Ag Alert Feb. 23, 2022

Ag Alert is the weekly 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.

‘A grower’s market’ Crush results are in for wine, table grapes

Sheep, goat health Animals need close watching to detect illness

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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com FEBRUARY 23, 2022

Trees & Vines ® Dairy & Livestock ®

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

ByChing Lee With commodity prices higher across the board, markets are telling farmers to plant, plant, plant. But forCaliforniagrow- ers, who face another potential dry year, water remainsamajordriverofwhat crops will go in the ground and their quantity. Kern County farmer Travis Fugitt said he’s evaluatingwhich crops use lesswater because he isn’t counting on any surface waterdeliveries thisyearandwill likely rely on his wells for irrigation. One priority is keeping his family’s almond trees alive. Because of his vertically integrated busi- ness in hemp—including growing, pro- cessingandmarketing—hesaidhehas “no choice”but to stay the courseon that crop. On top of winter wheat, garlic, potatoes and carrots that are already in the ground, Fugitt said he plans to grow a spring crop, but putting in a summer crop after that may not be possible this year. Even with higher commodityprices, he saidproduc- tion costs, especially for chemicals, have skyrocketed. He said glyphosate has shot up300%andis“toughtogetaholdof.”He is consideringgrowingcrops that canhandle alternativeweed suppressionmethods. “Instead of getting excited and saying, ‘Full throttle, let’s plant everything we can as much of it as possible,’ nowwe’re actu- ally looking at our input costs and (asking) can you afford to do it? And is it worth the risk?” he said. For Fugitt at least, fieldcrops suchas cot- ton have been relegated to “the bottomof thelist”thisyearduetowatershortages.This is despite current strong demand for the fi- ber,particularlyfor thepimavariety,mostof whichisgrowninCalifornia,saidHarryPeck, sales representative for PhytoGenSeedCo., whichproducesandmarketscottonseed. Peck acknowledged that early expecta- tions that cottonacreage intheWestwould increaseby40,000acres thisyearmayhave been premature. Even with a bullish out- look on the pimamarket and incentives to plantmore, “thebiggerdriver isgoing tobe water,” he said. See DECISIONS, Page 17 Despite markets, cropping plans depend on water

Water from Millerton Lake enters a groundwater recharge facility near Lindsay to help local agencies bring the critically overdrafted Kaweah subbasin into balance. Lindmore Irrigation District estimates that 6,500 acre-feet has been percolated into the ground there since 2017.

Agencies working to sustain groundwater

ByChristine Souza Anewera of groundwatermanagement inCalifornia continues to take shape as lo- cal agenciesdevelopand implementplans that identify how they intend to achieve groundwater sustainability goals over the next 20 years. “The Sus t a inabl e Groundwater Management Act, if you haven’t heard

about it, it’s knocking on your door and will soonbe prettymuch a part of your life if you’re trying to farm,” saidCordieQualle, professional engineer and faculty fellowat California StateUniversity, Fresno. At a recent groundwater seminar at the WorldAgExpo inTulare,Qualle said, “that (regulation) basically says that ground- water basins, which are large geographic areas that have been defined by the state,

need tobalance theirwateruse. Theyneed tobalance their intakeand their outtake to maintain a stable groundwater level.” As required under SGMA, groundwa- ter sustainability agencies, or GSAs, must develop local plans that guide manage- ment decisions affectinggroundwater use in basins and subbasins classified by the See GROUNDWATER, Page 13 Comment.......................................2 Trees & Vines........................... 7-8 Dairy & Livestock............... 15-16 Classifieds........................... 22-23 Inside

n e w s p a p e r

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Bold action is needed for California’s clogged ports ByVince Fong andRobLapsley

