Ag Alert September 4, 2024

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.

Fusarium in lettuce Trial shows promise for preventing fungal disease

Affecting policy Keep up with advocacy work by Farm Bureau

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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com SEPTEMBER 4, 2024

Vegetables

special report

By Christine Souza Reacting to the emergency suspension of an herbicide used to control weeds in vegetable crops, farmers and agricultural representatives are asking for more guid- ance as the sector considers effective alter- natives, disposal of existing inventory and potential liability issues. Unlike typical pesticide cancellations that allow for a phase-out period, the Aug. 6 action by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency immediately restricts the use, sale, distribution and transpor- tation of Dacthal, the trade name for di- methyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA. This is the first time in 40 years the EPA has used its emergency authority under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act to suspend use of a feder- ally registered pesticide due to concerns about potential health risks. San Luis Obispo vegetable grower Tom Ikeda reacted to the EPA decision to ban the herbicide, which he said is used by growers as a preplant treatment in crops including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and onions. “Basically, the agency said, ‘Stop using it,”’ he said. “In talking to people in my area, they want guidance on what to do with stocks of this material,” Ikeda said. “We’re waiting to see what’s going to come of it because there’s probably tons of product out there that peo- ple are wanting to know how to dispose of.” Since the EPA issued the emergency sus- pension early last month, it released a fre- quently-asked-questions document with more information on the path forward. It included a clarification that growers may transport existing inventory of Dacthal to return stocks of the herbicide to the retailer or the registrant. “The EPA has finally provided needed information for growers who have used DCPA in the past,” said Norm Groot, ex- ecutive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau. “Hopefully, a solution can be worked out soon to remove existing stock See BAN, Page 11 Guidance sought by growers after ban on herbicide

Justina Ramos Aguilar sorts Bosc pears last week at Stillwater Orchards’ packinghouse in Courtland. California pear growers are harvesting a lighter crop this year and selling more of it on the fresh market because of weakened demand for canned pears.

Pears hit fresh market as cannery resets

By Caleb Hampton Packinghouses in California’s pear-growing districts are running at full tilt as growers box more of their fruit for the fresh market this year and ship less to canneries. The pivot came after one of the state’s two pear canneries, with weakened de- mand and inventory bolstered by last

year’s bumper crop, slashed its orders. “Over the last year, we have seen a re- set in consumer behavior and demand realigning with pre-COVID levels,” Rob Cubbage, vice president of operations at Del Monte Foods, said in a statement. “As a result, our pack plan for pears and across all crops is smaller than in prior years. We’ve been working closely with our growers to plan ahead.”

Pear growers said the Walnut Creek- based cannery approached them in the spring and asked the farmers to under- shoot their contracted tonnage—some by as much as 45%. “They wanted as little as possible,” said Ryan Elliot, operations manager at Stillwater Orchards in the Sacramento

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n e w s p a p e r

Comment.......................................2 From the Fields........................4-5 Vegetables................................ 6-7 Market Numbers..........................9 Inside

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Farmers asked to speak up, help guide farm policies

By Zippy Duvall Late summer is here, which means for Farm Bureau, our policy development process is heading into full swing. As a grassroots organization, this is the time when our members speak up on chal- lenges they face on the farm and within their communities. Those concerns

potentially tough decisions going forward. Our farm and ranch families need a per- manent tax code that provides stability and recognizes the unique financial challenges farm businesses face as they work to pro- vide a secure food supply for our nation. At Farm Bureau, the call for tax reform has come in many forms over the years, and we continue to work with and on behalf of our members to get a solution before the 2025 deadline. That is also why addressing the tax concerns through the policy devel- opment process is a top priority. We want to hear from our members about how these issues impact your farms and ranches directly. This feedback not only helps us work on your behalf but also gives us farmer and rancher stories—pow- erful testimonials—we can share to ensure all lawmakers understand the impact of tax reform on farm and ranch families across the country. (California Farm Bureau members may offer input by emailing Federal Policy Director Matthew Voihl at mvoihl@cfbf.com.) This is your Farm Bureau, and these are your policies. Together, we will continue to shape the future of American agriculture and ensure that our farms, ranches and rural communities thrive for generations to come. I am deeply grateful for the hard work and dedication you put into shaping our great organization at the local, state and national levels and am eager to see what comes from this year’s policy develop- ment process. (Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Georgia, is president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. This commentary is adapted from Aug. 7 and July 31 editions of his col- umn, The Zipline, which appears online at www.fb.org/the-zipline.)

become policy resolutions, which work their way up through the county, state, and ultimately, the na- tional level. Every policy resolution brought to the floor at the dele-

