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.
Klamath water Farmers say early allocation falls short
Wolf conflicts Report details how state compensated ranchers
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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com APRIL 17, 2024
Fruits & Vegetables special report County leaders look for funds to pay for services
By Christine Souza California counties, key to delivering services for public safety, emergency re- sponse and protecting human health, are bracing for state revenue cuts as California faces a historic budget deficit. The fiscal crisis creates concerns in rural agricultural counties, as local governments look for ways to fund core needs such as fire services. “The big concern is what happens with the state budget this year, because when- ever we have a big deficit like this, there’s always a major trickle-down to the coun- ties,” said Staci Heaton, senior policy advo- cate for the Rural County Representatives of California. Merced County is already struggling to fund public safety services, including fire, sheriff’s department and ambulance services. At its board meeting last week, the Merced County board of supervisors delayed acting on hiring new firefighters. Due to the county’s contract with CalFire, it has a deadline of Nov. 1 to increase staffing at 19 stations. To meet state mandates to increase firefighter staffing, the county estimates it needs to spend an additional $6.9 million for 27 new firefighter positions. CalFire requires firefighter staffing of two fire personnel on duty 24 hours a day, with at least six personnel available for any given shift. Last year, to prepare for the requirements, the county spent $2 million from its general fund to hire 12 new firefighters but needs to hire more to comply. Merced County Assistant Fire Chief Mark Pimentel said it is unacceptable that the county is the last jurisdiction in the state operating below minimum staffing requirements. “We serve 286,000 residents and average about 11,950 calls per year,” Pimentel said. “Those calls are increasing annually, and I don’t think it is going to stop.” For the county to reach required staffing, See COUNTIES, Page 10
Roughly half of California’s 30 million acres of farmland is protected from development by the California Land Conservation Act of 1965.
Land-use bill taps farmland for solar sites
By Caleb Hampton Proposed state legislation to modify California’s longstanding farmland con- servation law could pave the way for large swaths of farm acreage to be repurposed as sites for renewable energy projects. The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, commonly known as the Williamson Act, preserves farmland by assessing prop- erty taxes based on the land’s agricultur- al value rather than its full market value. Landowners with Williamson Act contracts, which cover about half the state’s 30 million acres of farm and ranchland, generally see a 20% to 75% reduction in property taxes. The contracts are agreed between land- owners and counties or cities and can only be dissolved by paying a fee of 12.5% of the land value or through a nonrenewal pro- cess that takes nine years. Assembly Bill 2528, introduced by Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, would allow owners of
Williamson Act land that lacks sufficient water for farming to cancel their con- tracts—without paying a fee or waiting nine years—if the land is used for wind or solar energy projects. The bill is sponsored by the Large-scale Solar Association. The proposed legislation seeks to align the state’s renewable energy and ground- water management goals. California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, requires users to bring groundwater basins into balance within the next two decades. It is expected to take more than 500,000 acres of San Joaquin Valley farmland out of pro- duction by 2040, according to a report by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, or PPIC. Meanwhile, for California to achieve its objective of 100% clean energy by 2045, it will need to dramatically expand its solar energy capacity, an undertaking projected to require up to 480,000 acres of land.
Arambula said in an interview that, in light of these circumstances, water-con- strained farmland owners need to be given new land-use options, and solar compa- nies need space to expand the production of renewable energy. “That was the nexus with which I brought this bill,” he said. Arambula emphasized that “the goal here isn’t to take productive farmland out of production, but to take land that other- wise would not be produced upon because
See FARMLAND, Page 12
Comment.......................................2 From the Fields........................4-5 Fruits & Vegetables.................6-7 CIMIS Report............................11 Inside
Published by
To protect food supply, Congress must pass farm bill By Zippy Duvall
advances are made possible, in part, be- cause programs in the farm bill recog- nize farmers as partners and invest in their effort to care for the land. They are also fueled by research and innovation that help pave a path forward. The farm bill must be renewed every five years, giving lawmakers an oppor- tunity to update programs and renew their commitment to ensuring America’s families continue to have access to a safe, affordable and abundant food supply. It presents an opportunity to ensure pro- grams reflect today’s realities and seize tomorrow’s opportunities. Leaders in Congress said they needed more time to draft and debate the legisla- tion, so they passed a one-year extension. But modernization of the farm bill must re- main a priority. It’s now time all lawmakers step up to pass a farm bill soon. The closer we get to the 2024 elections, the less likely Congress is to achieve this goal. In a recent Morning Consult poll, a majority of Americans said they would be more likely to support a member of Congress who votes to pass a farm bill. The farm bill is too important to be kicked down the road. The Senate and House agriculture committees dedicated 18 months to farm bill hearings, listening sessions and farm tours to learn what is needed in the next farm bill. Congress should build on this momentum. The farm bill has been a shining exam- ple of bipartisanship in the past—an issue in which both sides have put aside differ- ences to work for the common good of the nation. They can do it again. Every family in America is counting on it. (Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, a poultry, cattle and hay producer from Georgia, is president of the American Farm Bureau Federation.)
