Ag Alert September 16, 2026

Ag Alert is the newspaper of the California Farm Bureau Federation, reaching Farm Bureau agricultural and collegiate members. Agricultural members are owners and decision-makers on California farms and ranches. The California Farm Bureau Federation is a non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary membership organization whose purpose is to protect and promote agricultural interests throughout the state of California and to find solutions to the problems of the farm, the farm home and the rural community. Farm Bureau is California's largest farm organization, comprised of 53 county Farm Bureaus. Farm Bureau strives to protect and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers engaged in production agriculture to provide a reliable supply of food and fiber through responsible stewardship of California's resources.

Special issue Explore topics affecting California irrigation and water use

Ag Alert returns Oct. 7 Ag Alert ® publishes twice a month. The next issue publishes Oct. 7. In the meantime, keep up with Ag Alert at www.agalert.com and California Farm Bureau at www.cfbf.com.

IRRIGATION

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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com SEPTEMBER 16, 2026

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Trees & Vines

special report

By Manola Secaira California’s water year will be shaped by the arrival of El Niño, a climate pattern that raises the likelihood of intense precipita- El Niño increases chances of winter storms and floods

tion and flooding in the coming months. Experts call the up- coming system a su- per El Niño. A Nation- al Weather Service report in August said

IRRIGATION

there’s a 69% chance its strength would ex- ceed that of previous El Niño events dating back to 1950. While a stronger-than-usual El Niño might seem to promise more rain—and therefore ample water for farms—experts caution that it doesn’t necessarily mean a boost in snowpack, which helps replen- ish reservoirs and sustain water supplies through the growing season. Paul Ullrich, a regional climate model- ing professor at the University of Califor- nia, Davis, describes El Niño as an event that occurs every two to seven years, driv- en by shifts in wind patterns and ocean temperatures that can influence weather around the world. “Essentially, from a water management standpoint, we’re expecting to probably end up pretty well off through the sum- mer season in terms of captured water, but we’re worried about potentially low snowpack for ag,” Ullrich said. He said El Niño increases the probabil- ity of above-average winter precipitation, especially in Southern California. But with climate change driving warmer winter tem- peratures in California in recent years—a trend experts expect will continue in the future—he said there’s no guarantee that additional precipitation will fall as snow and build the state’s snowpack. “It is much harder for us in California to make those kinds of predictions,” Ullrich said, adding it’s possible the state will end up getting average or below-average rainfall. See EL NIÑO, Page 18

Vineyard workers feel wine industry pain Contract laborers remove debris from old-vine zinfandel grapes this month in Lodi. Because of a downturn in the wine industry, California grape growers have removed vineyards, cut back on hand labor and left fruit unharvested, resulting in a substantial loss of employment for vineyard workers.

By Caleb Hampton California farmworkers suffered a wave of job losses during the past few years as work in the state’s winegrape vineyards dried up amid a yearslong market slump. Since 2023, declining wine consump- tion left growers with an oversupply of grapes, forcing many to sell their fruit at a loss or watch it rot on the vines. To limit their losses, growers cut back on labor and other costs, and vineyard owners removed

an estimated one-quarter of the state’s winegrape acreage. As a result, the iconic sector likely shed at least several thousand vineyard jobs, in- dustry leaders estimated, with some work- ers getting laid off and others losing hours. “It’s pretty ugly,” said Guadalupe Gonza- lez, a Napa Valley vineyard crew supervi- sor at Jaguar Farm Labor Contracting Inc., which is headquartered in Delano. Gonzalez, who has worked in the region’s

vineyards for more than a decade, said she used to work seven days a week during har- vest, earning enough to save up for the off- season. But last year, she said, work slowed as grapes went unpicked and more wineries opted to harvest with machines. This year, “It’s a thousand times worse,” she said. A few weeks into harvest, Gonzalez was working only every other day, earning less

See WORKERS, Page 19

n e w s p a p e r

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Everyone wins when farms invest in their employees

