Ag Alert. June 21, 2023

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.

Wheat harvest Farmers to send more grain to mills this year

Special issue Read coverage of organic cultivation, farming trends

Page 3

More stories inside

www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com JUNE 21, 2023

Field Crops ® Vegetables ®

special reports

By Christine Souza As California experiences wild swings in climate from drought to floods, critics of the state’s water rights system seek to overhaul rules that date back to California’s founding in 1850. Three water rights bills are pending in the California Legislature that would ex- pand the authority of the California State Water Resources Control Board. The bills are opposed by a large coalition that in- cludes dozens of farm groups, water agen- cies and business groups. Kristopher Anderson, legislative advo- cate for the Association of California Water Agencies, said the bills “collectively and in- dividually present a foundational change in the way California’s water rights system is implemented, managed and enforced.” ACWA, which represents more than 460 public water agencies that deliver 90% of water throughout the state, is joined by the California Farm Bureau and others in op- posing the three measures: • Assembly Bill 460, by Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, would give the state water board authority to issue interim relief orders to curtail water diversions. The measure also would increase civil fines for violations of the orders. • AB 1337, by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, would give the water board legal authority to override claims of water rights for the purpose of ordering curtailments. • Senate Bill 389, by State Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, would authorize the state board to adopt regulations that enable it to investigate the diversion and use of water from a stream system to determine basis of right. “The bills would authorize the state water board to impose punitive penalties on even law-abiding water right holders, curtail water rights in any year and strip entities of their water rights,” Anderson said. “This legislation would create a See WATER, Page 18 Coalition opposes bills to overhaul water rights rules

Daniel Pacheco, owner-operator of Lucky Diamond Trucking in Sonoma County, delivers a 24-ton load of compost to Full Belly Farm in Yolo County. Compost suppliers worry a state rule phasing out diesel trucks could raise prices for the soil amendment and make it less affordable for small farms.

Diesel phaseout worries compost dealers

By Caleb Hampton

before dumping the load near a corn field at Full Belly Farm in Yolo County. The long trek was a routine journey. But new trucking rules may make such deliver- ies harder in the future, with major impacts for agriculture. Compost is essential to organic farm- ing, which is built on the “foundation that you’re working with biological processes

rather than chemical processes,” said Paul Muller, a partner of Full Belly Farm, which grows organic nuts, fruits, grains and vegetables. In place of conventional fertilizers, the nutrient-rich material, typically made of decomposed food waste, manure and oth- er organic matter, is used to improve soil

Daniel Pacheco, owner-operator of Lucky Diamond Trucking in Sonoma

County, picked up a 24-ton order from Cold Creek Compost in Ukiah last week

and hauled it two hours through Mendocino, Lake and Yolo counties

See COMPOST, Page 16

n e w s p a p e r

Comment ......................................2 Field Crops ..............................7-8 Vegetables........................... 13-14 Classifieds........................... 21-23 Inside

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America’s top dairy state nears a sustainable future By Amy DeLisio

and development in children and reduced risk of developing chronic diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease, into adulthood. With chronic diseases at an all-time high, healthy foods can be part of the solution to fostering healthier children, families and communities. High-quality diets that include nutri- ent-dense foods such as dairy, vegetables, fruits and whole grains are an essential part of ensuring children are supported to grow more healthy, learn optimally and develop social-emotional well-being throughout life. Food systems should not only ensure the health and well-being of children and their families and the communities where they live but also protect the health of the planet for future generations. The agri- cultural community can more effectively advance this perspective by working to- gether to protect the health of people and the planet. The close eye on environmental sustain- ability isn’t going away. In the dairy sector, like most farming sectors, focus will remain on continually improving the environmen- tal footprint because it is the right thing to do. Continuing to do good work in this area and sharing stories of innovation and stewardship is vital. At the same time, the agricultural community can work together to expand the definition of sustainability to include considerations for both people and planet for optimal health. Health and nutrition simply can’t be left out of the di- alogue to support thriving communities. Visit HealthyEating.org to learn how the Dairy Council of California is collaborating with others to inspire healthier communities. (Amy DeLisio is chief executive officer of the Dairy Council of California. She may be contacted at adelisio@dairycouncilofca.org.)

