scfb news solano county farm bureau news€¦ · robust agricultural program. currently there are...

2019 Nov/Dec SCFB NEWS

As this publication goes to press, we don’t know theend-result of the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County. We doknow that assessing agricultural damage from the fire willtake some time, once the fire has been fully contained.Flames have destroyed or damaged wineries, barns andother structures in Sonoma County. A 107-year-old cattleranch lost nearly all of its buildings. Reports indicate be-tween 10 and 20% of the region’s wine grapes remain onthe vines. The county Farm Bureau has helped relocateevacuated farm animals and organized a hay drive.

Anyone wishing to help call the Solano Farm Bureaufor information on how you can assist.

Kincade Fire devastates ag properties

Noting that California farmers and ranchers have longsought reforms and improvements to immigration laws thatwould enhance the lives of agricultural employees and theirfamilies, the California Farm Bureau Federation said it sup-ports a bipartisan bill introduced today.

The Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2019, introducedby Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, and Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., would improve agricultural visa programs and accom-modate immigrant agricultural employees already in the UnitedStates, while assuring border security.

“This comprehensive legislation contains key elements that

Farm Bureau supports ag immigration bill

(see BILL, page 10)

SOLANO COUNTY

Nov/Dec 2019VOL. 98, NO. 6

FARM BUREAU NEWS“The Heart of California Agriculture”

YOU!2020 Annual Member Dinner

Friday January 17, 2019WHERE: Olde Vets Hall

231 North First Street • Dixon, CAEnjoy a catered meal table service by

Bud’s Pub & Grill

SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE

As an agricultural member of the Farm Bureauyou are entitled to two dinners as part of

your membership.We will be mailing RSVP invitations in November.

For question call 707-449-8044

SAVE THE DATE!

HappyThanksgiving

Nov/Dec 2019 SCFB NEWS

130 Allison Ct. 2-AVacaville, CA 95688

Executive Director: Lisa ShipleyPhone ........707-449-8044Fax .........707-449-8050

www.solanofarmbureau.orgE-mail: [email protected]

Opinions expressed in this newspaper may not reflect theofficial position of the Solano County Farm Bureau.

Solano County Farm Bureau Newspublished every other month by the

Solano County Farm Bureau.Please send address changes to

SCFB, 130 Allison Ct. 2-AVacaville, CA 95688

Solano County Farm Bureau

Solano County Farm Bureau NewsCoordinator ...........John Gentry

Editorial and Advertising .......707-449-8044

Bruce BrazeltonWilliam Brazelton

Jeff DittmerMartin EmighSean FaveroGreg House


Jennifer HouseDerrick LumJoe Martinez

Bobbie MorielJohn Pierson

Directors

“The mission of Solano County Farm Bureauis topromote and represent agriculture in Solano County”

The Solano County Farm Bureau strives to meet the needs of its 450 dues paying membersby working with elected officials, government agencies, educators, the public and the media. Afamily/business membership in the Farm Bureau reaches well beyond the boundaries of thecounty. At the state level the California Farm Bureau Federation re presents the interest of FarmBureau members while the American Farm Bureau covers the national scene. In Californiathere are 53 county Farm Bureaus representing over 47,000 members. Nationally, Farm Bureaumembership exceeds 5,000,000.

The work of the Solano County Farm Bureau can only be effective, however, if there is astrong and growing membership to back its efforts. That’s why we are extending you this oppor-tunity to phone, fax, or e-mail suggestions as to how we can better serve you.

Contact: Office: 707-449-8044 ,fax: 707-449-8050e-mail: [email protected]


Agricultural programs areexpanding at Vacaville HighSchool (VHS). Students havereal interest in agriculture,animals, and food and natu-ral resources, and VHS ismeeting that interest with arobust Agricultural program.Currently there are CareerTechnical Education (CTE)Pathways in Agricultural Sci-ence, Animal Care and Flo-ral Design. Students arelearning a wide variety ofskills, including science,math, communications, lead-ership, management andtechnology, along with anappreciation of our natural

Ag programs on the grow at VHSresources.