allowed the problems to intensify. In the long term, sustainable invest- ments must be made in the state’s com- merce infrastructure to increase the ca- pability to efficiently move even more merchandise across the country. Without viable investments, theportswill losebusi- nesses to other states, resulting in the loss of well-paying jobs. The state must also dedicate resources so that manufacturing of goods can return toCalifornia. Without these investments and regula- torychanges, farmerswill suffer losses, and the cost of foodwill continue to increase . Disruptionto theagricultural industry is moreacute than toother sectors. Foodhas a shelf life. If not shipped timely, it rots and becomes worthless. Overseas customers will viewCaliforniaproduceasunreliable, andour farmerswill loseaccess to interna- tional markets, resulting in an estimated annual loss of $21 billion. Like all California businesses, entities in the supply chain including ports, rail, trucking and warehouse operations en- dure layers and layers of state and local laws that have complicated their opera- tions. An evaluation and examination of these regulations is necessary to deter- mine their impact on the supply crisis. Thecurrent situation isdire. Theremust beasenseofurgency totackle thisnational and global crisis that is rippling across ev- ery aspect of theeconomy. Quick thinking and bold action is necessary to not only reduce supply-chain bottlenecks but to strengthen our economic future. (AssemblymanVinceFong,R-Bakersfield, theauthorofAB1679, representsCalifornia’s 34thAssemblyDistrict andmay be contact- ed through his website at ad34.asmrc.org. Rob Lapsley is president of the California BusinessRoundtableandmaybe contacted at rlapsley@cbrt.org.)

Much attention has been paid to the congestion at California’s San Pedro Bay ports that is plaguing our na- tional—and glob- al—supply chain. An intricate and intertwinedsystem moves goods and products around the world through the ports, shipped via rail and truck to warehouse facilities, ultimately arriving at stores and homes. The chokepointswe are seeing through- Vince Fong

Trucks line up this month before piled-high cargo containers at the Port of Long Beach. The vol- ume of ships waiting to unload cargo at Los Angeles area ports is more than five times normal.

ou t t he supp l y chain are being felt by farmers, stores, manufacturers and restaurants in the Central Valley and across California, and will continue into the future. As of this writ- ing, 90 ships in the

farmers are experiencing the fallout. The state’sproductionof fruitsandvegetables— fromalmonds to pistachios to apples and every crop in between—are not being ex- portedat their typical rate. Infact,California farmersareseeinganestimated20%reduc- tion in their export opportunities due to a lack of reliability of ships and bottleneck trafficat ourports. The disruption in the supply chain causedby the crowdedports is complicat- ed. There are no easy answers, but there are answers. Untilmoremanufacturing of goods canbe returned toCalifornia,which is necessary, both short- and long-term solutionsmust be discussed. There is no doubt that Americans have shifted their purchasing habits. But to say that the crisis was just caused by purchas- ing habits during COVID fails to address the entirety of the crisis. Simply focusing onone aspectwill lead topatchwork solu- tions, resulting in another crisis. In the short term, the focus must be onmoving goods quickly and efficiently. Empty containers are clogging the ports;

theymust bemoved immediately to open up needed space and free truck chassis. Hoursofoperationatdistributioncenters must alignwith theports for smoothmove- ment of goods. Owner-operator truckdriv- ers continue to be in legal limbo as the fate of legal challengeshangsover theirheads. Withsomanymovingpartsandentitiesin- volvedinthesupplychain,theremustbebet- tercollaborationandcoordinationtoensure all aspects are functioning as smoothly as possible.Obstacles impactingsupply-chain operations such as faulty regulations and poordecisionsmustbeprevented. Creation of a high-level official at the state level to partner with federal-govern- ment leadership to be the go-to person for all entities involved would ensure the supply chain’s efficiency. Assembly Bill 1679 would establish a high-level advisor to advocate, expedite and swiftly remove hurdles to ensure efficiency and address chokepoints. Thispersonwouldbe tasked tomake sure long-term solutions are im- plemented. The fact that there is not a supply-chain advisor with expertise has

Rob Lapsley

ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are waiting to be unloaded. Before the pan- demic, about 17 shipswouldbe anchored at anygiventime. Together, these twoports account for 40%of all shipping containers entering the United States, moving more than $400 billionof consumer goods each year. And billions of dollars in goods and merchandise are stuck on these ships. Stores and retailers are struggling to ob- tain everyday items to stock their shelves. Manufacturerswhorelyonpartstobedeliv- eredontimearebeingdisruptedbecauseof inventorydelays. Every itemyoucan imag- inemoves through this supplychain. Exportsarealsoaffected, andCalifornia’s

VOL. 49, NO. 8

February 23, 2022

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2 Ag Alert February 23, 2022