Consumers, customers and policymak- ers are more invested than ever in creating

a healthier planet. California farmers and ranchers have made significant progress toward environmental stewardship, en- hancing agricul- ture’s numerous contributions to people, communi-

Amy DeLisio

ties and the planet. In California—the top dairy-producing state in the country—the dairy industry, like other livestock sectors, is highly scruti- nized. Even so, the Journal of Dairy Science reports environmental impact and re- source use have improved per unit of prod- uct. In addition, a University of California, Davis, report concludes the dairy industry is on target to achieve its commitment to a 40% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The report also predicts California dairy farms will reach climate neutrality by then. These successes are not by accident. The California dairy community is us- ing energy-efficient lighting, cooling and pumping methods and solar energy, as well as investing in anaerobic digesters to capture and convert methane in manure to biogas for clean energy. Additionally, dairy farms have decreased water usage by 88% during the last 50 years by recycling water on the farm and repurposing agricultural byproducts such as almond hulls into cow feed rations. At the same time, milk production has increased in the Golden State by more than 500% since the 1960s. Farmers and ranchers across agricultural sectors are making similar strides toward improving

California dairies, such as this farm in Marin County, embrace sustainable practices and are on target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.

their environmental stewardship. California dairies are leaders in moni- toring, managing and protecting ground- water resources, operating under stringent water quality regulations and investing millions to improve protection of shared water resources. New programs are using cow manure to improve soil quality across the state’s diverse agricultural sectors. Increasingly, retail, food service and even direct-to-consumer customers are looking at these sustainability metrics carefully. But sustainability is about so much more than planetary health. The Dairy Council of California advocates for dairy and other foods to be viewed through a holistic lens of sustainable nutrition, which is a way to support the health of people and communities while also pro- tecting the planet and natural resources. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization already use this broader lens to talk about healthy, sustainable diets. In a joint 2019 report, “Sustainable

Healthy Diets, Guiding Principles,” the in- ternational bodies advocated for nutritious diets “to achieve optimal growth and de- velopment of all individuals and support functioning and physical, mental and so- cial wellbeing at all life stages for present and future generations.” Those diets, they said, should also “support the preservation of biodiversity and planetary health.” California is home to more than 400 commodities, with more than a third of the country’s vegetables and three-quar- ters of the country’s fruits and nuts. These vegetables, fruits and other healthy farm products are exactly the types of foods that are often underconsumed. In fact, adults and children in the U.S. are not meeting the daily recommended amounts of vege- tables and fruits. Likewise, most American adults and children are not consuming the recommended number of dairy foods, in- cluding milk, yogurt and cheese, each day. Dairy foods are affordable, nutri- ent-dense foods that provide multiple health benefits, including optimal growth

VOL. 50, NO. 23

June 21, 2023

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2 Ag Alert June 21, 2023

Farmers see impacts of wet winter in state wheat yields

“Other than too much water, it’s been a pretty good growing season,” Perry added. Carter said most of the wheat grown north of Stockton, such as in the Sacramento Valley, is marketed to mills to make flour. She said San Joaquin Valley growers, due to their proximity to dairies, tend to green chop their wheat earlier to make livestock feed. This al- lows them to double-crop, as they can grow corn, for example, immediately af- ter wheat harvest. California farmers also planted less durum wheat this year—20,000 acres

compared to 35,000 in 2022, according to USDA. Most of the state’s durum pro- duction is in the Imperial Valley, where growers completed their harvest in May. Marketed as Desert Durum because it is grown under irrigation in the desert val- leys of California and Arizona, the wheat commands a premium and is used to make semolina, the flour in pasta. Carter said San Joaquin Valley grow- ers used to grow more durum wheat, but there’s “not much incentive” anymore after Miller Milling in Fresno—their