In Agricultural Science,students are learning aboutagricultural biology andchemistry. They participate inlab activities, gaining an un-derstanding of biologicalprinciples as they relate toplants and animals, as well aschemistry and its relationshipto agriculture. Animal Carestudents are studying live-stock and small animal care,learning about topics such asfeeding, breeding, care andmanagement of farm animalsand the economics of animalagriculture. Our newest classaddition is Floral Design,

where students are learningabout the principles of floraldesign, the use of materialsand tools, and the use andidentification of plants andflowers.

In addition to the class-room component, VHSstrives to provide studentsWork-Based Learning(WBL) experiences such asjob shadowing, site visits,guest presentations and in-ternships. Agricultural andAnimal Science students par-ticipate in FFA, attendingconferences and raising ani-mals for the Dixon May Fair.Floral Design students pre-pare floral arrangements foruse in school functions andwork with a local business toprovide arrangements for re-tail sale. All students partici-pate in WBL activities withindustry, but we are workingto increase student opportu-nities for participation in rel-evant and hands-on experi-ences that will assist in post-secondary career decisions. Inan effort to provide moreWBL opportunities, we arelooking for industry partnersto join us in developing stu-dent experiences that engagestudents in learning and help

Supportour

advertisers......they support Farm Bureau!


Produce safety training - there arenew dates for fall and winter

Farm Employers Labor Service, an affiliated company ofthe California Farm Bureau Federation, is partnering with SafeFood Alliance to provide produce safety training required bythe Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

Thanks to assistance from the California Department ofFood and Agriculture (CDFA) we are able to offer this train-ing for only $35 per attendee.

Fall/Winter 2019/2020:November 20: Orland: Glenn County Farm BureauDecember 17: Exeter: Veterans Memorial BuildingJanuary 8: Santa Rosa: Sonoma County Farm BureauJanuary 9: Los Banos: Merced College Los Banos CampusJanuary 14: Modesto: Stanislaus County Farm BureauJanuary 15: Escondido: San Diego County Farm BureauFebruary 26: Monterey 1432 Abbot Street, Salinas

Community olive oil milling dayDo you have an olive tree full of wonderful olives?

Would you like to have them milled into delicioushealthy olive oil? Pick them on Saturday, November23, and bring them to IL Fiorello Olive Oil Companyon Sunday, November 24 for our second of two Com-munity Milling Days! Growers with harvested oliveswill take part in creating a special batch of olive oilmade from the combination of all the participants’ crops.All contributors will get a share of the olive oil basedon the percentage of olives they bring in.

Remember:• November 24• 9:00 am - 12:00 pm• 2625 Mankas Corner Rd., Fairfield

For more details, go to: www.ilfiorello.com/mill-ing/community-milling-day/

Farm Bureau says fishery plans should add flexibility to water systemNew biological opinions

for fish in the Sacramento-SanJoaquin Delta open the waytoward additional flexibility inthe California water system,according to the CaliforniaFarm Bureau Federation.CFBF President JamieJohansson said the opinionsreleased today by federal fish-eries agencies enhance priorprotection for fish while ad-justing operation of waterprojects to improve water sup-plies.

“Everyone wants to seeendangered fish recover,”Johansson said. “But the meth-ods of the past haven’tworked. Doubling down onthose failed methods wouldmake no sense. It’s time to trysomething new, and we’re sat-isfied that the career scientistsat the federal agencies havetaken the time they need tocreate well thought-out plans

that reflect advances in knowl-edge acquired during the past10 years.”

Johansson said the bio-logical opinions can lead toprogress in restoring balanceto California water manage-ment.

“We expect these new bio-logical opinions to approachfishery recovery through a va-riety of tactics, including habi-tat restoration, improved sci-ence, and flexibility in dedicat-ing enough water at the righttime to maximize fishery ben-efits and improve water deliv-eries to people,” he said.