Zippy Duvall

gate session of the American Farm Bureau Convention in January started with one farmer speaking up. Farm Bureau stands as the voice of agri- culture, thanks to this active participation by our members. From the farm bill and agricultural labor reform to infrastruc- ture and rural broadband, your American Farm Bureau team is working diligently on a wide array of issues in Washington, D.C. We rely on you to guide our policy be- cause you know better than anyone what works and what doesn’t on your farm. That is also why our nation’s leaders and elected officials know that when Farm Bureau speaks, we are speaking for farm- ers and ranchers. As I wrote recently, time is running out for Congress to pass a modernized farm bill this year. Families—on and off the farm—cannot afford a delay. As mem- bers of Congress have returned home for the August recess, our members have shared how important this legislation is for our country.

The leader of the American Farm Bureau Federation says the organization relies on participation of members to shape its policies and spur political action on key matters from the farm bill to taxes.

Americans in every region, state, small town and big city are counting on our farmers and ranchers to keep our nation’s food supply secure—and we’re counting on Congress to deliver a farm bill so that we can do just that. Occasionally, there are also new or emerging issues that impact farmers and ranchers, but we don’t have specific policy to guide our work. This is when our team in Washington asks for direction directly from our grassroots members via the poli- cymaking process. With many critical tax benefits for farm and ranch families set to expire in 2025, we are now asking members to ensure we have clear policy in light of the potential for severe economic consequences.

We have a second ask of you, and it’s im- portant. We need farmers and ranchers across the country to meet with lawmakers this year, so they act swiftly to implement the tax reform farmers and ranchers need in 2025. Tax reform is crucial for ensuring the economic sustainability of our farms and ranches. Lower tax rates, small business deductions and higher estate tax exemp- tions help our farm families manage fi- nances more effectively, provide oppor- tunities for investment and even help ease the difficult planning for succession. That is also why we have our eyes fixed on this quickly approaching deadline that will place many of these critical benefits at risk. Without renewal of these benefits, farmers face a steep tax increase and

VOL. 51, NO. 33

September 4, 2024

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2 Ag Alert September 4, 2024

Pears Continued from Page 3

County town of Courtland. For his family’s farm, which grows, packs and ships pears, that has meant packing around 40% of its crop for the fresh market—up from 30% to 35% in a typical year. The rest is going to Del Monte and to the Lodi-based cannery Pacific Coast Producers. Others made the same adjustment. “There were more growers who shipped to the fresh market this year than have done in the past,” said Alex Wilson, who grows pears for his family’s Rivermaid Trading Co., the state’s largest pear supplier. Growers in the Sacramento River Delta, which produces most of California’s pears, began harvesting Bartletts—the state’s top variety—on July 15 and fin- ished in early August. Last week, growers in the delta were har- vesting Boscs, a golden-brown variety with a harder skin typically sold on the fresh market. Shippers said farmers in Lake and Mendocino counties, California’s other pear-growing district, were preparing to transition this week from Bartletts to Boscs. With the cannery wanting less tonnage, growers were spared an oversupply by a crop that has come in 20% to 30% lighter than last year, according to grower esti- mates and industry forecasts. “The stars aligned,” Wilson said, referring

Harvest crews pick Bosc pears, a golden- brown variety typically sold fresh, last week at Stillwater Orchards in Courtland. California’s pear acreage has declined due in part to the cost of producing the labor-intensive crop, which is pruned, picked and packed by hand.

to the balance between supply and demand. Growers said lower yields in California’s two pear-growing regions were the result of poor fruit set. “It was a really extended bloom,” lasting more than a month instead of the usual 10 days, said Christopher Chan, manager at his family’s Lincoln Chan Farms and Wallace Chan Farms in Courtland. “We had some warm weather in the spring that pushed it. Then it cooled off again quite a bit. The trees seemed like they were just confused.”