By Ching Lee Ample rain this year has allowed some California farmers to produce more wheat, even though statewide acreage dropped, with some fields lost to flooding and the deluge last fall and winter. Farmers say prospects for the crop still appear positive even as prices have moderated from their all-time high in the spring of 2022 when the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted grain exports. Wheat remains largely a rotational crop for California farmers, who take advantage of autumn rains to germinate fields. Hard hit by drought in recent years, they planted less wheat for the current crop year—some 355,000 acres, down from 385,000 acres in 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But they intend to send more of the crop to mills—from 115,000 acres com- pared to 105,000 acres in 2022—with the rest harvested primarily for livestock feed. Claudia Carter, executive director of the California Wheat Commission, said she thinks final harvested acreage of the grain will fall between 100,000 to 120,000. She said she has heard several thousand acres have been lost due to flooding, spe- cifically in the Corcoran area and some in the resurrected Tulare Lake bottom. Some of the crop losses will be offset by higher yields on other farms, especial- ly those in the Central Valley that grow dryland wheat in which no irrigation is used. Roughly 30,000-plus acres of wheat throughout the state are grown using just rainfall, she estimated. “This year was an exceptional year for them,” Carter said, referring to dryland growers. “They’re really happy. We have some farmers (who) made comments like this is one of the best years they have had in a long time for dryland wheat.” Steven Parsons, who grows dryland wheat in Tulare and Kern counties, said his yields so far appear to be above aver- age, whereas lack of rain in recent years failed to make much of a crop, if at all. In following his normal rotation, he had not planned on planting more wheat last fall. “I wish we would’ve put more in, but the rain started and stopped us,” he said, noting he was able to plant 90% of what he had planned. Because his fields are in the hills, with good drainage, he said he did not experience some of the flooding issues that some other farms did. With harvest in the San Joaquin Valley still in the early stages, Parsons said he has not yet tested his crop but noted there “may be some quality issues of lower pro- teins in the grain.” He said the hot spell in May could have been a factor. Higher protein levels are desired by mills that produce wheat flour. Because he farms on heavier soils, Sacramento County grower John Perry said too much water in his fields dam- aged his crop. He is still about a week away from harvest, but he said the dam- age is “going to show up in the yields.” He estimated yields on a third of his crop will

be below average and two-thirds will be average to below average. With plenty of rain this season, Perry said he did not need to irrigate, which saves him money, whereas he had to irrigate twice last year. But he said, “We would’ve much rather incurred the cost to irrigate versus having the excess mois- ture that damaged the plant.”

See WHEAT, Page 12

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June 21, 2023 Ag Alert 3

From The Fields ®

From the Fields is a firsthand report featuring insights from farmers and ranchers across the Golden State, including members of the California Farm Bureau. If you would like to be a contributor to From the Fields, submit your name, county of membership and contact information to agalert@cfbf.com.

Photo/Courtesy Tim Sanders

Photo/Courtesy Daniel Jones

Tim Sanders Stanislaus County almond farmer

Daniel Jones Solano County farmer

There’s always something to do when you’ve got almonds. We’re cutting up dead limbs and doing spot spraying on the weeds, preparing the orchard for harvest, which is just around the corner. I’m working on some of the equipment, putting a new sand belt on my pickup machine, just normal everyday things you do during the summer. The crop is a little bit lighter. On my late varieties, the Butte/Padres look better than my nonpareils and Carmels. This was a year I wanted to see how the self-fer- tile varieties would do. I’ve got a block of Independence, and they look pretty good, so I think the self-fertile varieties did better this year than the nonpareils. But it’s real spotty. You can look in one part of the orchard, and it looks pretty good, and then the other part of the orchard, there’s hardly anything. I’ve got a young orchard that I take care of for a lady in Turlock. They’re third- leaf trees, and we put some bees out there, but I didn’t see a bee for a week when the almonds were in full bloom. The owner said, “I don’t think there’s enough nuts to harvest.” The weather this spring just wasn’t inducive to having a big crop. Rainy and cold—it just wasn’t very good pollination weather. I’m surprised we have the crop that we do have. It’s touch and go, but it’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be. The third-leaf trees that didn’t set a crop—the nonpareils and Montereys—I’m not too concerned about that because we’re going to have a stronger tree overall. We don’t have to worry about water this year, so that’s a plus. We’re thankful that we’ve got the snow and the rain, and we’re thankful that the weather hasn’t been real hot. The snow is melting at a reasonable rate, so we can capture what we can. My outlook is positive.