There are few times when Congress has the opportunity to take a single action that
benefits every fam- ily in America. One of those opportuni- ties is in front of our lawmakers now. I’m not overstat- ing when I tell you the farm bill may be one of the most consequential pieces of legislation
Zippy Duvall
before the 118th Congress. The farm bill suffers from an oversimpli- fied name. It implies that it exists to benefit only the 2 million farm families in America. But, in fact, it touches every dinner table in every home in the United States. Americans spend the lowest percent- age of their income on food than any other nation, and that is made possible, in part, due to the farm bill. It spells out programs that help farmers survive the hard times brought on by natural disasters and eco- nomic downturns, which is in the best in- terest of all of us who like to eat. But the farm bill goes even further. It should more accurately be called the food and farm bill. Many people would be sur- prised to learn that roughly 80% of farm bill funding supports nutrition programs that ensure millions of families facing hard times don’t go hungry. The need for assistance programs is real. The U.S. Department of Agriculture esti- mated in 2021 that more than 33 million people in America faced food insecurity. More than 12% of households with chil- dren need nutrition assistance. We are a nation that’s been blessed with the ability and the means to feed all of its people. You don’t need to look very far to see
Agricultural groups urge Congress to pass a new, five-year farm bill—a package of legislation that includes programs such as a safety net for farmers, and nutrition and conservation programs.
how the investments from the farm bill have paid off in protecting America’s food supply. We’re not far removed from the COVID-19 pandemic, where sup- ply-chain disruptions led to empty store shelves across the country. Restaurants were forced to shut down, and some farmers couldn’t get the food they grew to America’s families. Add to that more than $21 billion in crop and rangeland losses from drought, wildfires, hurricanes and flooding in 2022 and you start to realize the risks farmers take to grow the food we rely on. Without the safety net the farm bill provides, many family farms wouldn’t be able to survive these disasters. The farm bill also invests in the future through conservation programs. Farmers
have already established an impressive record in their efforts to protect America’s natural resources. About one-third of U.S. farmland is in conservation programs and practices. Farmers are doing more with less. Just 30 years ago, it would have taken 100 million more acres—the approximate land mass of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina—to produce the same amount of food farmers grow today. This productivity growth is the only thing that will allow us to achieve our conservation goals and meet the food, fuel and fiber needs of America and the world. Overall, agriculture represents just 10% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, far lower than transporta- tion and energy, and much lower than the agriculture sector worldwide. These
VOL. 51, NO. 15
April 17, 2024
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2 Ag Alert April 17, 2024
Klamath irrigators express frustration over allocation
to provide full water supplies for farms and ranches of the Klamath Project.” Klamath Basin irrigators received de- layed and short water deliveries in each of the past four years. Last year, despite high- er-than-normal precipitation, the bureau announced an initial supply of 215,000 acre-feet. That was increased to 260,000 acre-feet last May. Klamath farmers experienced severe cutbacks in water deliveries during the extreme drought years. In 2022, the bureau granted an initial alloca- tion of 50,000 acre-feet. In 2021, the initial allocation was 33,000 acre-feet. Annual average project demand is be-
tween 320,000 acre-feet and 400,000 acre-feet. In addition to the 2024 allocation, the bureau announced $8.5 million in funding for Klamath Basin communi- ties to support drought resiliency and $5 million for Klamath Basin tribes im- pacted by drought. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of the Interior entered into an agreement with tribes and the association on efforts to restore the ba- sin ecosystem and improve water supply reliability for agriculture. (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)
By Christine Souza Despite favorable conditions in the Klamath Basin, irrigators say the initial federal water allocation falls short of what farmers in the Klamath Water Project should receive this year. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the project, announced this week that Klamath Basin irrigators will receive an initial allocation of 230,000 acre-feet from the lake. That is 35% less than estimated needs, said Paul Simmons, executive director and counsel for the Klamath Water Users Association. “Within a few weeks, Upper Klamath Lake will be completely full for the first time in seven years, and the snowpack is in good shape for this time of year, yet we are looking at the fifth-worst allocation in the 120 years since the Klamath Project was authorized,” said Simmons, who called the allocation “deeply disappointing.” “Because of the way the internal distribution of water works, we are looking at family farms that will go without water for the fifth straight year.” In addition, the bureau announced al- locations of 35,000 acre-feet each from Clear Lake and Gerber Reservoir, which serve districts on the east side of the Klamath Project. Moss Driscoll, director of water policy for the association, said, “Overall, water