Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the results of the 2014 Organic Survey, which show that 14,093 certified and exempt organic farms in the United States sold a total of $5.5 billion in organic products in 2014, up 72 percent since 2008.

The top 10 states in sales accounted for 78 percent of U.S. organic sales in 2014, with California leading the nation with $2.2 billion. Additionally, the industry shows potential for growth in production as approximately 5,300 organic producers (39 percent) report that they intend to increase organic production in the United States over the next five years. Another 688 farms with no current organic production are in the process of transitioning into organic agriculture production.

“Producers reported in the 2014 Organic Survey that they expect to expand U.S. organic production in the coming years, making the data even more important for policy and programs. These results will assist with the development of appropriate risk management programs designed to help organic producers,” said NASS Administrator Joseph T. Reilly. “The report also shows that organic producers are providing a wide variety of products to customers and are getting those items from farm to table more efficiently.”

The selection of organic products sold by U.S. farms in 2014 was diverse, from dairy and proteins, to fruits, vegetables and grains. The top five commodities in organic sales were:

• Milk, $1.08 billion
• Eggs, $420 million
• Broiler chickens, $372 million
• Lettuce, $264 million
• Apples, $250 million

The vast majority of organic agricultural products sold in 2014 were sold close to the farm. According to the report, the first point of sale for 80 percent of all U.S. organic products was less than 500 miles from the farm, compared to 74 percent in 2008. Of the sales of organic products in 2014:

• 46 percent were sold within 100 miles
• 34 percent were sold 101-499 miles
• 18 percent were sold 500 or more miles
• 2 percent were sold internationally

Additionally, 63 percent of U.S. organic farms reported selling products to wholesale markets. These sales accounted for 78 percent of U.S. organic farm sales. Wholesale markets, such as buyers for supermarkets, processors, distributors, packers and cooperatives, were serving as the marketing channel of choice for U.S. organic farmers to get organic agriculture products to customers.

“This report helps show a more complete picture of the U.S. organic industry at the national and state levels,” added Reilly. “The 2014 Organic Survey data will serve as a valuable resource as the agriculture industry continues to look for ways to meet agricultural challenges and consumer needs in the 21st century.”

The survey is part of the Census of Agriculture program and was conducted by NASS in conjunction with USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) to provide objective information to serve the organic industry. Survey results are available at www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/Organic_Survey/ or the Quick Stats database at http://quickstats.nass.usda.gov. In addition, join NASS for a webinar about the 2014 Organic Survey, hosted by the USDA Organic Working Group, on September 29, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET. To join the webinar, visit www.readytalk.com, dial 1-866-740-1260, and use passcode 720 6000.

Link to news release

By Andrew Amenlinckx

Earlier this year, a study led by Purdue University determined that in the next five years there would be close to 60,000 job openings annually in fields related to agriculture, food, the environment, and renewable natural resources. We spoke to three professors at Purdue—a major research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana, which is consistently ranked as having one of the top agricultural sciences programs in the country (and world for that matter)—on which professions are emerging in this field.

Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Agricultural engineers can focus on machine design, design, and processes of getting food produced at the farm to your plate, or environmental challenges working with soil, water, and air, says Bernard Engel, head of Purdue’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. Careers include working for equipment manufactures in the agricultural, forestry, construction, and military industries. On the environmental and natural resources end, there are jobs with various government agencies or consulting firms.

Engel says the all of the programs in his department are in high demand right now. “Many of the advances in agriculture right now are coming in this area. The future looks bright as well, given expectations of even more technology being used in agriculture in the future,” he says in an email.

Biological engineers deal with issues that include food processes, things like making food taste better or making it last longer; and cellular and biomolecular engineering, which concerns “finding better ways to get value from by-products or getting energy from biological materials.” The food industry is a major employer. Engel says there is also a demand in research and development for these graduates, not only in the food and pharmaceutical industries, but also in genetic engineering in plants.

Agricultural Systems Management graduates help make agricultural technology easier to understand and use, says Engel, and students in this area are “highly sought after in careers with machinery, grain handling, and precision technology.”

Soil Science

Students can focus on soil ecology, chemistry, physics, conservation, and soil landscapes—mapping the soil attributes of a certain area—among other fields of study. John Graveel, an agronomy professor and director of the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program at Purdue, says job prospects for soil scientists right now are very strong. Job opportunities include working for state and federal agencies, environmental consulting firms, and other groups, like the Nature Conservancy.