Many walnut orchards are being ripped out due to high input costs and low re- turns. The gentleman who owns the walnut orchards I manage is going to keep his Tulares and Chandlers. The idea is that we survive this low-price storm. Granted, you can only be in survival mode for so long. A lot of walnut orchards, at least in this area, were planted on Class 1 soils. They’ve been converted to higher-earning crops, such as processing tomatoes. Prices are at an all-time high for processing tomatoes, so a lot of the ground that was formerly orchards is going back to row crops. I am happy to see the Class 1 soils used for the highest and best possible use. Urban development and urban encroachment along the Interstate 80 corridor have pushed into some of the prime growing ground. That’s always a concern. Development should happen at a controlled pace. I’ve hired out for both large baling and small baling, and this year, I purchased a small baler and started making bales on my own. In the summertime, we grow a winter forage mix. This year, we cut a lot of volunteer grasses that were just nat- urally occurring on open fields. We did this on highway frontage property for fire prevention and to clean things up. This irrigation season is in full swing across all crops and commodities. In Glenn County, we have a cow-calf operation that has been lucrative this year. It is a great time to be a livestock producer. Pricing has been up across all weight categories. Hay prices have fallen after the good winter, and there’s grass in the hills, so there’s plenty of hay around. That’s a really good combination that doesn’t happen too often for California producers. We bring in our cattle to sort and wean calves in early summer, so we’re gearing up to do that this week.

Domenic Carinalli Sonoma County winegrape grower and organic dairy farmer

The grapes are looking good, and they’re growing good. We have pinot, chardonnay and pinot grigio. They are a little behind normal because of all the rain and wet weather, but they’re growing great and are now in full bloom. We are getting a little warmer weather now, which is nice. We need the heat for sure because we haven’t seen much of it. Last month, we only had a few days of sunshine, and the rest of the time, it was overcast. We are getting the land cleaned up from the winter. We are spraying the winegrapes and pulling the suckers off the vines. I have the same crew that I’ve had the last couple of years, and they are a very good group, so that is great. Everything is decent at the dairy. We have lots of grass; the grass is really good. I am producing organic, and we got on with Clover, which is a new pro- cessor for us. We were shipping to another outfit that had lost their organic certification, so we weren’t getting paid organic (prices) for a long time. Now, Clover is paying organic, which is substantially higher. They’re good people to ship to, and we’re very happy with them. We are looking forward to a lot of good weather. The hay crop is coming in, and the alfalfa will be getting here before long.

Photo/Ching Lee

4 Ag Alert June 21, 2023

Cassie Oyarzum Modoc County cattle rancher and hay producer

It’s been a lot cooler. We have had significantly more moisture than we’ve had over the last few years. It seems like we’ve had thunderstorm after thun- derstorm, so we’re a little bit behind in putting up alfalfa hay in this region. It has grown like crazy, but the thunderstorms have held people up. A lot of peo- ple are in the process of putting it up while we have a break in those storms. We put up alfalfa hay as well as meadow hay. Once we start our alfalfa, we will roll right into meadow hay. A lot of our stuff is fed to our cattle, so we’re not necessarily looking to sell it to the outside, but we will sell a little bit of alfalfa. We’ve seen great moisture levels, a great snowpack this year. Water has been sufficient enough for most people in the region to grow the crops that they need. But it has been a little cooler than normal, which is good for al- falfa, but the thunderstorms have also put off getting it put up. That affects the quality a little bit because if it starts to go to bloom, then its quality is not quite as great. As far as the livestock, we run on permitted (U.S. Bureau of Land Management) grounds. The range looks phenomenal. There is lots of feed, lots of water. I don’t think there’s going to be any problems this year. The only thing is if it got really dry later on and still thunderstorming, fire could end up being a problem because of the excess fuel. Good gains are expected, and the cattle market is holding strong, which is very nice for the cattle producers right now. It’s going to be a pretty good year. Obviously, the cost of stuff is up, which affects us. But with the higher prices on cattle and hay prices holding fairly good, producers in the region should be doing well.

Photo/Courtesy Cassie Oyarzum

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June 21, 2023 Ag Alert 5

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CALIFORNIA

Field Crops A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®

Solano County farmer Ian Anderson, in a rye field in the Montezuma Hills, experiments with multiple different grain crops on top of his normal wheat and barley. This year he is trying his luck with canola.

