Sensors that tell growers how much water to use; drones that can fly over operations and assess the health of crops; real-time data at the fingertips of farmers.

It’s not science fiction – it’s the future of agriculture.

In an attempt to streamline operations, increase sustainability and improve climate resiliency, California farmers are embracing precision agriculture technology. Also known as “smart farming,” precision agriculture uses the latest technological innovations to produce more food while using less resources.

But California farmers are not the only ones adopting this technology. Nearly 6000 miles away, farmers, academics and public officials in the country of Chile are also actively exploring opportunities in precision agriculture.

As some of the world’s largest wine producers, Chile and California share a number of similarities. They both enjoy Mediterranean climate ecosystems. They bought have struggled with prolonged drought. And most importantly, both California and Chile are committed to implementing climate smart agricultural practices.

In an effort to share best practices, exchange information and learn more about the potential of precision agriculture,  the California Department of Food and Agriculture will host a climate smart webinar, titled “California & Chile: Opportunities for Precision Agriculture in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.”

This free webinar brings together farmers, research scientists and government representatives from Chile and California to discuss the role precision technology can play in mitigating the impacts of climate change and improve on-farm efficiency. The event will be held on October 30^th from 9 am to 11 am.

Registration and speaker information can be found at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2276456747899022083

California continues to work in collaboration with international partners to foster knowledge-sharing partnerships to address climate change impacts on agriculture. This webinar is the seventh in a series of international discussions focusing on climate smart agriculture. For more information, contact Jaydeep Singh at Jaydeep.bhatia@cdfa.ca.gov.

Pope Francis at today’s recognition of World Food Day.

Pope Francis called for governments around the world to collaborate to make migration a safer and voluntary choice, arguing that assuring food security for all requires tackling climate change and ending conflicts. He made the call at the global ceremony to mark World Food Day, held at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome. This year’s theme focuses on addressing migration through investing in food security and rural development.

World Food Day is being marked this year as global hunger rises for the first time in over a decade, affecting 815 million people or 11 per cent of the global population. The increase is largely due to the proliferation of violent conflicts and climate-related shocks which are also major drivers of distress migration.

Madagascar President Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina, whose country is facing the impacts of climate change, also spoke at the event.

Other participants in the ceremony were European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Gilbert F. Houngbo and the Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) David Beasley.

Ministers of agriculture from several of the Group of Seven (G7) nations attended the World Food Day ceremony – testament to the important links between food security, rural development and migration. G7 representatives were Canada’s Lawrence MacAulay, France’s Stéphane Travert, Germany’s Peter Bleser, Italy’s Maurizio Martina, the United Kingdom’s Therese Coffrey and the United States’ Sonny Perdue. Japan’s Ken Saito sent a statement of support. [Read more]

Secretary Ross with California Resources Secretary John Laird on a flyover in Wine Country.

Over the weekend I traveled with Governor Brown and Senators Feinstein and Harris to Santa Rosa for meetings with local elected officials and a community town hall meeting. This is a remarkable community and the message delivered was that we are in this together and all levels of government will be fully supportive on the long road to recovery.

I cannot describe the impact of viewing block after block of completely destroyed neighborhoods – that one week ago were homes and today are piles of ashes. I look forward to visiting all the impacted North Coast counties in the next few weeks to meet with farmers and ranchers and agricultural commissioners.

A Santa Rosa neighborhood.

Governor Brown at a community meeting in Wine Country.

Photo by Carlos Avila Gonzalez, San Francisco Chronicle

Northern California wineries are already at work raising funds for fire recovery efforts. E&J Gallo Winery today announced a $1 million donation to be divided among the American Red Cross, the California Wildfires Relief Fund, the Community Foundation of Sonoma, and the Napa Valley Community Foundation. Gallo will also match employee donations two-for-one.

“It is devastating to learn that our colleagues, friends, growers and neighbors have suffered such great losses,” said Gallo Winery CEO Joseph E. Gallo. “We hope they are given the strength, fortitude, and endurance to deal with these adversities.”

Additionally, a Go Fund Me page has emerged, initiated by the Central Valley’s Fäsi Estate Winery, of Friant, Fresno County. The funds raised through this effort will be donated to the Napa Valley Community Foundation.

This week in Napa County.

As wildfires continue to spread in California, a number of the state’s local fairs as well as the State Fair have come forward to provide emergency shelter for evacuees and their animals, and to offer space for fire camps. This is one of many ways fairs serve their communities in times of need.

As of yesterday, 17 fairgrounds, from Costa Mesa to Boonville, were hosting approximately 2,000 evacuees; nearly 1,700 animals, including horses, pets, llamas and a tortoise; and 7,261 emergency response personnel and their equipment.

