Producers who have crop insurance coverage may qualify for premium support up to $5 per acre in a new USDA assistance program if they planted cover crops for the 2021 crop year.
The Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday some cover crop acreage could be eligible for the Pandemic Cover Crop Program offered by USDA’s Risk Management Agency.
Qualifying cover crops include cereals, grasses, legumes, brassicas, non-legume broadleaves, and mixes of two or more cover crop species planted at the same time.
“Producers use cover crops to improve soil health and gain other agronomic benefits, and this program will reduce producers’ overall premium bill to help ensure producers can continue this climates-smart agricultural practice,” RMA Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy said.
According to RMA, the program provides premium support to farmers who insured their spring crop and planted a qualifying cover crop for the time period. Premium support is $5 per acre but not more than the full premium owed.
Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois already have programs for producers to receive a premium subsidy for planting cover crops and if a producer already participates in one of those, they may receive an additional benefit through PCCP, according to USDA.
Producers must report acreage to USDA’s Farm Service Agency by June 15 to qualify for PCCP and must match what was reported to their crop insurance company.
It’s been open for (just a week,) but the Lab@AgStart already has reservations or commitments for half of its lab benches.
AgStart, a Woodland-based incubator for agriculture and food technology startups, celebrated the grand opening of its new $1.5 million facility in Downtown Woodland last Thursday.
The 4,800-square-foot space includes coworking space for startups; the Yocha Dehe Lab, a wet chemistry laboratory space with 28 benches; and the Raley’s Food Lab, a certified food facility that will allow startups to take ingredients they develop and experiment on recipes and formulas for new food products.
“Having the food facility and the wet lab under the same roof allows them to do that closed-loop development, testing and commercialization,” said John Selep, president and board chair for the AgTech Innovation Alliance.
Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, attended Lab@AgStart’s opening event. She said facilities like the Lab@AgStart are vital to solving the biggest challenges in agriculture, including drought and climate change.
“We’re becoming so dependent on science, math and engineering as part of the multidisciplinary approach to solve these really big issues,” Ross said. “So having this space to do that kind of experimentation, to prove out the concepts, and then get it ready for scaling up for commercialization is huge to our ability to not only feed people better, with better nourishment, but with a smaller environmental impact.”
Six startups have already signed commitments to move into the lab, including Pheronym, a biological pest management technology company.
“We are so happy for this lab space,” said Pheronym co-founder and CEO Fatma Kaplan. Before now, the company had been working out of the HM.Clause Life Science Innovation Center south of Davis.
“We knew we were going to grow, we knew we needed to move to another place, but there wasn’t the next step for us,” Kaplan said. “In this place, it is going to be a lot easier to expand.”
For years, the Sacramento region has faced a shortage of wet lab space, which is necessary for working with biological samples.
“There is a critical need for wet lab space in the region,” said Trish Kelly, managing director of Valley Vision, a research and advocacy nonprofit focused on the Sacramento region economy. “Companies cannot scale in the region, because the current lab space is way undersupplied.”
Existing local incubators are bursting at the seams, Kelly said. “We have companies coming to us, begging for space.”
The opening of the Lab@Agstart has doubled local wet lab capacity.
“We know we have this great concentration of assets, and this is going to give us the ability to take things to the next level,” Kelly said. “It’s a world-class piece of infrastructure.”
Beyond the equipment, Kelly said the lab will also bring startups and researchers together.
“It’s our innovation ecosystem that we’re trying to build here,” Kelly said.
Selep said there will likely still be demand for lab space after the Lab@AgStart fills up. He said AgStart is already thinking about another facility.
“Because of the demand that we’re seeing, again, half the space is spoken for, we’ve had discussions with the folks at the Woodland Research and Technology Park,” Selep said. “Our long-term vision is, if we can demonstrate that we are able to open and operate a lab here successfully, financially successfully — as a nonprofit we need to be able to cover our costs — we can start to have a conversation about a new expanded facility at the Woodland Research and Technology Park two or three years down the road.”
CDFA Secretary Karen Ross joined Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis (both at center) yesterday for a meeting with Punjab Governor Mohammed Sarwar (fourth from left) and a delegation of government officials, as well as businesses from the U.S. Pakistani community. Among the topics of discussion was Climate Smart Agriculture. Within Punjab the agricultural sector is critically important, generating approximately 22 percent of the province’s GDP and employing almost 40 percent of the population. The State of California and Punjab look forward to closer collaboration in agriculture and other economic sectors.
