or influenza-like symptoms. Infection is easily prevented by using standard personal protective equipment.  

APHIS is working with the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food to respond to the finding. Federal and State partners are also conducting additional surveillance and testing in the area.  

It is essential that all bird owners follow good biosecurity practices to help protect their birds from infectious diseases.  These include simple steps like washing hands and scrubbing boots before and after entering a poultry area; cleaning and disinfecting tires and equipment before moving them off the property; and isolating any birds returning from shows for 30 days before placing them with the rest of the flock.

In addition to practicing good biosecurity, all bird owners should report sick birds or unusual bird deaths to their veterinarian or to State veterinary officials.  Additional information on biosecurity for all poultry flocks can be found at www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/defendtheflock. 

Additional background

Virulent Newcastle disease is a contagious and fatal viral disease affecting the respiratory, nervous and digestive systems of birds and poultry. The disease is so virulent that many birds and poultry die without showing any clinical signs. A death rate of almost 100 percent can occur in unvaccinated poultry flocks. Virulent Newcastle disease can infect and cause death even in vaccinated poultry.

Clinical signs of virulent Newcastle disease include: sudden death and increased death loss in the flock; sneezing; gasping for air; nasal discharge; coughing; greenish, watery diarrhea; decreased activity; tremors; drooping wings; twisting of the head and neck; circling; complete stiffness; and swelling around the eyes and neck.  Images of some of these signs are available here.

Link to USDA announcement 

Link to CDFA Virulent Newcastle Disease page

By Cynthia Sweeney

CALISTOGA — Contrary to what parents have been telling their children for eons, Linda York wants children to start playing with their food.

Their fruits and vegetables, anyway.

A former documentary filmmaker from San Diego, York lives in Calistoga and has two granddaughters who live in St. Helena.

She’s also the creator and CEO of a new product called StickyLickits, edible cartoon stickers that entice children to eat fruits and vegetables.

They feature some of Nickelodeon’s most popular animated characters including SpongeBob SquarePants and PAW Patrol, two of the most popular shows on the network.

“Sticky Lickits encourage kids to have fun with fruits and veggies, which is a way of creating a healthy new eating habit,” York said.

The colorful characters adhere to any kind of fruit or vegetable. They taste a little like vanilla, and dissolve quickly in the mouth,as this writer experienced.

While the cartoons are attractive to kids, parents like the idea that they are sugar-free, something York worked rigorously to ensure. And instead of animal gelatin, the colors are derived from real food like beets and carrots, not from food coloring.

As a documentary filmmaker, years ago York produced an exercise video for the National Institutes of Health’s largest study in the country on childhood obesity. She has also done research on childhood health and eating habits and found, “The number one concern parents have for their children is safety. Number two is nutrition,” she said.

York also cites a study done at the University of Bari Adio Moro in Italy that found that 5- and 6-year-olds choose healthy foods like kiwis, carrots and tomatoes over their usual name-brand snacks if the healthy items had a sticker featuring their favorite cartoon character.

To get the stickers into the hands of children, getting the A-team of cartoon characters for the stickers was crucial.

“I have witnessed complete meltdowns from children who can’t get products related to Paw Patrol,” York said.

York also plans to come out with more stickers with a Mr. Potato Head concept and animal faces, which have more appeal to girls.

York performed test-marketing on her own granddaughters and at children’s birthday parties.

The most frequent question she gets from parents is whether the edible stickers will encourage kids to eat regular stickers, but she hasn’t had any such reports. Once they’ve tried to eat a regular sticker that novelty will be over.

“There isn’t a child who hasn’t tried to eat a regular sticker. It doesn’t taste good,” she said.

York has spent the last year investing in licenses, logo, a website, and six weeks ago launched into distribution and sales.

“My goal is to have it in markets and charge for it, but also get it to the populations that need it the most,” she said.

Link to story

A letter to California poultry exhibitors from State Veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones:

 Dear Poultry Exhibition Organizers and Managers:

Since May 2018, an outbreak of virulent Newcastle disease (VND) has had a devastating impact on backyard bird populations in four Southern California counties: Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura. The virus has also been found in three commercial facilities in Riverside County. As a result, nearly 500,000 backyard and commercial birds have been euthanized.

Virulent Newcastle disease is a highly contagious respiratory virus in poultry that is nearly always fatal. The only way to stop the spread of the virus and eradicate the disease is to euthanize infected birds, and all birds within highly infected areas.

The primary way in which the disease spreads is by seemingly healthy birds being moved. Clinical signs of virulent Newcastle disease include; sudden death and increased death loss in the flock; sneezing; gasping for air; nasal discharge; coughing; greenish, watery diarrhea; decreased activity; tremors; drooping wings; twisting of the head and neck;circling; complete stiffness; and swelling around the eyes and neck. For more information, please visit: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/Animal_Health/newcastle_disease_info.html

To support our disease containment and eradication efforts, the California State Veterinarian is recommending that all poultry exhibitions that include birds from high-risk counties (Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura) be cancelled. An exhibition is an assembly of birds (including but not limited to poultry) brought to the assembly location for purposes that include public display for any duration. For example, exhibitions include, but are not limited to: auctions, shows, swap meets, pet marts, fair exhibits, pigeon races, cock fights, pet stores, and petting zoos. Public zoos are not included in this definition.