By Trevor Tauzer It’s hard to overstate the importance of crew leaders in making an agricultural op- eration run smoothly, or even run at all. At Tauzer Apiar-

real asset to have more employees who are comfortable in English. The AgHiRE program’s training on regulatory compliance has been hugely beneficial. As an employer, we can offer all the required trainings on heat safety and everything else. But it’s one thing for a crew leader to be able to recite the requirements and another for them to have an apprecia- tion for the purpose behind some of these safety rules and be able to communicate them and get buy-in from their crews. Even if we think we know the message we want to send, the employer is not always the right messenger. It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders to know I have a group of people I trust who are respected by the rest of the employees and capable of delivering important messages about workplace safe- ty or other aspects of the job. Whether it’s through AgHiRE or another program, I would encourage any farm em- ployer to take advantage of career develop- ment opportunities for their employees, and especially for crew leaders who play such a vital role in many operations. While it is an investment and a time commitment, in our experience it has been more than worthwhile. The AgHiRE pro- gram opened new doors for our employees while providing an opportunity to build trust and demonstrate that we value them. I believe it also benefits us as a company when employees—and prospective em- ployees—know they can learn skills here that will help them advance in their careers and build a better life. AgHiRE is enrolling participants in its next cohort, which will run from Dec. 1 through March 11. For more informa- tion, visit www.landbasedlearning.org/ program/aghire/. Trevor Tauzer is a second-generation beekeeper and chief operating officer of Tauzer Apiaries in Woodland. He can be reached at trevor@tauzerbees.com.

ies in Woodland, our team of 45 beekeepers trav- els across the state pollinating more than 30 different crops. They include almonds, apples, cherries, melons, onions, cucumbers

Trevor Tauzer

and sunflowers. As with most agricultural operations, there’s no way the owners or managers can have their eyes on everything at all times. Even if we could, it’s probably not the healthiest way to run a business. We need partners in the field, and for many farms, they are our crew leaders. For us, they’re the key to the whole operation. Our crew leaders each supervise a team of four beekeepers. While we do our best to train and equip them, it really is up to these employees to ensure things go well—for our bees, our clients and our employees— while they are out traveling across the state, sometimes on multiday trips. We are blessed to have some of the most skilled and experienced beekeepers in the business leading our crews. Most started with us as beekeepers and were later cho- sen as crew leaders because of their prac- tical knowledge of beekeeping, maturity and leadership qualities. They know all the tricks of the trade. However, there can still be gaps in their understanding when it comes to people management, digital literacy, regulatory compliance and English. Fortunately, several of our crew leaders have benefited from a career development program called AgHiRE, which is offered

An employee of Knights Landing-based River Garden Farms, left, engages with English instructor Cece Drissia during an AgHiRE workshop at the Center for Land-Based Learning in Woodland.

by the Center for Land-Based Learning in Woodland. The program provides training in each of those areas, bringing in experts to work with participating farmworkers on communication, computer skills, regulato- ry requirements and basic English. I have appreciated how this program, which is designed for Spanish speakers, met our crew leaders where they were— recognizing their experience and abilities as well as their capacity to take more initia- tive and adopt a greater sense of ownership over their work. In my experience, an employee’s limita- tions may in many cases stem less from a lack of knowledge or ability than from not having had the confidence or permission to step out of their comfort zone. Programs such as AgHiRE provide a space for seasoned farmworkers to break down mental or technical barriers and try new things. The progress our employees made in

certain areas was truly remarkable. I have seen a big shift in their effective- ness and professionalism when it comes to handling the kinds of interpersonal con- flicts that can arise in any workplace. This can make all the difference in fostering a positive work environment. The digital literacy training was also helpful. While everyone now has a smart- phone in their pocket, being able to send a WhatsApp message may not mean a per- son knows their way around some of the apps that have become commonplace in agriculture. Some of our crew leaders really turned a corner in their technological skills after participating in the program. Any opportunity for our employees to increase their comfort level with English is also valuable. While Spanish may suf- fice on many farms, including ours, our beekeepers spend lots of work time off the farm. This includes hours on the road, where they may need to speak with me- chanics, landowners or anyone else. It’s a

VOL. 53, NO. 18

September 16, 2026

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2 Ag Alert September 16, 2026

New DWR director discusses water resiliency plans bringing more resources to bear and dif- ferent resources to bear, to find a new way to meet the requirements of the state wa- ter board’s water quality control plan with less water cost. We’re freeing up, hopefully, water for continued productive use while at the same time meeting the needs of the water board. On the Record California National Resources Agency and held a few positions there before joining the Department of Water Resources about five years ago.