conditions in the Klamath Basin are favor- able.” He added, the water picture “is even better than last year, when the allocation was higher.” While the Klamath Basin received nor- mal precipitation from the winter and wa- ter benefits from flood operations in March and early April, the bureau’s Regional Director Karl Stock said conditions have not fully rebounded from years of drought. “We are pleased the hydrology for the 2024 water year continues to be favorable over last year’s, but we recognize that in- flows into Upper Klamath Lake have not materialized in a manner that allows all water demands to be met with this alloca- tion,” Stock said in a statement. The bureau said it will continue to moni- tor hydrology and inflow forecasts and may adjust the allocation if conditions warrant an update. An updated allocation that comes later in the season will not help farmers today, according to farmer Rob Unruh, a KWUA board member who farms along the California-Oregon border. “I can’t plan or finance a crop based on water that I don’t know about today,” Unruh said. “I thought this would sure- ly be the year when we did not have to watch fields dry up and blow away, but I guess not.” The Klamath Project relies on wa- ter from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River and is guided by an oper- ations plan and regulatory guidelines put in place by the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
to protect fish species. The bureau’s announcement comes a week after supervisors from Siskiyou and Modoc counties in California and Klamath County in Oregon sent a letter to bureau Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton, urging the agency to immediately provide adequate water to the project. In the April 5 letter, county leaders stat- ed that, due to excess water, “Reclamation must make every effort and should be able
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April 17, 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.
Trevor Airola Calaveras County rancher
Debbie Chamberlain Riverside County farmer
Things are very optimistic right now. The grass is growing. We have had really good rainfall, and we just had a little bit of snow, so we’ve got some good mois- ture in the ground. Now we are getting some warm temperatures, which are real- ly helping the late-spring grass. All of our water is snow runoff, which is delivered through an open-ditch sys- tem. We have a riparian water right, which dates back to the Gold Rush era to divert water from the Stanislaus River. Our ditch system is one of the oldest ditch systems in California. We are starting to prepare for summer irrigation, so getting our ditches cleaned and getting our system up and running to make sure it is ready to start irrigation in the middle of May. To be proactive, the irrigation association that I’m part of voluntarily agreed to a 10% reduction in our water usage. Right now, we’re getting ready to do our second round of preventative vacci- nations on the calves. Then we’re going to wean them from the cows so that we can market those calves in June. I had three steers butchered last week. I’ll be selling those direct to consumers. This is my second year of selling direct to consumers. Doing this definitely extends my profit margin. It is more challenging to carry the overhead, such as the cost of feeding the steers. But it doubles my profit margin per head by doing it this way. New this year: I received a federal Conservation Stewardship Program grant to do prescribed grazing to promote better pasture management. This incen- tive grant is for moving the cows from pasture to pasture and managing feed quality and soil health. We move the cows around, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service samples our pasture and provides a report of how we’re doing in terms of managing feed quality and soil health, which helps me with management decisions.
We started our tomato season at the beginning of March, so we’re about half- way through our tomato season. We have five varieties of cherry tomatoes. We also have a few areas of squash and green beans that we’re finishing up. We’re also trying sweet peppers. Those are new, but we don’t do a lot. They’re little sideline items to go with the cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes and basil are our main crops. The amount of greenhouses we now have in basil has grown. We’re also looking to increase it for next year. The mangos are flowering, so that’s normal, and it looks good. They’re alter- nate bearing, so some trees look heavy and some don’t. That’ll be ready for har- vest the beginning of July. It’s been extremely wet this year. The good side of it is we got free water, and mangos love it because they’re a tropical plant. We had a lot of cool, wet weather, so we’ve had some issues with powdery mildew, which killed some of our tomato plants. Our cherry tomatoes are in a hydroponic system. Even though they’re outdoors, they’re pretty dense because it was warm early on. Then we had all those storms come through. It was the perfect condition for powdery mildew. It’s affected some of the production, but not too bad. Some varieties are more resilient than others, so it seems like some things pick up the slack for other problems. Sungold is one that’s very susceptible, and it’s almost 40% of our cherry tomato varieties. Customers love that one. Sungold has a thin skin, and it’s tricky. When we had those rains, we had some splitting, and you have to dump that, because once they split, they go bad. Normally, we’re drier and it’s not as much of an issue. But I hear (about splitting) with the central California growers and coastal growers who try to grow Sungold. But (the variety) is hugely productive.