Soil science students are getting some training ingeographical information systems [GIS],” Graveel tellsModern Farmer in a phone interview. (GIS is a computer system that is used for collecting and displaying data as it relates to geographic points on the Earth’s surface.) “It’s hugely in demand right now by consulting firms to have people on staff who know how to do GIS.”

Agricultural Economics

Agricultural economics is the practice of applying economic principles to public and private decisions made in the agricultural sector, explains Kenneth Foster, head of Purdue’s Agricultural Economics Department. The field includes sales and marketing, agribusiness, farm management, policy making, and natural resource and energy economics.

Job prospects are “pretty strong” for graduates in this “heavily data and metric driven” field, Foster says. “We placed 98 percent of our graduates last May by the end of the summer. Well over 100 students got jobs.”

Pro tip: Foster says because we’re entering an era of data-driven decision making, “the students who can position themselves to be strong from an analytical and problem-solving perspective are going to have an edge in the market.”

All three professors agree on what students interested in these fields should be focusing on: math and science. You get a bonus for taking part in extracurricular activities that help build leadership, communication, and organizational skills.

Startups

Finally, let’s not forget the entrepreneurs out there who are tech savvy and like to go it alone. Agricultural technology startups are blooming right now. Last year the industry grew by 170 percent and had more than $2.36 billion in investment, according to the website TechCrunch.

“I think the agricultural tech industry is doing well because it’s been overlooked for awhile. I think that’s really going to change and it’s going to continue to grow,” says Jason Aramburu, founder and CEO of Edyn, a startup that makes a smart watering sensor for crops.

Link to article

The fairgrounds in Calaveras County are hosting a fire camp and emergency shelter.

Two current wildfires in Northern California, the Valley Fire in Lake County and the Butte Fire in Calaveras County, have left hundreds of people homeless, hundreds of head of livestock and other animals stranded, and thousands of fire fighters in need of a home base. Such challenges often bring out a range of community resources, including temporary staging areas and shelters at fairgrounds, and the support of animal needs through the California Animal Response Emergency System (CARES), a coalition of volunteers and local and state agencies, including CDFA, that provides essential support during disasters.

County fairgrounds at Calistoga and Ukiah are serving as evacuation centers for families in the path of the Valley Fire, and the fairgrounds at Lakeport are the base camp for fire crews. In the foothills, the fairgrounds at Angels Camp in Calaveras County are serving fire fighters on the Butte incident as well as evacuees and livestock, and the fairgrounds at Plymouth, in Amador County, are also housing livestock.

Multiple CARES collaborators are fully engaged at both incidents and include CDFA emergency coordinators, supply procurement specialists, and Brand Inspection support for helping to identify ranchers and cattle owners in the area. Additionally, local private veterinarians, county animal control and sheriff’s officers, the California Veterinary Medical Association, the U.C Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, the California Veterinary Medical Reserve Corps and several other volunteer groups have all been activated through the CARES incident management system.

Crises like these create a great deal of tragedy and chaos. The efforts of CDFA and its partners in the fairs and animal-care sectors, working in close coordination with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, help deliver all the support and organization that can be provided at such a difficult time.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds farmers and ranchers affected by the recent wildfires in Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington State that USDA has programs to assist with their recovery efforts.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) can assist farmers and ranchers who lost livestock, grazing land, fences or eligible trees, bushes and vines as a result of a natural disaster. FSA administers a suite of safety-net programs to help producers recover from eligible losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, and the Tree Assistance Program.

In addition, the FSA Emergency Conservation Program provides funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought. Producers located in counties that received a primary or contiguous disaster designation are eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Compensation is also available to producers who purchased coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, which protects non-insurable crops against natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses or prevented planting.

“Wildfires have caused devastating losses for many farmers and ranchers,” said FSA Administrator Val Dolcini. “Over the past several years, wildfires have increased in severity, intensity and cost as the fire season has grown longer, and drought and increased temperatures contribute to dangerous conditions. Natural disasters such as wildfires are unavoidable, but USDA has strong safety-net programs to help producers get back on their feet.”