Growers, researchers try out different grain options By Robyn Rominger

Anderson noted that dual-purpose wheat types may match his interest in producing forage wheat as hay for retail feed stores. “It’s a big market,” Anderson said. “If you have awns on your wheat, it doesn’t work into feed stores. It needs to be beardless, and it needs to be high yielding to make a profit.” Anderson cited Hegarty’s research on triticale, which is a cross between wheat and rye. “There are new triticale varieties that Joshua is working on that are increasing yields and increasing quality,” he said. Hegarty, who manages the triticale breeding program with UC Davis professor Jorge Dubcovsky, has been conducting regional trials on triticale varieties. In addition, Charlie Brummer, director of the Plant Breeding Center at UC Davis, is working on studies targeting ways to improve yields for alfalfa. “Alfalfa yields have been flat for the last 30 years or so,” Brummer told growers at the Davis field day. He said researchers are “trying to figure out how to use some of the newer technologies like genomics, high through-put phenotyping, drones and so on, to maybe push yield advancements further than we have.” One of the tools used is a U.S. Department of Agriculture germplasm collection in Washington, D.C. “These come from the nondormant growing areas of the world— North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, India, South America—and there’s some really

Solano County farmer and rancher Ian Anderson, who grows wheat and barley for grain and produces malting barley, also experiments with different crops to boost his bottom line. Anderson is the owner of E.A. Anderson and Son Ranch in the Montezuma Hills, a region where small grains are grown without irrigation. Six generations of his family have farmed the land there for more than 100 years. Trying out new crops is part of the tradition, particularly in recent years. This year, Anderson said the farm is “excited to be experimenting with canola as a rota- tion crop.” Canola is an oil-seed crop that shows potential as a source of biofuel, according to the Agronomy Research and Information Center at the University of California, Davis. Anderson’s potential grain interests don’t stop with canola. He supports agricultural researchers conducting studies on new forage wheat varieties that intrigue him. He was among growers who turned out in May to gather insights at the UC Alfalfa, Forages and Small Grains Field Day in Davis. The farmer connected with Joshua Hegarty, a UC Davis postdoctoral agronomy re- searcher. Hegarty said he is studying “awnless, dual-purpose” wheat that can allow growers “to decide whether or not, based on market forces, to harvest it for grain or for forage, yet have the grain quality that is good for the milling industry.”

See GRAINS, Page 8

June 21, 2023 Ag Alert 7

Grains Continued from Page 7

interesting germplasm that we hope will be useful down the road for improving yield,” Brummer said. UC small grains research has led to improved wheat varieties with resistance to stripe rust disease and drought. It has also helped to increase nitrogen uptake efficiencies and produce awnless wheat varieties suitable for livestock forage. Bill Cruickshank, chairman of the Woodland-based California Wheat Commission, noted that new develop- ments also include “wheat varieties with improved nutrition, most notably on fiber and iron but also variety work being done on reduced allergens for celiac disease.” Mark Lundy, a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in grain cropping systems, is studying water-limited winter cereal crops as a potential low-cost option for farmers. He said winter crops will be in greater demand as summer production diminishes from growers who must idle acreage to curb pumping from aquifers to comply with California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. “We’re probably going to see a half a mil- lion to a million acres go out of summer production over the next 10 years,” Lundy said. “The lowest value, highest-water-us- ing crops are probably going to be top on the list. That’s alfalfa, corn—those are for- age crops for the dairy industry.”

Attendees at the University of California Alfalfa, Forages and Small Grains Field Day in Davis ride a tractor- drawn wagon in a tour of test plots and the UC Davis Plant Science Field Station. Small grains research has led to varieties resistant to drought and diseases.