“Narrow solutions basedonly on water flow mandateshave failed to restore fisheries,at great loss of water forpeople. Water used for envi-ronmental purposes should beanalyzed for efficiency, just aspeople are when they watertheir lawns, run their dish-

washers or irrigate theircrops,” Johansson said.

“Californians face a chal-lenging water future as we see-saw between extreme droughtand flood, incorporate new re-strictions on groundwater andwork to accommodate a grow-ing population while enhanc-ing the environment and sus-taining agricultural produc-tion,” he said. “We hope thesenew biological opinions willmove California toward thosegoals, and that state and fed-eral leaders will work togetherin pursuing them.”


The Almond Board of California (ABC) announce that California almond growers have votedto continue their almond federal marketing order program for five more years. The vote, held inAugust, resulted in 95 percent of eligible growers who voted, and 97 percent of the volumerepresented by those voting in the referendum, favoring the continuation of the marketing order.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires a continuance referendum every fiveyears. The last referendum was completed in 2014 and resulted in 91 percent of eligible growerswho voted, and 94 percent of the volume represented, favoring the marketing order.

The vote represents the California almond industry’s confidence in the ABC and the manyprograms it administers and funds with industry assessment dollars. Those programs include anextensive production and environmental research program coupled with education and outreachthat has been funded to help growers continue to meet the challenges facing agriculture. Thisresearch was also fundamental to the launching of the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals, which dem-onstrate the California almond industry’s commitment to continuous improvement in four areas:reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 20%, increase adoption ofenvironmentally friendly pest management tools by 25%, achieve zero waste in orchards by put-ting everything grown to optimal use and reduce dust during harvest by 50%.

California almond growers continue federal marketing order County agriculture apiary program update

County agriculture de-partments statewide are en-hancing their apiary programsin order to help prevent hivethefts, mitigate colony lossesfrom pesticide exposure andlimit movement of pests.New web-based and mobiletools for registering apiaries,tracking hive locations andproviding pesticide notifica-tions have been developed tosupport these efforts.

Recently passed legislation also adds new provisions forbeekeepers to notify ag commissioners when hives are movedwithin a county, copying similar existing requirements forbeekeepers to notify ag commissioners within 72 hours whencolonies are moved into and out of a county. These changeswill help ensure that current information is available for pes-ticide applicators to provide advanced notification to bee-keepers prior to applying pesticides that may be toxic to bees.

To help with these requirements beekeepers may accessthe new beewherecalifornia.com website where they can se-curely register apiaries and map colony locations. Growers

and PCAs canuse theB e e C h e c kfeature withinthe system tolocate colo-nies withinone mile ofproposed pes-ticide appli-cation sites

and find current beekeeper contact information.Please contact the Solano County Agriculture Department

at (707) 784-1310 with questions or if you would like assis-tance in accessing beewherecalifornia.com.

by Ed King, Solano County Ag Commissioner

The state’s largest farm group, the California FarmBureau Federation, turned 100 years old. It was foundedOct. 23, 1919, when delegates from 32 county Farm Bu-reaus met in Berkeley. The organization has since grownto 53 county Farm Bureaus representing all forms of agri-culture throughout the state. Farm Bureau leaders gath-ered in Sacramento on that date to mark the centennialand dedicate the organization’s new offices. The AnnualMeeting, number 101 will take place Deember 8-11 inMonterey.

CFBF is 100 years old!