water. So, it helps me to understand what they might need, what our needs are and then, ideally, find a path forward that sat- isfies everybody. What are some early priorities for you as you step into this position? Well, there are a

n The California Department of Water Resources swore in its new director, Thomas Gibson, in July. He previously worked in various state agencies addressing water issues, including stints at the state Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife and Natu- ral Resource Agency. Gibson spoke with Ag Alert ® about his priorities as he steps into his new role. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How has your past experience informed how you think about California’s water issues? I’ve worked in water for most of my ca- reer at this point. I was a lawyer in private practice that worked on some water mat- ters for about a decade and then came to work at the state department. At the time, it was called the Department of Fish and Game; now it’s the Department of Fish and Wildlife. I was the general counsel there for a number of years. Then I went to the

I think that helps me in this position, having the background of those different perspectives on water, because in all those cases, I’ve worked primarily on water is- sues. So, a long time in the water world, but from different perspectives. In private practice, you’re representing your client’s interest, usually in the litiga- tion context of working on water matters. Then at the Department of Fish and Game, I worked from the perspective of the regu- lator. But at the same time, we were trying to be productive and pragmatic, working on California’s solutions but from that lens. And then came the Department of Water Resources, where we’re on the water sup- ply side. It really helps me to have the back- ground of working on these matters from different perspectives, understanding and respecting the different statutory man- dates they have, understanding that those mandates really collectively comprise the California policies around how we handle

The Sites Reservoir Project is another big one. The water board is completing its permit for that hopefully in the fall, and then we’re hoping to get a final award from the water commission for funding for that project, which would be the first major sur- face water storage project in a generation. And then more recently, SB 72 (signed into law in 2025), which really mod- ernizes our water plan process. It puts some new requirements on us that we’re working towards for a 2028 water plan release where we’ll really be converting the water plan from an inventory into an actionable document based on regional analysis of water supply needs and water supply opportunities. I’d say those are really the big ones, but then at the same time we have Sustainable

number of projects that are key admin- istration priorities that we need to re- ally maintain mo- mentum on. One is the Delta Conveyance Proj- ect, which is our big climate adapta- tion project for our

Thomas Gibson

IRRIGATION

water future. There’s also the Healthy Riv- ers and Landscapes Program; that used to be called the VAs (voluntary agreements). It’s really the water user community, in- cluding agriculture, coming together and

See GIBSON, Page 5

September 16, 2026 Ag Alert 3

Irrigation can’t shield tomatoes from extreme heat California processing tomato growers

tomatoes grown in California. They ana- lyzed data from hundreds of commercial farms in the Central Valley from 2011 through 2021. “We find that extreme tempera- tures cause both lower yields and lower product quality, causing lower grower revenue as a result,” Whitnall and Beatty wrote. Their findings challenge the assumption that irrigation can largely

protect tomatoes from extreme heat. “There is a long-held belief that irriga- tion mitigates the negative effects of ex- treme heat on agricultural crops,” the re- searchers wrote. But their analysis found that “extreme heat conditions affect pro- cessing-tomato plants despite growers’ use of irrigation.” Whitnall and Beatty compared fields across growing seasons while accounting for factors including irrigation technology,

tomato variety and soil type. Tomatoes are planted between February and June, with harvest extending from July through October. This production sched- ule exposes plants to some of the hottest temperatures of the year. The study found that tomato yields are highest when plants are exposed to tem- peratures around 82 degrees Fahrenheit. An additional 24 hours above 104 degrees See TOMATOES, Page 16

could face significant losses from rising temperatures, even with ir- rigation, as extreme heat reduces crop yields and tomato quality, ac- cording to a new University of California study. Researchers Sarah Whitnall and Timothy Beatty exam- ined how temperature affects the quantity and quality of processing

IRRIGATION

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Gibson Continued from Page 3

time getting to within sustainable yields. And then our ever-vacillating hydrolo- gy is a challenge, and we go through these weather extremes. We need to be more and more able to capture the water when we have the wet times so that we can balance out the really dry times. How does California’s hydroclimate whiplash impact how you approach this work? If you go back a long time, we’ve man- aged for a fair amount of that through creating the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, the system of dams and reservoirs where we can store a lot of that water and then move it where needed when we’re able. With climate change in the hydrology, reducing the snowpack and more atmo- spheric rivers, we need to be able to really take advantage of those opportunities. Hopefully, with the Sites Reservoir and with the efforts to create those groundwa- ter recharge basins, we’ll be better able to capture the water in wet years and then be able to rely on that in the dry years. California agriculture is used to that because it’s been our history. It’s getting worse, but we’ve always had that kind of variability. So, I think they understand that, and they’re as good as anybody and probably better than anybody else at how to manage around those uncertainties.