Lundy posed questions to growers who may have to fallow acreage for summer-ir- rigated forage crops. “Would you rather have bare ground that you may have to manage weeds on and potentially create new costs, or would you rather get a winter crop on that ground and get some flexibility?” he asked, noting that such questions inspire his research into winter crop options. Eric Brennan, a USDA scientist in the Salinas Valley, noted that cereal grains are also useful as cover crops in high-value vegetable crops. Attendees who toured the research plots at the Davis field day included farm- ers, millers, seed and grain merchants, bakers, food processors, farm advisors

and university researchers. “It’s beneficial to be able to see these trials because this is where some of our foundation seed comes from,” said Fred Boes of L.A. Hearne Company, a seed supplier in King City. “We sell a lot of cov- er crop seed—that’s a huge part of our business. We’re going more and more to- wards the concept of nitrogen cycling— taking it out of the soil at the time you don’t need it, storing it in a plant, then mowing it down and putting it back in later when you need it. We’re using crops as a solution for another crop.” Kurt Anderson, field representative for Adams Grain Company in Woodland, said growers are looking to meet demand “for specific types of grains and forages” and

find market opportunities. Anderson said the bottom line ques- tion is, “How can the grower capture more value?” He then answered himself. “By growing specialty small grains— usually specific types of wheat, malting barley and other food-grade barleys, and rye—which add more value to the grower and California as a whole,” Anderson said. “It makes us unique and more com- petitive in the grain markets from a global standpoint.” (Robyn Rominger is a reporter based in Yolo County. She may be contacted at robynrominger@hotmail.com.)

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8 Ag Alert June 21, 2023

Joshua Hegarty, a researcher at the University of California, Davis, stands amid varieties of triticale in a campus greenhouse. An $800,000 research grant will fund development of bread-quality triticale, which can be added to wheat in baking.

New triticale study to target flavorful varieties for bread

Craft bakers love adding a little triticale to breads for its subtle blend of nutty and earthy flavors and its moist, slightly chewy texture. Farmers love the grain mainly for forage: It produces bigger yields with less water and fertilizer compared to wheat. University of California, Davis, re- searcher Joshua Hegarty and colleagues across the country are working on com- bining those qualities to create new variet- ies of triticale that are good for bread-bak- ing at commercial scale and offer more value for growers. The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has funded the research with a grant of $800,000 over the next four years. AFRI announced the grant this month with the aim of developing new cultivars of bread-quality triticale as a higher-yield, lower-cost addition to wheat for baking. “We are doing this work in cultivars that already are well adapted to many of the most important grain-growing re- gions in the world,” said Hegarty, a proj- ect scientist in the UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences. Triticale is a hybrid of wheat and rye. Scientists first started experimenting with the plant in the late 1800s. The first breed- ing program began in the early 1950s, with the goal of creating a grain that combines needs in the field with needs in the kitchen: the yield potential and stress resilience of rye with the qualities of wheat that lead to light, high-volume, protein-rich loaves of bread. The result has proven productive: Triticale yields 11% more grain per acre than wheat and 19% more when grown with less fertilizer. Triticale also is rich in protein, minerals, vitamins and fiber. The grain is grown on almost 2 mil- lion acres in the U.S. and 10 million acres worldwide, but nearly all is used for animal forage and feed. Triticale flour is too tender for wide- spread adoption into bread manufactur- ing. When triticale dough is mixed even for a short time, the gluten—the substance that gives dough its elasticity—breaks down, and the dough becomes a sticky mess. When baked, the loaf does not rise well. Both problems are common traits of its rye parent, Hegarty said. In Ukraine, however, scientists have worked since the Soviet era to develop

triticale that produces loaves with pal- ate-pleasing volume similar to that of wheat. Yet, those varieties still lack wheat’s mixing tolerance and gluten strength. Hegarty and colleagues have bred Ukrainian varieties with UC Davis tritica- le, and the grant allows them to continue making progress. “We want to take the large loaf volume of the Ukrainian triticale and the mixing tolerance of what we have developed here to improve the gluten, blend it all to- gether and, hopefully, get a triticale that approaches the bread quality of wheat,” Hegarty explained. The team already has developed lines carrying different combinations of five wheat genes that improve mixing quality. Artisan millers and bakers are testing them now, Hegarty said. Meanwhile, the team is trying to locate the genes in the Ukrainian triticale con- trolling loaf volume. “This appears to be something unique in the rye part of the genome, which the Ukrainians were able to select for,” Hegarty added. Collaborators are contributing from institutions in Washington, Colorado, Nebraska and Maryland, testing for suit- ability in various grain-growing environ- ments and, in Maryland, for tolerance to fusarium fungal infection. Another collaborator, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center outside Mexico City, will channel result- ing varieties for testing and eventual use abroad—a boon for food security. “We plan to test those varieties in Ethiopia and other regions where people could benefit, especially on marginal lands,” Hegarty said. The grant also nourishes a new gener- ation of triticale breeders at a time when planted acreage is growing and facing risks from evolving diseases, according to George Fohner, a member of the California Grain Foundation who wrote in support of Hegarty’s project. Hegarty is co-principal investigator and lead researcher in the grant. He started a trit- icale research and breeding program at UC Davis in 2017 while still a graduate student. (This article was originally published by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis.)

