Pictured at last year’s SOP summit booth are (L-R) SOP Special Investigator Pam Rodriguez, National Organic Program (NOP) Agricultural Marketing Specialist Devon Pattillo, SOP Special Investigator Leslie Fernandez, SOP Supervising Special Investigator Danny Lee and NOP Accreditation Division Director Robert Yang.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California State Organic Program (SOP) invites attendees of the sixth annual Organic Grower Summit to visit the SOP booth in the exhibitor section. The event runs November 29-30.
The summit provides a great opportunity for the organic ag community to interact with SOP staff as well as industry leaders, National Organic Program staff and others involved in organic production. It’s presented by Western Growers and the Organic Produce Network at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey.
The Organic Grower Summit is designed to provide information vital to organic growers and producers, as well as an overview of the opportunities and challenges in the production of organic fresh food. The two-day event boasts a sold-out trade show floor featuring soil amendment, ag tech, food safety, packaging and equipment exhibitors who will have the opportunity to connect with growers as well as organic field production staff, supply chain managers, pest management advisors and food safety experts. For more information, please visit www.organicgrowersummit.com.
California ranks number one in the nation for dairy production, with 1,100 to 1,200 dairy farms, each with an average of 1,436 cows, mostly concentrated in Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley. A major dairy waste is cow manure, a byproduct that can require millions of dollars for each dairy to manage.
To help manage the manure, CDFA provides grant funds to California dairy farms to install dairy digesters, a technology that can break down manure and produce methane (a form of renewable energy). The digesters provide additional benefits such as capturing greenhouse gases while improving the nutrient value of manure and water quality.
Pramod Pandey, UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the School of Veterinary Medicine Extension at UC Davis, has been studying dairy digesters for over 20 years to understand the conversion of manure into renewable energy. He also is trying to determine the effects of anaerobic processes (in low-oxygen conditions) on dairy manure quality, biogas production and the environment.
Between 2015 and 2022, CDFA supported approximately 133 dairy digester projects in California, with grants of more than $200 million to various dairy farms.
“The California state government plays a big role in the success of this technology because the majority of dairy farmers are not financially able to invest in implementing the manure management technology, which assist both dairy farms and community,” said Pandey.
For dietary components that cannot be completely digested by a cow’s stomach, dairy digesters use a variety of bacteria to break down the manure under anaerobic conditions. This provides an option for sustainable waste treatment. The process not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions by capturing the gases released from manure, but also produces renewable energy in the form of biogas, which can be used as an alternative fuel for cars to further bring down greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the dairy digester helps reduce odor and pathogens that pose a risk to human health.
According to Pandey, one cow can theoretically produce roughly 100 pounds of wet manure daily, and this manure contains nitrogen and phosphorous, which are important for soil. About 40 cubic feet of biogas is produced from the manure of one cow under anaerobic conditions, and this biogas has a potential to produce around 24,000 btu per cow. In California, a 1,000-square foot home uses 45,000 to 55.000 btu per day for heating and cooling. That means manure from two or three cows could meet the daily energy demand of a small home.
By using digesters, farmers can prevent greenhouse gas emissions and simultaneously generate energy and soil amendments, which provide nutrients to cropland, lessening the amount of commercial fertilizer needed. By connecting technologies, the liquid from digesters can be improved to produce water that can be used for irrigation and for meeting the water demands of a dairy farm.
“The main purpose of a dairy farm is to produce milk, and current low milk prices make it difficult for dairy farmers to focus on manure management without the support from government,” Pandey said, adding that managing waste is not only expensive but time-consuming. Although dairy digesters can cost $5 million to $10 million to build and install, the technology is helpful in manure management.
Dairy farmers traditionally use anaerobic or manure lagoons to store their liquid manure waste until they are ready to apply it to farmland as fertilizer. The issue is that the lagoons emit greenhouse gases such as methane into the atmosphere.
“It is important to not overexpect from a dairy digester because it doesn’t reduce all forms of pollution from manure completely,” Pandey said. “But given the available resources, funding and technology, I would say that we’re off to a good start.”
Dennis Da Silva, a dairy farmer in Escalon, has been working in the industry his entire life and used to be “totally against” digesters. In the late 1970s, Da Silva’s father, who immigrated from Portugal, started Da Silva Dairy Farm, which Da Silva currently runs.
“I spend a lot of money getting solids out of my lagoons every year,” Da Silva said.
