Ag Alert. April 13, 2022

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.

Easter eggs Holiday sales trail Christmas, Thanksgiving

Dry farming Veteran winegrape grower touts no-irrigation approach

Page 3

Page 7

www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com APRIL 13, 2022

Trees & Vines ®

s p e c i a l r e p o r t

ByKevinHecteman Ranchers with grazing permits in the Stanislaus National Forest and elsewhere are no longer in danger of being run off their allotments after a federal appeals court rejected an appeal from environ- mental groups seeking tohamstring cattle grazing on federal lands. The Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center and Sierra Forest Legacy groups sued in federal court in March 2017, alleging violations of the Clean Water Act, Environmental Policy Act and Forest Management Act. Specifically, the suit challenged cattle-grazing allot- ments on Bell Meadow, Eagle Meadow and Herr ing Creek al lotments au- thorized by the U.S. Forest Service. California FarmBureau Senior Counsel Kari Fisher said theForest Serviceandstate water boards have had a deal in place for more than40years thatnoadditionalwater Appellate court upholds grazing on federal lands

Fresno County farmer Ryan Ferguson checks on his irrigation system at his farm in Lemoore. Ferguson, board president of Westlands Water District, says 2022 is the second consecutive year that district farmers received a zero water allocation, and many plan to fallow land to conserve water.

See GRAZING, Page 18

ByKevinHecteman Are these bloom times again for Easter lilies? Sales of the iconic spring flower are upagain, growers andwholesalers report, but belowpre-pandemic levels. “The pandemic two years ago pretty much wiped out 70% of the sales of lilies that were being grown in the greenhouse to sell for Easter two years ago,” said Rob Miller, who grows Easter lilies in the Del Norte County town of Smith River. “The demand for plants fromthegreenhouse to the retail stores has never recovered fully.” The reasons,Miller said, are that buyers Easter lilies see falling demand in recent years

Water cuts leave hard choices for farmers er Ryan Ferguson, who farms trees and row crops in Lemoore. “We have enough water to get our trees through, but there’s going to be fewer acres planted on the ranch. We’re fallowing about 1,200 acres of row-crop ground.”

ByChristine Souza Hit with a third consecutive year of drought, farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley who grow trees, vines and row crops are making difficult deci- sions onwhat to farmandwhat to fallow. “We’re just in a tough situation right now. We’ve been dealt a really tough hand of cards,” said Fresno County farm-

tor of the federal Central Valley Project. This is the second year that the district received a zero water allocation due to drought. In 2020, the allocationwas 20%. “Water’s the primary concern, and for us and for a lot of growers who are row- crop farmers and have permanent plant- ings, it’s (about) protecting that long-term

Ferguson serves as board president of WestlandsWaterDistrict, thestate’s largest agricultural water district. He is a contrac-

See WESTLANDS, Page 12

n e w s p a p e r

Comment.......................................2 Trees & Vines...............................7 Ask Your PCA............................ 24 Classifieds........................... 25-27 Inside

Published by

See LILIES, Page 20

Food prices are rising, and so are burdens for farms

By ZippyDuvall We are all feeling the pressures these days of rising costs, from the grocery store to the fuel pump. Most Americans are already making adjustments here and there. Some might drive less, take a family vacation closer to home, or cook a few more meals rather than dining out. But finding small ways to save can only go

While consumers are facing higher prices at the grocery store, farmers are also struggling due to rising costs of agricultural pro- duction.

so far when your ver y l i ve l ihood depends on goods that keep getting more expensive, somet imes sky- rocketing in price. When you need t o p l ant c rops , tend to them and care for animals to

Zippy Duvall

to provide analysis as farmers and ranch- ers adjust their budgets to keep up. The pressures that keep you up at night on the farm, keep us up looking for solutions and advocating on your behalf here inWashington, D.C.Wewill weather this storm together, as we work to keep our nation’s food supply secure and our farms strong. The impor tance of food suppl y self-sufficiency has become crystal clear in recent weeks asmore andmore people understand the connectionbetween food security and national security. The cost of farmingmay be high, but as global events remindus, the cost of losing America’s farms would be even greater. (Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Greene County, Georgia, is the 12th president of the American Farm Bureau Federation and has served since 2016.)

The story isn’t much better for farmers growing row crops, either. While market prices are high for crops such as corn and soybeans, the higher costs for seeds, fer- tilizer, pesticides and fuel make it tough to balance out. It’s also tooearly to tell if priceswill keep upwith farmcosts or be swallowed up. I know everyone is feeling the strain of rising costs, but where it hits differently on the farm is our inability to set prices. A restaurant might adjust its menu and raise prices to keep up, or reduce hours and staff, but those adjustments just don’t work on the farm. Whether you’re growing grains, raising livestock or growing fruits and vegeta- bles, you don’t set the price you’ll receive at harvest unless you’re directly market- ing your products, and that price can change from the time you’re planning and planting to harvest time.

There are no slow times on the farmor margins to reduce employee time.What’s more, you can’t control whenyour equip- mentmight breakdownor, worse, whena stormor natural disastermight sweep in. Farmers and ranchers rise to these challenges each day because we are grounded inour commitment to feed our families and yours. But the pressures of rising farmcosts— from seeds to equipment—are front of mind inevery region right now. Providing relief in the supply chain must be a top priority for our nation. At Farm Bureau, we have been calling on the Biden administration to address the skyrocketing costs of fertilizer, re- move import duties, free up port con- gestion and increase efficiency across shipping channels. Our team of economists are following market impacts closely andwill continue

keep the farm running, you have to find a way to make it work. Many American farmers are hoping to at least hold onun- til relief in the supply chain comes. As a beef and poultry farmer, I am a price taker—and that’s the same story for farmers of all commodities across the country. Most consumers don’t know that the higher prices they’re paying in the gro- cery store these days don’t mean higher profits for my farm or yours. This year’s input cost spikes have been tough, but they are alsopart of the bigger story of the rising cost of farming. For livestock farmers in particular, business costs have increased 46% since 2013. Those costs include animal care, feed and seed. Today, those costs con- tinue to rise, and with supply-chain dis- ruptions, you also have to pray that your farm supplies will arrive in time.