Meanwhile, record-low yields in the Pacific Northwest, which competes with California’s late-season pears, stabilized fresh-market prices even as a greater por- tion of the state’s crop was shipped to gro- cery stores and other fresh-market retailers. Prices for California pears typically tail off in August as fruit from Washington and Oregon hits the market. As of last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service showed prices holding steady at around $1 per pound for Bartletts and around $1.35 per pound for Boscs. “With the crop being down, the fresh price is up relative to last year,” Elliot said. It didn’t hurt that most of his family’s fruit came off the trees with few blemishes, a prerequisite for selling on the fresh mar- ket. “We’re really happy with the quality,” Elliot said. Some growers had more challenges. An April hailstorm damaged up to 200 acres of pears in the delta, Wilson said. Many grow- ers also struggled to size their fruit. “Having the split bloom, we had fruit that was really big up front,” Chan said, “but there was also a lot of really small fruit that just didn’t want to size due to a crazy heat spell we had in July.” Chan sent 40% of his crop to the fresh market, he said, up from less than 30% in a typical year. He might have sold even more of it fresh had more of his fruit sized up, he said. In the end, he said he was fortunate “everything sized just enough to make it into the cannery-sized pool.” Cannery prices this year and last year were tiered at $465 to $588 to $615 per ton, depending on size, with growers earning less this year due to harvesting smaller fruit. “The pears are high quality this season,” said Cubbage of Del Monte. “However, we’re seeing smaller fruit size due to high heat.” In California, pears are hand-picked by harvest crews and placed in bins that are hauled to packinghouses. The fruit is washed and then sorted by hand for qual- ity and weighed for size, with the best and biggest pears packed for grocery stores and the rest shipped to canneries. A small frac- tion of the crop—fruit too small or bruised to can—is made into juice.

The state’s pear farmers, prioritizing fla- vor, have pledged not to use anti-ripening agents that extend the fruit’s shelf life but can prevent it from ever naturally ripening. Last week, employees at Stillwater Orchards packed Boscs into boxes and bags and stacked them in cold-storage rooms before shipping the pears to re- tailers across North America. The com- pany, which has grown pears along the Sacramento River since 1860, ships to all 50 U.S states, Mexico, Central America and Canada, selling to Costco, Sam’s Club, Walmart and other buyers. During the past decade, California’s pear acreage has declined from 11,600 to 8,500, according to USDA, as growers removed trees due to shrinking markets and com- petition from imports. “Pears are a really expensive crop to grow,” said Chan, who has seen his fami- ly’s acreage decline from 800 to 275 during the past 30 years. “You need the human touch for it.” The hand labor required to prune, pick and pack pears has gotten more costly, Chan said, and some of the peo- ple with the skills to climb ladders and pluck fruit off high branches are aging out of the workforce. “The ones who are sticking it out take pride in that work,” he said. After a few years of strong demand driv- en by an increase in canned-fruit purchas- es during the pandemic, growers said the dramatic cut from the cannery this year was a bad sign. “It’s a concern,” Elliot said. If a can- nery asked growers to cut that amount of tonnage in a high-yielding year, he said, “we would probably have to leave fruit on the tree.” While the fresh market has provided a lucrative outlet this season, “it’s a big risk,” Chan said. To survive from one year to the next, growers depend on the long-term contracts and relationships they have with canneries, which provide guaranteed sales and pricing. “We need strong canneries,” Elliot said. “They are a stable home for our fruit.” (Caleb Hampton is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at champton@cfbf.com.)

VOICE OF CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE

PODCAST WITH GARY SACK

California Farm Bureau is excited to bring you the Voice of California Agriculture podcast. Hosted by Gary Sack, the podcast brings general farm and food news alongside updates on legislative matters impacting California’s family farmers and ranchers. LISTEN NOW ON APPLE PODCASTS OR SPOTIFY! Visit cfbf.com/podcast to access the podcast links.

September 4, 2024 Ag Alert 3

From the Fields ®

To contribute to From the Fields, submit your name, county of membership and contact information to agalert@cfbf.com.

Paul Vermeulen Stanislaus County almond grower and huller

Brooke Hazen Sonoma County apple and olive farmer

Almond harvest is 10 to 15 days earlier than last year. We’re about a quar- ter of the way through harvest, which will probably be over the first week of October. There has been some movement in the price in the upward direction. I know all almond farmers are hoping it continues in that trajectory. The crop is lighter than people had hoped, but not lighter than they had expected. I’m seeing great quality in well-maintained fields and some navel or- angeworm in some older fields. But overall, the crop is a lot better quality than last year in the early almonds. Last year was a difficult year for (orchard) sanitation because the rain started at the end of December and didn’t stop until mid- to late March. The (lower) worm pressure (this year) is probably due to increased attention to sanitation but also better timing and weather that doesn’t lend itself to growing navel orangeworm. The dust mite pressure this year has been the worst I’ve seen since I was a kid. It is everywhere. Even people that sprayed the expensive materials are having lots of mite pressure. I haven’t talked to anyone that seems to know why, but that’s something that everyone is battling. That definitely increases costs be- cause mite sprays are quite expensive. In shelling, the demand and marketability for hulls significantly decreased. The price of hulls dropped along with most feed commodities. That’s led a lot of shellers to increase prices in a year when increased prices are not welcome for most almond growers. At this time last year, almond hulls were worth about $150 a ton. Today’s price is about $48 a ton. All almond hullers use the income that they sell the hulls for to off- set the cost of the operation. Hullers have lost about three-quarters to two-thirds of their income from the hulls, so they’ve had to increase prices to the growers.