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UC Davis students win prize for robot that harvests crops

Kaiming Fu, Yuankai Zhu, Xuchang Tang, Qikai Gao, Shuchen Ye, Hualong Yu, Yihan Wu, Jinduo Guo, Hang Ji and Xiaotan “Molly” Mo. Teams from UC Davis, the University of Nebraska and UC Santa Cruz were presented awards in a virtual ceremony held June 3. The UC Santa Cruz team was honored for creating autonomous navigation soft- ware that weeds plant lines on small or- ganic farms. Team members included stu- dents Oliver Fuchs, Joshua Gamlen and Katherine Rogacheva.

Organized by the AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, The VINE, Fresno-Merced Future of Food (F3) Innovation and farm-ng, the inaugural event celebrated student innovators’ contributions to the advancement of agricultural technology. In addition to recognition and prize money—$10,000 for the grand prize win- ner and $5,000 for each category winner— the Farm Robotics Challenge winners will showcase their projects at the FIRA USA 2023 agricultural technology event, set for Sept. 19-21, in the Salinas Valley.

A design team from the University of California, Davis, has won top prize in the 2023 Farm Robotics Challenge for developing a robot to assist farm pickers during harvest. The Farm Robotics Challenge encour- aged students to demonstrate engineer- ing, computer science, critical thinking and business skills. The competition was

based on creating technology to help in real-world farming situations. The grand prize went to a robot from UC Davis named Amiggie. It was designed to assist human pickers by carrying harvest- ed crops and streamlining the unloading process for increased efficiency. The UC Davis team included students

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June 21, 2023 Ag Alert 11

Wheat Continued from Page 3

least 60 years. Yolo County grower Larry Hunn said he’s surprised wheat prices aren’t higher, given the Kansas drought and added uncertainty of the war be- tween Ukraine and Russia, two top- producing regions. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, wheat prices reached a record high of more than $12 a bushel. Current pric- es stand in the upper $7 range, which Hunn described as “decent” compared to several years ago, when they were near

$4 a bushel. Even so, he said the higher cost of fertilizer and labor “puts you may- be in the same place that you were.” “At the end of the day, you don’t net any more dollars, or if you do, they’re worth less because of inflation,” he added. Hunn said he’s still about a week away from starting harvest. He described yields as below normal, noting that heavy rains flooded some of his fields, which had to be drained. Still, he said his crop “looks

better than I anticipated.” The Russia-Ukraine war has had other impacts on the wheat market. U.S. Wheat Associates reported at least one mill, in Tampa, Florida, has been importing “cheap” wheat from Poland rather than buying domestic. The decision is based on economics, the group said, noting that moving for- eign wheat across the Atlantic is now less expensive than railing it across the U.S. That’s because the war displaced a lot of commodities from Ukraine, flooding the Eastern European market and pushing prices down. California remains the nation’s larg- est milling state by capacity, and as such, mills here import some 2.5 million metric tons of wheat annually from other states to satisfy their production, Carter said. They mix those sources of wheat with California-grown wheat, with some mills using no more than 10% from the Golden State in their blends, she noted. Aside from durum, Carter said California wheat exports have been vir- tually “nonexistent.” Foreign markets moved away from buying California wheat years ago when supplies started to decline as farmers grew less wheat, she said. Nationally, the higher value of the dollar has hurt exports of U.S. wheat, which becomes more expensive against other currencies. Despite these challenges, Carter said California farmers continue to grow wheat in their rotation because it gives them options to sell it as a grain to mills or as livestock feed. She said, “It gives them flexibility.” (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.) Forestry advisors offer workshops for landowners Forest landowners in Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties are encouraged to learn about their forests and connect with natural resource professionals during a nine-week workshop series sponsored by the University of California Cooperative Extension. The Forest Stewardship Workshop Series, set to begin July 18, will address concerns among California landowners, including forest ecology and vegetation management, financial planning and targeted grazing, and offer cost-shar- ing opportunities. Content is applica- ble to forest landowners regardless of location. The course includes presen- tations by the Resource Conservation District, UCCE forestry advisors, Cal Fire, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and others. Workshop classes take place weekly via Zoom, with practical learning set for a field day at an outdoor location. Interested landowners may register at https:// ucanr.edu/sites/forestry/Stewardship/ ForestStewardshipWorkshops/.