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can assist producers with damaged grazing land as well as farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who find themselves in emergency situations caused by natural disasters. The NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides financial assistance to producers who agree to defer grazing on damaged land for two years. In the event that presidentially declared natural disasters, such as wildfires, lead to imminent threats to life and property, NRCS can assist local government sponsors with the cost of implementing conservation practices to address natural resource concerns and hazards through the Emergency Watershed Protection Program.

“After natural disasters such as wildfires, it is critical that farmers, ranchers and forestland owners have financial and technical resources available to protect their natural resources and operations,” said NRCS Chief Jason Weller. “Conservation practices protect the land and aid recovery, but can build the natural resource base and may help mitigate loss in future events.”

Farmers and ranchers with coverage through the federal crop insurance program administered by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) should contact their crop insurance agent to discuss losses due to fire or other natural causes of loss. Crop insurance is sold and delivered solely through private crop insurance agents. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers and online at the RMA Agent Locator.

When wildfires destroy or severely damage residential property, Rural Development (RD) can assist with providing priority hardship application processing for single family housing. Under a disaster designation, RD can issue a priority letter for next available multi-family housing units. RD also provides low-interest loans to community facilities, water environmental programs, businesses and cooperatives and to rural utilities.

For the first time in its 110-year history, the Forest Service, part of USDA, is spending more than 50 percent of its budget to suppress the nation’s wildfires.

Today, fire seasons are 78 days longer than in the 1970s. Since 2000, at least 10 states have had their largest fires on record. This year, there have been more than 46,000 fires. Increasing development near forest boundaries also drives up costs, as more than 46 million homes and more than 70,000 communities are at risk from wildfire in the United States.

Visit https://go.usa.gov/3eDeF to learn more about USDA disaster preparedness and response. For more information on USDA disaster assistance programs, please contact your local USDA Service Center. To find your local USDA Service Center go to http://offices.usda.gov.

Link to news release

USDA Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden and Dr. Susan Kelly, Director of the Department of Defense’s Transition to Veterans Program Office, have announced the integration of agriculture into the career training and counseling programs service members receive as they transition out of the military. Information about USDA resources and programs will now reach 200,000 transitioning service members every year.

“Rural America disproportionately sends its sons and daughters to serve in the military. When service members return home, we want them to know that rural America has a place for them — no matter where they’re from,” said Deputy Secretary Harden. “This expanded collaboration between USDA and DOD will help to ensure that returning Service members know that there are a wide variety of loans, grants, training and technical assistance for veterans who are passionate about a career in agriculture, no matter their experience level.”

“Our transitioning service members leave the military with a variety of essential skills – including leadership and discipline – that could be directly applied to a career in agriculture,” said Dr. Susan S. Kelly, Director of the Department of Defense’s Transition to Veterans Program Office. “For those members who are considering farming or ranching as a post-service career, I encourage them to learn more about the opportunities, preferences, and incentives offered by the USDA.”

Every year, approximately 200,000 Service members complete the Transition Assistance Program as they prepare for civilian life. This partnership will help to ensure that returning service members know about the incentives for military veterans in USDA programs, and the many ways USDA can support military veterans and their families, from farm loans to conservation programs to nutrition assistance to rural rental housing and homeownership opportunities. Veterans can also visitwww.usda.gov/veterans, a website designed specifically to educate them about USDA programs.

Since 2009, USDA has provided $438 million in farm loans to help more than 6,482 veterans purchase farmland, buy equipment and make repairs and upgrades. Our microloans, which offer smaller amounts of support to meet the needs of small- or niche-type farm operations, have also grown in popularity among veterans. Since it was launched in January 2013, USDA’s microloan program has provided more than $22.6 million in support to help 1,083 veterans grow their farming businesses.

Today’s announcement reflects USDA’s continued commitment to assisting veterans as they start or expand farming and ranching operations, in order to strengthen the American economy and provide livelihoods to our returning veterans. Today, more than 5 million veterans live in rural areas, a higher concentration than in any other part of the country.

Our veterans have incredible stories to share, including:

Veteran Farmers, In Their Own Voice

Planting Seeds for New Careers for our Veterans

Virginia Farmer Balances Family, Farming and Flying with the Air National Guard

Read more stories about veterans in agriculture athttp://blogs.usda.gov/tag/veterans/.

Link to news release

A flooded alfalfa field in Siskiyou County.

By Diane Nelson, UC Davis

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, are encouraged by early results from tests to see if deliberately flooding farmland in winter can replenish aquifers without harming crops or affecting drinking water.