News release from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Boating appears to be surging in popularity in California and nationwide. California agencies combatting the spread of invasive quagga and zebra mussels ask new and seasoned boaters to remain cautious over the three-day Memorial Day weekend to prevent the spread of quagga and zebra mussels by cleaning, draining and drying their watercraft after each outing.
Quagga and zebra mussels are invasive freshwater mussels native to Europe and Asia. 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 waterbody to another by attaching to watercraft, equipment and nearly anything that has been in an infested waterbody.
Invisible to the naked eye, microscopic juveniles are spread from infested waterbodies by water that is entrapped in boat engines, ballasts, bilges, live-wells and buckets. Quagga mussels have infested 34 waters in Southern California and zebra mussels have infested two waters in San Benito County, 13 of which are boatable by the public.
To prevent the spread of these mussels and other aquatic invasive species, people launching vessels at any waterbody are subject to watercraft inspections and should clean, drain and dry their motorized and non-motorized boats, including personal watercraft, and any equipment that contacts the water before and after use.
“The California Department of Food and Agriculture operates Border Protection Stations that inspect trailered watercraft entering the state” said California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Invasive Species Program Manager Martha Volkoff. “These inspections are an integral part of preventing further introductions of mussels and are also a window into changes in boating trends. In the past two years we have seen a nearly 20 percent increase in watercraft passing through Border Protection Stations between January and May since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Because of the additional boats, we have seen more mussel-fouled boat interceptions, but more concerning, we have also seen a significant increase in the proportion of mussel-fouled boats. We attribute this to many new boaters, who aren’t aware of the mussel issue and how to prevent their spread. Memorial Day is a great opportunity to spread the word to these boaters about the simple actions they should take.”
CDFW advises boaters to take the following steps before leaving a waterbody to prevent spreading invasive mussels, improve the efficiency of your inspection experience next time you launch, 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.
Travelers are also advised to be prepared for inspections at California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Border Protection Stations. Over the past decade more than 1.5 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.
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 Department of Water Resources has been leading an outreach campaign to alert the public to the quagga and zebra mussel threats. CDFW’s invasive species e-mail, invasives@wildlife.ca.gov, is available for those seeking information on quagga or zebra mussels.
As COVID-19 restrictions ease, summer travel is expected to increase, and California agricultural officials are cautioning Californians on what not to pack for their trips – homegrown citrus fruit and plant material.
Traveling with citrus fruit or plant material can unknowingly spread a dangerous pest – the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) – and a deadly plant disease it can carry – Huanglongbing (HLB).
According to AAA Travel, more than 37 million Americans will begin their summer travels on Memorial Day weekend this year – a 60% increase from 2020. While most travelers are mindful to take extra care of their personal health while traveling during the pandemic, officials are urging Californians to also be mindful of the health of California’s citrus trees by obeying plant quarantine restrictions and taking extra precaution when gifting citrus fruit from backyard trees.
The ACP, a pest that feeds on citrus leaves, can spread HLB, the fatal and incurable citrus disease also known as citrus greening disease. While not harmful to humans or animals, there is no cure for HLB, and infected trees will die. Both the pest and disease have been found in the state of California and citrus tree owners should be on high alert.
Transporting citrus fruit with leaves still attached can inadvertently spread the pest to new areas of the state. Quarantines are in place throughout California that limit the transport of citrus plant material across state and international lines, and between areas where the psyllid and disease have been found. Portions of Southern California are currently under an HLB quarantine in numerous communities of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
“The best way to stop the spread of the disease is to stop the spread of the pest, which is why we urge residents not to transport their backyard citrus into and out of quarantine zones, bordering counties, state lines or international borders,” said Victoria Hornbaker, director of the Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Division at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “Community support is critical to saving California citrus and residents must work together to ensure our iconic citrus crop can continue to bring joy to people across the state.”
Tree owners may choose to share fruit with friends and family within their quarantine area. State agricultural officials recommend all leaves and stems to be removed and fruit washed thoroughly before moving it from the property. This prevents psyllids or leaves infected with HLB from being transported to new areas.