Groundwater Management Act imple- mentation and supporting the locals with that ongoing. We have what looks to be a very strong El Niño coming, which could bring with it flood, drought and opportu- nities for groundwater recharge that we really need to take advantage of. How much is agriculture part of your day-to-day thinking in this position? It’s a huge part of what we do. Our mis- sion is to sustainably manage the water resources of the state of California, and a huge part of that is agriculture and sup- porting the $60 billion a year farming and ranching economy. The priority projects I mentioned— every one of those has a key tie into ag- riculture. It really would be hard to sep- arate the two because so much of what we do is really an important connection to agriculture and maintaining our Cal- ifornia agriculture. Many farmers have faced challenges as they work to implement California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act mandates while simultaneously dealing with drought conditions. How are you

California Department of Water Resources Director Thomas Gibson speaks at the California Water Plan advisory committee meetings in Los Angeles last month.

thinking about this issue of water access for farmers? And what solutions do you see there? It’s a real challenge for California ag now and into the future of, how much farming can we sustainably maintain? We want to be able to sustain as much as we can, but at the same time, getting the groundwater use in the sustainable yield under SGMA— it’s a long-term problem that’s just now sort

of coming into focus. Through groundwater recharge ef- forts, through the water plan and through projects like the HRL (Healthy Rivers and Landscapes), we’re looking for ways to maximize the water supply everywhere we can. Then, modernizing our infrastructure so that, as much as possible, we can move the water to where it’s most needed. So those are all key activities that we’re work- ing on to try to maintain as much ongoing agriculture as possible while at the same

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September 16, 2026 Ag Alert 5

A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® CALIFORNIA Trees & Vines

Owl study assesses rat management in nut orchards By Vicky Boyd For more than a decade, university wildlife researchers have studied how installing Funded by a $923,954 grant from the California Department of Pesticide Management, Johnson and fellow researchers will focus on roof rats in almond and pistachio orchards. Nestlings spend about two months in the owl box before they’re ready to try their wings. As many as a half dozen owlets typically fill a box, and they eat up to four to five rodents daily. Below, some nut producers, such as this Stanislaus County pistachio farm, have erected barn owl boxes for rodent management.

Joining him is University of California Cooperative Extension wildlife management specialist Roger Baldwin, who conducted research previously into managing roof rats in citrus orchards. In that project, Baldwin said his research team found that citrus trees’ dense canopies and ever- green foliage hindered barn owl’s foraging on rats. But the researchers had good success using elevat- ed bait stations with a small amount of toxicant to knock down rat populations. Then they followed up with trapping to maintain the low numbers.

barn owl nesting boxes and accompanying owl pre- dation help manage small rodents in vineyards. Now they hope to take a similar approach during a three-year study that examines the effects of barn owl predation alone or combined with trapping to potentially manage roof rats in nut orchards. “We’ve documented that barn owls do indeed reduce the number of voles, gophers and mice, and we’ve learned a lot in the vineyard systems,” said Matthew Johnson, a Cal Poly, Humboldt, wildlife professor who led much of the research. “Now we’re really excited to try some similar approach- es in orchards.”

While nut orchards also provide an arboreal environment, Baldwin said they’re deciduous and drop leaves seasonally, unlike citrus. He the- orized this may push rat activity onto the orchard floor in the fall, making them more vulnerable to owl predation. See OWLS, Page 8

Although many growers have erected owl boxes to control small rodents in vineyards, he said little scientific data existed until recently about barn owl predation and how cultural practices influenced it. There’s been even less research into the feathered predator’s impacts on orchard rodents.