Madeline Desrochers Yuba County dairy farmer
We’re seeing record prices for our bull calves and Angus bull calves. We’ve been breeding some of our lower-producing cows to Angus. We started that a little over nine months ago, so some of those crossbred cows are now being born. Any calf that has a black coat is going to go for more. It’s very new for us, and we’re doing it on a small scale, not nearly as aggressively as some dairies. We’re seeing the benefits because prices are so high. We live close to the Sierra, and there’s a lot of smaller beef ranches around here. It’s their calving season. If they have a mama cow that loses her calf, they’re calling us looking for drop calves, so we’ve been selling some to the beef producers as well. The cows are producing a lot of milk because of this is beautiful weather. We’re milking the most cows we’ve ever milked because we purchased some last year from a neighbor that sold out, and we’re growing our herd. We’re grateful to have healthy cows because the national news is talking about bird flu and how that’s been knocking down milk production in cows in Texas, New Mexico, Idaho and several other states. We’re very blessed to not have that here. But we don’t live in fear. We’re not going to be scared that that’s going to happen to us. Hopefully, it will be helpful for milk prices for dairy farmers. It’s an unfortunate event, but it does knock supply down. Birds are always a problem. We have plenty of pigeons and starlings around this dairy. What can you do about that? We are in the Pacific Flyway. We haven’t seen as many migratory birds this year as far as the geese and ducks. There’s only so much you can do when you house as much feed as we do. They want to come here and eat all of the feed and grain.
4 Ag Alert April 17, 2024
Insights from farmers and ranchers across the Golden State, including members of the California Farm Bureau.
Jon Reelhorn Fresno County nursery grower
This is our peak season for harvest in the nursery landscape, the greenhouse, where plants are in bloom. Customers are in nursery garden centers. People are in their yards. Our peak season in the Central Valley starts about Feb. 15 and goes till about June 1. We do half our business in three months. It’s an important time for us. We’re a medium-sized grower. We sell to independent garden centers and small chains, so a lot of our plants are done on speculation. Last year, it rained all March, so we got a very slow start. This year, we’ve had good weather, and consumers still want the product. I wish we would’ve been more aggressive going into spring. Last fall, I was cutting back 10% or 20%. This spring, it looks like we could have used more plants. It’s a good problem to have. When people were staying home during the pandemic, our business skyrocketed because people worked in their yards. While it has declined, we gained millions of gardeners. In that respect, it’s still strong. We feel fortunate that people value plants in their yards and their communities. Color is what sells. Homeowners love color. They love roses, flowering trees and perennial flowers. That’s typically where we focus. We do a lot of roses. We do David Austin roses, which is an English garden rose. It’s very popular. We’re going to grow what people buy. If they want a fuchsia, which is a water-loving plant, we’ll still grow that. But we grow a lot more drought-tolerant, low water-use plants. Fruit trees, berries and edibles have been great. Lots of the perennial flowers that we grow, lots of pollinator- and bee-friendly plants are absolutely popular. The butterfly weeds are very user friendly. That’s a good market for us, as are artichoke plants, strawberry plants, berry plants and all types of pomegranates and fruit trees. In California, those products are generally still a strong market.
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April 17, 2024 Ag Alert 5
Fruits & Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® CALIFORNIA
New tools take aim at controlling strawberry pests By Bob Johnson Strawberry growers in the Central Coast are headed toward a zero-tolerance policy on lygus bugs, the most destructive insect pest in the crop. When the bugs feed on the seeds, they cause misshapen fruit that is unfit for market. Even slight damage can lead to hidden but substantial yield loss. The yield difference came because berries grew larger when lygus bugs were better controlled and the insects’ feeding was reduced. The berries in experimental plots aver- aged 22 grams, while those in nearby untreated plots averaged 16 grams. Research conducted by the University of California tested new insecticides for controlling lygus bugs, a top pest for strawberries. Additional research also explored whether beneficial insects, fungi and bacteria can help manage spotted wing drosophila, which has developed resistance to widely used insecticides.
“When seeds are missing, the fruits are smaller,” Bolda said. “The near total elimination of lygus makes the fruit larger. There was a 40% difference in yield between the material that controlled lygus and the untreated control.” Researchers also monitored beneficial insect populations as part of the trials. “After the spray, there were significantly fewer spiders and minute pirate bugs,” Bolda said. “After the spray, there is an impact, but the population recovers.” Bolda said some currently widely used materials for treating lygus bugs, including Malathion and Mustang Maxx, demonstrated detrimental impacts on beneficial insects in trials. He said new materials expected to be registered soon aim to protect beneficials while providing control of lygus bugs throughout the strawberry growing season. Avaunt eVo, an insect-control product used on a variety of specialty crops, should be registered by the end of the year, he noted. Also in the registration process is the insecticide Sefina. In addition, Syngenta is evaluating another new lygus material as part of the registration process for its
“When lygus feed, they are destroying the embryo,” said Mark Bolda, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor based in Watsonville. “As slight as the damage may be, it can still cause a significant loss in yield.” Bolda conducted research trials in 2021 and 2022 on new materials for controlling lygus bugs in strawberries. He discussed the findings at the 2024 Strawberry Production Research Meeting in Watsonville. The event also provided research insights on using beneficial insects to target another strawberry pest, spotted wing drosophila. The field trials on lygus bug remedies, which Bolda conducted in partnership with the crop-protection company Syngenta, revealed the effectiveness of an experimental insec- ticide in curbing yield losses. Strawberries treated with ISM-555, which contains a new insecticide, Plinazolin, yielded an average of 2,679 boxes an acre. Plots treated with the pyrethroid Mustang Maxx yielded 1,874 boxes an acre. Untreated plots produced 1,685 boxes an acre, according to trial results.