Crushing it—grape tonnage increases in 2021 harvest

this point, because the current state of the market is that it’s in balance.” Needham said two years of short crops and thepandemichavehelped toclearout the inventory of bulk wine. His employer has 10milliongallons for sale inCalifornia now, downfrom22milliona fewyearsago. In 2020, “wewere sitting on a lot of bulk wine available, andwe were backed up in inventory,” Needham said. Then COVID sent everyone home and retail sales took off, he added. “That really helped us clean up the bulk

inventorythatwesawfrom2018,whichwas the record, the biggest crop that California eversaw,wherewineriesgotmorewinethan theywantedorneeded.Ittookacoupleyears toworkdownonthat inventory,”hesaid. Prices paid to grape growers rose in 2021, although that comes with a catch. Napa County had the highest average grape price in the state at $6,090.55 per ton—a rise of 32.5% from2020. District 3, composedof SonomaandMarincounties,

ByKevinHecteman JohnnieWhite is anything but crushed by the news contained in the 2021 grape- crush report. “It’s a grower’s market,” said White, a NapaCountyvineyardmanagerandmem- ber of theCaliforniaFarmBureauBoardof Directors. “There’s lotsofwineries looking for fruit. We’re looking to tie up long-term contracts at thesegreat prices thatwehave right now. There’s a lot of buyers out there looking for fruit.” The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s preliminary 2021 report shows a total statewide grape crush of nearly 3.86 million tons, up from 3.6 mil- lion tons in 2020. Winegrapes accounted for about 3.6million tons, while table and raisin grapesmade up the remainder. The singlemost productivedistrict in the statewasDistrict 13, composedofMadera, Fresno, Alpine, Mono and Inyo counties, alongwithKings andTulare countiesnorth ofNevadaAvenue.Thesevineyardsaccount- ed for 1.2milliontonsof grapes crushed. Napa County, which by itself compris- es District 4, saw 117,701 tons of grapes crushed in 2021, according to the report. “We didn’t havemuch of a crop in 2020 due to the fires,” White said. “We had a little bit better crop last year, but still not a great crop due to the drought. We’re at two real short years here inNapa for fruit. Wineriesneed fruit bad, and theprices are showing that.” Mike Needham of Novato-based TurrentineBrokerage saidwhite grapes in thevalleywerehardto find if abuyerdidn’t already have themunder contract. “The white varieties, especially down in the southern valley, there was very lit- tle of those available on the spot market,” said Needham, a broker who works in the Central Valley. “Wineries were forced to look at other alternatives, and so they looked at Thompson seedless grapes,” which otherwise would have become rai- sins,headded. “Nowthey’regoingforwine, and that’s an85%increaseoff of a five-year average,”Needhamsaid. “Withthescarcity of thewhitewinevarietiesavailable,winer- ieswereforcedtolookatotheralternatives.” Needham said he thinks this will con- tinue into 2022, as a large number of mul- tiyear contracts have been tendered over the past couple of years. “The best growers are getting the win- eries that arewilling to forwardcontracts,” Needham said. “Say stuff is coming out of contract after 2022. The wineries say, ‘Hey, we like that grower.We like thequal- ity of the fruit. We have one more year in the contract; let’s go ahead and forward contract on thosedeals andextendout the term.’ That way, those grapes aren’t going tocomeoutof contract, andthewinerycan rely on that supplymoving forward.” Jeff Bitter, president of Allied Grape Growers in Fresno, said the 2021 total is in line with his projection, and noted that from 2016 to 2019, the crush exceeded 4 million tons.

“We cameoff of the2019 cropwitha ter- rible oversupply,” Bitter said. “Thenwe’ve had these two short crops, but our acre- agebasehasn’t changedsignificantly, and it hasn’t been reduced to the extent that we have been indicating that we should for longer-term industry balance. That’s almost like a secondary conversation at

See CRUSH, Page 20

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February 23, 2022 Ag Alert 3

‘Wow, I did that’—students savor avocado harvest For students at Esperanza Education Center, an adult transition program serv- ing students with disabilities in south Orange County, there was something deeply satisfyingabout handpicking2,000 pounds of avocados. in planting, weeding, maintenance, har- vesting andmore.

