California’s “Winter Salad Bowl,” the Imperial Valley, produces an estimated two-thirds of vegetables consumed in the U.S. during the winter months. Farmer Jack Vessey has moved much of his acreage away from furrow irrigation, with the objective of conserving water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE4uMOtqIc8

USDA News Release

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the launch of the Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA) to provide technical assistance to meat and poultry grant applicants and grant-funded projects. Processors and applicants involved with the Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grant (MPIRG) program and the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) can access this technical assistance. USDA also announced it is now accepting applications for $23.6 million in competitive grant funding available through the MPIRG program.

Meat and Poultry Processing Capacity Technical Assistance Program (MPPTA)

As part of Biden-⁠Harris Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has established cooperative agreements with three non-profit organizations to coordinate and provide technical assistance utilizing a wide range of expertise and outreach strategies. These organizations will also establish a national network of support for meat and poultry grant applicants to navigate the application process, and to assist grant recipients throughout their project.

“This is a true partnership to help meat and poultry processors and grant applicants diversify processing ownership throughout the country,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Meat and poultry processing is a complex sector that requires significant planning and forethought to manage economic viability concurrently with worker, food, and environmental safety. We are pleased to partner with these initial organizations, given their deep technical expertise and demonstrated service to underserved communities, as part of our support for fairer, more competitive, and resilient meat and poultry supply chains.”

Taking the lead role, the Flower Hill Institute, a native owned nonprofit based out of the Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico, will serve as the MPPTA Technical Assistance Coordinator for this multi-year program. In close cooperation with AMS, they will connect USDA grant applicants and grant-funded project managers to the experts best suited to support a project’s needs. They are joined by Oregon State University’s Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network and the Intertribal Agricultural Council. USDA is also pursuing agreements with the American Association of Meat Processors, the American Meat Science Association, and the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute to expand assistance and provide the depth and capacity needed for meat and poultry projects nationwide. All MPPTA organizations will use both in-house resources and their connections within the industry, academia, and state and federal government to connect stakeholders to four distinct technical assistance scopes: federal grant application management; business development and financial planning; meat and poultry processing technical and operational support; and supply chain development.

To learn more about the MPPTA program, or to initiate a request for technical assistance under this program, visit the AMS webpage www.ams.usda.gov/services/grants/mppta. For information on MPIRG, MPPEP, and USDA’s other Meat and Poultry Supply Chain Initiatives, visit www.usda.gov/meat.

Meat and Poultry Inspection Readiness Grants (MPIRG)

AMS is accepting applications now through May 24, 2022 for a second round of MPIRG program funding totaling $23.6 million.

“We are building on the success of the first round of our MPIRG program to build capacity and increase economic opportunities for small and mid-sized meat and poultry processors and producers around the country,” said Secretary Vilsack. “In the MPIRG program’s first round, we provided $32 million in funding to cover the costs for necessary improvements to achieve a Federal Grant of Inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or the Poultry Products Inspection Act, or to operate under a state’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment program. And the second round will help us continue to help processors grow.”

USDA encourages grant applications that focus on improving meat and poultry slaughter and processing capacity and efficiency; developing new and expanding existing markets; increasing capacity and better meeting consumer and producer demand; maintaining strong inspection and food safety standards; obtaining a larger commercial presence; and increasing access to slaughter or processing facilities for smaller farms and ranches, new and beginning farmers and ranchers, socially disadvantaged producers, and veteran producers.

Eligible meat and poultry slaughter and processing facilities must be operational and not have a Federal Grant of Inspection or comply with the Cooperative Interstate Shipment program at the time of application. These entities include commercial businesses, cooperatives, and tribal enterprises. MPIRG’s Planning for a Federal Grant of Inspection project type is for processing facilities currently in operation and are working toward Federal inspection. Applicants can be located anywhere in the states and territories. MPIRG’s Cooperative Interstate Shipment Compliance project type is only for processing facilities located in states with a Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) CIS program. These states currently include Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Vermont and Wisconsin. Applicants must be working toward CIS program compliance requirements to operate a state-inspected facility or make a good faith effort toward doing so. Potential applicants should contact FSIS to determine the expenses necessary to obtain a Federal Grant of Inspection or comply with the CIS program.

Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 24, 2022. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. Read more in AMS Late and Non-Responsive Application Policy (PDF, 246 KB).

