From a USDA news release

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced plans to increase capacity at the Port of Oakland and improve service for shippers of U.S. grown agricultural commodities. The USDA is partnering with the Port of Oakland to set up a new 25-acre “pop-up” site to make it easier for agricultural companies to fill empty shipping containers with commodities.

Fewer containers have been made available for U.S. agricultural commodities, as ocean carriers have circumvented traditional marketing channels and rushed containers back to be exported empty and as a result, many of these carriers have suspended service to the Port of Oakland. USDA is now taking action to reduce these shipping disruptions that have prevented U.S. agricultural products from reaching their markets.

“COVID-19 revealed vulnerabilities across our supply system, both at our ports and in the agricultural sector,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Vilsack said. “As the economy has made an historic recovery, it has put additional strain on the supply chain. The Biden-Harris Administration is using creative approaches to improve port operations while elevating American-grown food and fiber. This partnership with the Port of Oakland builds on our aggressive approach to addressing challenges within the supply chain and sends a strong signal that we are committed to working across the Administration and with state, local and private partners to mitigate complex port capacity and congestion issues and to keep American agriculture on the move.”

“This creative partnership with USDA and the Port of Oakland will help American farmers and agricultural producers move their product to market while also making better use of empty containers that are causing congestion at the ports,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “After we helped set up inland pop-up ports at the Port of Savannah, we witnessed significant improvements in the flow of goods, and we expect to see similarly positive results once this Oakland facility is open. We look forward to engaging with other ports on similar solutions to congestion.”

“This is an important step that shows the value of players in the supply chain coming together to identify challenges as well as potential solutions,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “I wish to thank the USDA for making this investment. It will help improve access to overseas markets for California agriculture producers at a critical time of year for exports of high-value specialty crops.”

The site will provide space to prepare empty containers beginning in early March. Agricultural companies and cooperatives will have easier access to these containers, which they will fill with commodities, restoring shipping services to agricultural products while relieving congestion. The new site will also have a dedicated gate with the ability to pre-cool refrigerated shipping containers to receive perishable commodities, all while avoiding bottlenecks that would have resulted from entering the main area of the port.

Read more here

From a news release

The Sonoma County Winegrowers are joining Ford Pro^™ in a pilot project that will bring electric vehicles and connected services to three farms in Sonoma County.

The heart of the project is to demonstrate how electric vehicles and web-based fleet management tools can have a positive impact on the agriculture industry in terms of increasing productivity, improving sustainability, and lowering the total cost of fleet ownership anywhere from 10% to 20%.

“Ford Pro is thrilled to team with the Sonoma County Winegrowers to further their sustainability goals and begin their transition to fully integrated all-electric fleets with on-site charging,” said Wanda Young, Ford Pro global chief marketing officer. “Ford Pro and the Sonoma County Winegrowers are driven by many of the same tenets – to accelerate productivity while operating responsibly.”

The pilot project is launching with Bevill Vineyard Management and Vino Farms in Healdsburg, and Dutton Ranch in Sebastopol – which collectively represent about 4,000 acres in the vineyard-rich Russian River Valley. Young anticipates the program will expand in the coming months to include other farming operations in the county.

About 60,000 acres across Sonoma County are dedicated to growing wine grapes, and another 120,000 acres are used for other diversified agriculture, such as apple orchards, dairy farms and cut flowers. In 2014, the Sonoma County Winegrowers launched an initiative to represent one of the nation’s leading winegrowing regions in terms of sustainability, with a target of reaching sustainable designation for nearly all of its vineyard acreage in the county.

Sonoma County Winegrowers president Karissa Kruse said she believes electric vehicle adoption and efficient fleet management are the next steps in sustainability.

“This collaboration with the Ford Pro team is a great natural next step to help us continue our progress in sustainable agriculture,” Kruse said. “A lot of farming families have a rich history with Ford, and with history comes trust. So as many of our farmers look for ways to lead in innovation and be a part of the solution, that trust is critical when it comes to investing in electric vehicles and in solutions to manage farming fleets. Our farmers love this pilot program; it’s going to be foundational.”

In addition to the vehicles, the farms can consult with the Ford Pro team for the duration of the program and will have software, charging services, and energy management assistance available – all to help reduce operating costs and more efficiently manage gas and electric vehicle fleets.