“We can provide opportunities for stu- dents to learn skills that could help them potentially find employment in a gar- den center, in a nursery, as landscapers,” Suppes said. “Theprogramwaswildlysuc- cessful out of the gate.” Mike Seyler, an Esperanza teacher who accompanies the students to South Coast REC, has seen firsthand thepositive impacts of the partnership. He said one student—who at first balked at the idea of beingoutside, gettingdirtyandperforming physical labor—eventuallygrewto like the workandtookgreatpride inpullingcarrots from the ground and sharing them with his family. “To physically actually ‘see’ the work youdid—they don’t always get todo that,” Seyler said. “It was cool to see someone, whodidn’tnecessarily likebeingoutdoors, really enjoy it now.” The change of pace—and place—was especiallybeneficial foroneyoungwoman atEsperanza.Buechesaidthenatureof the work and the setting helped the student growsocially, as sherelishedthe teamwork and camaraderie needed to accomplish their goals on the farm. “We really saw a different person come out through her experiences there—she

“There’s a tangible, visual element where you’re like, ‘Wow, I did that—I did it, I can see it, I can feel it inmy bones and my muscles,’” said Ray Bueche, princi- pal of the school inMission Viejo, within the Saddleback Valley Unified School District. “There’s a real sense of accom- plishment that you’re seeing in some of these students.” Ranging in age from 18 to 22, the students are in an adult education pro- gram that helps advance their inde- pendent living skills and prepare them for meaningful work and careers. They are able to experience the thrill of the harvest—and a variety of other farming activities—through the school’s inno- vative partnership with the University of California South Coast Research and Extension Center, a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources facility that supports researchers and delivers outreach and education programs. GivenUCANR’semphasisonworkforce development, JasonSuppes, acommunity education specialist at South Coast REC, contacted Bueche in 2019 about a poten- tial collaboration. While Esperanza has

A student from Esperanza

Education Center, an adult transition program in Orange County, harvests avocados as part of a workforce devel- opment program.

many partnerships with retail stores and nonprofits that give students invaluable work experiences, none of themoffer the farm environment that South Coast REC could provide. “Part of developing (our students) is get- tingawide rangeof opportunities inavari- etyof vocational areas,”Buecheexplained.

“Agriculture is one that’s very hard for us to find.” Unlike other job sites that bring the stu- dents in less frequently, South Coast REC committed to hosting the young people every week for three hours (COVID-19 measures permitting), with Suppes and colleagueTammyMajcherek leading them

See SCHOOL, Page 9

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4 Ag Alert February 23, 2022

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A fire in Napa County burns near the University of California’s experimental vineyard in Oakville in 2017. Researchers are seeking solutions to smoke exposure, which can damage crops and wine quality.

Researchers work to solve smoke-exposure puzzle ByKevinHecteman

that’s in there so it stands out more?” Determining threshold levels in different varieties will give a better idea of that, she added. “Weeven think thatwewill havemore thanone threshold level per variety,”Oberholster said, “because if you think of the different styles of pinot noir that’s beingmade—you get your really lighter style, thenyouget yourheavier style, youget your fruit-forwardstyle—all of those styles would havemore or lessmasking capabilities. “Those wines have different phenolics, different aroma compounds,” Oberholster added. “We do think that we’re going to have a range of threshold levels, not just one single level.” Two panels at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento last month looked into the issue. The sessions featured Oberholster and specialists from Oregon State University and Washington State University along with farmer and insurance representatives. In December, $7.6 million federal grant was awarded for research at UC Davis, as well as Oregon State andWashington State, to aid in the search for risk-assessment and smoke-mitigationmeasures. Growers should learntheart ofwine tastingwithaneye toward learning todetect smoke issues, saidElizabethTomasino, associateprofessor of enologyatOregonState. Shenoted that the2020wildfires across theWest led toaweekslongbacklogof tests, “whichdoesnot help froma picking-decision (perspective).”

