By Jennifer Best

(Excerpted)

Pesticides, herbicides, organics and technology are all hot topics in the agriculture community, but labor issues, particularly a lack of available workers, are the chief concerns this year for large-scale operations on the Central Coast.

“Labor is pretty much front and center right now. I was just talking to our general manager about H-2A workers we’re trying to bring in, but they’ve been delayed since May 1,” said Philip Adam, operations manager at Santa Maria-based Innovative Produce.

The H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers Program grants temporary visas to non-citizen workers specifically employed in agriculture.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 160,084 H-2A Temporary Agricultural Labor Visas have been certified nationwide. At 18,886, Georgia received the greatest percentage of those visas. California came in fifth at 12,292 behind North Carolina, Florida and Washington. Louisiana, Kentucky, Arizona, Michigan, and South Carolina rounded out the top 10.

The temporary work visas are granted when, among other things, employers can “demonstrate that there are not enough U.S. workers who are able, willing, qualified, and available to do the temporary work,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Workers granted the H-2A visa may remain in the United States for up to three years before they are required to return to their home country. They may bring their spouses and children, but spouse visas preclude them from working. H-2A visa holders must leave the U.S. after three years, but may reapply for temporary worker status again after three months away.

“H-2A workers are going to be the big solution for the foreseeable and near future. We’re trying to find ways to sustainably house, bring in, and train these workers to bring them into the community and add a lot to it,” Adam said.

The seventh-generation Santa Maria Valley farmer works with his father, Innovative Produce owner George Adam, other family members and a host of employees to cultivate 1,800 acres of conventionally and organically grown fruits and vegetables including lettuces, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, cilantro, Brussels sprouts, kale, strawberries, blackberries, peppers and squash.

“California agriculture is very different from agriculture in other parts of the country because our productivity rates, because our climate and soils are so much better than other places in the country. That security our climate gives us allows us to make big investments with some certainty,” Philip said.

Technology a possible solution

Investment in technology has further advanced California farmers, and may ultimately serve as a solution to the worker shortage.

“To ease the labor crunch, we’re doing everything we can to automate, from weeding to thinning. You’ll see limited thinning crews in the next five years. A lot of those jobs are going to be replaced by machine,” Philip said.

Meanwhile, Innovative Produce has leveraged its most experienced workers to turn out both higher production through the incentive of piece-work. The result has been greater production in spite of limited employees, and increased pay for the workers.

“Instead of paying by the hour, we pay by the carton. It’s worked out really well. It’s given a lot of people a chance to make a lot more money in a shorter amount of time. It’s allowed us to control costs,” Philip said.

Piece-work an incentive

Some of Innovative Produce’s better crews now paid by the carton can turn out 1.6 to 1.7 times the amount of product as they did when they worked for hourly pay. They are also earning more.

“It’s really just a marginal cost/benefit decision,” Philip explained.

He sees farmers making tough decisions about employment in the future as well.

“If minimum wage goes to $15 and 9-hour days, and we have to go to overtime to complete the work, that makes the machines more attractive. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. The tougher rules that are in place on California farmers have forced us to innovate a lot more than other places in the country,” he said.

Precision agriculture has become a keystone to successful operations.

“We’re getting everything dialed in with fertilizers and water application. Planting technology has gotten better. Technology really is driving progress in our industry now. Those that aren’t taking advantage of technology aren’t going to last. If you don’t have great production, don’t have great piecework setting all your ducks in a row from beginning to end, you’re not doing business in California agriculture in the future,” Adam said.

Link to article

By Anna Guth

The infection arrives with the rains, splashing down from a neighbor’s thick leaves. It takes hold one winter and persists silently for a year or two. Ambrosia beetles and bark beetles colonize the weakened tanoak, and the bark oozes and spots with dark-red liquid. Then, in a matter of weeks, the leaves brown and decay, and the tree dies.

Sudden oak death, a disease caused by the pathogen phyophthora ramorum, first appeared in an area near Mount Tamalpais in 1995. Though today it has devastated many parts of coastal California and Oregon, Marin County was one of the first places to receive attention from academic institutions studying the disease.

Since 2015, the University of California, Davis, the Marin Municipal Water District and the United States Forest Service have collaborated on a study of management strategies that contain the disease. The effort, called the Resilient Forests Project, has been focused on around 25 acres at three sites along the Bolinas Ridge, Laurel Dell and the San Geronimo Ridge.

This fall, the study will expand onto 10 to 30 new acres near the intersection of the Bolinas-Fairfax Road, Bolinas Ridge Road and Skyline Boulevard, with some new goals in mind.

“The severity of the disease is unfortunately exceptional on Bolinas Ridge, which has one of the highest mortality rates of tanoaks in the state,” Susan Frankel, a biologist from the forest service, said.

Richard Cobb, a researcher who began work on the project while at Davis and who now works at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, explained the process. “The disease causes the tanoaks to die above ground, but then they regrow from the roots, leaving behind smaller, infected trees that then also die. The resulting dense understory is a fire threat, and also depletes the soil-water reservoir,” he said.

