Farm Credit news release

Over the past seven years, former farmworker Aldo Gonzalez has expanded his farm business from five to 44 acres, helped by annual operating loans from California FarmLink, an Aptos-based nonprofit that since 2013 has also operated as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI).

He grew up on a family farm growing vegetables in Oaxaca, Mexico, and as a farmworker in the U.S. was determined to have his own business. Now, Gonzalez Organic Farms in Monterey County specializes in growing strawberries, which he sells at farmers markets in Cupertino, San Juan Bautista, Oakland and Sunnyvale, and is also a valued grower for large strawberry shippers.

Gonzalez is just one of a growing number of Latino farmworkers who have become successful farmers in the U.S., said Reggie Knox, FarmLink’s executive director.

“The overall number of farms is going down, while the proportion of Latino farmers is going up,” Knox said. “We want to serve this community and see it as important for the future of farming in California.”

In fact, the USDA Agricultural Census found there are more than 14,000 registered Latino farmers and ranchers in California, and Latino farmers are growing at twice the rate of traditional farmers despite being historically underserved.

As part of its ongoing commitment to encourage diversity in agriculture, Farm Credit has sponsored FarmLink and its annual Farm Finance Expo, held virtually in late 2020. Supporting Farm Credit institutions American Ag Credit, CoBank, Farm Credit West and Fresno Madera Farm Credit are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, the largest provider of credit to American agriculture.

Knox said the support of Farm Credit and other sponsors is essential to FarmLink’s success.

“The earned income we get from making loans is not enough to support operations, so we supplement that with grants and sponsorships,” he said. “We appreciate the support from Farm Credit.”

Keith Hesterberg, President and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit, noted that FarmLink has expanded its efforts in the Fresno area.

“FarmLink is now working with a number of small-scale Hmong farmers in the Fresno area, and as part of Farm Credit’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion we applaud FarmLink’s efforts and look forward to working with these beginning farmers in the future,” he said.

Mark Littlefield, President and CEO of Farm Credit West, said supporting FarmLink is just one way Farm Credit supports diversity in agriculture.

“For the past six years, Farm Credit has also been a proud sponsor of the Latino Farmer Conference, which drew some 300 participants in 2019, before COVID-19, and returned this year with a series of webinars,” Littlefield said. “Nurturing beginning farmers is part of our mission and we’re happy to support FarmLink’s work.”

Knox said since establishing the CDFI, FarmLink has loaned $31 million to more than 300 borrowers, 60% of whom are Latino and between 30- and 35% are women.

FarmLink works closely with ALBA – the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association – an incubator program in the Salinas Valley that provides land and support for beginning farmers. During the six-month course, ALBA provides a half-acre of land to learn to grow crops on. Once the farmer graduates, FarmLink comes in.

“When the beginning Latino farmer comes out of the incubator, we may help them with their first lease and provide an initial operating loan of $10,000 to $20,000 to get started. The next year the farmer may require $25,000 to $50,000 to scale up. Whenever possible, those leases include a first right of refusal for the farmer to purchase the property, because we encourage people to build a pathway to ownership so their businesses can generate multi-generational wealth,” he said.

Knox added that he believes Farm Credit can help farmers achieve that goal.

“Farm Credit is the largest lender across the country, helping farmers of all sizes. We really appreciate the partnership and hope to work closely with its associations in the future, to make sure they are there when farmers graduate from our programs and are in need of a larger loan,” he said.

The California Agricultural Neighbors (CAN) group invites all interested stakeholders to read its interim report, “California Agricultural Neighbors: Neighbor-to-neighbor best practices to help enhance localized food safety efforts,” as well as attend a three-part webinar series to learn about CAN and hear food safety recommendations from scientific experts. This effort is led cooperatively by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and Monterey County Farm Bureau.

Food safety is a shared responsibility. Continued outbreaks of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 associated with leafy greens in California’s Salinas Valley necessitates a robust response from the agricultural community and local, state and federal regulators.

Membership in CAN includes representation from the agricultural production community (leafy greens, cattle ranching, viticulture, compost), academia, associations (industry, consumer/retail), and government (local, state, federal).

CAN provides a roundtable forum to foster collaboration and discuss enhanced neighborly food safety practices when agriculture operations are adjacent to one another. The program will include information sharing and the development and refinement of a near-term food safety action plan.