VOL. 49, NO. 14

April 13, 2022

AG ALERT ® weekly newspaper is an official publication of the CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU

www.agalert.com www.cfbf.com

@cafarmbureau @cafarmbureau @cafarmbureau

@calfarmbureau

Board of Directors (District 1) Ronnie Leimgruber; (2) Andy Wilson; (3) Richard Miner; (4) Kevin Merrill ; (5) Brian Medeiros ; (6) Joey Airoso; (7) Donny Rol l in ; (8) Richard Bianchi; (9) Jay Mahil; (10) Jan Garrod; (11) Joe Martinez; (12) Paul Sanguinetti; (13) Ron Peterson; (14) Joe Fischer; (15) Clark Becker; (16) Garrett Driver; (17) Johnnie White; (18) David Rosenthal ; (19) Taylor Hagata; (20) Jim Morris; (21) Ronald Vevoda; (Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee Chair) Jocelyn Anderson. Advisory Members Al Stehly, Chair, CFB Rural Health Department, Glenda Humiston, University of California Cooperative Extension. Letters to the editor: Send to agalert@cfbf.com or Ag Alert, Attn: Editor, 2600 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento, CA 95833. Include name, address, phone number, email address; 250-word limit.

Melanie Duval- Chief Marketing Officer

ADVERTISING: Brock Tessandori- Business Development Manager (916) 561-5585 Shelby Baldridge- Advertising Operations Assistant Classifieds: (916) 561-5570 2600 River Plaza Dr., Sacramento, CA 95833. Represented in the East and Midwest by J.L. Farmakis, Inc. Eastern office: Bill Farmakis 48 Topfield Rd., Wilton, CT 06897 (203) 834-8832; Fax: (203) 834-8825. Midwest office: Russ Parker , P.O. Box 7, Albia, IA 52531 (641) 946‑7646, Bob Brunker , 8209 NW 81st Ct., Kansas City, MO 64152 (816) 746-8814, Jennifer Saylor , 8426 N. Winfield Ave., Kansas City, MO 64153 (816) 912-2804, Laura Rustmann , 901 Lands End Cir, St. Charles MO 63304, (636) 238-8548. AG ALERT (issn 0161-5408) is published weekly except weeks of Memorial Day, July 4, Thanksgiving,

Christmas; and with exceptions, by the California Farm Bureau, 2600 River Plaza Dr., Sacramento CA 95833 (telephone: (916) 561-5570) . Periodicals postage paid at Sacramento, California. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AG ALERT, 2600 River Plaza Dr., Sacramento, CA 95833. The California Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers or for products adver t ised in AG ALERT nor does the Federation assume responsibility for statements or expressions of opinion other than in editorials or in articles showing authorship by an officer, director, or employee of the California Farm Bureau Federation or its affiliates. No alcohol, tobacco or political ad-

Peter Hecht- Chief Editor, Publications

Christine Souza- Assistant Editor

Ching Lee- Assistant Editor

Kevin Hecteman- Assistant Editor

Karin Bakotich- Design Services Manager

Jessica Cook- Senior Graphic Designer

Paula Erath- Graphic Artist

vertising will be accepted. Jamie Johansson , President

GENERAL INFORMATION: (916) 561-5570

Shannon Douglass , First Vice President Shaun Crook , Second Vice President

agalert@cfbf.com

Printed on Recycled Paper

BPA Business PublicationMember

2 Ag Alert April 13, 2022

Easter tradition no longer a major driver for selling eggs

demand for eggs is around Christmas. At Easter time, he said, “those plastic eggs kind of rule theworld.” What is different this year is anoutbreak of avian influenza across at least 24 states, thoughithasnotbeendetectedinCalifornia. The highly pathogenic virus has affected commercial andbackyard flocks, resulting in the loss of more than 24million birds as of lastweek.Thathas ledtoshortersupplies of eggsnationwide, drivingupeggprices. The higher market price is needed, Hilliker said, because the cost to produce

eggs has soared. He noted the price of chicken feedhasdoubled fromwhat itwas two years ago. He’s also paying 25%more for packaging, 40%more for fuel and 10% to 15%more for labor. Hilliker saidheexpectseggpriceswill re- mainhigheruntil farmsaffectedbyavianin- fluenza repopulate their barns. Thoughhe is earningmore forhis eggs, he said the rise inprices has alsobegun to slowdemand. “With these higher prices, orders are down,” he said. “(Customers are) saying,