Mr. Cobb said collaboration with local land managers to find a working solution is critical.

Marin Municipal is funding the water retention aspect of the study and supplying the crew for the vegetation work, which is primarily focused on clearing tanoaks with excavators and pulverizing them with chippers.

U.C. Davis researchers have received funding through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from a greenhouse gas reduction fund—which is generated by California’s cap and trade program—to focus on research related to the effect of carbon storage in the diseased forests. In preliminary findings, they’ve seen carbon storage levels diminish as the forest converts from older-growth, healthy trees to constantly dying, small undergrowth.

“Our hope is to identify techniques that are optimal in terms of suppressing the pathogen and also increasing carbon sequestration. We are still collecting data about the short-term trade-offs between, for example, reducing fuel levels and increasing the total amount of carbon stored,” Mr. Cobb said.

Before it was logged at the turn of the 20th century, the Bolinas Ridge consisted primarily of redwoods. Douglas firs, tanoaks and second-growth redwoods replaced the native habitat. But today, there are acre-wide gaps in the canopy, where hundreds of thousands of smaller tanoaks have sprung up.

Though the disease kills coast live oaks, California black oaks, Shreve’s oaks and canyon live oaks, among other tree species, tanoaks are especially susceptible. Sudden oak is known to spread through spores carried by air or water.

“It’s basically a brush field out there,” Janet Klein, Marin Municipal Water District’s natural resource program manager, said. An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 acres of the district’s total 22,000 acres are infected by the disease.

Ms. Klein said about 2,000 acres of the infected area are readily accessible. The district hopes to address about 100 acres per year, funding permitting. So far, the project has been expensive, with management costs at around $12,000 per acre. The next year is funded, Ms. Klein said, but she is still looking for support for two to three years out.

The team has some new goals for the Bolinas Ridge site, including testing the success of more efficient and cheaper methods. In the past, they “saw an increase in carbon sequestration and soil moisture, and also improved fire safety, but it was really expensive,” Ms. Klein said. “Our next attempt will focus on working faster and more cheaply. We are hoping, for instance, to not chip the wood so finely. We’re hoping we can still realize the same benefits but leave coarser material behind.”

New data also shows that native species such as redwoods were not regrowing in the areas cleared of tanoaks, as was hoped would happen. The next phase of the project will include both re-vegetation efforts and controlled burns.

Link to article 

 

Gold Country Fair

9/7/2017 to 9/10/2017
Auburn, CA

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Kern County Fair

9/20/2017 to 10/1/2017
Bakersfield, CA

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Lodi Grape Festival

9/14/2017 to 9/17/2017
Lodi, CA

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Los Angeles County Fair

9/1/2017 to 9/25/2017
Pomona, CA

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Madera District Fair

9/7/2017 to 9/10/2017
Madera, CA

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Mariposa County Fair & Homecoming

9/1/2017 to 9/4/2017
Mariposa, CA

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Mendocino County Fair & Apple Show

9/15/2017 to 9/17/2017
Boonville, CA

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San Benito County Fair

9/28/2017 to 10/1/2017
Tres Pinos, CA

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Santa Cruz County Fair

9/13/2017 to 9/17/2017
Watsonville, CA

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Tulare County Fair

9/13/2017 to 9/17/2017
Tulare, CA

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Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair

9/7/2017 to 9/10/2017
Tulelake, CA

Excerpted news release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife 

California state government agencies combating the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels remind boaters to remain cautious over the Labor Day weekend.

Quagga and zebra mussels are invasive freshwater mussels native to Eurasia. They multiply quickly, encrust watercraft and infrastructure, alter water quality and the aquatic food web and ultimately impact native and sport fish communities. These mussels spread from one body of water to another by attaching to watercraft, equipment and nearly anything that has been in an infested waterbody.

Microscopic juveniles, invisible to the naked eye, are spread from infested waterbodies in water entrapped in boat engines, bilges, live-wells and buckets. Quagga mussels have infested 33 waterways in Southern California and zebra mussels have infested two waterways in San Benito County.

To prevent the spread of these mussels and other aquatic invasive species, people launching vessels at any body of water are subject to watercraft inspections and are strongly encouraged to clean, drain and dry their motorized and non-motorized boats, including personal watercraft, and any equipment that contacts the water before and after recreating.

Travelers are advised to be prepared for inspections at California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Border Protection Stations. Over the past nine years, more than 1 million watercraft entering California have been inspected at the Border Protection Stations. Inspections, which can also be conducted by CDFW and California State Parks, include a check of boats and personal watercraft, as well as trailers and all onboard items. Contaminated vessels and equipment are subject to decontamination, rejection, quarantine or impoundment.

Take the following steps both before traveling to and before leaving a waterbody to prevent spreading invasive mussels, improve your inspection experience and safeguard California waterways:

• CLEAN — inspect exposed surfaces and remove all plants and organisms,
• DRAIN — all water, including water contained in lower outboard units, live-wells and bait buckets, and
• DRY — allow the watercraft to thoroughly dry between launches. Watercraft should be kept dry for at least five days in warm weather and up to 30 days in cool weather.