Read more on the Sonoma County Winegrowers web site

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross participated this week at the California Association of Resource Conservation District’s (CARCD) 76th Annual Conference, joining USDA-NRCS state conservationist Carlos Suarez and Dr. Glenda Humiston, vice president of the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources division. The virtual panel discussion was moderated by Karen Buhr, executive director of CARCD.

The discussion focused on the ongoing collaboration, partnership, and commitment to continue building climate resiliency and assisting farmers and ranchers in this significant goal.

Secretary Ross stressed the importance of funding for technical assistance to ensure that Climate Smart Agriculture programs and resources may be sustained. Resource conservation districts throughout California have received approximately 50 percent of technical assistance funds from CDFA.

The panel also covered the importance of equity at the center of agricultural best practices and funding opportunities. Secretary Ross noted CDFA is committed to carrying out the Governor’s goal for addressing climate change in a way that builds a more equitable economy. Additionally, a number of employees have completed the agency’s first training sessions as part of the Cohort of the Capitol Collaborative on Race and Equity, and CDFA has established the agency’s first Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee.  The secretary has also convened two ad-hoc advisory groups — one for historically underserved farmers and the other for small farmers.  

“We will continue bringing an equity lens to all aspects of our work and the people and stakeholders we serve. Our commitment to equity includes working to provide all California farmers with access to the agency’s many programs,” Secretary Ross said.

Secretary Ross also thanked Governor Newson and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom for their commitment to healthy soils, conservation, farm-to-school programs, and a sustainable and resilient agricultural system for California.

CDFA has received $2 million from the USDA for a research consortium to implement a demonstration and outreach approach to help farmers improve nitrogen fertilization and irrigation practices. These funds are being awarded through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grants program, which this year is providing $15 million to 19 projects nationwide to support the development of new tools, approaches, practices and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.

This project will be led by CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and is a collaboration with the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources division and UC Davis to support farmer-led coalitions in protecting the long-term viability of farming in the San Joaquin Valley.

The three-year project will deploy seven UC Cooperative Extension personnel to the San Joaquin Valley to perform education and demonstration projects, provide on-farm consultation, and conduct outreach activities to promote locally appropriate best practices.

Program staff will consult with farmer-led water quality coalitions in each region to further assess grower needs. UC Davis researchers will study the effectiveness of this demonstration-and-outreach approaches and will identify extension methods that can efficiently help farmers adopt new conservation practices. 

For more information on the project, contact FREP@cdfa.ca.gov.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork (CDFA-F2F) recently was allocated $20 million to continue its Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program. CDFA encourages interested parties to stay tuned for announcements about how to apply in the next round of this grant program that funds energy-efficient refrigeration units in corner stores and small businesses in low-income or low-access areas throughout the state, allowing them to stock California-grown fresh produce, nuts and minimally processed foods as well as meat, dairy, eggs and other foods.

Examples of Healthy Refrigeration Grant Program benefits can be seen in this video released by the County of Los Angeles Internal Services Department spotlighting four locations that received a refrigeration unit through the first round of grants.

https://vimeo.com/539258784/eb702c2e51

https://vimeo.com/539258784/eb702c2e51

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a revision of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule that would change the pre-harvest agricultural water requirements for farms covered by the Produce Safety Rule (other than sprouts). Most California fruit, vegetable and nut farms are covered by the Produce Safety Rule, including those with more than $25,000 in average annual produce sales, with some exceptions.

FDA’s proposed revision is intended to address stakeholder concerns about the complexity and practical implementation of certain pre-harvest agricultural water requirements. The proposed revision does not change requirements for agricultural water used during and after harvest, or for sprouts. It would introduce a systems-based, pre-harvest agricultural water assessment to evaluate potential hazards and guide risk management decision-making on the farm. Public comments about the FDA’s proposed revision may be submitted via the Federal Register until April 5, 2022.

In California, the Produce Safety Rule is regulated on FDA’s behalf by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Produce Safety Program. During the proposed revision’s comment period and until the FDA rulemaking process has been completed, CDFA’s Produce Safety Program will maintain the current inspection process related to this section of the Produce Safety Rule.

Visit CDFA’s Produce Safety Program webpage for more information about farms covered by the Produce Safety Rule.