AMS offers webinars for new applicants to help walk them through the application process while also providing helpful hints on what has made past recipients successful. Additionally, grants management specialists are standing by to answer any incoming questions and emails during regular business hours. For more information about grant eligibility and previously funded projects, visit the MPIRG webpage, or contact us at mpirg@usda.gov.

USDA is also extending to May 11, 2022, the application deadline for the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP), which provides funding to expand meat and poultry processing capacity. For additional information, applicants and other interested parties are encouraged to visit the MPPEP website: rd.usda.gov/mppep. Questions may be submitted through the website or sent to MPPEP@usda.gov.

Link to USDA news release

Groundwater measures:

1. Local permitting authorities must coordinate with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies to ensure new proposed wells do not compromise existing wells.
2. Permitting streamlined for groundwater recharge projects that help to refill aquifers when rains come.

Governor’s Office news release

Following the driest first three months of a year in the state’s recorded history, Governor Gavin Newsom is taking steps to drive water conservation at the local level, calling on local water suppliers to move to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans, which require locally-appropriate actions that will conserve water across all sectors, and directing the State Water Resources Control Board to consider a ban on the watering of decorative grass at businesses and institutions.

In an executive order signed today, the Governor ordered the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to evaluate the adoption of regulations banning irrigation of “non-functional” turf (or grass), such as decorative grass adjacent to large industrial and commercial buildings. The ban would not include residential lawns or grass used for recreation, such as school fields, sports fields and parks. The Department of Water Resources estimates this ban alone will result in potential water savings of several hundred thousand acre-feet. An acre-foot of water serves the needs of approximately three households for a year.

“While we have made historic investments to protect our communities, economy and ecosystems from the worsening drought across the West, it is clear we need to do more,” said Governor Newsom. “Today, I am calling on local water agencies to implement more aggressive water conservation measures, including having the Water Board evaluate a ban on watering ornamental grass on commercial properties, which will drive water use savings at this critical time. Amid climate-driven extremes in weather, we must all continue to do our part and make water conservation a way of life.”

A copy of the executive order can be found here.

As the drought persists into a third year and conditions worsen amidst dry, hot weather, today’s order called on the SWRCB to consider requiring urban water suppliers to activate, at a minimum, Level 2 of their customized Water Shortage Contingency Plans. These plans, required by state law, are developed by local water agencies to navigate drought and each plan is customized based on an agency’s unique infrastructure and management. Triggering Level 2 of these plans involves implementing water conservation actions to prepare for a water shortage level of up to 20 percent. For example, in many communities, this would mean reducing the number of days that residents can water outdoors, among other measures.

To further conserve water and strengthen drought resiliency in this critically dry year, the Governor is encouraging suppliers, where appropriate, to consider going above and beyond the Level 2 of their water shortage contingency plans, activating more ambitious measures. The Governor has also ordered state agencies to submit funding proposals to support the state’s short- and long-term drought response, including emergency assistance to communities and households facing drought-related water shortages, facilitating groundwater recharge and wastewater recycling, improvements in water use efficiency, protecting fish and wildlife, and minimizing drought-related economic disruption.

Today’s executive order includes several other provisions that will protect all water users:

• Ensuring Vulnerable Communities Have Drinking Water
  • Cuts red tape so communities that need access to emergency hauled or bottled water can get it immediately
• Safeguarding Groundwater Supplies
  • Requires local permitting authorities to coordinate with Groundwater Sustainability Agencies to ensure new proposed wells do not compromise existing wells or infrastructure, as 85 percent of public water systems rely heavily on groundwater during drought
  • Streamlines permitting for groundwater recharge projects that help to refill aquifers when rains come
• Protecting Vulnerable Fish And Wildlife
  • Expedites state agency approvals for necessary actions to protect fish and wildlife where drought conditions threaten their health and survival
• Preventing Illegal Water Diversions
  • Directs the Water Board to expand site inspections in order to determine whether illegal diversions are occurring

The Governor’s California Comeback Plan invests $5.2 billion over three years to support the immediate drought response and build water resilience, including funding to secure and expand water supplies; bolster drought contingency planning and multi-benefit land repurposing projects; support drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, with a focus on small and disadvantaged communities; advance Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation to improve water supply security and quality; and support wildlife and habitat restoration efforts, among other nature-based solutions.