ByChing Lee The Easter egg hunt may still be a tradi- tionthis timeof year, but eggproducers say sales of their product around the holiday aren’t what they’re cracked up to be. “It might push demand up a touch, but Easter ismoreof achocolateholiday,” said Marty Zaritsky, an egg producer and dis- tributor in SanBernardinoCounty. Even though some people still dye eggs forEaster, hesaidThanksgiving,Christmas andNewYear’s remain themost lucrative Klamath farmers facing water cuts Food production along the California- Oregon border will likely be significantly curtailedafter the federal government an- nouncedMonday that it intends toallocate 50,000acre-feet ofwater toKlamathBasin irrigators this year. U.S.BureauofReclamation,whichman- ages the federal Klamath Water Project, released a temporary operations plan for the 2022water year, inwhich the Klamath WaterUsersAssociationsaidtheallocation is less than 15% of what irrigators need. The announcement comes amid a third consecutive year of drought and follows a zero allocation for the basin last year. “On a single acre, we can produce over 50,000poundsof potatoesor 6,000pounds ofwheat.Thisyear,mostof that landwillnot produceany foodbecause thegovernment isdenyingwater for irrigation,”saidTulelake farmerBenDuVal,presidentof theKlamath WaterUsersAssociation, which represents KlamathWater Project irrigators. Thebureauannounced thatwater from Upper Klamath Lake will be dedicated to fish species based on regulatory guide- lines put in place by the National Marine FisheriesServiceandU.S. FishandWildlife Service. NMFS has authority related to coho salmon, considered a threatened speciesunder theEndangeredSpeciesAct. USFWS has authority related to Lost River suckers andshortnose suckers, both listed as endangered under the ESA. “Federal agencies’ experiment of in- creasing water allocation to these ESA- listed species has been tried for 25 years in the Klamath Basin,” the KlamathWater UsersAssociationsaid ina statement. “Yet there is no evidence this policy has bene- fited the target fish populations.” Meanwhile, DuVal said, “If we farmers failedas badly as the federal agencybiolo- gists who are controllingwater policy, our bankers would have foreclosed on us 20 years ago.” He said, “The regulators’ per- formance is unacceptable and should be embarrassing to federal decisionmakers.” The bureau announced $20 million is available to helpmitigate economic dam- agetofarms thatdonotuse irrigationwater this year. But the KWUA said the funding can’t replace the loss of food production, jobs and community impacts resulting from federal watermanagement policies.

holidays for egg sales, as that’s when peo- ple are baking and cookingmore. San Diego County egg farmer Frank Hilliker said he continues to see “a nice little bump” in sales aweek before Easter as stores stock their shelves with eggs, but the holiday is not the huge driver it was 30 years ago. He says his highest

See EGGS, Page 16

FARMING FOR OUR FUTURE

WE ARE FARM CREDIT A nationwide network of customer-owned associations supporting rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services.

The future of agriculture lies in our youth. We’re here to help with programs and services focused on supporting the next generation of young, beginning and small farmers.

FarmCreditAlliance.com (855) 611-4110 toll free

American AgCredit CoBank Farm Credit West Fresno Madera Farm Credit

April 13, 2022 Ag Alert 3

San Diego nurseries adapting ‘to do more with less’ By JacquelineCovey

Rows of Blue Glow agave, lef t, fill the succulent greenhouse of Altman Plants in Escondido, part of San Diego County’s $1.3 billion nursery indus- try, the largest in the U.S. Below, Liz Kellogg, owner of Kellogg Orchard in San Diego, sells her nursery plants at the Rancho Bernardo Certified Farmers Market.

One county inCalifornia—SanDiego— is the leadingproducerof nurseryplants in theU.S. That’s a testament to the resiliency of its nursery operators and growers, be- cause theyhave facedplentyof challenges. SanDiegoCountynurseryandcut flow- erproductionisanearly$1.3-billionindus- trywithabout 500operators. According to the county’s 2020 crop report, released in August, the sector saw its profits jump by $25million over 2019, even as its farming acreage continued to shrink. San Diego County is known for its spe- cialty crops and its unique microclimate. Theconditions enablegrowers toproduce a wide variety of commodities in a longer growing season. Yet the urban region is facing a steady decline in agricultural production. San DiegoCountyhas lost nearly 80,000 acres, or 26%, of itsagricultural production in the past 10 years. The latest crop report shows a loss of 10,000 acres in a single year. Some nursery growers are trying to counter declining acreage with more ef- fectivemarket outreach. “Our growers are operating to domore with less.…They’reable topivot theirmar- kets andmeet themoment,” saidHannah Gbeh, executive director of the SanDiego County FarmBureau. One of those pivoting is Altman Plants.

said it’s becoming harder to stock plant- ers, pots, soil and other products that ar- en’t already waiting at the clogged Port of Long Beach. “Supply-chain issues are changing how things are done,” said KalimOwens, co-owner ofWeidners’ Gardens. Without a domestic or alternative player to circumvent these issues, gar- den centers are in a holding pattern— selling what comes available. The plant nursery represents 60% of the busi- ness’s revenue, with 40% from its gar- den-supply center. “It’s not like there is a domestic supplier you can turn to,” Owens said, adding that even if there were, the supplier would never be able to meet the demand. Meanwhile, agriculture in San Diego County faces the operational challenges of anurbanenvironment. SanDiego is the eighth-largest city in the country, and the countyhostsmore than30%of thenursery plant production in California. However,

The globally recognized seller in Vista is the largest producer of cacti and succu- lents and one of the biggest horticulture growers in the country. The wholesale nurserybegan inKenandDeenaAltman’s Los Angeles home in 1975 beforemoving to San Diego County. It now maintains 1,700 acres across five states. Matt Altman, AltmanPlants’ chief oper- ating officer, said recent years introduced

newobstacles on top of old. Altman said the nursery has “seen a lot ofnewchallenges, includingnavigatingthe COVIDpandemicandensuring thehealth andsafetyofouremployees”whilealsoad- justingto“theuncertainty intheeconomy.” These days, Altman is working to stay ahead of inflationary pressures and sup- ply-chain delays. He also recognized op- portunities, as customers endured the shut-in days of the pandemic by beautify- ing theirhomeenvironmentswithnursery products. As a result, the nursery began to shift its focus more toward home projects and garden kits. “The last twoyearshave seenabig trend in gardening and people buying plants to decoratetheirhomes, aspeoplehavespent more time at home andmillennials have come of age and are in their home-buying years,” Altman said. At Weidners’ Gardens—an Encinitas nursery that serves the local market and customers in Texas and Arizona—sup- plemental products on the retail side are becoming increasingly limited. Altman

STAY COMPLIANT!