See PESTS, Page 7
6 Ag Alert April 17, 2024
Pests Continued from Page 6
trademarked Plinazolin technology, he said. Other researchers say improved biolog- ical control may also help strawberry and blackberry growers control spotted wing drosophila, an exotic vinegar fly from Asia that is particularly damaging to soft fruit. In the 15 years since spotted wing dro- sophila first appeared in California straw- berries, the pest has already developed resistance to widely used insecticides. The vinegar fly punctures the surface of soft fruit such as strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and ripe cherries, depositing its eggs under the surface. “There’s a lot of natural enemy activity going on right now,” said Kent Daane, a bi- ological control specialist at the University of California, Berkeley. “Unfortunately, it’s not enough to control the pest. We’re look- ing at importation and augmentation of natural enemies, and some members of our group are looking at beneficial fungi and bacteria.” In cooperation with berry producer Nuturipe Farms, researchers attempted to release large numbers of natural enemies when pest populations approached levels that posed economic damage. The experiment proved to be limited because the beneficials had to be re- leased numerous times and failed to es- tablish populations. Meanwhile, researchers have had to look
Researchers are studying new insecticides to treat the lygus bug, above, and biological controls for the spotted wing drosophila, left. Both can damage strawberries.
to Asia for the most effective beneficials. “In classic biocontrol, you go to the na- tive area of the pest—Asia—and find natu- ral enemies that will maintain a stable pop- ulation,” Daane said. “You introduce some of these into the system, and they keep the pest population down to acceptable levels.” Research in Asia uncovered 20 poten- tial biological controls. After five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowed the importation of one—the parasitic wasp Ganaspis brasiliensis—because it attacks only spotted wing drosophila and closely related species. Researchers have released Ganaspis in numerous locations, including in Salinas and Santa Maria strawberry-
growing regions, but the beneficial failed to establish robust populations in berries. “We need to understand why Ganaspis is not doing as well in California as in Canada and Delaware,” Daane said. “My worry is that the hot, dry summers in California are not conducive to parasitoids. We’re going to import Ganaspis popula- tions from southern China, where there are hot summers.” Unfortunately, the most widely used materials to control spotted wing drosoph- ila are hard on this beneficial. “Malathion, Entrust and Mustang Maxx were the most toxic to Ganaspis,” Daane said. “Grandevo was the least toxic material, but it was not effective
against spotted wing drosophila.” The strategy is to release Ganaspis to knock down pest populations in areas where these insecticides are not used. “If we have success with imported bio- controls, we’re going to focus on riparian zones outside the cropping system be- cause we have movement of spotted wing drosophila from these riparian zones into the cropping system,” Daane said. “If we can lower the number of spotted wing dro- sophila coming into your strawberries and blackberries, that will make the chemicals more efficient.” (Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)
April 17, 2024 Ag Alert 7
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8 Ag Alert April 17, 2024
Deterrent tools topped state wolf-livestock conflict funds
noting that 57 wolf depredations in Siskiyou County, 10 in Lassen County and one in Plumas County. Producers affected by the Whaleback pack received more than 67% of all funds and were awarded $116,809 for direct loss- es, more than $1.3 million for deterrence and $556,452 for wolf presence. Those affected by the Lassen pack re- ceived 28% of all funds, with $15,724 going to direct losses, $464,654 for deterrence and $365,687 for wolf presence. Impacts by other wolf packs accounted for 4.5% of total funds. Ranchers affected by the Harvey pack in Lassen and Shasta
counties were awarded $1,600 for direct losses, $42,497 for deterrence and $22,992 for wolf presence. Producers affected by the Beckwourth pack in Plumas and Sierra counties, and the Yowlumni pack in Tulare County used all their funds for deterrence. All grants awarded to producers affected by the Beyem Seyo pack in Plumas County were for direct losses. Producers submitted applications based on their current and anticipated needs to reduce wolf-livestock conflict and eligibil- ity for direct losses and wolf presence, the department said.