From a purely financial perspective, it’s great to have apple season start again. We started in late July with early varieties. Now we’re starting Honey Crisp harvest, our main variety. About 90% of what I grow are Honey Crisp and Fuji, and 10% are heirloom apples. August and September are the heavy harvest months for us. When we finish apples the first week of October, we start custom crushing olives (for oil) for other growers. Then we will begin our own olive har- vest in mid-November. It’s a really nice flow. For us in the coastal-influenced areas, the olives, which are alternate-bearing, are “on” this year. It would be an “off” year for the more inland areas. I have 21 varieties. Mine are high-density plantings, 15-by-15 feet. They’re freestanding, not trellised. We do a hybrid harvest where it’s not an over-the-row harvester. It’s battery-backpack operated pneumatic combs that oscillate and rake the olives off the trees onto shade cloth on the ground. I have a Rapanelli press that does 2 tons per hour. We custom crush for about 100 customers as well as our own. We end up crushing about 250 tons of olives per year, and that’s slowly growing over time. The business is still quite young. I started this farm in 2000, and I’ve had the press for about nine years. Everything is still evolving. One of the most exciting evolutions I’ve been doing since the pandemic is go- ing direct to customer a lot more. Now a sizable portion of our product is going to our own retail shop at the press. We do olive oil tastings and apple tastings. Selling direct has been financially great and very satisfying for me as a grower. I call it bringing the culture back to agriculture, reconnecting with the consumer. Now I get to meet them firsthand, and I get to hear how much they enjoy it, and they get to learn about the farm.

Chris Capaul Sutter County bean and rice farmer

We’re finishing irrigation on lima beans. On rice, we’re maintaining the water and looking to shut down on some of it soon, analyzing how well we did on weed control, which was trying this year. I had good results in some fields. In other fields, I’m not 100% happy. I took advantage of prevented planting (crop insurance) on a couple fields because with the (spring) rains, we were going to be late. One field had a weed problem, and it was resistant to sprays, so we left it out and did prevented planting. I used a different type of chemical, which worked on the watergrass. In another field, I knew I had what they call mimic (weed), and I tried something later because what we did initially didn’t seem to work. We tried one part of the field with two different things, and it thinned it down enough to where the rice was able to get ahead. We’re trying to experiment on our own. I worked with Grow West, and we did a test plot to see what works. We’re not always going to have prevented planting (insurance), so if we can do some of these tests while we have a field empty anyway, it’ll help agriculture in general. I’m not happy with the low price of rice. There’s a decent price (for beans) but no market. I didn’t get a contract, so I’m not happy about that. I only planted 100 acres. I usually do at least 200 to 400 acres of beans. If I don’t sell (this year’s crop) and what I have in storage, I’m looking at not knowing if I’m going to plant next year. We’ve got overproduction. A lot of that has to do with sunflowers going away. Syngenta pulled out, and people that had sunflower acres were look- ing for crops to plant. It’s going to kill the market. Lima beans is such a small market anymore.

4 Ag Alert September 4, 2024

Insights from farmers and ranchers across the Golden State, including members of the California Farm Bureau.

Ryan Indart Fresno County sheep rancher

Our clients hire us for fire fuel-loads mitigation and reduction. A lot of them are institutions and private equity funds. They have insurance contracts that they must adhere to, and the covenants in those contracts require them to manage the vegeta- tion under the panels because these solar sites are hundreds of millions of dollars in value. The insurance contracts are very strict because of the liability involved. If a fire were to break out in a live power plant, it would be catastrophic and disastrous. As sheep grazers, we manage and reduce that vegetation. We start in January. Most of our projects are completed. We’re still grazing for one client in Lancaster. We just wrapped up one in western Fresno County. We do a combination of mechanical mowing and sheep grazing. There are certain places the sheep can’t get to—underneath solar infrastructure or maybe some panels are just too low. We use the mower to clean up around there. There are some types of vege- tation that the sheep don’t like that much, especially foxtail barley. When it dries out, the sheep don’t like it very much, so we end up mowing a lot of foxtail barley. Demand for our services is constantly increasing. The difficult thing for us is to grow our herd fast enough to meet that demand. Where we cannot grow fast enough, we bring sheep in from another state to complement our animal numbers. Then we send those sheep back to the rancher who owns them when we’re done with the grazing season. We’ll be done with our grazing season in about a month or a month and a half. Right now, we’re breeding all our ewes. They’re down in Lancaster grazing solar projects and breeding at the same time. We’ll start our fall lambing season around the first week in October, and we’ll bring the sheep back to Kerman to graze on al- falfa fields and lamb out our new lamb crop.