Yearsofwildfires impactingWesternwinegrapegrowershave farmers,winemakers and researchers looking for answers to smoke exposure, which damages crops and worsens wine quality. Theymay need to be patient, as answers to the complex issue are likely years away. “Everybody now has to make decisions on very limited amount of data,” said Anita Oberholster, anassociate specialist inenology at theUniversity of CaliforniaCooperative Extension inDavis. The question Oberholster gets most often is how to measure smoke exposure risk. Burning wood releases volatile phenols that can be absorbed through the skin of the grape within hours and attach themselves to sugars, which down the road can ruin the wine’s flavor. “Unfortunately, this is very, verydifficult topredict,” she said, adding itwill take years to figure out because “you need hundreds of data points to do this.” Some varietals seemtobemore susceptible thanothers, and “the one that stands out a little bit is pinot noir,” Oberholster said. “We don’t specifically knowwhy.” The volatile phenols that can give wine a palate-demolishing smoky character also occur naturally in grapes, and the exact point at which a grape goes bad is the subject of intense research. “Does pinot noir seem more susceptible just because it has a simpler matrix?” Oberholster asked. “Is thematrix such that there’s lessmaskingof the smoke compounds

See SMOKE, Page 8

February 23, 2022 Ag Alert 7

Smoke Continued from Page 7

“I will domicrofermentations if there’s an issue, and that will prove—good or bad—if I should proceed,” Boer said. “I’m not going to takeamarginalmicrofermen- tation result and decide, well, that might stillworkout. It’snot going toworkout; it’s a bad idea.” Treatment options comewith their own set of drawbacks. “Unfortunatelyat thispoint, all the treat- ment options do impact the overall qual- ity as well, because they lack specificity,” Oberholster said. “It’s not like it will only remove thevolatilephenols; itwill remove some other aroma compounds. It will re- move some other positive compounds frommouthfeel. It’s that balance of how much do you treat?” While there’s a long road ahead, re- searchers said progress is beingmade. “We’re not quite there yet, but somany people are working on it,” Tomasino said. “It’s totally achievablewithwhat we know of science.” Oberholster is optimistic that answers are forthcoming. “I do hope that in five years from now, we have turned this around,” she said. “I hope, infiveyears fromnow,wehavebase- line, we have threshold, andwe’re getting to thepointwherewe say, this iswhat your mitigationoptions are, and this iswhen it’s a good idea.” (Kevin Hecteman i s an ass i stant editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at khecteman@cfbf.com.)

“Do a small-scale ferment and taste yourwines,” Tomasino recommended. “If you can’t have numbers, that’s what you need to do to figure out if you’re going to have a problem.” Tomasinousesacolorizedscale—green, yellowor red—for smokeexposureandthe likelihood of problems, with redmeaning issues are likely, if not certain, andmitiga- tionmeasuresmust be taken. “If you’re in that redzone for it, you’ll be able to pick it up in a small-scale ferment, tastingwise,” Tomasino said. “It releases that fast for it, for that red zone.” Numbers are still important, Tomasino said, because insurance in many cases requires them, but a properly conducted blind tasting can help in themeantime. “You can make some decisions, help- ful decisions, for what you should do,” Tomasino said. Oberholster said grape growers should talk to their wineries and grape buyers, as well as their insurance agencies, be- fore harvesttime to determine the deci- sion-making process in case of potential smoke issues. “That’s not something you want to fig- ure out in themidst of what I would call a disaster,” she said. Onehitch is thatwine fromsuchabatch

Veraison, the point at which winegrapes turn color before harvest, has long been considered the point at which grapes are most vulnerable to smoke issues, but this may be changing.

might taste fine at first, only for issues to showup later. “It’s a very, very complex issue, because everything else in the wine impacts how the smoke expresses,” Oberholster said. “And because wine composition changes with aging, that expression changes with aging. This is why we do think definitely that’s part of the reason why some wines seem fine, and then it evolves over time.” If changes are going to happen, they probably will occur by the nine-month mark, she noted. When looking back,MendocinoCounty winegrapegrowerMikeBoersaidheshould haveopenedacrop-insuranceclaimassoon

as he knewhe was in trouble. A blaze that was part of theMendocino Complex fires erupted near one of his vineyards in 2018, leading a grape buyer to deliver a rejection notice for two varietals a month later. He ended up doing amicrofermentation and makingbulkwine insteadof filingaclaim. S i n c e t h e n , h e ’s a d d e d s ome new safeguards. “I bought up to 75% on my crop insur- ance this year,”Boer said; thepercentage is the level atwhichhewouldbe reimbursed for grapes lost to smoke exposure. In addition, he said, “I don’t recom- mend this for everybody else, but I am making wine myself now. I am my own winemaker, and I’m doing my own test.” That ishiswayofholdinghisgrapes tohigh standards, he noted.