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Owls Continued from Page 6

“The problem is there are pockets where it’s really bad, and in other locations, it’s kind of hit and miss,” Baldwin said. Not only do roof rats cause econom- ic damage by directly consuming nuts, but they also can injure trees by girdling branches, he said. One of the most com- mon and costly types of damage is de- stroyed irrigation lines. The California Department of Food and Agriculture in March estimated rat damage to almonds ranged from $118 million to $297.7 million, while losses in pistachios were between $48.1 million and $275.5 million. The estimate, which covers about 112,000 acres of almonds and 116,000 acres of pistachios in Fresno, Kings and Merced counties, does not include pest control expenses. Baldwin said he and Johnson suspect much of the rat problem is tied to the in- crease in abandoned almond orchards, which provide food and habitat. “You go two to three years without any management, and you start to see a build- up of rats on the property, and they spread out to adjacent properties,” he said. The problem may multiply when trees are tak- en out and the rats seek new habitat. Baldwin also pointed to other pos- sible causes, including further restric- tions on chemical rodenticides and in-burrow fumigants that many growers have relied upon. Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She can be reached at agalert@cfbf.com.

“But there’s so much we don’t know,” Baldwin said. During his years of vineyard studies, Johnson found barn owls hunt primarily using acoustics or sounds, allowing them to locate prey under mowed cover crops and other natural protection. Previous work by Johnson and Baldwin noted that a single barn owl family can kill 3,000 to 4,000 rodents annually, frequently reducing rodent populations. In vineyards, field mice, voles and gophers are the dom- inant prey. More recent work by Johnson, Baldwin and Cal Poly, Humboldt, doctoral student Karen Gallardo Cruz found that barn owls also create a fear factor, with rodents show- ing 16% to 38% increased fear of predators. For their upcoming project, Johnson said they’re seeking cooperating nut pro- ducers willing to volunteer at least 40-acre blocks. The orchards would need what he described as the “Goldilocks” of rat issues. They would need enough rats so re- searchers could observe potential popu- lation reductions with the different treat- ments. But the blocks couldn’t have so many rodents that the producers would feel a need to use a chemical toxicant to prevent significant economic damage. He said they hope to have 12 participat- ing blocks. Of those, four will be untreated controls, four will have only owl boxes, and four will have both owl boxes and traps. To

Roof rats have become a problem for many nut producers by directly consuming nuts, girdling tree branches and chewing through irrigation systems.

learn how to participate, contact Johnson at matthew.johnson@humboldt.edu. The researchers will begin this fall and spend the first year collecting baseline data on resident rat populations. To do this, they’ll use tracking tunnels and ink pads, among other methods. Johnson said they’ve already placed an order with a nonprofit organization that builds barn owl boxes and erects them. The nesting sites will be installed before the second year and monitored through the third year. Using activity cameras and other types of surveillance, the researchers will deter- mine owl predation levels, nesting success

and progeny produced. They’ll also iden- tify the types of prey brought back to the nest boxes. Known scientifically as Rattus rattus, roof rats are agile climbers and frequently build nests in trees, attics or other elevat- ed locations. They’re not a new problem either, having caused isolated infestations in rural and suburban locations for years, Baldwin said. It’s only been the past two or three sea- sons that nut producers in some regions have experienced population explosions and related economic damage. The prob- lem isn’t widespread throughout the Cen- tral Valley but is a scattered issue.

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Botryosphaeria, or Bot, is a fungal disease in walnuts that causes fruit blanks, darkened and shriveled nuts, dead spurs and twig die- back, all of which can significantly reduce yields if left unmanaged. When an infected peduncle—the stem that bears the fruit—is beside next year’s flowers, it can kill two or three flowers, which could produce doubles or triples in good years. One of the main infection points for Bot is through the husks. When they become infected and remain on the tree during or after harvest, Bot travels into the branch and kills the adjacent flower buds. Whether the Bot infection enters through pruning wounds or the husk, rachis and then the branch, depending on which Bot species it is, it can continue to grow indefinitely and progressively kill larger sections of wood. Summer humidity allows some Bot to enter before husk split, particularly in the nuts within the inner canopy that picked up spores over the growing season. Rain during

harvest can also create problems with Bot. Originally, Bot was monitored in the winter by looking at infected spurs with BUDMON, a preseason bud-monitoring test that de- tects bud infection. Infected wood—a pri- mary source of inoculum—was pruned, re- moved from the orchard and burned. Many growers have switched to spray ap- plications at different times of the year. If an early husk-split spray is applied for Bot, it can also help prevent mold if there is a wet har- vest. With El Niño conditions expected this year, there is potential for a wetter harvest. Any of the available fungicides are effec- tive at husk split to help kill latent Bot infec- tions that occurred during the season or at husk split. Several chemistries are effective against Bot, and resistance hasn’t so far been seen, but growers are advised to rotate to pre- vent resistance. Spraying at husk split could be a better choice, especially if it’s a wet harvest.