ENTER YOUR PHOTO! Open now through September 22

Prizes 1st place $1,000 2nd place $500 3rd place $250 People’s Choice $100 Honorable Mentions $50 (six winners)

Enter up to fi ve high-resolution photos for the general contest and one photo for the People’s Choice category at cfbf.com/photocontest. Submit photos of fresh food, rural scenery, animals, crops, harvests, life, work, family or any inspiring photo captured on the farm or ranch.

Budding Artists (ages 13 & younger) 1st place $250 2nd place $100

Voting for the People’s Choice category will be open from Sept. 24–30.

The contest is open to amateur photographers who are Farm Bureau members. Participants who are not Farm Bureau members can visit cfbf.com/join to learn about becoming a member. Go to cfbf.com/photocontest for contest rules.

2023 1st place winner Cayden Pricolo, Merced County

September 4, 2024 Ag Alert 5

CALIFORNIA

Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®

Salinas Valley farmers are on guard against a new variant of the soil-borne fungal disease Fusarium wilt in lettuce. An ongoing trial aims to find genetic sources of resistance to the new strain.

Fusarium wilt-resistant lettuce aim of breeding trial By Bob Johnson

varieties,” said Alex Putnam, a University of California Cooperative Extension plant pa- thology specialist based in Riverside. The Soledad trial is part of an ongoing effort to discover genetic sources of resistance to the new Fusarium variant that has been detected in the Santa Maria and Salinas areas. Putnam offered overview of the research during an Aug. 5 field day for growers and pest control advisors. If farmers have a susceptible lettuce variety planted in infested ground, they may be in for a tough time. Once a plant is infected with Fusarium wilt, there are no chemical controls to help it recover. In California, Fusarium wilt occurs in lettuce in Fresno County and in the southern region of coastal Monterey County, according to UC pest management guidelines. Fusarium wilt affects a wide range of crops, including vegetables, fruits and ornamentals. Symptoms include leaf yellowing and wilting and stunted growth. Infected plants eventu- ally die. The pathogen can also be sustained on the roots of many plants. Until recently, Fusarium race 1 was the only variant in California. The appearance of

Researchers say an unfolding trial may offer hope that lettuce varieties can soon be bred with resistance to a new variant of Fusarium wilt, which has recently appeared in farm fields in the Central Coast region. At a field belonging to vegetable producer D’Arrigo California, a study team is evaluating lettuce resistance to a new strain of Fusarium known as CR4. Researchers say the results so far are promising. Fusarium wilt, largely resulting from soil-borne pathogens, can cause lettuce plants to stunt and fail to form heads or result in seedlings wilting and dying. The disease can be particularly severe in lettuce plants suffering from water stress. Researchers say grounds of the study field near Soledad are infested with the new vari- ant and the more commonly found Fusarium race 1 strain. Yet they say they have been impressed with how certain lettuce plants are holding up, with many showing no signs of infection. Researchers noted that romaine varieties have been the least prone to infection. The study group is monitoring the resistance of lettuce strains planted with seeds from different seed producers in an infected corner of the D’Arrigo field. “Some of these plants look pretty good. It looks like there’s some potential for resistant

See FUSARIUM, Page 7

6 Ag Alert September 4, 2024

Fusarium Continued from Page 6

the new CR4 variant has made varieties previously resistant to Fusarium race 1 sus- ceptible to the disease. The trial of potential sources of resis- tance to the new variant was supported by D’Arrigo California, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Salinas-based California Leafy Greens Research Board. Once an area of a field is infested with Fusarium wilt, it will remain viable and ready to infect lettuce indefinitely. Farmers are instructed to take care to not spread the pathogen to other areas of the field on equipment or boots. Before replanting lettuce, they are ad- vised to wait for seed companies to offer varieties with resistance to the variant. The new CR4 variant, which overcomes resistance to race 1, is now a focus of con- cern in the Central Coast region. “CR4 is the new fusarium in Salinas and Santa Maria,” Putnam said. Farm advisors say there are resistant va- rieties available to plant in areas that do not have the new variant. “Growers around Watsonville should have enough resistant varieties to plant,” said Yu-Chen Wang, UCCE plant patholo- gy farm advisor based in Watsonville.

Infected lettuce plants show symptoms of Fusarium wilt. Research being conducted in a field infested with the soil-borne disease revealed varieties of romaine lettuce with resistance to Fusarium, while numerous iceberg varieties demonstrated high-mortality rates.