From a Farm Credit Alliance news release

Going off to college is a big leap into the unknown for most college-bound high school seniors – especially when they’re doing so in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. To help ease the transition, the California Association of Future Farmers of America (FFA) has introduced a new program to make that leap a little more manageable – and to remind the students that there are many pathways to a career in California agriculture.

Funded in part by grants from Farm Credit, the Change Makers Summit: The Future Awaits! is a two-day program aimed at incoming high school seniors, explained Maureen Funk, the California FFA Foundation’s development director.

“The original plan, pre-pandemic, was that prior to their senior year, seniors would take time out and go to a conference at a college campus, experience life in the dorms, and have conversations with FFA alums about what skills they need to develop during their senior year to get ready for their next steps,” she said. “It’s an opportunity for them to stop and reflect for a bit – you’re almost done with this program, what’s next?”

Of course, due to COVID-19, the conference had to be virtual. The first one was held in the spring of 2021 for students about to graduate from high school, with a second session held in August for incoming seniors. FFA is planning to hold the program again this year, but plans are not yet final.

Rob Faris, President and CEO of Golden State Farm Credit, said the program is designed to help students use the skills they have gained and fulfill their life’s purpose after leaving the FFA blue and gold.

“The FFA alumni volunteers help students identify the specific skills they have gained from their FFA education and help them create a career plan that highlights how those skills will help them find success,” Faris said. “The volunteers also outline specific service projects seniors can undertake in their home communities or at college, and the seniors will leave knowing how capable, valuable and marketable they are.”

Maureen Funk said 164 students participated last April and another 207 did so in August.

“Our target was 150 participants at each session, so we were very pleased with the outcomes. Both sessions included a broad band of students from all our areas and participation was very good. The interns and volunteers all felt they got really good feedback and that it was a valuable experience.”

For more information about the summit, visit https://calaged.org/change-makers-summit.

The federal government has launched a website that allows individuals to order free at-home COVID-19 antigen tests delivered directly to one’s home.

• Order online at www.covidtests.gov
• Every home in U.S. can order four (4) free at-home COVID-19 tests
• Tests are free and will be shipped by the U.S. Postal Service
• Tests should arrive within 7-12 days from order

The tests available for order:

• Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR
• Can be taken anywhere
• Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required)
• Work whether or not you have COVID-⁠19 symptoms
• Work whether or not you are up to date on your COVID-⁠19 vaccines
• Are also referred to as self-tests or over-the-counter (OTC) tests

If you need a COVID-⁠19 test now, please see other testing resources for free testing locations in your area.

California leads the nation in citrus production, and Tulare County leads California in navel orange production. Meet a farmer whose family has been on land in Tulare County since 1917! Videos in English and Spanish.

https://youtu.be/ibVSELn3Osw

https://youtu.be/MbB-hciqaUE

From a Nuffield Scholars news release

The Nuffield International Farming Scholars program, which develop leaders to help shape the future of agriculture, has named vintner Thomas Merwin of Clarksburg (Yolo County) as a scholar for 2022. He is the program’s first-ever scholar from California.

Merwin is the General Manager and Vice President of Merwin Vineyards, a multi-generational family farm, and co-founder and partner in Silt Wine Company, a winery and tasting room in Clarksburg. He also serves as president of the Clarksburg Wine Growers and Vintners Association.

Nuffield Scholars step out of their own lives and activities during their year of scholarship to find best practices, ideas, insight, and resources to carry back home. Whether they are investigating production agriculture, financial and succession planning topics, market trends, or communications and outreach efforts, Nuffield Scholars dig into a topic of interest to them and of value to the industry. 

Merwin plans to study how family farms in California can survive and thrive and will travel to Spain and France to study corporate, family, and cooperative farms and wineries; Latin America to research small cooperatives in conjunction with large corporate farms; and the UK to study agritourism and agricultural finance.  

“Given how challenging the situation is, I want to focus on how family farms can pivot or re-focus for long-term survival, looking at strategies and examples such as collaborating with institutional investors, vertical integration, specialization, and joint venture partnerships,” said Merwin. “I believe this topic is important because family farms play a critical role in our local, national, and global agricultural community. I hope my research and experiences will inspire others to re-evaluate their business models and improve their odds for succession and survival”.

Read more about the Nuffield Scholars program here