Click the following links to learn more about and register for webinars to be hosted by the California Farm Bureau Federation in partnership with the Monterey County Farm Bureau and CDFA:

• Reservoirs of E. coli O157:H7 and other STEC – 1–2:30 p.m. (PDT) June 30 – Details & Registration: https://cfbf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_p3GFEq5dQ5SIL2VSXTBc6A
• Off-farm factors that may affect STEC movement on the landscape – 9–10:30 a.m. (PDT) July 7 – Details & Registration: https://cfbf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_l1lsNiWTQAaXURGmkfioxw
• On-farm factors that may affect STEC survival and contact with produce – 9–11 a.m. (PDT) July 14 – Details & Registration: https://cfbf.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qaVf0oSzRyGCC5IDMFrtTg

BY CDFA Secretary Karen Ross and California Department of Conservation Director David Shabazian

While California is known for its world-famous entertainment industry and ever-transforming tech sector, agriculture is the often-overlooked backbone of our diverse state and one of its earliest economic engines. 

Our state’s multigenerational farmers and ranchers not only feed Californians, but also supply one-third of our country’s vegetables and two-thirds of its fruits and nuts, while also leading the nation in milk production.

Yet as other parts of our economy spring back to post-pandemic life, farmers and ranchers are facing major water shortages in the second straight year of drought — the new norm in a changing climate. Some farmers already are making difficult choices about which crops to grow and are even tearing out orchards.

Thanks to an enormous budget surplus, however, California is uniquely poised to help the agricultural sector adapt to increasingly scarce water supplies while also benefiting rural communities and wildlife — if our state leaders take action.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal includes a bold $5.1 billion investment in drought response and water resilience. Of that, $500 million is proposed to help farmers repurpose fields to more water-efficient uses that deliver new benefits, such as open space for rural communities, recharge basins to store water, habitat corridors for wildlife and lands to store carbon.

While $500 million may sound like a lot, it’s just the start of what’s truly needed to address the scope of the challenge facing the state, particularly the Central Valley.

During the last drought, state leaders passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to address decades of unregulated groundwater pumping, which caused land to sink, infrastructure to crumble and drinking water and irrigation wells to go dry. The law requires regions to balance groundwater supply and demand within 20 years, and ensure there is enough water to sustain agriculture and communities into the future. 

Unfortunately, bringing groundwater use into balance could mean decreasing the agricultural footprint of California’s Central Valley by 500,000 to 750,000 acres — the size of Yosemite National Park and 10% to 15% of total farm acreage. During this transition, it is absolutely crucial that local communities and landowners have funding to work collaboratively and determine how best to manage these lands. 

Without strategic planning, these lands could become a haphazard patchwork of dusty fields infested with weeds and pests, affecting remaining agricultural lands and further impairing air quality. However, with all hands on deck working together, we have an opportunity to help farmers voluntarily repurpose these fields into new positive uses.

Link to article on CalMatters web site

June 21 to June 27, 2021 is Pollinator Week!

When we think of pollinators, perhaps many of us first think of the honeybee. Honeybees have a reputation of hard work and are associated with symbolism of industry, community and abundance — images that reflect the agricultural community as well. Because of the astonishing migration of managed honeybee colonies to California in the winter months, many Californians know just how important honeybees are to food production. Studies estimate that honeybee pollination contributes several billion dollars in agricultural productivity throughout the United States each year.

In addition to honeybees, many other animals perform the necessary job of pollinating plants. Insects including flies, wasps, bees, beetles and butterflies are pollinators. So are birds, bats and other mammals. With their combined impact, one in three bites of food are a result of pollinators.  

Habitat loss, climate change, pesticide exposure, and other factors negatively impact pollinators. Recent news articles indicate that monarch butterfly populations have declined 99% in the last three decades — a truly astounding loss.

CDFA supports pollinators

CDFA is engaging with many partners to support and protect pollinators. In one effort, CDFA, agricultural and environmental partners have joined to form the California Pollinator Coalition to identify strategies to increase habitat for pollinators and  improve pollinator health. Here are a few of the other efforts CDFA is taking to support pollinators:

• CDFA’s Plant Health Division hosts a Pollinator Protection website with resources for landowners and apiaries.
•  The Bee Safe Program helps protect managed honeybees from theft, disease and pesticide exposure.
• Through the most recent funding round of the Healthy Soils Program (HSP), CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation supported planting of over 7,000 acres of pollinator habitat on 129 projects throughout California. The practices identified as having pollinator benefits include cover cropping, field borders, hedgerow planting, riparian herbaceous cover, and others.
• CDFA’s Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis has revitalized a research program, the Biologically Integrated Farming Systems Program (BIFS) to provide outreach of innovative, biologically integrated plant-based farming systems that reduce chemical insecticide inputs.

As California ramps up efforts to protect its unique and precious biodiversity, CDFA will be working closely with partner agencies to find and implement further actions that support pollinator health.

In honor of Pollinator Week, consider planting native plant species with pollinator benefits on your farm or garden landscape, evaluate your integrated pest management strategy in light of pollinator population declines, and take a moment to ponder the essential and amazing relationship that we have with pollinators.