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September 16, 2026 Ag Alert 9

THE FELS HOTLINE

Anna Genasci FELS General Manager agenasci@cfbf.com

Wage-and-hour questions from the field Split shifts, meal periods and timecards keep the FELS Hotline busy. Some of the most common calls FELS has received recently involve everyday wage-and-hour situations: Does this schedule count as a split shift? Do I need to record the employee’s actual lunch period? Can an employee waive lunch? For agricultural employers covered by California Industrial Welfare Commission Wage Order 14, the answers often come down to the details of the employee’s workday. Does this count as a split shift? Wage Order 14 defines a split shift as a work schedule interrupted by an em- ployer-established, unpaid, nonworking period other than a bona fide rest or meal period. For example, an employee might work from 6 a.m. to noon, leave for several hours and return to work from 7 p.m. to midnight. Depending on the circumstanc- es, that schedule may constitute a split shift. Wage Order 14 generally requires an additional hour of pay at the applicable minimum wage when an employee works a split shift, subject to the rules governing how the premium is calculated. Employers should also remember that the hours on both portions of the shift count toward applicable daily and weekly overtime requirements. What should the timecard show for lunch? Accuracy matters. Wage Order 14 requires employers to maintain records showing when employ- ees begin and end each work period. Meal periods and split-shift intervals must also be recorded, except that a meal period does not have to be recorded when operations cease during the meal period. That means employers should be cautious about automatically preprinting or

prepopulating a 30-minute lunch period that may not reflect when an employee actually took lunch. If one crew takes lunch at 11 a.m. and another at 11:30 a.m., the employer’s records should accurately reflect the required information rather than assume everyone followed the same schedule. Can an employee waive a meal period? Sometimes—but not simply because the employee would rather work through lunch. Under Wage Order 14, an employer generally may not employ an employee for more than five hours without providing a meal period of at least 30 minutes. However, when the employee’s work period will be no more than six hours and that completes the day’s work, the meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the employer and employee. The point is that the employer need not compel the employee to take the meal break but must relieve the employee of duties at or before the required time for the required period of time. A second meal period is generally required when an employee works more than 10 hours. If the employee works no more than 12 hours, the second meal period may be waived by mutual consent—but only when the first meal period was not waived. These seemingly simple questions can become complicated quickly, especially during harvest or other busy periods when schedules change throughout the day. That is why FELS members have access to the FELS Employer Hotline at 1-800- 753-9073. When a wage-and-hour, safety, human resources or other employment question comes up, members can call FELS and talk with someone who under- stands California agriculture and can help work through the situation in real time. Have a question? Call the FELS Hotline at 1-800-753-9073. Your question may even inspire a future FELS Hotline column.

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10 Ag Alert September 16, 2026

Vineyard adaptation to heat an economic balancing act

the strongest returns. The study, “Economics of Winegrape Adaptation: Technology Adoption, Culti- var Selection, or Migration,” was conduct- ed by researchers from Cornell University and Pennsylvania State University. They used cabernet sauvignon production in Napa County as a case study and evaluated three approaches: adopting shade tech- nology, changing grape varieties or moving production to a cooler region. The findings underscore a basic eco- nomic reality of perennial crops: Deci- sions made today can affect vineyard