All California residents are encouraged to inspect their trees for psyllids and HLB whenever watering, spraying, pruning or tending to them. The pest is one-eighth of an inch long and feeds at a 45-degree angle, making the insect appear thorn-like on leaves and stems. Symptoms of HLB include blotchy, yellow leaves; deformed fruit that doesn’t ripen; and excessive fruit drop. Residents should report pest or disease symptoms to the free California Department of Food and Agriculture Pest Hotline by calling 1-800-491-1899.
Commercially grown California citrus is a $3.4 billion industry, which could be lost if HLB is not stopped. Pest and disease management is crucial to protecting not only your own trees, but also your neighbors’ trees and the state’s citrus production. By working together to identify and act against the devastating disease, we can protect California’s citrus.
About the Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program
The Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program was established in 2009 to advise the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and agricultural industry about efforts to combat serious citrus pests and diseases – like the Asian citrus psyllid and Huanglongbing – that threaten California’s citrus trees. To learn more, visit CaliforniaCitrusThreat.org.
Help us map the next statewide roadmap to a climate-resilient California for all!
The impacts of climate change, such as wildfire, extreme heat, drought, flooding, and sea level rise, are a clear and present threat to California’s communities, environment, and economy. They are occurring with increasing frequency and intensity across the state. While the state has made significant strides in addressing climate risk over the last decade, there is an opportunity to chart a strategic and integrated framework that builds a resilient California for All.
The Newsom Administration is updating California’s State Adaptation Strategy (Strategy), and our goal is to deliver a framework for action that outlines the state’s key climate resilience priorities; includes specific and measurable steps; and drives equitable, integrated adaptation across sectors and regions in California.
We want your help to ensure the state’s Strategy reflects and reinforces regional priorities; draws connections among our collective efforts; and serves as a useful resource for all Californians. Please join us virtually for the Strategy’s kick-off webinar and a regional workshop of your choice!
Kick-off Webinar May 26, 4pm – 5pm: This introductory webinar will provide key background information on the Administration’s proposed approach, timeline, and priorities for the 2021 Strategy, and information on the forthcoming regional public workshops.
Registerfor the Virtual Kick-off Webinar on May 26, 4-5pm PT
This introductory webinar will provide key background information on the Administration’s proposed approach, timeline, and priorities for the 2021 Strategy, and information on the forthcoming regional public workshops.
Register for a Regional Workshop
All regional workshops will be held from 4-6pm. Please click on a link to register!
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of $92.2 million in competitive grant funding under the 2018 Farm Bill’s Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP). These grants support the development, coordination and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises, and value-added agricultural products.
The LAMP grants are funded through the Farmers Market program as part of USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers Initiative. USDA launched this initiative in March to address shortfalls and disparities in how assistance was distributed in previous COVID-19 assistance packages, with a specific focus on strengthening outreach to underserved producers and communities and small and medium agricultural operations.
“We have an opportunity to transform our nation’s food system with a greater focus on resilient, local and regional food systems,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “These grants will help maximize opportunities for economic growth and ingenuity in local and regional food systems to kickstart this transformation. LAMP grants have a history of generating new income sources for small, beginning, veteran and socially disadvantaged farmers and creating new market opportunities for value-added and niche products.”
USDA encourages projects that assist underserved local and regional agricultural businesses, producer networks and associations, and local and tribal government in responding to COVID-19 disruptions and impacts. Funding is not contingent upon applicants directly addressing these issues.
Increasing Local Food Access Through Direct and Intermediary Producer-to-Consumer Markets
USDA will award $76.9 million ($22.5 million in the 2018 Farm Bill, $47 million provided as emergency funding through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and $7.4 in annual appropriations) to FMLFPP. Projects under the Farmers Market Promotion Program support direct-to-consumer markets like farmers markets and CSAs. Projects under the Local Food Promotion Program supports indirect-to-consumer markets like food hubs and value-added product incubators.
Buildng Robust and Resilient Local and Regional Food Economies
USDA will award $15.3 million ($5 million in the 2018 Farm Bill and $10.3 provided as emergency funding through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021) to RFSP to fund public-private partnerships that build and strengthen viability and resilience of local or regional food economies. Projects focus on increase the availability of locally and regionally produced agricultural products and alleviating unnecessary administrative and technical barriers. Projects can cover the planning and design of a local and regional food economy as well as implementing or expanding an existing one.