Solano County Farm BureauBusiness

DirectoryAg Equipment/ServiceButton Transportation ......................... (707)678-7490Dixon Veterinary Clinic ...................... (707)678-2377Garton Tractor ..................................... (707)425-9545Gates Ranch/Custom cutting & wrap . (707)448-3867Green Valley Tractor ........................... (707)425-8933Sterling May Equipment Co ............... (530)662-6637Wilkinson International ...................... (530)662-7373Valley Truck & Tractor ....................... (530)441-0976Auto Dealers/Parts/ServicesAble Chevrolet Pontiac Buick ............ (707)374-6317Farm & Feed SupplyHigby’s ................................................ (707)678-9007FinancialFirst Northern Bank of Dixon ............. (707)678-4422Farm Credit West (Woodland) ............ (530)666-3333Farmers & Merchant Bank ................. (707)374-5711InsuranceRohwer Insurance Agency .................. (707)678-9216Professional ServicesBlankinship Assoc. Envir Consult ...... (530)757-0941Reynolds Law LLP ............................. (707)425-1255SMUD................................................. (916)732-6088Vacaville Chamber of Commerce ....... (707)448-6424Propane/ PetroleumAllied Propane .................................... (707)678-8500Sheldon Gas Co .................................. (707)425-2951Real EstateArcher & Ficklin-Comm Brokerage ... (707)678-1092California Outdoor Properties ........... (707) 455-4444Ron Stevenson – Century 21 ............. (530) 681-1092Tire Sales / ServiceLes Schwab Vacaville ......................... (707)447-4384Reliable Tire Service .......................... (916)372-6675

Support theSCFB

business members

PG&E - New Agricultural Rates for 2020Beginning optionally in

March 2020 and then manda-tory in November 2020 for ag-riculture tariffs:• The current ten rate options(AG-5B, AG-4C et al) will beconsolidated into 3 options forall agriculture rate payers –AG-A, AG-B and AG-C.• AG-C applies to loads ofgreater than 35 kW or greaterand with more than 1,500 op-erating hours per year. AG-B

applies to loads of greater than35kW but less than 1,500 op-erating hours.• Peak rate period will be 5to 8 P.M. (3 hours,) seven daysper week (no weekend rates.)Rates times of use will be ei-ther On-Peak or Off-Peak (noPartial Peak.)• Summer season - Junethrough Sept. (4 calendarmonths.) AG-C includes a De-mand Charge rate limiter for

short duration peak loads($0.50/kWh.) Special rulesfor NEM and NEM-A – dol-lar rates are the same but TOUperiods are different, plus a10-year grandfathering limit.New AG schedules reinforcerule that 70% of total loadfrom each meter must be forcrop production (not process-ing.) Voltage discounts stillapply.

For any AG account ques-tion call:1-877-311-3876


California's processingtomato harvest is all but done,and this time Mother Naturehelped herself to a sizablepiece of it.

The president and CEO ofthe California Tomato Grow-ers Association, MikeMontna, said he thinks the fi-nal 2019 harvest will totalabout 11.1 million tons—or 1million short of the originallyintended amount. Late-seasonrain and hail ate into the crop,Montna said.

"It kind of played out justhow we expected," he said."It's two out of three yearsnow. (2017) was a rough crop,'18 was a good crop and '19another rough crop."

As for inventory, theshorter harvest will "get usdown to right around realtight inventories—close tomaybe 4.2, 4.1 million tons(at the) end of June," Montnasaid.

Russell van Loben Sels ofCourtland is one of the manytomato farmers in the statewho had to postpone plantingdue to rains that lasted almost

Processing tomato crop reduced by weatheruntil Memorial Day.

"We were planting welltoward the end of May andinto June," he said, notingthat he intended to wrap uphis 2019 harvest at the end oflast week.

Van Loben Sels said hisyields are coming in at about40 to 41 tons per acre, belowthe statewide average of 47 to48 tons that Montna pre-dicted. Processing tomato

(see CROP, page 12)


Table grapes projected 109 million boxes into JanuaryThe California Table

Grape Commission assessedcrop volume and projected afinal total of 109 million 19-pound boxes with shipmentscontinuing into January. With40 to 50 percent of the Cali-fornia table grape crop typi-cally shipping after October 1,Kathleen Nave, president ofthe commission, notes thatgrapes are very definitely a falland early winter fruit.

“Grapes from Californiaare stunningly beautiful, full offlavor and phytonutrients, and

are both a healthy, anytimesnack and a simple, awe-in-spiring ingredient,” said Nave.Suggesting that fall is the timeto search out new uses and tryvarieties that are unfamiliar,Nave recommends checkingout the traditional and on-trend usage ideas atwww.grapesfromcalifornia.com.