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8 Ag Alert February 23, 2022

Avocado harvest is expected to top 300 million pounds

dos, by far the most popular variety. Lamb Hass avocados are forecast for 9 million pounds this year, while the GEM variety should come in at 5 mil- lion pounds. Other varieties wil l account for 1 million pounds, according to commis- sion figures. Separately, the commission sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week concerning the re- cent suspension of avocado imports fromMexico after a U.S. Department of

Agriculture inspector in the country re- portedly received a threat. In the letter, the commission ex- pressed support for a stable supply of av- ocados tomeet U.S. consumer demand, while also ensuring that imported fruit meets strict phytosanitary standards, so as not to introduce pests or diseases that could endanger U.S. growers. The suspension was lifted Friday after the two countries agreed on safety stan- dards for USDA inspectors, according to media reports.

California avocado farmers expect to harvest about 306million pounds of fruit this season, according to figures from the California Avocado Commission. The commission’s 2021 handler sur- vey shows the peakmonth is expected to be May, when nearly 59 million pounds of avocados are forecast to come off the

trees; of these, nearly 57million pounds are expected to be Hass avocados. The single busiest week of the year is predicted to be the week of May 8, with about 15.3 million tons of avocados go- ing to the packinghouses. The commission’s projections call for 291 million pounds of Hass avoca-

School Continued from Page 4

felt more self-confident ; she was more personable with people; she was talking more,” said Bueche, who added that she has leveraged the skills she gained into a paidwork-based learningexperiencewith a local retailer. All students benefit from Esperanza’s partnership with South Coast REC, as surplus produce from the center’s fields is donated to make heal thy school lunches. In addition, students use REC- grown fruits and vegetables at their monthly pop-up restaurant, where they hone skills in preparing and serving a three-course meal. Their peers, who harvested the pro- duce, derive immense satisfaction from seeing the fruits of their labor go directly to the school. “They’re able to enjoy eating the stuff that they’re working for,” Seyler said. “And then they see everyone else enjoying it, and I think that really translates well for these guys.” The students also played a prominent role in an avocado sale last summer, for which they picked 2,000 pounds of pro- duce, bagged the fruit in 10-pound bags and then distributed preorders to the public from a stand at South Coast REC. Proceeds fromtheeventwereused topur- chase farm tools, shirts and other gear. “Itwasan incrediblesuccess—everyone loved the avocados,” Bueche said. “The students loved it; the parents came out; communitymembers supported it.” Those successes illustrate the power of a strong partnership. The South Coast REC team, in fact, received the school’s “Community Partner of the Year” Award for 2020-21, for persevering through the pandemic to deliver the beneficial pro- grams for students. Over the last two years, Suppes and Bueche—through a lot of creativity and some trial and error—have sketched a roadmap for growing productive rela- tionships between similar organiza- tions and adult transition programs. And after presenting those results to colleagues, other local school districts and nonprofits such as Goodwill and My Day Counts have contacted South Coast REC to provide similar experienc- es for community members. (This story was originally published by theUniversityofCaliforniaAgricultureand Natural Resources.)

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February 23, 2022 Ag Alert 9

