Ross, Johansson discuss key topics during webinar
throughour systems aroundatmospheric rivers—those few times a year where we getmassiveamounts ofwhat’s increasing- lygoing tobe rainor temperatures that can cause faster snowmelt.” How to capture all of that is the ques- tion, she said, especiallyways to recharge groundwater while preventing floods. That l ed Johansson to br ing up Proposition 1, the 2014 water bond over- whelmingly approved by California vot- ers. Johansson noted that Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations that campaigned to pass the measure “were
very open that it was aboutmore storage.” “The thing about drought, too, is it is an opportunity to raise public awareness,” he said. “We deal withweather risks. The hallmark of successful agriculture is the ability to deal with climate risk. It chang- es, and we know that.” Johansson and Ross spoke of the im- portance of voluntary agreements for managing river flows, with Johansson noting that “a million acres potentially could be at risk.”
ByKevinHecteman Drought, climate policy, environ- mental regulation and research funding dominated the discussion as California Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross sat down with California Farm BureauPresident Jamie Johansson for the first edition of Farm Bureau Extension, a new series of virtual presentations for FarmBureaumembers. The ongoing drought took center stage as Ross and Johansson discussed the present and future of farming in the Golden State. “When you look at another drought situation, farmers do cringe and ranch- ers do cringe, because we see more of a burden placed on us,” Johansson said, Farm-to-school projects receive grants from CDFA Sixty farm-to-school projects in California have received funding through a new state grant program. The California Department of Food andAgricultureOffice of Farmto Fork an- nounced last week it had awarded nearly $8.5millionthroughtheCaliforniaFarmto School Incubator Grant Program. CDFAsaid theprogramwill fund“inno- vative local and regional farm-to-school projects in nutrition education, sustain- able food production and procurement, and high-quality student engagement through experiential learning.” G r a n t s w e r e awa r d e d i n t w o funding tracks. Vi a Ca l i f o r n i a Fa rm t o S choo l InnovationGrants,CDFAwill fund46proj- ects, awardinggrants ranging from$20,000 to $500,000 to local educational agencies throughout the state. Selected through a competitive process, these projects focus on establishing new or expanding existing integrated farm-to- school programs. CDFA said the programs procure California-grown or California- produced, whole or minimally processed foods, and integrate these foods into school meals. Programs receiving the grantsmust also coordinate educational opportunities amongcafeteria,classroomandcommunity. Through the second track, California Regional Partnerships Grants, CDFA will fund 14 projects. Those grants range from approximately$144,000to$250,000forfarm- to-school partnerships including local ed- ucational agencies and regional partners. Alsoselectedthroughacompetitiveprocess, these projects focus on expanding existing farm-to-schoolinitiativesandincreasingcol- laborationandcoordinationbetweenfarm- ersandranchersandtheschoolstheyserve. More information and a list of grant re- cipientsmaybefoundatcafarmtofork.cdfa. ca.gov/CaFarmtoSchoolProgram.htm.
noting the 40,000 curtailment-warning notices sent by the StateWater Resources Control Board and the shortage of water in reservoirs. (See story, Page 1.) Rossdescribed theSierraNevada snow- pack as “the cheapest water storage any statecanhope for,”butwithwarming tem- peratures and earlier snowmelt, “we’re in that situationagainwherewehave to think
See EXTENSION, Page 15
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April 21, 2021 Ag Alert 3
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