In speaking about thecrop, Nave noted that in JulyCalifornia table grape grow-ers thought they had the third-largest crop in history hang-ing in their vineyards but, re-

cent assessments indicate thecrop is in the normal range of109 million 19-pound boxes,simila to the crops of 2014through 2017.

Noting that there comes apoint when retailers can offerimported grapes to their cus-tomers instead of sticking withCalifornia-grown grapes,Nave said the commissionwill continue working withretailers to promote the cropand will encourage them tocarry California grapes intoJanuary.

California elderberries have richbenefits for farms and dietsby Jeannette E. Warnert

Native California elderberries can be found at the inter-section of sustainable farming, super nutrition and economicviability. Naturally drought tolerant, flavorful and packed withnutrients, they are capturing the interest of farmers, health-conscious consumers and scientists.

Elderberries were the focus of a field day offered by UCAgriculture and Natural Resources Sustainable Agriculture Re-search and Education Program (SAREP) in September at Clo-verleaf Farm, an organic berry and tree fruit operation in Dixon.

Elderberries occur naturally around the world. In Califor-nia, Native Americans used the tree's stems for making flutes,berries for food and purple dye, and bark, leaves and flowersfor their purported anti-inflammatory, diuretic and laxativeproperties.

“They had a relationship with the plant for food, medi-cine and music,” said SAREP academic coordinator SonjaBrodt. “We wish to honor the elderberry's history here andthousands of years of management by California native tribes.”

UC Cooperative Extension advisor Rachael Long saidelderberries are her favorite native plant.

“They're pretty in the spring and summer. The flowerssmell like cloves. It's a wonderful fragrance,” she said.

But perhaps the best attribute of elderberries for Long, aproponent of planting hedgerows on the edges of farmland, isthe tree's ecological benefits. Elderberries can be among therows of trees, shrubs, grasses and sedges in hedgerows thatattract beneficial insects and pollinators to farms to help withbiocontrol of pests and pollination of plants in adjacent crops.

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Highway 45, south of Stony Creek.New - $810,000

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Nominations open for ag educatorof the year : Golden Owl Award

California Farm Bureau Federation, California FFA andNationwide Insurance are bringing attention to the impor-tance of agricultural education and the tremendous contribu-tions of teachers. Now through January 31, 2020, students,parents, fellow teachers or other supporters are encouragedto nominate their favorite agricultural teacher for a chance tobe recognized as one of the best in the state.

To nominate your favorite agricultural teacher, visitwww.goldenowlaward.com.

So, what’s in it for the teachers? Six finalists across Cali-fornia will receive an individualized plaque and $500. Onefinalist will be crowned California Ag Educator of the Yearand receive the coveted Golden Owl Award trophy and $3,000.

“Nationwide is proud to recognize outstanding teachersfor their dedication to agricultural education in their farmingcommunities,” said Brad Liggett, president of agribusinessfor Nationwide. “This award symbolizes the hard work thatindividual teachers have put into agricultural education tohelp students pursue their passion for farming.”

Nationwide recognized the contributions of 17 Iowa andOhio agricultural teachers during the 2018-2019 inauguralGolden Owl Award program. Following the recognition, theIowa Educator of the Year, Brad Taylor of Roland-Story HighSchool, quickly saw a 30-student increase in his agriculturalshop class for the fall semester – at a high school with justover 300 students.

“I think it’s important to be a role model for the studentsthat we have in our classes, so they understand what the op-portunities are for their futures,” said Taylor. “This awardsymbolizes the hard work that individuals have put into agri-culture education to help students realize what their full po-tential is.”