“On-farm flooding looks very promising,” said professor Helen Dahlke, a hydrology expert with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources. “We’re pleasantly surprised by how quickly water tables have responded to on-farm flooding without damage to crops.”

In spring 2015, Dahlke’s team flooded alfalfa at Bryan-Morris Ranch in Siskiyou County, applying more than twice the irrigation the field normally gets in a year. The field produced more weeds than usual, but otherwise, the alfalfa suffered no ill effects.

“It was amazing to see how well the land absorbed the water and how quickly the water table rose,” said Jim Morris, Bryan-Morris Ranch manager. “That’s good news for farming and the environment.”

Dahlke and her team will test flooding on almonds in the Central Valley this winter, looking at plant physiology, infiltration rates, water quality and costs. They are building on previous research involving UC Davis and environmental engineers in the Kings River Basin, where up to 75 percent of diverted floodwater percolated down to aquifers. In that research, scientists flooded pistachios, alfalfa hay and wine grapes.

“Our wine grapes were under water for five months, which raised a few eyebrows, but they did fine,” said Don Cameron, manager of Terranova Ranch along the Kings River in Fresno County. “Diverting floodwater to farms can recharge groundwater and reduce the risk of downstream flooding. It’s a good situation all around.”

California is in chronic groundwater overdraft: There’s more water being pumped from the ground than filtering in. In wet years, gravity helps refill aquifers as land absorbs water from rain, rivers, and snowmelt. In dry years, several water districts help that along by diverting excess water during storms and flood releases into infiltration basins ─ confined areas of sandy soil.

But land dedicated to infiltration is scarce. Can California’s farmland be called into service?

There’s a lot to consider, Dahlke said. Not all soils are particularly permeable, and not all crops can tolerate extra irrigation in the winter. Some soils are especially salty, and some crops need more nitrogen than others.

Researchers wonder whether flooding fertilized farmland or saline soil will leach those chemicals into the groundwater. Or, could on-farm flooding actually improve groundwater quality by diluting salts and nitrates?

Soil expert Anthony O’Geen, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist with the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, recently concluded in the journal California Agriculture that some 3.6 million acres of farmland have good recharge potential because they could likely accommodate deep percolation with little risk of crop damage or groundwater contamination. Pears, wine grapes, many annual crops, and some varieties of almonds, peaches, and plums appear best suited for on-farm flooding, the team found.

“Alfalfa might also be an ideal crop for groundwater banking because it requires little or no nitrogen fertilizer,” O’Geen said.

Link to University of California blog post

BY KAREN ROSS AND TAMMY ANDERSON-WISE

It’s morning at Fairbanks Elementary School in Twin Rivers Unified School District, and children are being served a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit, waffles, yogurt and milk. For some kids, eating breakfast at school is the only option they have for getting the needed nutrition to keep them focused and ready to learn.

In a recent survey, three out of four teachers and principals say they see kids who regularly come to school hungry. Hunger is known to negatively impact health, academic achievement and future economic prosperity. On the other hand, kids who eat breakfast get higher test scores, attend school more often, are more likely to graduate and typically earn more per year after graduation.

Access to healthy meals at school is part of the solution, but it isn’t enough. Importantly, we also need to arm our young people with nutrition education and food literacy to improve their health over the long run and break the cycle of food insecurity.

At the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s new Office of Farm to Fork, a collaborative effort with the state departments of Public Health and Education, there is a commitment to nutrition education opportunities and increasing access to healthy foods. An effort is underway to connect farmers to local school food service operations and, as a result, increase access to nutritious food in underserved schools and communities. The office recently launched the California Farmer Marketplace, an online tool to connect farmers to schools and other consumers.

Along with improving access to healthy agricultural products, nutrition education programs are equally important. When students are better educated and better fed, they make better students and citizens.

The Dairy Council of Californiaprovides nutrition education through print and digital curriculum that reaches 2.5 million students in California schools from kindergarten through high school. All programs focus on a balanced approach that includes foods from all five food groups.

The Mobile Dairy Classroom– an assembly in Sacramento-area schools and throughout the state – builds on nutrition education programs taught in the classroom by teaching students how milk and dairy foods get from the farm to the table, helping them understand where food comes from.