main market outlet for durum—stopped producing semolina when the nearby pasta plant shut down. Imperial Valley growers still sell to mills in Arizona that take durum or export it to markets such as Italy, a key buyer. With drought decimating fields in Kansas, farmers in the nation’s top wheat-producing state are expected to produce their smallest wheat crop in at

2023 Retirement Plan

California’s state retirement plan mandate expanded on January 1 to include those employers with one or more employees. Ensure you are prepared to comply with the new California retirement plan mandate. Join us at one of our webinars presented by Nationwide. For a list of class dates and to register, visit cfbf.com/FBE or call (800) 698-FARM for assistance. You will receive a Zoom link and details two days prior to your selected webinar date. Members, enjoy access to free classes! Register for the upcoming webinars.

12 Ag Alert June 21, 2023

CALIFORNIA

Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®

Eric Morgan, vice president of environmental science and resources for Braga Fresh, says cover crops in its fields reduced flooding impacts and helped speed planting after heavy rains.

Grower credits cover crops for curbing toll of storms By Caitlin Fillmore

He noted that after the storms, acreage with cover crops was in better shape for planting, even after the time required to terminate cover crops on large parcels. Once planting was able to begin, cover-cropped beds had a two-week head start over other acreage impacted by heavy rains, Morgan said. “What we found was where we had the cover crop planted in the beds, where vegetation was present, we were able to resume tractor work two weeks sooner than bare beds and tillage,” Morgan added. Tim LaSalle, co-founder of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at California State University, said the basics of regenerative agriculture lie in building soil life and fungal dominance as rapidly as possible to create a thriving natural ecosystem that can adequately regulate itself. “This is the wisdom of nature we are learning to support and get robust agricultural yields and increase profits for the farmer,” LaSalle said. “The beauty is it creates a profit margin for the farmer that they are in control of because they need fewer input costs.” Morgan estimates Braga Fresh saved $500,000 by going with alternative tillage tech- niques, especially as it nurtures the first year of a 500-acre tomato commitment with Morningstar Farms. The tomatoes are grown in a multi-layered regenerative agriculture strategy, using

Small investments in regenerative agriculture are showing early results for a Central Coast organic grower. Researchers say the approach shows the resiliency of a traditional farming philosophy amid a challenging growing season.

Eric Morgan, vice president of environmental science and resourc- es for Braga Fresh, said the firm endured widespread flooding from this year’s atmospheric river storms in California.

But the nearly 100-year old farming operation, which grows produce on 20,000 acres in the Central Coast and near Yuma, Arizona, reports a robust growing season. It credits its use of cover crops and other regenerative agricultural practices. “We had our nicest field of organic cauliflower harvest in March after 30 inches of rain, which is bizarre,” Morgan said, referring to storms that drenched its California fields. Braga grows vegetables, including lettuces, broccoli and cabbages, and it markets a value-added line of salad kits and veggie trays. About 70% of Braga Fresh crops are organic. The company employs cover crops on one-third of its California land, Morgan said. He credits the cover crops with reducing flooding impacts. “If we would have had (an additional) one-third of our fields running water off, it would have been one-third more problems to clean up,” Morgan said. “It was fully taxing to us as it was.”

See COVERS Page 14

June 21, 2023 Ag Alert 13

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