As a result of the positive re-sponse from the communities inwhich Golden Owl Award nomi-nees make a difference, the 2019-2020 Golden Owl Award pro-gram was expanded from twostates to five - California, Illinois,Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania.This effort is the result of a part-nership between Nationwide, the California FFA, CaliforniaFarm Bureau, Illinois FFA, Illinois Association of VocationalAgriculture Teachers, Farm Credit Illinois, the Iowa FFAFoundation, Ohio FFA, Ohio Farm Bureau, PennsylvaniaFFA, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and Compeer Financial.

Nominations are being accepted for California’s top ag-ricultural teachers until Jan. 31, 2020. Finalists will be an-nounced in March 2020 and the California Ag Educator ofthe Year will be announced in April 2020. For more informa-tion or to nominate your favorite agricultural teacher, visitwww.goldenowlaward.com

Walnut handler reportWalnuts produced by

handlers in 2018 totaled11,992 tons. This figure doesNOT include walnuts pur-chased from other handlersor producers.

The total 2018 walnutcrop purchased from pro-ducers, for whom pricinghad been finalized, reached666,055 tons at an averageprice of 67.3 cents per

pound. This price is roundedto the nearest tenth of a centper pound and includes allbonuses and allowances.

Purchases from produc-ers, for whom pricing wasNOT finalized, totaled 1,060tons. The average "goodfaith" estimate of the finalweighted average price forthis tonnage was 67.0 centsper pound.

The quantity of all wal-nuts purchased from produc-ers was 667,115 tons for the2018 crop. This figure doesnot include walnuts producedby the handler or purchasedfrom other handlers.

The tonnage produced bythe handler plus tonnage pur-chased from producers for the2018 walnut crop was679,107 in-shell tons.


Agreement ends the sale ofChlorpyrifos by February 2020

Use in agriculture to be prohibited after next year,Alternatives to Chlorpyrifos Work Group

to hold public meeting in JanuaryThe California Environmental Protection Agency announced

today that virtually all use of the pesticide chlorpyrifos in Cali-fornia will end next year following an agreement between the De-partment of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and pesticide manufac-turers to withdraw their products.

Earlier this year, DPR announced it was acting to ban use ofchlorpyrifos by canceling the pesticide’s product registrations. Thedecision follows mounting evidence, PDF that chlorpyrifos is as-sociated with serious health effects in children and other sensi-tive populations at lower levels of exposure than previously un-derstood, including impaired brain and neurological development.

At the same time, DPR and the California Department of Foodand Agriculture (CDFA) have established a cross-sector workinggroup to identify, evaluate and recommend safer, more sustain-able pest management alternatives to chlorpyrifos. It will hold itsfirst meeting this month and will hold three public workshopsbeginning in January.The agreement with Dow AgroSciences and other companiesmeans that use of chlorpyrifos will end sooner than anticipatedhad the companies pursued administrative hearings and potentialappeals process, which could have taken up to two years. Underthe settlement, the companies agreed that:•All sales of chlorpyrifos products to growers in California willend on Feb. 6, 2020.• Growers will no longer be allowed to possess or use chlorpyrifosproducts in California after Dec. 31, 2020.• Until then, all uses must comply with existing restrictions, in-cluding a ban on aerial spraying, quarter-mile buffer zones andlimiting use to crop-pest combinations that lack alternatives. DPRwill support aggressive enforcement of these restrictions.

To ensure consistency for growers and for enforcement pur-poses, DPR is applying the terms and deadlines in the settlementsto seven other companies that are not part of the settlement agree-ment but are subject to DPR’s cancellation orders.

A few products that apply chlorpyrifos in granular form, rep-resenting less than one percent of agricultural use of chlorpyrifos,will be allowed to remain on the market. These products are notassociated with detrimental health effects. DPR will continue tomonitor for any exposures associated with these products.

The development of safe, more sustainable alternatives tochlorpyrifos is being supported through the current state budget,which appropriates more than $5 million in grant funding for thepurpose.• DPR will award more than $2.1 million in grants to fund projectsthat identify, develop, and implement safer, practical, and sus-tainable pest management alternatives to chlorpyrifos.• CDFA will award approximately $2 million in grants to expandoutreach about innovative, biologically integrated farming sys-tems that reduce chemical insecticide inputs. Crops that have usedchlorpyrifos will be a priority.• CDFA will also fund approximately $1.5 million in research todevelop alternatives to chlorpyrifos that provide safer, more sus-tainable pest management solutions.