With $3 million in grant funding exhaust- ed, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is no longer accepting applications for the wolf-livestock compensation pro- gram, the agency announced last week. A total 109 grants were awarded to 36 ranchers with livestock operations in four of the nine counties with known wolf ac- tivity: Siskiyou, Lassen, Plumas and Tulare, according to a CDFW report summarizing how the money was used. CDFW said all funds ran out by March 8. Established in 2021, the pilot program compensated livestock producers for ver- ified loss of livestock occurring on or after Sept. 23, 2021; nonlethal deterrence of wolf presence near livestock; and indirect im- pacts of wolf presence on livestock. Most of the money—more than $1.9 mil- lion—went to 56 grants for deterrent tools. The department awarded $945,131 and 27 grants for impacts related to wolf pres- ence. Direct livestock losses accounted for $135,044 and 26 grants. Siskiyou County received 67% of the funding, with 62 grants worth more than $2 million. Seventeen grants were awarded for direct losses, 36 for deterrence and nine for wolf presence. In Lassen County, 23 grants worth $490,028, or 16% of all funds, were award- ed. Five grants were for direct losses, eight for deterrence and 10 for wolf presence. With 23 grants, Plumas County re- ceived $476,356, with four grants going to direct losses, 11 to deterrence and eight to wolf presence. One grant worth $15,938 went to one Tulare County producer for deterrence. In the four counties that received pay- ment, six known wolf packs have estab- lished territories: Whaleback, Lassen, Harvey, Beckwourth, Beyem Seyo and
Yowlumni. The Whaleback pack in Siskiyou County and the Lassen pack in Lassen and Plumas counties were known to CDFW throughout the interim and pilot program period. “During the pilot program period, sub- stantially more confirmed and probable wolf-livestock depredation events oc- curred in Siskiyou County than any oth- er county in California,” CDFW reported,
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April 17, 2024 Ag Alert 9
Counties Continued from Page 1
The county’s budget challenges are also felt in other areas of public safety, including the sheriff’s department and ambulance services, plus other county departments. “Healthcare rates are going through the roof. We’re trying to figure out solutions on how we address those healthcare issues,” Silveira said. “It’s all coming and hitting us at the same time. We (supervisors) don’t take these decisions lightly, but we’re also trying to still survive as a county.” In Stanislaus County, Westley farmer Daniel Bays, a volunteer firefighter with the West Stanislaus Fire District, said his district also faces budget challenges. He said, “Like everything else, costs in the fire service have skyrocketed.” “Even in a volunteer department, there is still insurance and workers’ compen- sation that has to be carried for the vol- unteers,” Bays said. “Plus, the amount of paperwork and compliance with state re- quirements continues to grow.” In Merced County, Silveira said county revenue from property and sales taxes is growing but costs are outpacing revenue. “Every county is facing these challeng- es,” Silveira said. “Counties and cities are stuck with what they have, and if you don’t have the money, then you cut services.” Budgetary constraints hit smaller, rural counties particularly hard because they do not have a large tax base but are required to provide county services. “This is going to be a really challenging
few years for local governments,” Heaton said. “If you are talking about a smaller county like Lake, Alpine, Sierra or Modoc, it’s going to be a struggle.” In Modoc County, which has a popu- lation of 9,000, Supervisor Ned Coe said, “I don’t know of any counties with a pot of money or even spare change to pay for increased costs.” “I have fire districts that have had the cost of insurance get to the point that it is now consuming more than is brought in in property assessments,” Coe said. Speaking before the county supervisors last week, Breanne Vandenberg, execu- tive director for the Merced County Farm Bureau, said, “Emergency services are facing issues, and all county departments are hurting.” Heaton of the Rural County Representatives of California said many local governments are looking to the fed- eral government for grant funding op- portunities. Merced County applied for a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants, or SAFER grant, in hopes of securing funds. In the meantime, the California Legislature approved a bill last week that seeks to reduce the state budget deficit by about $17 billion. Gov. Gavin Newsom said the deficit is about $38 billion. In February, the Legislative Analyst’s Office estimated
the deficit at $73 billion. When the state has a deficit, this typi- cally impacts county services such as pub- lic safety and emergency management, Heaton said. As a result, local leaders are taking a careful look at county revenues, which consist of state and federal dollars and lo- cally generated funds from property tax and other assessments and fees. Counties may increase revenue to fund local ser- vices if approved by voters. “Your (county) budget is what it is un- less you can get voter approval for a new assessment,” Heaton said. “There’s not that much appetite for that right now.” This year, counties are concerned, Heaton said, about a $6.4 billion mental health and housing bond approved by state voters in March, which shifts about $140 million annually of existing tax rev- enue from counties to the state for mental health, drug and alcohol treatment. “It is taking away from our local cof- fers for programs that we run,” she said. “Counties have to make their budget cuts, and that’s where it affects our pub- lic services like public safety and emer- gency management.” (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com. )
Pimentel presented one alternative that involves spending $3.8 million to add 15 firefighter positions. The option consoli- dates two stations, eliminates one station and redirects staff. Another alternative costs the county $760,000 to hire three firefighters. This option consolidates four stations to two, eliminates two stations and redirects staff. Public commentors said closing and/or consolidating fire stations would reduce service, increase response times and im- pact remaining stations. Merced County farmer Eric Harcksen, a fourth-generation firefighter at the Ballico Fire Department, said he is concerned about cuts to emergency services. “Nobody is going to win,” Harcksen said. “A lot of these problems are at the state lev- el and are impacting us locally. This isn’t sustainable. Like the Jenga game, if you start pulling pieces out, the whole thing is going to fall.” Merced County Supervisor Scott Silveira, whose district includes Los Banos and Dos Palos, explained that the decision is not easy, especially because the county has limited funding under its discretion. “To fund the status quo and come up with the additional $6.9 million, that means that we’re cutting other places,” Silveira said. “The pie is only so big, so no matter how we slice that pie, it’s still the same amount of pie.”