Although he does not have digesters set up on his farm just yet, Da Silva agreed with Pandey that the government has made it much easier for farmers like himself to tackle waste.
“I used to be against the dairy digester idea, but there’s a lot more incentive to invest these days,” said Da Silva. “It’s also likely that, in the future, there’ll be regulations that will crack down on dairy farms if you don’t already have digesters,” he added.
Currently, he is in the permitting phase, waiting for approval to begin building the digester on his farm, which is expected to take about two years.
Pandey said that the process is slow and there is still a lot of room for improvement, but the intention is a step in the right direction. “The only thing that the digester doesn’t produce is milk,” Pandey said jokingly.
The USDA is initiating a new effort to further support the U.S. specialty crops sector and increase the competitiveness of its products as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to build new, more and better markets that catalyze opportunity for American farmers.
“We all count on America’s specialty crops for reliable access to nutritious, fresh foods,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. “Specialty crop producers are hard at work to keep operations profitable while implementing sustainable practices, and President Biden is proud to invest in innovation within the industry to remain competitive domestically and in markets across the world.”
As part of this new effort, USDA conducted a departmentwide review of its current services and programs that support the specialty crops industry and compiled the information into a Specialty Crops Resource Directory (PDF, 1.6 MB). The directory, being launched today, is a one-stop shop for the sector and contains a comprehensive snapshot of USDA’s resources and services for specialty crops producers and businesses in one convenient location.
Additionally, over the next several months, USDA leadership will engage directly with the specialty crop industry and producers to gain feedback on how the Department can better address gaps in services and better meet the industry’s needs. Dates and locations of roundtables and other live opportunities for stakeholder feedback are to be announced.
USDA also encourages U.S. specialty crops stakeholders to submit comments on how USDA can better support and meet the needs of the industry. To submit a comment, visit the Request for Information posted in the Federal Register. Comments are due by March 8, 2024. A new specialty crops-dedicated webpage designed to provide information on the initiative is available at www.usda.gov/specialty-crops.
The California F2F Program seeks to support small-scale, specialty crop farmers and food producers to refine their food and beverage products, target their marketing, and explore expanding into new markets.
IMPORTANT DEADLINE
The Spanish language track of the Farm2Food Accelerator is now open for applications.Applications close at midnight on December 18, 2023 (Pacific Standard Time). The program will run from January 2024 to April 2024.
The Farm2Food California program in English and Spanish, helped graduates gain access to resources, networking opportunities, and a step process for product development decision-making. The 15-week training program is free to participants and seeks to increase resiliency among small-scale farmers and food producers by creating value-added products or diversifying the products they sell and exploring new markets while increasing their food safety knowledge and processes. The Farm2Food programs also create a supportive community with direct access to industry-leading experts and local resources.
Success Stories
One of the graduates from the Spanish-language track last year learned to develop paste for mole, based on a recipe from Oaxaca, using regional California products. Other graduates are Darlene and Denise Ruiz, with Products from Paradise, a small farming business located in the Central Valley that specializes in growing edible cactus. They have employed a process that dehydrates cactus and turns it into powder that can be added to water to make a drink or to flour for baking or cooking.
Pictured: Denise Ruiz with Products from Paradise showcases the cactus product at the SIAL America tradeshow in Las Vegas in 2023.
For eligibility information, visit the program website. For questions about the program, please reach out to Carla Soto carla.soto@nasda.org
For nearly 60 years, Apple Hill has delighted visitors with delicious, crisp apples, fresh squeezed apple cider, and beautiful scenic views. Located along the Sierra foothills near Placerville, the Apple Hill Growers Association represents 50 local family farms. Apple Hill began in 1964 and today it’s grown to include vegetable and fruit farms, bakeshops, wineries, flower gardens, and Christmas tree farms.
Have you ever been out on a walk and seen a yellow panel trap attached to a tree? Maybe you have had a pest detection trap in your yard. Perhaps you are like me and wonder what these things are and who put them there. To get some answers, I spoke with Allison Klein, an inspector with the county’s Department of Agriculture, Weights & Measures.
Klein shared that the 611 yellow panel traps placed and monitored around Marin County throughout the year are a cooperative effort between their department and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The pests targeted by these yellow traps are the glassy-winged sharpshooter, which is monitored from March through October, and the Asian citrus psyllid, which is monitored from October through March.