Nominations sought for women inagriculture philanthropy award

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has,” said famed anthropologist Margaret Mead. Committedto this principle, the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation, California Women inAgriculture, nine county Farm Bureaus and the UC Davis College of Agriculture andEnvironmental Science joined together to create the Common Threads North Award programin 2003.

The Common Threads North Award recognizes women in agriculture who have chosen tomake a difference in their communities and our world through philanthropy and service aboveand beyond their job responsibilities. It honors those exemplary individuals whose extraordinarycontribution of time, energy and resources enhance the lives of all around them. Eligiblewomen must be from counties north of the line created by Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, and Tuolumnecounties, inclusive.

Over the years, enriched by partnerships with the California Foundation for Agriculture InThe Classroom, California State University, Chico, Center for Land-Based Learning and severalResource Conservation Districts, the Common Threads North program has grown to be one ofthe most prestigious and meaningful distinctions in the agricultural community and beyond.Honorees have included women from all walks of life, from university professors to bankers,directors of government agencies and nonprofits, community volunteers and entrepreneurs,with California agriculture the common thread that connects them all.

Nominations for the 2020 Common Threads Award are currently being accepted and aredue by November 15, 2019. From those nominations, a panel of Common Threads partnerrepresentatives will select women who have demonstrated extraordinary participation in theircommunity by giving their time, expertise and other contributions. Recipients will be recognizedat an awards ceremony April 1, 2020 at Hotel Winters.

The nomination packets may be downloaded at www.commonthreadsnorth.com or may berequested via email. For more information on the nomination process, the award ceremony orthe program in general, contact Sarah DeForest by phone at 530-898-3737 or you can reachher by email at [email protected].

Common Threads North is a program of the Butte Agriculture Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c)3nonprofit.

address current and futureworkforce needs for agricul-tural employers and employ-ees in California and through-out the nation,” CFBF Presi-dent Jamie Johansson said.“The reforms in the FarmWorkforce ModernizationAct of 2019 will providemuch-needed solutions foragricultural employers andemployees.”

The act would allow im-migrant agricultural employeesin the United States to earn le-gal status through continuedagricultural employment.

“We need to deal fairlywith the existing agriculturalworkforce and their immedi-ate families,” Johansson said.“The people who work onfarms and ranches are valuedmembers of rural communi-ties. Their contributions to ourcommunities and our food sys-tem should be recognized byallowing them a chance to gainlegal status.”

The bill would also mod-ernize and streamline the ex-isting H-2A agricultural visaprogram, to provide more flex-ibility for employers and en-sure critical protections for for-

eign employees.“Improvements to the H-

2A program would make itmuch more flexible and valu-able to California farm em-ployers and employees,”Johansson said. “For ex-ample, a pilot program in thebill would allow H-2A em-ployees to move from farm tofarm for employment, a port-ability option California pro-ducers have long sought.And, for the first time, the billwould accommodateguestworker visas for year-round operations such as dair-ies and nurseries.”

(BILL, continued)

Tell a friend aboutFarm Bureau.


SAVE THE DATE!“Farming in the New Normal”:

A workshop for growers on climate and agriculture”, January 7, 2020 at theUlatis Center in Vacaville. A group of local partners including the USDA Natu-ral Resources Conservation Service, the USDA California Climate Hub, Dixonand Solano Resource Conservation Districts, University of California Coopera-tive Extension, California Climate Action Network (Cal-CAN), American Farm-land Trust, Solano Land Trust, Point Blue Conservation Science, CommunityAlliance with Family Farmers, and the Solano County Agriculture Departmenthas been working to put together a great lineup of experts, ag industry profes-sionals and farmers to explore how your operation can adapt and thrive in a newclimate reality. Our goals for the workshop are to:• Help growers understand how climate change will affect their farming opera-tions• Provide practical strategies for agriculture to thrive in a new climate reality• Explore opportunities and resources for implementing climate strategies onfarmsLook for a registration link from one of our partners soon. If you’d like to be asponsor please contact Wendy Rash at 707-448-0106 ext. 111.