---

CARB news release

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is seeking public comment on a Draft Analysis of Progress toward Achieving the 2030 Dairy and Livestock Sector Methane Emissions Target. The draft Analysis is available on CARB’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutants resources webpage, and members of the public may submit comments via the docket linked below until 5:00 p.m. on July 14, 2021. CARB developed this Analysis in accordance with Senate Bill (SB) 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016), which requires CARB to conduct an analysis on the progress the dairy and livestock sector has made toward overcoming barriers to achieving the 2030 methane emissions target of forty percent below 2013 levels. 

Background

Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), including methane, are powerful climate forcers that have relatively short atmospheric lifetimes but high global warming potentials. SB 1383 codified targets for multiple SLCPs, including a target for the dairy and livestock sector to reduce its methane emissions by up to 40 percent below 2013 levels by 2030. SB 1383 also requires CARB, in consultation with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, to analyze the progress that the sector has made toward achieving the 2030 methane emissions reductions target, including progress made in overcoming technical and market barriers to implementing methane emissions reductions practices identified in the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Strategy. On May 21, 2020, CARB staff hosted a public webinar to discuss the proposed plan to develop the Analysis including identification of potential data sources and information gaps. Following the webinar, an informal comment period allowed stakeholders to submit written comments and additional information for consideration. CARB staff reviewed and incorporated the comments into the Draft Analysis as appropriate.

Make comments here

Amid a major heat wave that is stressing energy grids in states across the western United States, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed an emergency proclamation to free up additional energy capacity. In preparation for the extreme temperatures, California energy agencies are calling on individuals and businesses to “flex their power” by reducing energy use in the evenings, through Friday.

The proclamation suspends certain permitting requirements, allowing the use of back-up power generation and freeing up additional energy capacity to help alleviate the heat-induced demands on the state’s energy grid.

For the next several days, much of the West and Southwest are expected to see triple-digit heat, making it imperative that individuals take precautions to stay safe from the heat and do what they can to conserve energy.

The text of the proclamation can be found here.

---

Thermostat story from the Mercury News, by George Avalos

An Oakland energy company wants to help people beat the heat now that torrid temps loom in California by giving away for free 1 million smart thermostats.

OhmConnect has launched the thermostat giveaway through what the energy company calls its End CA Blackouts campaign.

“Not only will you get a free smart thermostat, but you will save money on your electricity bill, and you can get paid to become, essentially, part of a virtual power plant,” Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said.

People who register with the End California Blackouts campaign become eligible to receive the free thermostats.

“This campaign will dramatically increase the number of participating households and dramatically decrease energy use to help prevent blackouts this summer,” said Cisco DeVries, chief executive officer of OhmConnect.

Oakland-based OhmConnect offers people an app that they can use to connect smart devices in their homes and coordinate the devices so they save energy.

The app also connects the devices to a California-wide network so energy use can be reduced during heat waves in a coordinated fashion. That, in turn, could make power failures less likely.

By helping the California electricity grid manage swings in demand for energy, OhmConnect gets paid by utilities or government agencies and then passes along some of the savings to customers.

“The grid needs resources to be as flexible and as responsive as they can possibly be, in order to support the reliability that we need,” said Andrew McAllister, a member of the California Energy Commission.

Link to article on Mercury News web site

Summer is right around the corner and with it comes the occasional extreme heat streak (like this week). While some of the warmer weather comes with the summer territory, high record temperatures can lead to emergency situations. By following a few important steps, you can keep yourself, your loved ones, neighbors, and pets comfortable and safe during a heat wave.

Don’t let a heatwave turn into an emergency.

Avoid strenuous activity and direct exposure to the sun during the hottest part of the day. If you can, stay cool at home indoors.  If your home does not have air conditioning, find a public indoor location to keep cool. You can also contact your local county to find out if cooling shelters are available in your area. A few hours in air conditioning can help your body better react to the heat when you go outside.

If you must go outside, wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. A hat can help shade your face from the direct sunlight. Protect your skin by using sunscreen with SPF 30 or above.

It’s important to stay hydrated when temperatures rise. Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. Make sure your pets have plenty of fresh, cool water. Keep their water bowl out of direct sunlight.

Never leave children or pets in the car – no exceptions. Even when temperatures outside are mild, the temperature inside the car can reach 100 degrees in less than 10 minutes.

ENERGY CONSERVATIONS TIPS & FLEX ALERTS

Flex Alerts ask consumers to voluntarily conserve electricity when there’s an anticipated supply shortage. When you use less energy during a Flex Alert, you reduce the likelihood of rotating power outages.

Flex Alerts are issued a day before so consumers can prepare by shifting energy use from afternoon to morning.