Generally, romaine lettuce holds up bet- ter than iceberg against all known variants of fusarium wilt, Wang said. In the Soledad trial, iceberg varieties Tombstone, Rhodenas and Tamarack all suffered 90% mortality, and most of the Yucaipa, Telluride, Oso Flaco and Primo plants also died, researchers reported. There were 22 iceberg varieties with mor- tality below 50% in this year’s trial. Varieties that had mortality below 5% included

Balboa, Fontina, San Andreas, Paraiso, Powerball, San Miguel and Meridian. Among the Romaine lettuces, there were 21 varieties with marketable yields of 90% or more. “There were more susceptible varieties last year,” Putnam said of the continuing research. “But I think the seed companies removed those this year.” Fusarium wilt is a warm-weather dis- ease that causes the plants to wilt and die

as the season grows hotter. It started in the warmer growing regions of Yuma and the Central Valley and later spread to the Central Coast region. Because the pathogen can survive in the soil indefinitely, the main management strategies are to move lettuce crops to clean ground or plant resistant varieties. (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

Having the safety talk with your kids isn’t just important— it’s essential. In 2023, 19% of deaths in off-highway vehicle (OHV) accidents were children under 16, with only 2% wearing helmets. 1 This alarming statistic prompted Nationwide to launch the Let’s Champion Rider Safety SM campaign, providing tips and resources for effective safety discussions and protection for young riders. Let’s work together to help save lives and teach everyone to ride like a champion.

Let’s talk about ATV safety

Learn more at Nationwide.com/ATVsafety

Scan code to get safety tips for your young riders.

1 U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle and Let’s champion rider safety are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The Farm Bureau, FB and the FB National logo are trademarks of the American Farm Bureau Federation and are used with permission under license by Nationwide. © 2024 Nationwide (05/24)

September 4, 2024 Ag Alert 7

Advocacy in Action

Dairy California Farm Bureau has submitted a letter supporting efforts by the California Dairy Research Foundation to develop planning and strategies for using organic waste to develop fuels. The foundation is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, which supports re- search and technology development to convert biomass and other wastes to high-performance fuels while lowering greenhouse gas emissions. Farm Bureau is collaborating on a pro- posal to conduct a scoping project that would evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of using dairy anaer- obic digester effluent on a wide scale for development of hydrogen fuels. Partners in the proposal include: Sandia National Laboratories, which works to ensure stable energy and water supplies; Dairy Cares, a coalition working toward sustainable practices for dairy farms; and California Bioenergy LLC, a developer of dairy digester projects for generating re- newable vehicle fuels and electricity. Most of California’s anaerobic digesters

use of materials containing paraquat di- chloride starting on Jan. 1, 2026. The bill is on the Senate floor waiting to be heard, and Farm Bureau and other agri- cultural organizations continue to oppose and meet with Senate legislative offices to stop the measure from moving forward. Farm Bureau is working with the California Department of Transportation to gather information on the range of fiscal impacts of another measure, AB 99. The bill, by Assembly Member Damon Connolly, D-San Rafael, would require Caltrans to adopt a statewide policy by

currently produce renewable natural gas. The scoping project would provide information on future income pathways for dairy digesters, including securing Department of Energy funding for exploring additional clean-fuel production from the dairy sector. Weed and pest management The California Farm Bureau oppos- es Assembly Bill 1963 by Assembly Member Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, which seeks to phase out the use of the herbicide Paraquat. The bill was recently amend- ed and voted out of the state Senate Appropriations Committee. The measure had sought to require the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to complete a reevaluation of Paraquat to determine by Jan. 1, 2029 whether to cancel or suspend its registra- tion or to place new restrictions on the use of pesticide products containing the active ingredient paraquat dichloride. However, the cancellation timeline has accelerated as the bill was amended. If passed in its current form, the bill would prohibit the manufacture, sale and

Jan. 1 to use integrated pest management on state roads and highways and report on its website about its use and application of pesticides and herbicides. The measure is a deference to local and more prohibitive weed management stan- dards. It would require Caltrans to post in- formation online on the type, formula and amount of materials it intends to use in any city or county and identify the location at least 24 hours before any pesticide or her- bicide applications. (To read the full version of the California Farm Bureau’s Advocacy in Action newsletter, visit cfbf.com/advocacy.)

Class set for water diverters The training is scheduled for Sept. 13, from 1 to 5 p.m. in the UCCE Conference Room at 1432 Abbott St. The session is limited to 30 people. The cost is $30.

University of California Cooperative Extension is offering training in Salinas for water-rights holders on state requirements for measuring and reporting water diver- sions from rivers and streams. California requires an instructional course for water-rights holders wanting to install and maintain their own devices for reporting diversions to the state.

To register, visit https://surveys.ucanr. edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=43495. For more information, contact Larry Forero at lcforero@ucanr.edu.