Buy Your Employment Notifications Books and Posters TODAY! California ag employers are required by state and federal law to provide their employees more than 30 notifications of legal requirements and mandated employee benefits and those notices change constantly.

See NURSERIES, Page 9

NEW FOR 2022

Laminated Five-poster Notification Poster set -$175

Spiral Bound 11"x17" Notification Book -$175

English and Spanish, side-by-side !

FELS Employment Notifications Books and Laminated Posters are your key to notification compliance! Both include all the notices California ag employers are required by law and regulation to make.

Order yours today at www.fels.net/posters.

4 Ag Alert April 13, 2022

REINFORCED THAT’S HOW GRAPES FEEL WITH MOVENTO. ® Movento ® insecticide delivers allover protection that controls mealybugs and suppresses nematodes. With its unique two-way movement upward and downward from shoot to roots, Movento keeps vines healthy and ensures high-quality fruit for the long term.

For more information, contact your retailer or Bayer representative or visit www.Movento.us.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Not all products are approved and registered in all states and may be subject to use restrictions. The distribution, sale, or use of an unregistered pesticide is a violation of federal and/or state law and is strictly prohibited. Check with your local dealer or representative for the product registration status in your state. Bayer, Bayer Cross, and Movento ® are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.BayerCropScience.us. Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63167. ©2022 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.

Study: Strawberry prices steady, acreage increasing Strong year-round demand for straw- berr ies has encouraged Cal i fornia farmers to plant more acreage, with market prices likely to remain steady in 2022, according to a new report from RaboResearch, a division of Rabobank. Even though strawberry sales continue to lead in the berry category, the lender warned that it also expects some level of uncertainty, volatility and high produc- tion costs in the short run. Strawberry acres planted in the fall— which reach peak production in late spring through summer—increased to 30,300 this year, 6.4% higher than 2021, according to the California Strawberry Commission. This represents the highest fall-planted acreage since 2015. The Sal inas-Watsonvi l le growing region continues to have the largest fall-planted area, with 12,813 acres, a 5% increase compared to last year. Fall plantings in Santa Maria increased 9% to 11,408 acres, while Oxnard is up 8% to 5,947 acres, the commission reported. RaboResearch said it expects straw- berry volumes will be highest during the first week of May. By then, SantaMaria’s harvest will be in full swing, Oxnard will have significant volumes, and produc- tion in Salinas and Watsonville will be ramping up. Strawberry volumes are expected to hit their lowest point around mid-No- vember, when production in Salinas and Watsonville and SantaMariawind down, the bank reported. After increasing acreage of organic strawberries in 2020 and 2021, California farmers planted 4,584 acres this year, down about 4%. It could be because premiums for organic strawberries fell well below 20% during several weeks in 2021, the bank noted. Organic strawberry production represents about 12%of total state acreage.

The U.S. market absorbed more than 2 billion pounds of fresh strawberries re- cently—and consumption continues to grow, the bank said. This places straw- berries among the fruits with the highest proportion of households reporting pur- chase, just below bananas and apples. As such, the bank said it expects aver- age prices to remain steady and above pre-pandemic levels. But growers are seeing higher fertiliz- er costs compared to 2021. The lender noted that prices of themost widely used fertilizers are up nearly 100% in whole- sale California markets, and pricing vol- atility will likely continue in the coming months, “as we can expect markets to re- act to each and every action and reaction surrounding current global tensions,” the report said. Majormarket forces are shaping the fu- tureof high-techcontrolled-environment agriculture, or CEA, which “has recently attracted many prominent names in the NorthAmerican strawberry industry,” in- cludingDriscoll’s, theworld’s largest ber- ry breeder, grower and seller, the bank re- ported. The company is leading the way by partneringwithPlentyUnlimited Inc., one of the largest indoor vertical farms in the U.S., the report said. RaboResearch analysts noted that Walmart recently announced a $400million investment in Plenty, “a strongmarket signal in favor of this type of partnership.” Adoption of CEA historically has been driven by increasing demand for year- round supply of seasonal produce. For indoor-grown strawberries, analysts said seasonality and product differentiation will also be important factors supporting their growth. “However, in recent years, especial- ly since the pandemic, the interest in high-tech CEA, such as hydroponic greenhouse and hydroponic/LED ver- tical farms, has instead been driven by calls to amend the fresh produce supply chain, making it shorter, safer, greener, more consistent and resil- ient,” the bank reported. Being in its early stage of development, indoor-grown strawberry productionhas to differentiate itself from field produc- tion in order to grow, bank analysts said. In the medium term, growth of CEA strawberries “will indirectly but greatly depend on the extent to which open- field strawberry production deals with the major economic and environmental challenges it is currently facing, for which CEA can effectively offer feasiblemitiga- tion solutions,” the report said.