BEFORE AN ALERT

• Pre-cool your home by lowering the thermostat to 72 degrees
• Close blinds and drapes to keep the heat out
• Turn off unnecessary lights
• Charge mobile devices, laptops, and medical equipment
• Use dishwashers, washing machines, and other major appliances before 3pm

DURING AN ALERT

• Avoid using major appliances
• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees
• Unplug or turn off electrical devices that are not in use
• Use fans when possible

Be prepared to reduce your energy use – sign up to receive Flex Alerts.

STAY INFORMED

Stay alert for information about upcoming extreme heat conditions. Anyone is at risk for heat-related illness. Check in on neighbors who may have mobility issues or no air conditioning.

For more tips on conserving energy, visit: https://www.flexalert.org/save-energy

Link to this article on Cal OES website

The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA) is hosting a two-day conference June 28 and June 29. The virtual conference will provide an overview of the history of OPCA, what OPCA does, summaries of recent regulatory reports, and overviews of OPCA’s grant programs.

Conference participants will hear from grant awardees on their OPCA grant-funded research projects, a panel on how research can be translated in practice, and agricultural economists who work with OPCA on various research projects.

“We’re offering this conference to give the public and stakeholders an opportunity to see and appreciate the good work we do in the OPCA and how this work helps our growers and our state achieve environmental stewardship and agricultural sustainability goals,” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross.
 
“OPCA is a key partner for the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) in evaluating the economic impacts of pesticide regulations, most recently in our work on neonicotinoid insecticides,” said DPR Director Val Dolcini. “This meeting is an opportunity to highlight our continued collaboration.”

Please register in advance for the conference at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/981688376789910284.

Registrants will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Additional conference details, including a meeting agenda, are available at: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/opca/conference.html.

Anyone interested in learning more about OPCA and their work are encouraged to attend.

NOTE: California Department of Pesticide Regulation Continuing Education (CE) credits will be available for Day 1 (1 hour L, 0.5 hour O) and Day 2 (0.5 hour L, 1.5 hour O).

USDA News Release

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Rural Business-Cooperative Service Administrator Karama Neal today unveiled a new grant program to help rural communities create good-paying jobs and support new business opportunities in high-growth fields.

Rural Innovation Stronger Economy (RISE) is intended to help rural communities identify and maximize local assets and connect to networks and industry clusters within their region. The new grant encourages a regional, innovation-driven approach to economic development.

“USDA is innovating the way we do business,” Neal said. “The RISE program ensures that critical funding supports long-term and sustainable economic growth in the rural communities and regions that need it most.”

RISE provides grants of up to $2 million to consortiums of local governments, investors, industry, institutions of higher education, and other public and private entities in rural areas. The funds may be used to form job accelerator partnerships and create high-wage jobs, start or expand businesses, and support economic growth in the rural areas of their region.

Funding may also be used to establish and operate innovation centers and partnerships, such as integrating rural businesses into new supply chains, providing workforce training and identifying community assets.

To help ensure long-term and sustainable community and economic development, award recipients must support projects for at least four years.

Applicants are encouraged to contact their nearest USDA Rural Development State Office ahead of the application deadline for more information about the program or the application process.

Starting June 16, 2021, applications will be accepted electronically at Grants.gov. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Aug. 2, 2021. Information about the application process is available in a notice in the Federal Register (PDF, 276 KB). For additional information about the program, see the final rule on page 31585 of the June 15 Federal Register (PDF, 377 KB).

USDA is hosting a webinar on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time to help stakeholders and potential applicants learn more about this funding opportunity. To register, please visit: attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9046642451030677262.

Of all the challenges farmers face year after year, the most daunting challenge may be figuring out how to navigate the farm business succession process. If you’re a farmer or rancher planning to retire in the near future, the path toward a successful farm land and business transition may seem insurmountable. 

Retiring farmers with identified successor generations, related or not, are invited to submit an application to participate in California FarmLink’s new succession program, The Regenerator: A Year of Farm Succession Planning. This 12-month course, starting in November near Sacramento, will work with a small cohort of farm families and their successors – ‘teams’ – to generate plans that support transition to the next generation. Participants will convene monthly to learn from professionals, compare notes with their peers, and work step-by-step to plan for their financial and family well-being, and the health and continuity of their working farms and ranches.

The Regenerator takes a multi-faceted approach to farm succession planning. Participants will work with their own farm operators, identified successors and family members to create a personalized succession plan.  Monthly meetings will feature in-depth presentations by professionals covering a range of topics including:

• Communication, intention setting and team-building
• Business valuation, structure, and transition of management
• Retirement, estate and tax planning
• Farmland conservation planning
• Creative approaches and financing strategies for land and business transfers

Participants will gain an understanding of the essential components of a good farm succession plan, strategies and creative tools to reach goals, and a plan that’s ready to launch. California FarmLink’s intention is to build farmers’ resilience by facilitating plans that will sustain farms and ranches into the next generation.

Applications for the course are due July 1.

Read more here, including a link for applicants