Quagga and zebra mussels can attach to and damage virtually any submerged surface. They can:

• Ruin a boat engine by blocking the cooling system and causing it to overheat
• Jam a boat’s steering equipment, putting occupants and others at risk
• Require frequent scraping and repainting of boat hulls
• Colonize all underwater substrates such as boat ramps, docks, lines and other underwater surfaces, causing them to require constant cleaning
• Impose large expenses to owners

A multi-agency effort that includes CDFW, DBW, CDFA and the California Department of Water Resources has been leading an outreach campaign to alert the public to the quagga and zebra mussel threats. A toll-free hotline, (866) 440-9530, is available for those seeking information on quagga or zebra mussels.

The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) has issued a statewide Flex Alert that calls for voluntary electricity conservation from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday, September 1, 2017. Consumers are urged to conserve electricity especially during the afternoon when air conditioners typically are at peak use. Consumers can help avoid power interruptions by turning off all unnecessary lights, using major appliances before 1 p.m. and after 10 p.m., and setting air conditioners to 78 degrees or higher.

Forecasts now project record demand load on Friday and all available resources are on line and readyto respond. Power supply conditions will be tight Friday and so will be the natural gas supply in southern California. Southern California Gas Company and the ISO are following the processes established to manage gas supply in the LA Basin during the limitations placed on the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility. The ISO’s service territory serves about 80 percent of California’s electricity consumers.

For more electricity conservation tips, visit the ISO’s Flex Alert website at
http://www.flexalert.org/save-energy.

Conservation Tips
• Set thermostat at 78° or higher and turn off, if away
• Cool with fans and draw drapes-
• Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances
• Use major appliances in morning or late evening

Animal health is a year-round part of what farmers and ranchers do, but it’s especially important as we gear up for this late summer heat wave.

First of all, be sure to protect yourself, your family and your employees from the dangers that extreme and prolonged heat can pose when working outdoors. California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health offers heat illness prevention information for employers here. The US Dept. of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s employer guide is available here.

This long, hot summer has already given our ranchers a lot of practice at protecting their livestock and poultry from overheating. Fall may be just around the corner, but the forecast for this heat wave is as serious as we’ve seen lately.

Check those back-up generators, fans, misters and shade structures. Be sure your waterers are refilled with fresh water to encourage drinking, and do what you can to minimize animal handling during the hottest part of the day.

CDFA Secretary Karen Ross is in Mexico this week with a California Grown trade delegation focusing on expanding opportunities for California specialty crops.

Secretary Ross met with Mr. Raul Urteaga Trani, general coordinator for international affairs with Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA).

Mexico is California’s largest trading partner and the fifth-largest export destination for California’s agricultural products, with a value exceeding $1 billion.

The meeting provided an opportunity to share common commitments and values as well as enhance ongoing cooperation on agricultural trade.  California and Mexico share many agricultural issues – this meeting reaffirmed their partnership, and a commitment to farmers, ranchers and agricultural workers who benefit from the longstanding trade ties.

By Art Marroquin

Drivers speeding into California along southbound Interstate 15 usually come to an abrupt, but necessary, stop about 100 miles past the Nevada border.

And just like that, a worker usually waves them past a giant, yellow “California Inspection” sign designating the Yermo Border Protection Station.

Big rigs, RVs, livestock haulers and other large vehicles are occasionally pulled aside so that inspectors can determine whether fruit flies, gypsy moths or other potentially dangerous insects are hitching a ride on a vegetable or piece of fruit.

“It’s the first line of defense,” said Steve Lyle, a spokesman for the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “The main role of the stations is to prevent invasive species from entering California, helping the department fulfill its mission to protect the food supply and the environment.”

In the next couple of years, motorists leaving Las Vegas can expect to stop and have their produce checked a whole lot sooner.

Construction could start as soon as fall on a $47 million agricultural inspection station about 7 miles south of the Nevada border, aimed at keeping scofflaws from taking bypass roads to avoid the current facility, Lyle said.

Plus, the old facility, built in 1963, “has become antiquated and is deteriorating,” Lyle said.

An opening date was not disclosed, but the Yermo station’s staff of 22 permanent employees and 10 seasonal workers are expected to be transferred to the new facility.

More than 600,000 vehicles got an up-close physical inspection last year at the Yermo station, Lyle said, with 245 commercial shipments and 637 items from private vehicles rejected for failing to meet California’s stringent standards.

Link to article 

Please see this video about California’s Border Inspection Stations.

By Chelsea Harvey

Agriculture has historically released almost as much carbon into the atmosphere as deforestation, a new study suggests — and that’s saying something.

In a paper published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that land use changes associated with planting crops and grazing livestock have caused a loss of 133 billion tons of carbon from soil worldwide over the last 12,000 years, amounting to about 13 years of global emissions at their current levels. And at least half of those losses have probably occurred in the last few centuries.

“Historically, I think we’ve underestimated the amount of emissions from soils due to land use change,” said lead study author Jonathan Sanderman, an associate scientist with the Woods Hole Research Center, a climate change research organization based in Massachusetts.