Tests again show low or no pesticide levelsin most fruits and vegetables

Once again, tests showed that the vast majority of fresh produce collectedby the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) met national pes-ticide residue standards. During its 2018 survey, DPR found 95 percent of allsamples had no detectable pesticide residues or were actually below levelsallowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).

The findings are included in DPR’s just released 2018 Pesticide Residuesin Fresh Produce report.

“We want to ensure that fresh fruits and vegetables, imported from othercountries or grown right there in California are safe to consume,” said ValDolcini, acting director of DPR.

The 2018 report is based on year-round collection of 3666 samples ofproduce, from dozens of different countries, including those labeled as “or-ganic.” DPR scientists sampled produce from various grocery stores, farmers’markets, food distribution centers, and other outlets throughout California.The produce is tested for more than 400 types of pesticides using state of theart equipment operated by the California Department of Food and Agricul-ture.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets levels for the maximumamounts of pesticide residue that can be present on fruits and vegetables, calleda “tolerance.” It is a violation if any residue exceeds the tolerance for thespecific fruit or vegetable, or if a pesticide is detected for which no tolerancehas been established.California Specific ResultsMore than a third of the country’s fruits and vegetables are grown in Califor-nia according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).In 2018 DPR found:· About 34 percent of all produce samples tested were labeled as Califor-nia-grown,· About 94 percent of the California-grown samples had no pesticide resi-dues on them or were within the legal levels,

Small farm tech expoTools and technology can help farmers improve efficiency, save labor

and connect with their customers. But it seems many of the innovationstaking place in agriculture today are built for large-scale production, outof reach for many family farmers and spurring consolidation in the indus-try. Join us for this event showcasing what’s possible for small-acre andsustainable agriculture. From cost-effective tools to software that stream-lines direct sales, practical tractor implements and data management tohelp you better understand what’s happening beneath your fields. Whetheryou’re growing 20 acres of row crops, tending a quarter acre market gar-den, managing a small-scale ranch or a family-owned vineyard, come learnthe latest in appropriately-scaled ag tech, interact with innovators and startworking smarter, not harder.

• On-farm tool demos • Workshops & Panels • Exhibition Hall & Mar-ketplace • DIY Maker Space & Jerry-Rig Corner • Innovator’s Con-test • Farmer / Techie Mixer

To make sure this event best serves the needs of real-world farmers,we’d love to hear from you: what technology would you most like to seeshowcased? And what on-farm challenges would you most like addressedby new innovations? Take the survey at http://www.farmersguild.org/smallfarmtechexpo.htmlRECEPTION:Sunday, December 8, 4 - 8pmMAIN EXPO DAY:Monday, December 9, 9am - 6pm $30 Admission$20 Student & New Farmer DiscountShone Farm, Santa Rosa Junior College, 7450 Steve Olson Ln.Forestville, CA 95436


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Todd RenfrewOffice: (707)455-4449Cell: (707)365-5064Fax: (707)455-0455

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yields have averaged from 42to 49 tons per acre from 2008to 2017, according to theCalifornia Department ofFood and Agriculture, withthe peak occurring in 2016.

Yields seem to bestable statewide, Montna

said."We're trying new variet-

ies, new genetics, anythingwe can, but I think it's kindof just keeping us where weare," Montna said, "which isOK."

To increase yields, hesaid, growers need to find

"the next big thing," along thelines of drip irrigation, whichgave tomato growers a yieldboost over sprinklers.

On the financial front, to-mato farmers were paidslightly more for their cropthis year: $75 per ton, up from$73.50 in 2018.

(CROP, continued)

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