Strategic flooding for aquifers getting new attention ByDennis Pollock

In 2011, Cameron floodedwinegrapes from April through July at 2.5 inches per day and saw no yield loss or damage to the grapes. There were good infiltration rates on the fine sandy loam soil. From 1981 to 1985 , research at California State University, Fresno, was undertaken on flooding 24-year-old Thompson seedless grapes to a 6-inch depth on clay loam. Water was applied over 32 days. Researchers in those studies found no effect on fruit set and no significant dif- ference in yield except in 1985, when re- charge treatment produced higher yields per vine than in a control vineyard. There was also no difference in brix, titratable acidity, pH or berry weight ex- cept when sugar was significantly low- er in the recharge treatment. But there were concerns over nitrogen leaching, Dahlke said. In more recent research in 2020, two Thompson seedless vineyards more than 40 years old were flooded with groundwater on Hanford sandy loam. One was flooded for four weeks at 4 inches per day, the other for two weeks at 8 inches per day. Infiltration rates varied, with 4 inches per day on the vineyard flooded for four weeks and 8 inches per day on the one flooded for two weeks. For the vineyard with lower infiltration, conditions on oc- casion were anoxic. “Infiltration makes all the difference,” Dahlke said. FloodingstartedFeb. 25, 2020, andthere was zero precipitation from February to mid-March. There were continuous soil measurements. Soil sampling was done, and drone flights were flown. Researchers also looked at nitrate leaching in each plot. They noted there was severe damage from a hailstorm on March 25, 2020, that brought low cluster counts and low yield. They concluded on-farm recharge is a viable option for regions where large amounts of excess water are less fre- quently available. Soil type is the main parameter for choosing Ag-MAR loca- tions, they said. A high filtration rate brought no sig- nificant yield change after two weeks of flooding. Low infiltration rate brought a significant yield decrease—32% in 2020, 40%in2021—after fourweeks of flooding. Low infiltration also was marked by a longer recovery time. Dahlke advised there could be infil- tration challenges with soils that have a high clay content. She said high infiltra- tion is needed to manage oxygen in the root zone. Otherwise, she said, grape vineyards are a great option for recharge efforts be- cause they have a long dormancy period and are “adaptive to havingwet feet once in a while.” (Denni s Pol lock i s a repor t er in F r e s no . He ma y b e c on t a c t e d a t agcompollock@yahoo.com.)

Parking floodwater in vineyards to re- charge aquifers is a way to prepare for continuing drought conditions, reduce flood risk in wet years and improve wa- ter quality. Don Cameron, vice president and general manager of Terranova Ranch in Fresno County, is no stranger to it. He has used so-called “Ag-MAR”—or agricultural managed recharge—to put water on the farm’s vineyards starting in 2011. He found that the water safely seeped into the aquifer, boosting its sup- ply without harming the grapes. He later applied theprogramtoputwa- ter into almond orchards, fallowed fields and other cropland in subsequent years. He’s a believer who shrugged off early skepticism about his efforts to capture floodwater, explaining, “We have a great reservoir under our feet. Why not use it?” Cameron’s efforts inspired intensified research on how to take advantage of wet months and strategic water applications to recharge groundwater supplies. GroundwaterhydrologistHelenDahlke, an associate professor at the University of California,Davis,hasworkedforyearswith farmerswho look to floodvineyards, fields andorchards inwintermonths tohelpsus- tainaquifer supplies in summermonths. The Dahlke Lab at UC Davis is now collaborating with UC Agriculture and Natural Resources farmadvisors to study impacts of flooding a variety of crops. That effort included experimental flood- ing of a 400-acre vineyard during the 2020-21 winter season with Cosumnes River water, as researchers employed sensors tomeasure infiltration rates. Dahlke recently discussed the ongo- ingwork that has grownout of Cameron’s early experiments, as she spoke on groundwater recharge on vineyards during the 2022 San JoaquinValleyGrape

Groundwater recharge, above, is underway at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center vineyard. At left, hydrolo- gist Helen Dahlke stands in an almond orchard during experimental flooding in the 2020-21 winter season.

Symposiumlastmonth inFresnoCounty. One key to flooding vineyards is to make sure they remain “oxic,” or retain oxygen, Dahlke explained. Meanwhile, she said there arenumerous institutional, legal and economic challenges to the Ag- MAR approach that must be considered. She said there are cost considerations involved, permits required and laws to follow. Water availability is critical and proper use of hydrogeology is important, along with crop suitability, she noted. Dahlke said growers have some reser-

vations about flooding perennial crops, fearingwaterloggingwill limit root respi- ration andmay even cause root diseases. She said various crops can be grouped according to tolerance for standing wa- ter—ranging from no tolerance at all for someplants and48hours toas longas two weeks for others. For some crops, howev- er, the tolerance is largely unknown. Dahlke talked of Cameron’s efforts and noted the research on recharge during grapevine dormancy that predated Cameron’s sucessful efforts.