(Note — these traps are placed throughout California and help detect other invasive species, as well, like fruit flies)
You probably have noticed that traps seem to appear or disappear out of nowhere, and that is because they get repositioned during the season to be sure a broad sampling is taken. Typically, a county trapper will knock on the homeowner’s door to let them know they are placing a trap on or near a host plant. If contact cannot be made this way, the county trapper will set the trap in the front yard and leave the homeowner a letter notifying them of the trap placement, the trap type and the location of the host plant. County trappers will never enter the backyards of properties without prior permission from the homeowner. Still, they may place a trap into or near a backyard from a front or side yard access or from a sidewalk.
Klein added that the pest trapping and monitoring that the county conducts with the state is not our only line of defense. The department’s inspectors also conduct incoming plant quarantines. Plant shipments are monitored at retail and wholesale nurseries, aquatic supply stores, FedEx and UPS. Of the 14,287 plant inspections performed in 2022, 108 were rejected.
We must remain vigilant about these invasive pests. It is a matter of when, not if, they will arrive in Marin County.
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross (r) in Southeast Asia with USDA Undersecretary Alexis Taylor and Ambassador Brian McFeeters (ret.),of the US-ASEAN Business Council
By CDFA Secretary Karen Ross
This week it was a pleasure to join USDA Undersecretary Alexis Taylor and more than 25 companies on an agricultural trade mission to Malaysia and Singapore. These markets represent great opportunities for California exports and serve as a gateway to the greater Southeast Asian market. California’s agricultural exports to the region are valued at approximately $2.5 billion – with dairy, fresh fruit and tree nuts among the top exports.
The visit was an opportunity to celebrate longstanding trade relationships and build new business connections within the export community. Our schedule included roundtable discussions with importers and retailers, meetings with foreign representatives of U.S agricultural trade associations, and engagement with the US ASEAN Business Council in Singapore. I also had the opportunity to visit a leading dairy plant and a bakery facility in Malaysia that both use U.S. agricultural ingredients.
One aspect of the mission that truly resonated with me was a presentation by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers underscoring the importance of Halal certification. It is a unique value proposition that is a critical aspect of the food and beverage sector in Malaysia and the larger Southeast Asian market. As a speaker from Nestle noted – Halal is not just about meat – it is a market waiting for a diversity of products as well as an acknowledgement of the culture. Halal certification can be applied to many products, from fresh fruits and wine to health supplements.
This mission served to underscore the market development opportunities that California’s agricultural exporters and trade associations can leverage in the region with the USDA’s new $1.3B investment in the Regional Agricultural Promotion Program. California’s farmers and ranchers, with their diversity of high-quality products, are well-positioned to meet growing international consumer needs while supporting local communities through job growth and expanded economic activity.
This visit was a great opportunity to support California agricultural trade and the farmers and ranchers who make our state the leading agricultural exporter in the nation.
Special thanks to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service for the amazing work they do in supporting U.S. agricultural businesses.
CDFA at work at the Latino Farmer Conference in Stockton.
Representatives from across CDFA divisions and programs were on hand at the ninth annual Latino Farmer Conference on November 1 at the Robert Cabral Ag Center in Stockton. The conference had an emphasis on sustainable agriculture, equity, and resources for underserved farmers and ranchers, as well as workshops in Spanish.
CDFA Farm to School Producer Engagement Specialist Michael Ackley-Grady stands beside a table inside the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park during Halloween-themed tours, which ran through yesterday at the mansion. The table contains samples of nature’s candy grown by Farm to School Incubator Grant Program recipient Spork Food Hub.
Governor Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and California State Parks offered these special tours to guide visitors through frightfully decorated rooms, each containing plenty of history and oozing with supernatural surprises.
Residents at California State Prison Solano enjoying California-grown produce
NOTE — CDFA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, utilizing funds provided by the USDA, awarded a grant of nearly $440,000 to the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources division to facilitate increased access to California-grown produce for residents of the state corrections system. This article from UC ANR explains more.
Serving slices of watermelon on the Fourth of July is a long-standing tradition at some facilities within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. But this July, there was something different about the watermelon offered to the approximately 8,000 residents at California State Prison Solano, California Medical Facility and Folsom State Prison.
It was juicy. It was sweet. It was “scrumdiddlyumptious,” according to one resident. And it was grown on a California family farm.
The three institutions are part of a “farm to corrections” project, Harvest of the Month, which aims to serve seasonal, locally grown produce to people who are incarcerated in California, while opening new opportunities for California farmers.
“We appreciate that someone cares enough to introduce this program that gives us something new,” said Jason Romero, a California State Prison Solano resident. “We look forward to what’s coming in the future – California has the best stuff, right? – and hopefully we get other varieties of stuff.”