CULTIVATING SUCCESS

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8 Ag Alert September 4, 2024

Almond Alliance’s next CEO serves on state almond board will continue to thrive and champion the interests of our members.”

BIGGER THAN EVER!

The Almond Alliance, an advocacy group that represents almond processors, hullers and shellers, and marketers, has named a new CEO. Alexi Rodriguez,

In a statement, Rodriguez said, “I’m looking forward to utilizing my knowledge and experience to advocate for this great industry and connect with industry mem- bers as we navigate the challenges ahead.” Clarice Turner, president and CEO of the almond board, credited Rodriguez for bringing “insight and energy in help- ing guide our board and in working hard to support the almond industry during a difficult economic period for California almonds and all of California farming.” The state’s $3.5 billion almond sector has struggled in recent years with falling prices as farmers continue to remove trees.

who current- ly chairs the Almond Board of California’s board of directors, will lead the Almond Alliance start- ing next year. She will continue as ABC’s board chair

Alexi Rodriguez

through December. Rodriguez replaces Aubrey Bettencourt, who served nearly three years as the alliance’s CEO before stepping down last spring. Besides her role with the almond board, a marketing group for the state’s almond sector, Rodriguez has 15 years of experience in the industry, including as operations director for Fresno County- based Campos Brothers Farms, an al- mond grower and handler. In a statement, Almond Alliance Chairman Blake Vann praised Rodriguez for her service to the almond sector, including her work on regulato- ry and compliance matters. “Her proven leadership and deep un- derstanding of the almond industry make her the ideal choice to guide our organiza- tion into the future,” Vann said. “Alexi has been a steadfast advocate for the industry, and we are confident that un- der her leadership the Almond Alliance

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Monterey

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Agricultural Market Review Quotations are the latest available for the week ending August 30, 2024 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock

Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1325–1630 lbs., $/cwt. Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $/cwt. Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 128–155 lbs. National weekly live sales Field crops – basis prompt shipment Cotton – ¢ per lb., Middling 1 3/32” Fresno spot market Corn – U.S. No. 2 yellow $/bu. trucked Alfalfa Hay – $ per ton, quality * , FOB Region 1, Northern Inter-mountain

178-179

183

No quote

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84.19

86.26

84.48

175-225

170-330

175

80.92

72.98

72.58

7.28

5.74

5.81

220 (S)

170 (S)

175 (S)

Region 2, Sacramento Valley

No quote 12-13 (P, per bale) 10 (P, per bale)

Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley

300 (P)

325 (S)

250 (S) 290 (S)

14 (G, per bale)

73-75 (S)

Region 5, Southern California Region 6, Southeast Interior

200 (P) 180 (P)

14 (P, per bale) 13 (P, per bale)

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200 (P)

195-210 (P)

Rice – Milled #1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt.

70-72

30-32

Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35.

September 4, 2024 Ag Alert 9

10 Ag Alert September 4, 2024

Ban Continued from Page 1 from farms and return to the manufacturer for refunds and proper disposal.” A use assessment conducted by the EPA last spring found that DCPA appli- cations were made primarily to broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and dry onions, and mostly in California. In California, 192,900 pounds and 188,200 pounds of DCPA were applied in 2021 and 2022, respectively, accord- ing to a report prepared for the state by the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California, Davis. As a top vegetable producer, Monterey County led California counties in appli- cations of 79,000 pounds of DCPA in 2022, with most of the herbicide treatment ap- plied prior to planting broccoli. “The biggest concern we’re seeing here in Monterey County is for our onions and our broccoli crops, and how those are go- ing to be managed going into the future to control weeds,” Groot said. With the use of Dacthal suspended, there are only a few alternatives available to growers, Groot said, noting that these materials require more frequent applica- tions and may involve harsher chemicals. Soon after the EPA issued the emergen- cy order to remove DCPA from the mar- ket, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation announced it is working to support the availability of alternative pes- ticides to control weeds in affected crops. DPR said it will prioritize applications for full registration of alternative products.