10 Ag Alert April 17, 2024
CIMIS REPORT | www.cimis.water.ca.gov
CALIFORNIA IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM
For the week of April 4 - April 10, 2024 ETO (INCHES/WEEK)
YEAR
3.0
THIS YEAR
2.5
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)
SHAFTER (5)
IMPERIAL (87)
THIS YEAR LAST YEAR AVG. YEAR % FROM AVG.
1.01 0.96 0.96 7
0.97 0.96 1.05 -10
0.99 1.00 1.16 -14
0.75 1.05 1.09 -31
0.98 1.20 1.16 -16
1.17 1.11 1.05 10
1.09 1.15 1.32 -18
1.07 1.24 1.20 -11
1.72 1.60 1.67 3
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
2024 CE Series
Members: Free Non-Members: $400
REGISTER NOW AND ENJOY FREE PESTICIDE CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS Let your Farm Bureau membership more than pay for itself! Join us throughout the year for webinars that meet your pesticide continuing education (CE) requirements. Subject matter experts will share information applicable to your business operations and advance your professional development. Earn 1 Hour L/R or Other DPR • 1 Hour CCA Per Class Class Dates and Topics are Subject to Change. Next Class (all classes are from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.) Thursday, May 9.....................Pyrethroid & Neonicotinoid Use in Vegetable Crops
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Thursday, November 14 ........Preventing Common Violations
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April 17, 2024 Ag Alert 11
Farmland Continued from Page 1 of water scarcity.”
Salinas Valley and other regions that pro- duce much of the nation’s fresh produce. City councils and county supervisors would then determine if individual par- cels within those basins meet the criteria of not having “permanent access to sufficient water to support commercially viable irri- gated agricultural use.” “We felt that those who were closer to the land would be best to determine whether or not that was land that was wa- ter constrained—or if we had a landowner who was being too cute,” Arambula said. Farm advocates cautioned that cities and counties, which are themselves parties in the contracts, may also face economic demands to dissolve contracts. In 2009, the state government eliminated subvention funding for the conservation program, which was used to compensate counties for losses in property tax revenue on Williamson Act parcels. Since then, California’s Department of Conservation reported a sharp increase in acreage slated for nonrenewal. Imperial County withdrew from the program altogether. “There are fiscal pressures out there,” Scheuring said. “There are big box stores. There are subdivisions. There are all kinds of things that can be very attractive from a short-term fiscal perspective to a taxing authority like a county.” Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, said the Williamson Act has been a key tool in protecting the Salinas Valley, the so- called “Salad Bowl of the World,” from urban development. Despite being among the most productive farmland on the planet and having ample groundwater, most of the valley’s subbasins were categorized as high or medium priority
due to factors such as seawater intrusion and water distribution challenges. “Solving our problems here is going to be a lot different than just declaring that a parcel does or does not have water and is thus eligible for conversion to another use,” Groot said, adding that he was con- cerned the bill could incentivize farmland owners to declare water bankruptcy rath- er than invest in infrastructure to improve distribution. “There are a number of water infrastructure projects that are proposed that could alter the paradigm over the next 20 to 30 years.” Researchers have come to varying con- clusions on whether it may be necessary to use farmland for large-scale solar projects to meet the state’s energy needs. A 2017 study by researchers at the University of California, Davis, concluded the state had enough space to install so- lar projects that would generate between two and 10 times the amount of energy California needs mainly by using surfaces on already developed properties and by in- stalling floating solar panels on reservoirs. “There are multiple different analyses that say otherwise,” Arambula said, refer- ring to the PPIC report as an example. While that report does not contradict the UC Davis study, it highlights bene- fits of developing solar projects on San Joaquin Valley farmland fallowed due to SGMA, even mapping out the overlap of lands that are suitable for solar projects and are expected to be fallowed. The study
also shows much of that land is under Williamson Act contracts. “We simply wanted to encourage the process by streamlining the cancellation of those contracts,” Arambula said. “We need to understand the sheer mag- nitude of clean energy that we will need to add to the grid to meet our multiple cli- mate targets,” he said, noting that “it really necessitates large contiguous space” to achieve those goals. Arambula also cited reports that found solar projects could soften economic and environmental impacts of SGMA, such as the loss of tens of thousands of agricultural jobs and the specter of fields and orchards turning into a dustbowl. The reports found solar projects would bring construction jobs and provide some dust control. Scheuring of the California Farm Bureau said more should be done to seek solutions before drying up so much farmland. “SGMA is going to take a toll in some places. We’re realistic about the effects of the law, but anything we can do to mitigate that would be a good idea,” Scheuring said, suggesting improved water infrastructure, conservation programs and aquifer re- charge as potential solutions. “What we’re really talking about,” he said, “is farm families and farm commu- nities and the public food supply.” (Caleb Hampton is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at champton@cfbf.com.)