STRIKE PESTS EARLY. STOP SCALE DAMAGE BEFORE IT STARTS

When it comes to battling scale in your grove, strike early with Centaur®. Centaur is highly effective against the nymphal and crawler stages of scales, targeting the pest before populations build. With Centaur, you’ll get consistent, reliable performance and long-lasting residual control of armored and soft scales. What’s more, Centaur is not disruptive to Aphytis and predatory mites that are important allies when fighting scale. So, this season get Centaur and strike scale early.

To learn more, contact your PCA or local Nichino America representative.

©2022 Nichino America, Inc. All rights reserved. Centaur and Nichino America are registered trademarks of Nichino America, Inc. The Fujiichi-mark is a trademark of Nihon Nohyaku Co., Ltd. Always read and follow all label directions. | 888-740-7700 | www.nichino.net

6 Ag Alert April 13, 2022

A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® C A L I F O R N I A Trees & Vines ®

Paul Bernier, working in his Sonoma County vineyard, embraced “dry farming” long ago. He shuns traditional irrigation lines and instead works to retain moisture in the soil with cover crops and compost, including ingredients from duck manure to crushed oyster shells. Studies from University of California, Davis, researchers suggest vines can use 50% less water with little impact on quality.

Winegrape grower nourishes soil to combat drought By JohnBeck

question: CouldNorthCoast growers in Sonoma, Napa, Lake andMendocino counties get by with watering less during the drought? Last September, aUniversity of California, Davis, study showed that giving vines 50% less water than they typically demand didn’t affect yield, taste, color or sugar content. “The idea of the trial was, it’s so hot andwe’re having these heat waves; dowe need to increase the amount of water that we apply?” said KaanKurtural, a UCDavis professor of viticulture and enology. The results of the study he co-authored showed that may not necessarily be the case. Bernier is a believer. To retainmoisture, he cultivates his soil by turning over a healthy cover crop of native vetch andmustard, alongwithplanted legumes. He layers that with various composts hemakes fromgrapepomace andduck andhorsemanure. That helps holdmoisture in the soil well past the rainy season and into the annual harvest. He also occasionally enriches the soil with crushed oyster shells he sources from Suisun City. Last June, in the dog days of the drought, he texted a photo of moist soil only 6 to 8 inches below the surface, showing his vineyard was still holding moisture. But he is not one to brag or to try to convert others; Bernier’s journey has been one of necessity. He had to farmthisway becausemost of the neglected vineyards he inherited and nursed back to life had no wells or scarce water resources.

When Paul Bernier learned to “dry farm” grapes fromold Italian growers in the early 1970s, the idea was simple: “In a climate where it rains in the winter and it’s dry in the summer, you had to figure out a way to retain the moisture in the soil,” he said. Bernier embraced that philosophy at a timewhendealsweremadewithhandshakes, which was well before drip irrigation lines were strung across Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley vineyard region. “They call it ‘dry farming’ now, but they used to just call it farming,” recalled Bernier. Over the past five decades, Bernier has used less water thanmany grape growers use in a year. Granted, his operation is relatively small scale. Aside fromhis 1.5-acre family vineyard, he farms 35 acres of mostly head-trained zinfandel, paying each landowner aroundaquarter of the yield, while sellinghis grapes to Sbragia, Dutcher Crossing, Nalle and Peterson wineries. None of the vineyards use any irrigation lines. “I’mbasically building up the nutrients in the soil because the dirt is a sponge for the rainand themoisture that comes in thewintertime,” he said, explaininghis no-irrigation cultivation. “All that organic matter in the soil makes more of a sponge, and more of sponge means bigger plants andmore crop.” Now, as the third year of a severe drought bears down onCalifornia farmers, and the dry-farming approachof Bernier andothers is tested to its limits, it raises a very relevant

See DRY, Page 8

April 13, 2022 Ag Alert 7

Dry Continued from Page 7

He’s not the only one. There are a few other dry farmers in Sonoma County. Across theMayacmasMountains, there’s a cabernet sauvignon test plot at the UC Davis research vineyard in Oakville that hasn’t been watered in 29 years and still produces 6.5 tons to the acre. The most recent UC Davis study took place in 2019 in a Napa cabernet sauvi- gnon vineyard. It was just before the cur- rent drought but when heat waves, espe- cially late-summer ones, were prevalent. Kurtural said the findings are promis- ing for water conservation. “Looking at cabernet, which grows all over California, we found you can get by with 50% of plant demand and still get a very handsome yield with top-notch quality, andwith soil microbes still living in the vineyard as well,” he said. It’s nothing Bernier didn’t already know. In the late ’70s and ’80s, when drip irrigation recast the vineyard landscape and dry farming was forgotten—almost like a lost art—he could see how the daily drip affected vines. “When you treat a vine with irriga- tion, you give it the water it needs, and it doesn’t need to expend energy going out looking for food,” he said. “So its root system is not out utilizing all the ground. It’s just hanging around where it’s wet, where the dripper is. It’s like an alcoholic

Paul Bernier, right, says he manages the soil and landscape of his vineyard with minimal water use.