The deadline to submit an application for the Local Agriculture Market Program is June 21, 2021.The deadline for the Regional Food System Partnership Program is July 6, 2021.
Application and Grant Eligibility
Applications undergo external expert peer review and the process is highly competitive. All grants require matching funds from community partners or stakeholders. The amounts and match amounts vary by program and are specified in the respective Requests for Applications (RFAs)
Applications must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due dates established in the RFAs. Any grant application submitted after the due date will not be considered unless the applicant provides documentation of an extenuating circumstance that prevented their timely submission of the grant application. Read more in AMS Late and Non-Responsive Application Policy (PDF, 431 KB).
Advanced Farm’s robotic strawberry harvester uses soft grippers and tractor-mounted cameras that are able to determine the ripeness of berries and safely harvest them without damaging the fruit. (Photo: Advanced Farm c/o Visionary Photography)
The companies will get technical help in introducing robotics and other advances amid push to automate half of West’s specialty crop harvests by 2030.
By Tim Hearden
After weeks of consideration, Western Growers and its allies have placed their bets on 13 companies they hope will lead a march to automating at least half the West Coast’s specialty crop harvests by 2030.
The companies will be the first in a cohort of startups and established businesses that will receive technical aid as part of Western Growers’ ambitious Global Harvest Automation Initiative.
The organization and its partners will also present these companies to growers so they’re not inundated with scores of company pitches and can focus on a handful that are right for their operations.
The chosen businesses all specialize in agricultural robotics, mechanization and automation, according to Western Growers. In addition to taking part in field trials and case studies, they will receive systems integration in a “technology stack” that’s being prepared as part of the initative.
“Most harvest startups build the entire technology stack themselves — from imaging and artificial intelligence to robotic end-effectors and automated movement up and down the fields,” said Walt Duflock, the organization’s vice president of innovation..He added the initiative “will now build this technology stack for them.
“The innovators in this cohort are both startups and established companies that will get help integrating with industry-standard tractors, robot arms and sensors, which can commoditize up to 60–80% of the startup’s technology stack,” he said.
The organization is “making real progress on getting the industry to increase their collective collaboration effort” led by trade groups including the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission on things like grower economics by crop type for harvest, Duflock told Farm Progress in an email.
The 13 companies
According to Western Growers, the following companies were chosen:
Advanced Farm Technologies: provides advanced farming tools, such as automated strawberry harvesting robots, for harvesting services
Antobot: builds a team of small intelligent agriculture robots with advanced computer vision and robotics technology
Augean Robotics: helps solve the labor problem facing farmers by making autonomous collaborative robots
Earth Rover: makes field robots that automate scouting, harvesting and weeding, and provides farmers with per-plant data from seed to gate
FarmWise: designs driverless tractors that use machine learning and computer vision, rather than herbicides, to eradicate weeds from farmers’ fields
FFRobotics: develops a reliable, robust harvesting platform emulating human-hand picking process for efficient, cost-effective and bruise-free fruit harvesting
Muddy Machines: builds a new generation of field robots that help growers manage labor-intensive crops by conducting fieldwork
Ramsay Highlander: original equipment manufacturer and custom manufacturer of design-built harvesting aids, mechanical harvesting machines and specialized harvesting machines for the vegetable growing industry
Ripe Robotics: builds and manages fruit-picking robots
Robotics Plus: enables sustainable growth of the horticultural and fiber industries through robotics and automation
Strio AI: automates labor-intensive tasks for specialty growers, starting with runner cutting for strawberries
The organization also announced a team of mentors with expertise in precision ag, robotics, artificial intelligence, equipment manufacturing, harvest automation and grower/shipper operations, who will advise the cohort companies.
Happy World Bee Day! This international observation, led by the United Nations’ Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), is “an occasion to raise awareness of how everyone can make a difference to support, restore and enhance the role of pollinators.” To celebrate, CDFA has put together this video about some of the work our department does to help our state’s primary pollinators.
Our California Strawberry Commission is doing some beautiful work introducing some of its farmers through videos, like this one on Uriel Hernandez and his journey coming from a hard-working family of 11 kids, his experience with FFA, and earning an agricultural economics degree on his way to becoming his own boss.