Earlier this month, Governor Newsom advanced an additional $22.5 million to bolster the state’s drought response. Of this funding, $8.25 million will be used to increase educational and outreach efforts, including through the Save Our Water campaign, which is providing Californians with water-saving tips via social media and other digital advertising. The Governor’s California Blueprint proposal includes $750 million in additional drought funding, $250 million of which was set aside as a drought reserve to be allocated in the spring, based on conditions and need.

More information on the state’s response to the drought and informational resources available to the public are available at https://drought.ca.gov/.

CDFA was welcomed today to the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program Technical Advisory Council. The council is a centralized source of information and resources to assist decision makers at the state, regional, and local levels as they work together to adapt to climate change. Deputy Secretary for Climate and Working Lands Virginia Jameson is representing CDFA on the council.

Jameson’s addition underscores CDFA’s continuing efforts to address resiliency and adaptation to climate change through approaches such as the State Water Efficiency Enhancement Program (SWEEP), the Healthy Soils Program, the newly-launched Pollinator Habitat Program, the Conservation Agriculture Planning Grants Program, and technical assistance programs.

“I’m excited to participate in the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program Technical Advisory Council,” Jameson said. “It’s important for CDFA not only to share the many efforts underway to improve resiliency in agriculture, but also to learn from other state agencies and come together to coordinate our plans, so we have a robust climate change response.” 

By Elizabeth Ireland

After four years working for the San Diego County Agriculture, Weights & Measures Department, Podder the detector dog was honored Wednesday as he heads into retirement.

County staff organized a small ceremony at the Waterfront Park to acknowledge his work. His former coworker, Yeti, the county’s other detector dog, and Venus, a retired detector dog, and other officials were there to give him a pat on the back, a scratch on the head and lots of treats and toys.

“In honor of Podder’s service, I’d like to present this Service Award for four years of county service,” said Ha Dang, commissioner/sealer for Agriculture, Weights and Measures.

The Labrador and beagle mix has worked with his handler Kyle Moranton to intercept unmarked agricultural parcels that are shipped in violation of agricultural quarantine, or contain unwanted plant pests including insects, diseases and other harmful organisms to agriculture.

“He has a great nose,” Moranton said. “I’m going to miss him.”

Podder is six years old and is retiring due to a medical condition. He has been adopted into a loving home, Moranton said.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture started its Detector Dog Team program in 2009. The dogs sniff and identify unmarked parcels — considered a high-risk pathway for pests to enter the county. Dog teams conduct inspections at shipping facilities such as UPS, FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service. Dogs are trained to alert on packages that contain agricultural material such as plants, cuttings, fruits, vegetables, seeds and soil. Those packages are then opened and checked for insects, diseases, or quarantines.

During his career, Podder made 426 visits to those facilities, where he found 728 plants in unmarked parcels, including 137 rated insect pests capable of causing serious harm to agriculture or were questionable, Moranton said.

Another San Diego County agriculture inspector is now training to become a dog handler and will join the department in the summer with a new detector dog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nVl6wxtH5I&t=46s

Link to story on Times of San Diego web site

CDFA secretary Karen Ross recently joined UC Merced’s chancellor, Dr. Juan Sánchez Muñoz,  at a seminar on campus called “Securing a Climate Resilient Water Future for the San Joaquin Valley.” Secretary Ross and Chancellor Muñoz share common concerns given the ongoing drought, the impacts of climate change on California agriculture, the need to support rural and local economies in California’s Central Valley, and the demand for science-based research into problems and policies.

The seminar brought together multiple irrigation districts, scientific researchers at UC Merced, university administrators, and others to understand the current impacts of climate change on water resources. It was organized by Dr. Joshua Viers, who is working to make advances in data integration to build climate resilience through artificial intelligence (AI). For example, the campus is planning to host a “smart farm” that will showcase agricultural technologies and seek to develop them further to ensure food security and support sustainability.

CDFA relies on UC Merced and its scientists for critical data on drought and climate change. A professor there, Dr. Josué Medellín-Azuara, is providing important drought information on expected fallowed acreage, job loss numbers, and economic impacts. CDFA uses this information to support farmers and ranchers as they work to adapt to fundamental changes brought about by drought and climate change. 

Ag Day returns to the west steps of the State Capitol today. The grounds are open to the public at 11:30 am. If you’re in the Downtown Sacramento area we hope to see you!