at 6 a.m. waiting for the bar to open to get his shot before he goes to work.” Over the years, other grape growers and wineries have taken notice and adapted based on Bernier’s methods. In 2017, Bernier ledadry-farmingworkshop sponsoredby theCaliforniaAlliancewith FamilyFarmers, with several dozengrow- ers in attendance. “It just makes sense,” says Fred Peterson, owner of PetersonWinery, who started buying grapes fromBernier in the mid-1990s. Seeing the benefits, he start- ed composting regularly in his own vine-

yards and is now conducting a dry-farm- ing tr ial in a vineyard on Bradford Mountain. “It’s that idea of ‘healthy soil makes for healthy vines,’” he said. Applying annual compost additions, “really made a difference,” Peterson said. “It costs around $350 an acre to put on 5 tons per acre. But nowadays, with what fertilizer is going for, that’s actually a deal.” Peterson said most growers don’t dry farmbecause typicallymorewater equals more tonnage, and that equals more money. Butmore tonnage doesn’t always equate to better quality grapes. “Just having bigger yields doesn’t mean your quality is gone,” Peterson said. “But at some point, it’s diminishing returns. At some point, you’re growing bags of water. You’re just pumping them full of water and waiting for the sugars to come up.” Last year, Bernier’s average yield of 3 to 4 tons to the acre was cut in half because of the drought. As the bone-dry climate

continues, he’s now thinking about lay- ing temporary irrigation lines in his vine- yards in July for a flashwatering to sustain them into the harvest. At 73, Bernier is gradually handing the reigns over to his son, Zureal, who grew up farming side by side with both of his parents. Paul’s wife, Yael, runs Bernier Farms in Geyersville, growing organ- ic vegetables and a cult-favorite garlic prized by local restaurants. This summer, Paul and Yael are plan- ning a long-awaited, cross-country road trip in their VW bus—that is, if they can step away from the farm long enough to “semi-retire” for a fewmonths. He has this advice for his son as he takes over the family farm in the interim: “Water if you have to,” he said. “It’s not a religion.We’ve got tomake a living, too.” ( John Beck is a reporter and doc- um e n t a r y f i l mma k e r b a s e d i n Ben i c i a . He may b e cont ac t ed a t john@beckmediaproductions.com.)

It’s time to ensure increased open nuts in your PISTACHIO PRODUCTION

225

Nut Open (lb/ac)

Nut closed (lb/ac)

3,200

200

+ 13.9%

- 10%

3,088

190.3

175

171.9

2,700

150

2,712

125

2,200

100

UTC

Afrikelp

UTC

Afrikelp

Source: Barat Bisabri, Ph.D. - Bisabri Ag Research and Consulting. CA, 2021

Afrikelp ensures improved fruit set for increased yield Apply at bloom time and after fruit set

Afrikelp is standardized ensuring consistent results

8 Ag Alert April 13, 2022

Nurseries Continued from Page 4

for the San Diego County farmers mar- ket circuit since 1988. The business— st i l l run by the or iginal owner and her daughter—has operated in Vista, Bonsall and other places in the northern part of the county. Jesus Guido, a grower for Maria’s Flowers, said inflation has impacted pro- duction, and he adds weather to the list. “Every flower has its own time,” Guido said.Aroundmid-March,withhiswifeand their granddaughter in tow, he typically

sells lilies, roses and sweetpeas at farmers markets across the county. He said sweetpeas, whichwere planted around January, should be ready. But this year, some of his yields were stunted. For 2022, the county sawboth itswarm- est and coldest recorded temperature for February. Overall, though, Owens agrees it was a “cool February.” “Any flower that doesn’t do well in winter freezes too much, and then your

crop is gone,” Guido said, adding that at least 10% of his crop suffered from weather impacts. SanDiegoCounty local sellersbelong to asmall community.Manywork together in buying and trading products to face those challenges. So, the specialty florist said he had to lean on its neighbors. “We help out with each other,” Guido said. (Jacqueline Covey is a reporter based in San Diego. She may be reached at jacqcovey@gmail.com.)

70%of commercial growing operations in the county are on 9 acres or fewer. With land prices in the county at a pre- mium, preserving the limited farming space is another challenge. “This urban interface that we have in San Diego County is driving farms out of the county,” Gbeh explained, adding that retaining farmland is a major prior- ity. Meanwhile, growers struggle to gain and retain access towater, with SanDiego having some of the highest water rates in the state. The limited availability of flat land makes it more labor-intensive to farm in San Diego County. “The topography makes it more challenging to capture all your water, which means higher invest- ments to be able to do that,” Altman said. There are also fewer people available to maintain these acres. Growers are down employees, forcing themto decide how to continue production effectively. Some, such as Weidners’ Gardens, which deployed a conveyor for its pot- ting systems, have decided tomechanize. However, equipment is expensive, and it’s not always feasible. The ability to pivot and keep a genera- tional farmoperating isoneof thetriumphs of the area, despite acreage declining. For 30years, EvelynWeidner rananurs- ery landmark inSanDiegoCounty.Owens and co-owner Oliver Storm were long- time employees who took over Weidners’ Gardens in 2013. Owens said the two feel like family to the founder. Maria’s Flowers has been providing CDFA announces vacancy on shell egg committee TheCaliforniaDepartment of Foodand Agriculture seeks to fill a vacancy on the Shell Egg Advisory Committee. The panelmakes recommendations on quality standards for shell eggs, unifor- mity of inspection, adjustment of fees for administration and enforcement, and the annual budget. The vacancy is for one alternate indus- try member. The termof office is limited, expiringMarch 16, 2025. Members of the committee receive no compensation, but areentitledtoreimbursement forperdiem expenses such as mileage, lodging, meals and incidental expenses. Individuals interested in being consid- ered for the appointment should email a résumé by April 18 to penny.arana@cdfa. ca.gov or mail materials to Penny Arana, Meat, Poultry andEgg Safety Branch, 1220 NSt., Sacramento, CA95814. Additional information is available on the Egg Safety and Quality Management program’s webpage at cdfa.ca.gov/ahfss/ mpes/esqm.html orbycontactingMichael Abbott atmichael.abbott@cdfa.ca.gov.