The fairs serving during this time are as follows:

1. Napa Valley Fairgrounds and Exposition, 575 Third St., Napa, 94559
2. Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 North Oak St., Calistoga, 94515
3. Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Rd., Santa Rosa, 95404
4. Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds, 175 Fairgrounds Dr., Petaluma, 94952
5. Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, 1005 N. State St., Ukiah, 95482
6. Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds, 442 Franklin Ave., Yuba City, 95991
7. Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Rd., Grass Valley, 95945
8. Marin County Fairgrounds, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael, 94903
9. Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds, 1 Citrus Fair Dr., Cloverdale, 95425
10. Solano County Fairgrounds, 900 Fairgrounds Dr., Vallejo, 94589
11. Kern County Fairgrounds, 1142 S. P St., Bakersfield, 93307
12. Mendocino County Fairgrounds, 14400 Highway 128, Boonville, 95415
13. Orange County Fairgrounds, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, 92626
14. Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, 91769
15. Dixon May Fairgrounds, 655 S. First St., Dixon, 95620
16. Lake County Fairgrounds, 401 Martin St., Lakeport, 95453
17. Cal Expo State Fair, 1600 Exposition Blvd., Sacramento, 95815

CDFA joins with the rest of the country in celebrating National Farmers Day today.  Here are some interesting facts about our farmers and ranchers:

• There are roughly 3.2 million farmers in the United States—that’s less than 2 percent of our population.
• Ninety-nine percent of farms are family-owned, and account for 89 percent of agriculture production.
• The average American farmer grows enough to feed 165 people!
• USDA’s latest Census of Agriculture found that 25 percent of farmers were “new and beginning” – meaning they had been operating their current farm for fewer than ten years. (But we need lots more new and beginning farmers!)
• And there are 969,672 women farmers in the United States – that’s nearly 1/3 of all farmers.
• Farmers are tech-savvy. Satellites, GPS systems, and other new solutions are helping today’s farmers get the most of every acre, drop of water and seed they plant.

Photo by Sam Armanino – Eureka Times-Standard

In response to the devastating fires currently raging across California, the California Association of Food Banks (CAFB) and CA Grown are asking the state’s farmers and ranchers to consider donating food products to needy food banks across the state.

To connect with a food bank serving communities impacted by the ongoing fires, please contact:

Steve Linkhart | Farm to Family Director
California Association of Food Banks
stevelinkhart@cafoodbanks.org
(510) 350 – 9916

Requested products include: ready to eat foods

Area food banks are also in need of cash donations. Please consider giving to:

Yuba-Sutter Food Bank

Redwood Empire Food Bank 

Community Action of Napa Valley Food Bank

Fort Bragg Food Bank 

As the country’s largest producer of food, California’s agricultural community has willingly stepped up in times of need. Earlier this month, our farmers and ranchers donated over 122 tons of food to needy families through the California Association of Food Bank’s Farm to Family Program.

For those thousands of victims displaced from their homes, a warm meal can make a world of difference. In this time of great suffering, the generosity of California’ agricultural community is great appreciated.

Will Gross (center), who lost his home in a fire two years ago and found shelter and assistance at the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, returned yesterday as a volunteer. Picture by Paige St. John, Los Angeles Times

Note – A total  of 13 fairgrounds–in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Sutter,  Marin, Sutter, Nevada Orange and Kern counties–are serving as emergency shelters during this fire emergency.  

By Paige St. John

Two years ago, during the Valley fire, the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, Calif., was the scene of a tent city of evacuees, along with massage therapists, puppet artists, drum circles and food catered by the best of Napa Valley.

On Monday, smoke from the nearby Tubbs fire left the same evacuation shelter all but deserted. But it didn’t stop determined volunteers from showing up to give what they could.

Among them was Will Gross of Cobb.

“I lost my house in the Valley fire. These guys helped me out, so I thought I’d help them,” Gross said as he scooped watermelon and cantaloupe into a fruit salad in the shelter’s kitchen.

He worked beside two professional cooks – Ed Burke, the food service director for Calistoga joint unified schools, and Andy Wild, special events director for the fabled Culinary Institute of America, which has an academy near Napa.

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Note – CDFA’s Division of Measurement Standards regulates fuel dispensing accuracy and signage at California service stations and also oversees the free air and water law.   

By James Radcliffe

Q. Mr. Honk: I am pretty sure California passed a law requiring gas stations to provide air for free. This was to reduce emissions as vehicles get better gas mileage with properly inflated tires. You might want to inform your readers of that. Thanks.

– Nick Berger, Westminster

A. Nick is banking off of a short mention by Honk last week about a nifty air dispenser for tires at some gas stations and, yes, he is correct about the law.

If you didn’t buy petrol at the station, well, start tossing coins into the ol’ machine. Otherwise, you can head inside the gas shack and say you fueled up and need some air or water – for free.

Gas stations must provide free air, water and the use of a tire gauge to those who purchased fuel under a California law passed in 1999, said Steve Lyle, a state spokesman. Legislators wanted to ensure vehicles roll along safely.

Operators can flip a switch or give you tokens or coins.

The state’s Division of Measurement Standards can cite violators with a $250 fine. To make a complaint, go to the state agency’s online site and type “air” into the search bar to find the form.

Link to “Honk.”