profitability for decades. “Extreme heat is no longer a once-in-a- decade problem for winegrape growers,” said Kristen Barnhisel, winemaker for San Jose-based J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines and president of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, which publishes the journal. The researchers built a financial model around the costs and returns associated with each strategy. They considered the expense of establishing and operating a vineyard as well as the effects of heat on production and grape value. The first strategy was to stay with caber- net sauvignon in Napa and use technology to reduce heat damage. The study focused on shade cloth that can be installed over vines to protect clusters from direct sun- light and extreme temperatures. Heat can be particularly damaging during extreme events. When tempera- tures exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, grape clusters exposed to direct sun can reach substantially higher temperatures. Heat stress can damage berries, affect com- pounds important to wine quality and reduce yields. Shade technology can help mitigate those effects, but it is not free. Installation represents a significant investment, and materials eventually need to be replaced. The economic question for growers is whether the protection afforded by shade is worth the additional capital and oper- ating costs. The second strategy was cultivar selec- tion—replacing cabernet sauvignon with a variety better suited to hotter conditions. In the model, the researchers used carignan as an example of a more heat-tolerant cultivar. That approach involves a trade-off. A grower could gain resilience and poten- tially maintain production under hotter conditions, but changing varieties could affect the price received for grapes or wine. It also means moving away from an estab- lished market identity tied to a particular grape and place. The third strategy was migration— moving vineyard production to a cooler location. The study modeled a move from Napa County to Lake County. Relocation, however, involves major costs and risks. Establishing a vineyard in a new location requires land, vines, trellising, irrigation and other infrastruc- ture, while a grower gives up some of the economic value associated with an estab- lished vineyard and its regional identity. The economic model showed that adap- tation is not necessarily an all-or-nothing decision. With relatively modest changes in climate, continuing to grow cabernet sauvi- gnon in Napa without making major chang- es remained the most profitable option. This makes economic sense for a grower who already has productive vines, estab- lished markets and a premium reputation. As heat stress increased, however, the economics shifted. At moderate levels of additional heat, installing shade cloth became the more attractive strategy. The technology allows growers to retain estab- lished vines and their associated market identity while reducing the effects of ex- treme heat.

Winegrape growers facing a hotter and more volatile climate may have several ways to protect the value of their vineyards, but a new study suggests there is no single best adaptation strategy. The most profitable choice depends on how severe heat becomes, according to re- search published this year in the American

Journal of Enology and Viticulture. Under relatively mild warming, growers may be better off maintaining established vineyards and varieties. As heat stress in- creases, shade technology can become economically attractive. Under the most severe conditions modeled, switching to a more heat-tolerant grape variety produced

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See VINEYARD, Page 15 September 16, 2026 Ag Alert 11

State Affairs - Federal Policy - Legal Services Advocacy in Action

Dairy order California Farm Bureau will join Dairy Cares and other agricultural organizations to make public comments on the Califor- nia State Water Resources Control Board’s updated dairy order to address waste dis- charge in the Central Valley. The update came after two months of review and meetings with stakeholders. The order was set to be heard and voted on at the board meeting this week. Waters of the U.S. The American Farm Bureau Federation is backing proposed changes to the federal definition of “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, saying the revisions would provide clearer limits on which waters and private properties fall under federal regulation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the supplemental proposal earlier this month, opening a 30-day public comment period following its publication in the Federal Register. The proposal builds on a 2025 rulemak- ing aimed at revising the WOTUS defini- tion after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Sackett v. EPA. The new lan- guage would narrow the scope of waters

rules governing when wolves can be killed to protect livestock. The order does not immediately re- move the wolves from federal protection. Instead, it starts a review that could lead to those changes. In addition, the order calls for the Agricul- ture and Interior departments to review how ranchers’ claims for livestock losses caused by predators are investigated and paid. The administration said the goal is to make those claims easier to evaluate and process. The agencies are specifically told to consider evidence beyond the presence of bleeding beneath an animal’s skin when determining whether a wolf attack caused a livestock death. The order also directs the Interior De- partment to consider changing the rules governing when wolves can be killed. The goal is to give federal officials more flexibility to respond to immediate threats to people or livestock, including situations in which a particular wolf can be identified as the source of the problem. The order also puts country-of-origin labeling for beef back on the table. With- in 90 days, the Agriculture Department is directed to review whether the federal

subject to federal jurisdiction compared with the agencies’ earlier proposal. Wolves, beef labeling President Donald Trump signed an ex- ecutive order Sept. 4 aimed at changing federal policies that affect ranchers, with a focus on wolf protections, compensation for livestock losses and how beef is labeled. The order gives federal agencies 90 days to review rules that affect ranchers and rec- ommend changes intended to improve their finances and access to markets. It also directs agencies to work toward lowering grocery prices for consumers. One of the biggest changes could involve gray wolves and Mexican wolves. The Interior Department has 90 days to determine whether the two types of wolves have recovered enough to be removed from federal protection under the Endan- gered Species Act. If the department finds that they have met the recovery standards, it is directed to begin the process of remov- ing or reducing their federal protections. The order also calls for recommenda- tions to Congress on delisting the wolves and directs the administration to work with states on removing them from state lists of protected species and changing