BOOST YOUR PEST CONTROL

NEW FAST-ACTING INSECTICIDE FOR CITRUS NOW APPROVED FOR USE IN CALIFORNIA

Help keep scales, Asian citrus psyllids, aphids and leafminers out of citrus groves with NEW Senstar ® Insecticide from Valent U.S.A. With two effective modes of action, Senstar provides stellar control against soft-bodied insects, protecting citrus groves from unwanted invasions. Quickly eliminate harmful insects at all life stages — including eggs — with the next-level power of Senstar . Ask your local retailer or visit Valent.com/Senstar to learn more.

Scan Code to

Learn More

Products That Work, From People Who Care® | valent.com | 800-6-VALENT (682-5368) Always read and follow label instructions. Products That Work, From People Who Care and Senstar are registered trademarks of Valent U.S.A. LLC. ©2022 Valent U.S.A. LLC. All rights reserved.

April 13, 2022 Ag Alert 9

Walnut panel: tree stress key to irrigation decisions ByDennis Pollock

can trigger kernel darkening. Shackel said it is important todetect tree stress by measuring stemwater potential and to accurately determine irrigation needs, instead of letting worry drive wa- tering decisions. “Do growers irrigate when trees are stressed,” Shackel asked, “or when they are stressed?” His insights were among many point- ers sharedby farmadvisors during theUC

Cooperative Extension Virtual Statewide Walnut Series 2022. Participants also discussed how sani- tation of tools can prevent the spread of crown gall, and how overly wet soil can spreadwalnutblight.Anagricultural econ- omist weighed in on walnut pricing and exportmarkets. Bruce Lampinen, a UC Davis farm ad- visor, said light availability can influence nut sizeandcoloration.He recommended

training trees to a central leader configu- ration and avoiding mechanical hedging when possible. LikeShackel, Lampinenurgeddelaying irrigation in spring, harvesting in a timely manner, andsweepingandpickingupnuts as quickly as possible after shaking. Mae Culumber, a UC nut-crops advi- sor for Fresno County, said nutrients are best applied when the tree can use them in amounts that will not leach past the root zone. She said soil sampling “to establish nitrogen credits” should be conducted regularly. “Be aware of different soil types within fields and sample separately,” Culumber said. Water should be sampled to determine the contribution of nitrogen, she said, and it should occur at various times of the year.Wells should run 30minutes before

When deciding whether to irrigate walnuts, it’s important to consider what’s more stressed—the trees or the grower. Ken Shackel, a plant sciences professor at theUniversityofCalifornia,Davis, said it is important to let thewalnut tree “tell you when it’s time to start irrigating.” Shackel says it can be a mistake to begin irrigating too early. That’s be- cause maturity and excess irrigation

Weeds are planning their attack. Are you?

See WALNUTS, Page 27

Webinar series to focus on issues of food supply chain UniversityofCalifornia specialists inag- ricultureeconomics and foodsystemswill join farmers and farmadvisors in a three- day webinar on current issues impacting the food-supply chain. The April 26-28 series, “Local Food: Shor tening the Supply Chain and ReducingFoodWaste,” is sponsoredby the UCThelmaHansenFund andopen to the public. Online attendance is free. UC Berkeley agricultural economics professor and Wolf Prize laureate David Zilberman will discuss the food-supply chain and impacts of socioeconomic and environmental factors. Diana Winter, deputy director of the UCLA Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy, will outline current food sustain- ability initiatives at federal, state and lo- cal levels. Annemiek Schilder, director of UC Cooperative Extension, posed a question in a statement announcing thewebinar. “Do you ever wonder how far your food t ravel s before i t gets to your plate?” said Schilder, who also directs the UC Hansen Agricultural Research & Extension Center in Ventura County. “Local food hasmany benefits: a smaller carbon footprint, supports local farmers and businesses, and is likely to be fresh- er, tastier and more nutritious.” Discussions will cover food systems in Californiaandhowtheycontributetocom- munity health, with presentations froma farmeronlocal foodproductionanddistri- butionandareportonaschool district that preparesmeals with local ingredients and turns cafeterias into classrooms. To register and find more informa- tion, including speaker biographies, visit ucanr.edu/HansenFoodSystems.

Weeds had all winter to prepare for this. And when the sun, water and nutrients appear, those weeds are off to the races with your rice. But on your side are the powerful herbicides from Corteva Agriscience to help you control weeds and achieve the rice stands needed for high yields.

Convenient premix with two modes of action. Post- emergence control of key early-season weeds like sprangletop, watergrass and ricefield bulrush. Post-emergence control of watergrass, ricefield bulrush and eight other weeds. Early and late-season applications. Tank mix with numerous other herbicides. Granular herbicide applied in the flood. Ten labeled weeds including early and late watergrass. No buffer zones.

Labeled for watergrass and sprangletop. Unparalleled crop safety. Perfect for pinpoint applications.

Nothing controls redstem better.