Farm advocates have opposed the bill, warning that it could have unintended consequences. The proposed law may tempt economically stressed farmland owners to exit their conservation contracts, they said, resulting in the loss of farmland and food supply. “We have a lot of very nervous landown- ers,” said Tricia Stever Blattler, executive director of the Tulare County Farm Bureau, referring to concerns about the region’s depleted aquifers. “We don’t know if some of these conditions can be reversible.” Landowners can earn anywhere from two to seven times as much annual rev- enue renting land to solar companies as they do from farming it, according to the PPIC report titled “Solar Energy and Groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley.” Farm advocates expressed concern that giving landowners a free way out of farmland conservation contracts, con- tingent on water availability, could cause some who have been motivated to solve their water problems to instead claim they’re unsolvable. “We respect the fact that farm families need flexibility in what they’re doing, and that SGMA is putting substantial pressure in some places on farmland,” said Chris Scheuring, senior counsel for the California Farm Bureau. But, he said, “On a system level, we want to conserve farmland.” AB 2528 would allow landowners in high- and medium-priority groundwater basins—those judged to have the least sustainable groundwater supplies—to petition their city or county to cancel their Williamson Act contracts. Those ba- sins cover most of the Central Valley, the
2024 Health & Safety on the Farm and Ranch
California Farm Bureau is pleased to offer this year-long program of training sessions presented by Nationwide. Select topics will be presented in both English and Spanish. Members, enjoy access to free classes! Register for the upcoming training webinars. Trainings will be presented via Zoom. The Hazardous Agricultural Materials (HAM) training must be attended in person at a participating County Farm Bureau office or at the California Farm Bureau office in Sacramento. For a detailed list of classes and to register, visit cfbf.com/FBE or call (800) 698-FARM for assistance. You will receive a Zoom link and details prior to your selected webinar date.
Agricultural Market Review Quotations are the latest available for the week ending April 12, 2024 Year Ago Week Ago Latest Week Livestock
Slaughter Steers – 5-Area Average Select & Choice, 1222–1500 lbs., $/cwt. Hogs – Average hog, 51-52% lean, Iowa-Minn. market, $/cwt. Slaughter Lambs – $ per cwt. 150–165 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
170-175
183-184
182
70.07
86.64
89.57
154
212
215
April 23 May 7 June 4 June 18
Defensive Driving
Personal Protective Equipment
79.79
80.74
79.40
Rural Road Safety
8.50
6.22
6.17
Lockout/Tag Out Safety Hazard Communication OSHA Top 10 Violations
July 2
No quote No quote 365 (F/G) 215 (F/G) No quote
270 (S)
20 (P, per bale)
Region 2, Sacramento Valley
4 (F, per bale)
100 (P)
July 16
Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley
13 (G, per bale) 15 (P, per bale)
August 6
Fleet Management
290 (P)
No quote
September 3 September 24
Fall Protection
Region 5, Southern California Region 6, Southeast Interior
No quote
19 (P)
Basic Inspection of Terminals (BIT) Training Hazardous Ag Materials (HAM) Training
340 (S)
190-200 (P)
200 (P)
October 1
Rice – Milled #1 Head, FOB No. Calif. mills Medium grain, $ per cwt.
November 5 November 19
Farm Equipment Safety
70-72
30-32
30-32
Rural Road Safety
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.
12 Ag Alert April 17, 2024
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