National initiatives also are essential. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s School Breakfast Program provides access to free or low-cost breakfast before the normal school day. Unfortunately, the program is underutilized. Many times, kids simply can’t get to school on time due to carpool or public transportation schedules. Providing access during the school day – such as through Breakfast in the Classroom programs – can significantly and positively impact participation.

The No Kid Hungry initiative, an effort to end childhood hunger in America, encourages more Breakfast in the Classroom programs, along with options such as: Grab n’ Go, a model that allows students to pick up breakfast through mobile carts; Second Chance Breakfast, where students eat breakfast during a break; and Breakfast Vending, which allows students to access foods through vending machines. Additionally, the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement is an effort to nudge students toward making better choices by changing the way food choices are presented. These are all valuable programs – but only pieces of the puzzle.

By educating kids and parents on healthy eating behaviors, food production and how to choose nutrient-rich healthy foods, we are providing a solution to hunger pangs and a solution to the negative, long-term individual and public health effects of poor nutrition. Few would argue that our children deserve to be free of hunger while at school. Few would dispute that skills in science, math and language arts are foundational to success. But, we often overlook something equally as valuable: teaching our young people and parents about how to eat and live healthfully, something that benefits not only individuals, but also society as a whole with a happier, healthier, more successful citizenship.

Karen Ross is secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Tammy Anderson-Wise is the CEO of the Dairy Council of California.

Link to article

The State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Water Resources will hold a series of informational meetings at the dates below to discuss implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and to answer questions from the public:

• October 21st – Valley Glen, CA: Los Angeles Valley College Campuss Center Building Monarch Hall, 5800 Fulton Ave, Valley Glen, CA 91401
• October 22nd – Visalia, CA: 210Life, 210 W. Center Ave, Visalia, CA 93291
• October 27th – Sacramento, CA: CalEPA Building, Coastal Hearing Room, 1001 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814 (meeting will also be available via Webcast)

All meetings will have sessions from:

• 1 to 4 pm: Technical sessions for local public agencies and organizations
• 6 to 8 pm: Public forums for groundwater users and the general public

The technical sessions will focus on:

• Local agency requirements regarding Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) formation, groundwater sustainability, and public involvement
• Discussing the status of SGMA implementation within the region
• Identifying technical and financial assistance available from the state, including Prop 1 and other funding sources
• Understanding the implications of state intervention in the absence of local action

The public forums for groundwater users and the general public are designed for residential well owners, groundwater users, and other interested members of the public.

The public forums will address:

• The public stakeholder role in SGMA implementation
• Local public agency requirements regarding GSA formation and public involvement
• Drought management and groundwater sustainability
• SGMA and water rights
• State involvement under SGMA, including technical and financial assistance and state intervention

Proposition 1, passed by voters in November 2014, provides DWR with $100 million for sustainable groundwater management planning and related projects. The proposition also provides substantial funding for groundwater cleanup, storage projects, and other actions that will help local agencies sustainably manage groundwater. For more information, please visit DWR’s website.

Information on the State Water Board’s Proposition 1 funds is available at the State Water Board’s Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) Proposition 1 website.

Link to meeting notice

Detector dog “Cairo” on the job inspecting packages at a parcel facility.

The California Dog Teams, CDFA’s squad of pest-detection dogs and their handlers, have enjoyed a great deal of success over the years sniffing-out invasive species at parcel delivery facilities and airfreight terminals throughout the state.

The latest find of note was made by Cairo, a Labrador mix that, like all the dogs in the program, was a rescue dog. Working with handler Mariah DeNijs last week at the U.S. Postal Service facility in West Sacramento, Cairo targeted an out-of-state shipment of crabapple that contained Pseudocneorhinus bifasciatus, also known as the two-banded Japanese weevil.

This is the first time this pest has ever been detected or intercepted in California, even though it has been established on the east coast for more than 100 years. It feeds on more than 100 plants, including azaleas, camellias, roses and strawberry plants. The weevil is a species of concern largely because of its ability to reproduce without mates, so even a single larva or adult may be enough to start an infestation.

So Cairo’s find is a big deal – but it’s also “just another day at the office.” CDFA’s detector dogs perform this essential work regularly as part of California’s pest exclusion defense system. The dogs find hundreds of actionable pests each year, preventing infestations and quarantines and providing substantial benefits for the environment, for agriculture, and for all Californians.