Visit us at corteva.us ® ™Trademarks of Corteva Agriscience and its affiliated companies. Certain products are not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label directions. ©2022 Corteva

10 Ag Alert April 13, 2022

Westlands Continued from Page 1

largest CVP reservoir at 4.5 million acre- feet. Lake Shasta is at 38%capacity, which is 48% of the historical average. San Luis Reservoir, a critical south-of-delta hold- ing facility for theCVPand the StateWater Project, remains at 46%of average or 53% of the historical average. Conant said the federalwater provider’s primary goals are now public health and safety and trying to build storage. Meanwhile, hesaid2millionto3million acre-feet a year is needed to repel salini- ty in the critical Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But this year a petitionwas granted toreducestandards inthedelta topreserve water storage in key reservoirs. Conant said the Bureau of Reclamation is working with the state on reconsulta- tionof long-term, biological opinions that guide CVP and SWP operations. The federal agency joined the state and major water districts as signatories to vol- untaryagreementsthatpromisetoincrease flows for salmonandnative fish, andfinan- ciallycompensateNorthernCaliforniarice farmerswho fallow land to savewater. The agreements are being advanced as an alternative to the regulatory regime of theBay-Deltawaterqualitycontrol planby the StateWater Resources Control Board. Seeking to increase the supply of water, the bureau completed feasibility studies for projects thatmay receive federal fund- ing, includingbuildingSitesReservoir and Del Puerto Canyon and expansion of Los Vaqueros and San Luis Reservoir. Reacting to efforts to increase the water supply, Ferguson said, “I think there’s a future of farming inWestlands. It’s proba- bly going to look different thanwhat it has beenhistorically, but I thinkwe’regoing to have to get innovative.” Sheely added, “Agriculture is a key in- dustry. You reallywant it in your country.” Buthesaidhe isworriedthat restrictions onCaliforniafarmscouldresult inforfeiting agricultural production toother nations. “Whenyou farmagricultureout toother countries,” he said, “you’re really putting yourself at risk.” (Chr i s t ine Souza i s an ass i s tant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

Fresno County farmers Jacob Sheely and his father, Ted Sheely, stand in a field of volun- teer wheat that they would have planted with another crop if they had the water this year.

investment, which potentially could be a multi-generational investment,” he said. “We can survive on zero, short term.” Most west side farmers, Ferguson said, relyonaportfolioof differentwater sourc- es. But insufficient supplies have them looking at which trees to topple or crops to idle to conservewater. “We’ll fallow a lot of row-crop ground, we’ll pump some well water, we’ll pur- chase water through the district’s supple- mental pool andprobablypurchasea little bit ofwater on theopenmarket,”Ferguson said. “Supplemental water brought in by the district is really expensive water. You can’t afford to farmawhole crop on it, but it’s part of your water portfolio.” Neighboring farmer Ted Sheely grows a mixof tree, rowandfieldcrops inLemoore. Sheely said he began preparing for spring planting last fall, adding, “Our thing has been let’s plan for the worst and hope for the best.” Sheely said he is pondering these ques- tions: “What contracts can we sign? And, how much water do we have that we’re going to carry over?” “Between all the entities,” he said, “there’s about 1,300 acres being fallowed. Wewant tomakesure thatwehaveenough water tosupplyourneedsduring theyear.” Sheely’s water portfolio includes sup- plemental water from last season that he

purchased for $1,100 per acre-foot in his Westlands account. “You’renot going togrowanycrop(with supplemental water), but when you just need a little bit—a proportional amount like a tenth of an acre-foot—you put that in there,” Sheely said. “We keep some be- cause, when bad things happen, it’s good tohavea littlebitmore inreserve.We’ll buy supplemental water this year.” Both farmers said they are also con- cerned about economic impacts to em- ployees and local communities. “It’s just unfortunate. The socioeco- nomic impacts of fallowedground trickles down to all throughout the community,” Ferguson said. “For us, it’s fewer acres planted, less work for employees and less business that we’re doing with our ag re-

tailersandlesscommerce that’sbeingcon- ducted in town.” AgriculturalproductionwithinWestlands Water District generates more than $4.7 billion in annual economic activity and supportsmore than35,000 jobs, according to a study released in March by Michael A. Shires, a professor at the Pepperdine UniversitySchool of PublicPolicy. The study found a correlation between local poverty levels in Fresno and Kings counties and available surfacewater. Erne s t Conant , U. S. Bureau o f Reclamation regional director of the California Great Basin region, said the re- gion is facing water challenges unseen in more than 160 years. “We now find ourselves in the lowest January, February and March of records going back to 1858, and we wouldn’t ex- pect to get very muchmore precipitation beyond this point,” Conant said last week during a meeting of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture held at the University of California, Merced. “This year, the settlement contractors are not going to allow any transfers south of the delta, so that is another impact.” Conant added: “There’s just going to be very little transferwater available because things are so difficult in the north. There’s going tobehundredsof thousandsof acres in the Sacramento Valley that have never been fallowed before that are going to be fallowed this year.” In discussing the low levels of most of the state’s reservoirs, Conant said storms added very little to Lake Shasta, the state’s

State agriculture board hears warnings of dire year

ByChristine Souza With January, February andMarch the driest on record and reservoir conditions well below historic averages, California agriculture is bracing for the fallout. University of California, Merced, pro- fessor JosuéMedellín-Azuara said there will likely be even more water restric- tions this year for surface-water trans- fers and pumping under groundwater sustainability plans. He added, “We have to reduce net water use by 1.7 million acre-feet.”

Medellín-Azuara, who led an eco- nomic study on the impact of last year’s drought, was among the speakers last week as the California State Board of Food and Agriculture held a meeting at UC Merced to discuss challenges of a third straight year of drought. The board heard fromwater officials, farm- er representatives and county govern- ment leaders. Don Cameron, president of the State

See DROUGHT, Page 14

12 Ag Alert April 13, 2022

TUESDAY, MARCH 15TH 4:30

ALL DAY

Grow Great Almonds

Your day is filled with enough tasks. The last thing you need to worry about is respraying miticides or herbicides. You are covered with a proven portfolio featuring Nealta miticide and Treevix herbicide from BASF. Our protection stays ahead of threats which frees you up to focus on your almonds.

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28