The program – bringing together the Nutrition Policy Institute, the nonprofit Impact Justice, and ChangeLab Solutions in collaboration with CDCR – was officially launched with the watermelon delivery in July. Pluots followed in August, and Bartlett pears were delivered in September.
“It’s a ‘multiple wins’ kind of an effort,” said Wendi Gosliner, the NPI principal investigator on the California Department of Food and Agriculture specialty crop block grant supporting the project. “The funding is available because the state is looking for state partners to purchase and expand the markets for California-grown fruits and vegetables. And we know that getting more of those fruits and vegetables on the plates of people who are incarcerated would be a huge bonus for them.”
California State Prison Solano resident Patrick Range said that, after tasting pluots for the first time through the program, the plum-apricot hybrid is now one of his favorites.
“I think I had five of them that day – and I’m waiting for them to have them again so I can get more; they were so good,” Range said. “It’s something I’d never experienced, in the outside world or in prison.”
With rave reviews from residents and staff alike, CDCR – the State of California’s biggest purchaser of food – is planning to roll out Harvest of the Month to all 33 of its adult facilities within the next two years.
“Food brings individuals together and introducing new products can give those in the care of CDCR something to talk about, as well as look forward to,” said Lance Eshelman, CDCR’s departmental food administrator.
Improving conditions for people within correctional institutions is core to the mission of Impact Justice, which is working with partner organizations across the U.S. to bring fresher, more nutritious food to facilities, in support of residents’ physical, mental and emotional health.
“We really want to prioritize the holistic well-being of an individual to help ensure that once they come home from incarceration, they are in a place where they are ready to actually contribute back to society,” said Heile Gantan, program associate with the Food in Prison project at Impact Justice.
Range said that enjoying the fresh produce – and learning more about its nutritional value – is helping him live a healthier, more energized, and hopefully longer life.
“I was a kid that didn’t like vegetables; I didn’t want nothing to do with vegetables…[but] as an adult, being 46 years of age, I want this for myself – I want to be able to tell someone else, to teach someone else about what I experienced when getting these fruits and vegetables that helped that nutritional factor,” he said.
In addition, Gosliner noted that early research suggests better food can benefit not only the well-being of residents but also of staff, with a calmer and safer work environment.
Partnership built on shared values, priorities
Gosliner and Ron Strochlic, academic coordinator at NPI, saw an opportunity to support “farm to corrections” work through a CDFA block grant, which aims to boost the purchase of California-grown specialty crops.
“CDCR is the state’s largest single purchaser of food, so they’re a natural place to consider ways to improve food systems,” said Gosliner, who was awarded the grant in 2020 to work with partners to research and develop pathways that encourage CDCR procurement of California produce, as well as nutrition programs for formerly incarcerated individuals. The project produced a report summarizing the opportunities and challenges in bringing more California-grown produce to the state’s prison system.
The staff at Impact Justice appreciated that the NPI team brought not only research and evaluation acumen to the partnership but also an abiding concern for the people inside correctional facilities.
“Our grant funding was focused on simply increasing access to and consumption of California-grown specialty crops in CDCR prisons, but our team was very much in alignment around values and really focusing on the health and well-being of residents – highlighting and amplifying residents’ experiences and voices,” said Leslie Soble, senior program manager of the Food in Prison Project.
Gantan echoed that sentiment, adding that NPI – which is under the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources umbrella – also contributed its familiarity with regional food systems, particularly food hubs across the state.
According to the NPI team, engaging food hubs – organizations that aggregate, distribute and market food products from local producers – was a logical way to make a “farm to corrections” match.
“The majority of CDCR facilities are located in rural, agricultural regions, so to us, it was kind of a no-brainer to connect those facilities with the local communities and local farmers in the area,” Strochlic explained.
For the Harvest of the Month project, the partners teamed up with Spork, a Davis-based, mission-driven food hub that sources from growers across Northern California. Spork also aggregates the fresh produce from local farmers and delivers it to participating CDCR facilities each month.
“The farmers are very excited to see the change in the systems at CDCR in food and nutrition and what they’re offering to the residents – and they’re excited for the potential that this has for a larger, more consistent market,” said Hope Sippola, co-owner of Spork, which emphasizes working with underserved farmers as part of its mission. “We really needed to dig deep to figure out how to successfully implement this change of CDCR purchasing from large distributors to a food hub who sources from local family farms.”