government has the authority to require beef sold in the United States to carry mandatory country-of-origin labels. The department must also study the economic effects of such a requirement. After that review, the Agriculture De- partment could propose new regulations or ask Congress to change the law to re- quire the labels. Trump’s order also tells federal agencies to make sure the changes they pursue benefit consumers through lower food prices when possible. Trade dispute Canada imposed retaliatory tariffs last week on roughly $20 billion of U.S. goods, including a range of agricultural and man- ufactured products, following the U.S. de- cision to impose 50% tariffs on Canadian goods in several sectors. In response, the Trump administration announced plans to ban imports of certain Canadian products, including alcoholic beverages, whey and dairy products, and other commodities. The escalation follows a breakdown in negotiations between the countries over the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and other trade challenges, with both sides seemingly growing further apart as the row deepens.

September 16, 2026 Ag Alert 13

IRRIGATION NEWS

Are irrigation jets right for your orchard or vineyard? By Charles Burt

a relatively large area of soil. Over time, however, the two lines can end up close together, creating a much smaller wet area than intended. Growers also sometimes irrigate only twice a week because of labor or manage- ment schedules. Over the course of the week, they may apply the right total amount of water for the crop. But during each irriga- tion, they can put more water into the lim- ited wet area than the soil can hold. Some of that water moves below the root zone, while the trees may face water stress before the next irrigation. The answer with drip is often shorter, more frequent irrigation runs. Jets are different. With a wide spray pattern, running a small amount of water every day can actu- ally increase evaporation because so much of the soil surface remains wet. In many cases, a wide-pattern jet system may be bet- ter suited to irrigating a block about twice a week, unless runoff becomes a problem. Ultimately, the most important lesson applies to drip and jet irrigation: Don’t judge an irrigation system only by what you see above ground. The real question is what is happening in the soil. One of the best ways to find out is to dig some trench- es and check how deeply the water is mov- ing, how far it is spreading and whether the tree roots are getting the water they need. There are good reasons to choose jets, and there are good reasons to choose drip. In many orchards and vineyards, the best answer may fall somewhere in between. The key is to match the irrigation sys- tem—and the way it is operated—to the soil, terrain, trees and conditions in the field. Charles Burt is irrigation professor emeritus of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and founder of the Irrigation Training and Research Center. He can be reached at charlesmburt@gmail.com.

When irrigating orchards and vineyards, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Drip systems have become a popular choice, but under the right conditions, irrigation jets can be a good option. Jets have been used in orchards and vineyards since the mid-1970s. The tech- nology has come a long way since the ear- ly days, when simple jets were attached directly to hoses. Today’s systems can include stakes, more durable materials and better manufacturing controls. Some growers use jets in conjunction with drip lines, while others rely entirely on jets. When do jets make sense? Jets can be particularly useful in situa- tions where growers need to wet a larger portion of the soil surface. For example, they can work well in sandy, rocky or shallow soils that do not hold much water. They can also be a good choice in orchards where trees are planted relatively far apart. Jets may also offer an advantage when frost protection is a concern. By wetting more of the soil surface, they can pro- vide some additional protection against cold temperatures. Another consideration is salty irrigation water. The amount of salt delivered is the same whether a grower applies 3 acre-feet of water through drip or through jets. But because jets spread that water over a larger area, the salt is distributed through more soil. That can reduce the concentration of salt in the root zone compared with a tight- ly concentrated drip pattern. Jets can also make it easier to apply cer- tain soil amendments. For example, gyp- sum can be spread across the soil surface and then incorporated into the soil with ir- rigation water. Done correctly, this can help reduce runoff and add calcium to the soil. The spray pattern can also be adjusted to help support a cover crop growing be- tween orchard or vineyard rows. Where jets may not be appropriate is when the drive row needs to remain dry and clear, making a large, wetted area undesirable. Jets are not without their challenges. One long-standing problem is damage from squirrels and mice, which can chew through the small spaghetti hoses that connect jets to the hose. Growers have addressed this in several ways, including protecting the spaghetti hose with spiral wrapping, placing jets close to the hose connection or burying the spaghetti hose just below the soil surface. Another concern is wear and tear from abrasive materials in the irrigation water. This can become a particular issue when gypsum is applied incorrectly. Using the right type and amount of gypsum helps, as does choosing jets with durable nozzles and spray plates. The quality of the materials can vary considerably among manufacturers. There is also the issue of evaporation. Because jets wet more of the soil surface than drip systems typically do, more water can be lost to evaporation.