In addition, it is providing assistance to stakeholders to make alternatives avail- able through an emergency exemption for special local needs under FIRA. The Dacthal ban has introduced liabil- ity concerns for growers. Groot said some buyers and shippers are asking growers for assurances that the herbicide was not used on crops purchased, which could lead to the rejection of products even if the her- bicide was legally applied before the ban. The situation creates potential contractual disputes and financial losses for farmers, he said. The EPA and others noted the suspension of Dacthal is not a food safety issue. EPA said it has not identified risks from consuming foods with residues due to use of DCPA on crops as allowed by registered labels. The California Agricultural Commissioners and Sealers Association, which represents agricultural commis- sioners in every county, also said the ban is not related to food safety concerns. “(Dacthal) is typically applied at the same time the crop is being planted and is not used on vegetable plants during the growing cycle. As such, DCPA is not con- sidered a food safety concern for consum- ers,” the association said. Any applications of DCPA on com- modities listed on the product label prior to the suspension by the EPA were legal and subject to strict residue tolerances to ensure the safety of consumers, the asso- ciation added. In response to the EPA’s emergency suspension of the herbicide, the associa-

tion has notified California farmers that they must immediately discontinue use of DCPA products, and that agricultural commissioners will enforce the ban to en- sure compliance. This includes physical inspections of farming businesses to make sure pesticide regulations are followed. American Vanguard Corp., the reg- istrant and sole manufacturer of DCPA, voluntarily stopped sales of the affected products in April. The company submit- ted cancellation requests to the EPA for federal registrations of the products due to the agency’s assessment that DCPA is harmful, particularly to pregnant women and developing fetuses. In a statement, the company said it

“continues to question EPA’s conclusions in support of the suspension,” adding that the EPA decision is based on test results of one study provided by the company that showed an effect on fetal rodents at cer- tain dose levels. The observed effect was extrapolated to indicate a potential effect upon humans, the company added. American Vanguard is working with state and federal authorities on a product return program that includes tracking of the remaining stock of DCPA products and removal of the banned herbicide from dis- tribution channels. (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

Hearing on dairy quota set

A public hearing on the state dairy quota implementation plan, or QIP, will be held Sept. 9 beginning at 10 a.m. The California Department of Food and Agriculture previously set the hearing for Aug. 9, but postponed it to consider ad- ditional producer suggestions on chang- es to the QIP. But the department said it determined the new proposals “deviate from the language the (Producer Review Board) reviewed and recommended.” Therefore, the proposed QIP modifica- tions to be considered during the hearing remain the same. They consist of three parts, plus a tech- nical change proposed by CDFA: reducing the current quota premium payout from

$1.70 per hundredweight, or 19.5 cents a pound, of solids not fat, to $1 per cwt., or 11.5 cents a pound, of SNF; eliminating the regional quota adjusters; clarifying the lan- guage about “hardships” by adding details that were part of the former milk pooling plan; and rewording the definition of “pro- ducer” to enhance clarity. All affected California dairy farmers and interested individuals may sign up to testi- fy at the hearing. To join the hearing by Zoom, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84248601086. Meeting ID: 842 4860 1086. Passcode: 4^5WBjb*. To join by telephone, call 669- 444-9171. Meeting ID: 842 4860 1086. Passcode: 04670783.

CIMIS REPORT | www.cimis.water.ca.gov

CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM

For the week of August 22 - August 28, 2024 ETO (INCHES/WEEK)

YEAR

2.5

THIS YEAR

LAST YEAR AVERAGE YEAR

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0

MACDOEL II (236)

BIGGS (244)

DAVIS (06)

MANTECA (70)

FRESNO (80)

SALINAS-SOUTH (214)

FIVE POINTS (2)

IMPERIAL (87)

THIS YEAR LAST YEAR AVG. YEAR % FROM AVG.

1.33 1.35 1.43 -6

1.37 1.49 1.42 -3

1.46 1.59 1.61 -8

1.45 1.51 1.49 -3

1.72 1.74 1.67 3

1.45 1.27 1.19 22

1.76 1.67 1.77 0

2.10 1.96 1.83 15

W eekly reference evapotranspiration (ETo) is the rate of water use (evapotranspiration—the sum of soil evaporation and crop transpiration) for healthy pasture grass. Multiplying ETo by the appropriate crop coefficient gives estimates of the ET for other crops. For example, assume ETo on June 15 is 0.267 inches and the crop coefficient for corn on that day is 1.1. Multiplying ETo by the coefficient (0.26 inches x 1.1) results in a corn ET of 0.29 inches. This information is

useful in determining the amount and timing of irrigation water. Contact Richard Snyder at the University of California, Davis, for information on coefficients, 530-752-4628. The 10 graphs provide weekly ETo rates for selected areas for average year, last year and this year. ETo information is provided by the California Irrigation Man- agement Information System (CIMIS) of the California Department of Water Resources.

For information contact the DWR district office or DWR state headquarters:

SACRAMENTO HEADQUARTERS: 916-651-9679 • 916-651-7218

NORTHERN REGION: Red Bluff 530-529-7301

NORTH CENTRAL REGION: West Sacramento 916-376-9630

SOUTH CENTRAL REGION:

SOUTHERN REGION:

Fresno 559-230-3334

Glendale 818-500-1645 x247 or x243

September 4, 2024 Ag Alert 11

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