Gaps indisaster coverage are plaguing farmers and ranchers trying to recover frommajor events, according to anAmericanFarmBureau Federation survey of state farmorganizations. AFBF informally surveyed states to learn about the benefits and shortcomings of the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus, orWHIP+, which presently covers losses attributable to certain natural disasters that occurred in 2018 and 2019. A bill to extend the program to cover losses incurred in 2020 is pending in Congress. DannyMunch, associate economist with AFBF, said not all disas- ters are eligible under the program. “One example that represents some of the nuances of the WHIP policy handbook is that losses have to be related and concurrent to a qualifying disaster,” he said. “For instance, if you had a wildfire in September and then a mudslide in November that happened because of wildfire damage, only the wildfire damage was eligible and not the mudslide damage.” Santa Barbara County experienced just such an event a few years ago. The Thomas Fire, which ignited inVenturaCounty inDecember 2017, denuded hillsides above the town of Montecito, leading to a deadly mudslide after rainstorms in January 2018. Munch added that other conditions—such as winegrapes rendered unusable by exposure to wildfire smoke, hailstorms and serious drought con- ditions—also were ineligible for WHIP or WHIP+ coverage. AFBF also reported that certain crops, such as those intended for livestock grazing, are currently ineligible for WHIP+. The AFBF survey found that farmers and ranchers trying to file claims ran into some long delays. Producers on June 21 began re- ceiving 40%of their calculatedWHIP+ payments on top of a previous 50% paid for losses that incurred in 2019, according to AFBF. This means some farmers and ranchers have waited as long as two years to receive 90% of their calculated payments. “TheHouse Agriculture Committeemarked up several bills which consider extendingWHIP+, and some of the conclusions from those discussions was not only a proposal for $8.5 billion in assistance under WHIP+ for 2020 and 2021, but coverage for a wider range of conditions, such as smoke-tainted grapes, the derecho, (severe) drought, and some losses related to power loss,” Munch said. The Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee approved $6.2 billion in its versionof theWHIP+ extension,Munch said. Almond Continued from Page 16 within a 7-mile radius of the Shafter community boundaries. The applicant must have owned and operated equipment to be re- placed for the past two years. New equipment must be the cleanest available. The incentive amount is based on the horsepower of the newequipment. Farmers hurt by gaps in disaster coverage Some funding for replacement of stationary agricultural irrigation pumps is also available. Alternatives to agricultural burning include orchard removals, and material must be reincorporated into soil or applied to land on the grower’s property. The grower must certify the continued farming use of the property. Kelli Evans, with Evans Agricultural Consulting, talked about the Farm Service Agency and the California Agricultural Mediation Program. She said the program can be an effective tool for farmers experiencing challenges with farm loans, creditors, neighbors, leases or USDA agencies. Mediation is free to any producer for debt and credit issues, family farmtransitions, leases, neighbor disputes andmore. Discussions and notes made during mediation cannot be shared unless everyone agrees to do so. Evans said statistically 75%of media- tions result inanagreement. Formore information, visitwww.calamp. org. Also farmers.gov/fundhighlightsassistance fromtheFarmService Agency, including direct farmownership loans up to $600,000 and di- rect farmoperating loans up to $400,000, direct farmownership and operatingmicro loans up to $50,000, guaranteed farm loans, funding for beginning farmers andmore. (Dennis Pollock is a reporter in Fresno. He may be contacted at agcompollock@yahoo.com.) August 11, 2021 Ag Alert 19
REAL ESTATE
REAL ESTATE
PEACH ORCHARD 163.75 ACRES M/L BUTTE COUNTY, CA
299-ACRE YOLO COUNTY WALNUT ORCHARD : Very nice Walnut orchard in Yolo County between Winters and Davis. Class I and II soils, two sources of water with three wells. 70 acres of open ground to plant and 190 acres of producing walnuts, nice older main house and smaller second house. Many outbuildings. Lots of potential with this one! $7,500,000. CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES, INC. SCOTT STONE, BKR 530-681-1410 • www.calagprop.com AG Investment Brokers
2016 & 2017 planting, micro jet irrigation, deep well, 18 x 15 spacing. Pacific Cost Producers membership contract. $4,600,000
LAND
AG Real Estate Specialists 71.55 +/- ac., class I & II soils. 19 year old Howards (5,729 lbs/ac average production), 6 year old Chandlers, (3) irrigationwells, solid set irrigation, custommodular home, (2) metal/insulated shops, solar array.
Stromer Realty Company Buzz Gill Mobile (530) 682-8485 Office (530) 671-2770 buzz@stromerrealty.com
Dairyville Walnut Orchard Los Molinos, CA
530.529.4400 BRE # 01707128
New Listing, $2,400,000
1234 +/- AC of Prime Farmland, YOLO COUNTY. Currently in sunflowers, to- matoes and alfalfa. Primarily Class I soil. Water provided from 8 wells. Large blocks with permanent planting devel- opment opportunities don’t come on the market often! For more information, contact Cork or Megan at Natural Re- sources Group, Inc. 916-372-5595 or mredmond@natural-resources-group. com
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Ventura County Ranches
Lemons, Avocados, Row Crop Land for Sale
Scott Dunbar • 805-358-6644 www.vcranches.com • CalDre #01242893
INTERO SHOWCASE RE Sutter Co. 545ac. M/L in 4 Parcels. 240ac.M/L pro- ducing walnuts. 40 ac. ready to plant. 170 ac. Hunting/Habitat & 47 ac. pro- ducing walnuts. 10 ac. potential home site. Very scenic. Five excellent wells. Yolo co. 161 acres of 5th leaf Almonds. Contact: Mike Smith (530) 682-0533 DRE 01263942 msmith@interomove. com CFBF MEMBER BENEFITS Partial list of benefits: Agricultural Supplies: Caterpillar Case IH Grainger Industrial Supply O’Relly Auto Products
MISCELLANEOUS
John Deere Dungarees Propane Discount Amerigas PAINT Discount Kelly Moore & Dunn Edwards Paint and Many More! For more information call or email today 800-698-FARM 916-561-5500 cfbf@cfbf.com
ANTIQUE EQUIPMENT- Tractors: Case VAH. IHC Farmall A. Flywheel Start JD-B. Late 40’s JD-B & JD-A. 2 Rain machines with GMC 6-71 En- gines. 5’ & 6" alumminum rain pipe. Antique plows. Call (510) 299-7243
FARMERS GET THE MOST, money for your Walnut Burls. Call Brush Hard- woods. 209-847-7345
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