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10 Ag Alert February 23, 2022

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Tulare County citrus farm manager Matt Watkins, an agricultural stakeholder on local groundwater agencies, said recharge basins such as in Lindsay will help balance groundwater supplies.

state as critically overdrafted, or medium or high priority. “We’vebeengiven20yearstoget intosus- tainability,”saidMattWatkins, farmmanag- er forBeeSweetCitrusandvicepresidentof theTulareCountyFarmBureau.“Hopefully, insteadof being cut off fromday one, we’ve comeupwithaplan that’s not just shutting the water off but (is) going to 90%, 80%by rampingdowngradually. “Maybe we sink more surface water or flood-releasewater into the ground, those sorts of things,” he said. Watkins, who serves as an agricultural stakeholder on East Kaweah and Eastern Tule groundwater sustainability agencies, said both must “dial down details of the plans” and show how long-term aquifer healthwill be achieved. To prepare for plan implementation, Watkins said, the two agencies areworking onawaterallocationandaccountingframe- work, whichhe said couldmean increased costs togrowers forpumpinggroundwater. Lindmore Irrigation District, a federal watercontractor intheFriantDivisionwith aClass 1andClass 2water contract, ispart of the East Kaweah GSA, which is located in a subbasin in critical overdraft. LindmoreIrrigationDistrictgeneralman- ager Michael Hagman, who is executive director for the East Kaweah agency, said “SGMA is sort of the compulsory approach todeterminingwhat harms your neighbor. Theplanstelluswhatwewilldotonotharm ourneighbor andbecome sustainable.” Since2007,Hagmansaid, the regionhas receivedonlyabout 80%of normal precip- itation. Coupled with several severe dry years, that depletedsurfacewater supplies and reduced groundwater inflow. “We’re not sustainable in this subbasin thewaywe’reactingnow, andprimarily it’s a function of farming beyond the capacity of the groundwater inflow,” Hagman said. “About 20%of ourproblemispeople toour westbeganfarminggroundthatwasn’tbe- ing farmedbefore, but 80%of ourproblem is overdraft.” East Kaweah GSA’s groundwater sus- tainability plan, which was submitted to the California Department of Water Groundwater Continued from Page 1

Resources by Jan. 31, includes ways to addmore water such as groundwater re- chargeprojectsandincludesmanagement actions such as reducing groundwater pumping or fallowing land. To help replenish groundwater in the subbasin, thedistrict in2016constructeda groundwater rechargebasinnearLindsay, whichrecharges the subbasinwithanyex- cess surfacewater supplies fromMillerton Lake via the Friant-KernCanal. The recharge basin holds 23 acre-feet and has a percolation rate of one-third of a foot per acre. The district plans to con- struct several other groundwater recharge basinson320acresnearLindsey,Hagman said. Thenewprojectwill beable toperco- late 80 acre-feet per day into the ground. “Hopefully, this is oneof the tools toput the East Kaweah GSA into sustainability going forward,”Watkins said. East Kaweah added emergency re- strictions on groundwater pumping last October and set a maximum allocation and a fine of $500 per acre-foot for those who exceed the pumping restriction, Hagman said. The state declared the East Kaweahplanas incomplete, andHagman said the agency and others are working to resolve issues identified by the state. Paige Gilligan, a riskmanagement con- sultant for Risk Mitigators & Advisors in Clovis, who took part in a groundwater seminar at the World Ag Expo, said local agencies submitted 112 groundwater sustainability plans to DWR. State water officials can designate plans as approved, incomplete or inadequate. Of the total plans submitted, 70plans for medium- and high-priority basins, which weredue Jan. 1, areunder review; 34plans are classified as incomplete; and eight plans were approved. Incomplete plans must have issues resolved by July 2022 or trigger management intervention by the StateWater Resources Control Board. “Agencies have 180 days to look at all of these revisions, and people are going to be scrambling andworking together todo so,” Gilligan said. “Until July, it’s probably going tobeprettycrazy in thewater space.” (Chr i s t ine Souza i s an ass i s tant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

PG&E proposed rate hikes could increase farm costs Rate increases proposed by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. could bring in- creased electricity costs for thousands of farmers and ranchers inNorthern and Central California. PG&E General Rate Case Phase 1 are scheduled inMarch. weight beingborneby ratepayers.” PG&E is expected to file additional in- formation regarding the undergrounding proposal and potential costs prior to the public participationhearings.

dergrounding efforts, she said. “California Farm Bureau is concerned with the proposed increases in isolation and layered on the additional increases fromotherPG&Eproposals,”Millssaid.“We urgedthecommission, andwill continueto do so throughout the proceeding, to care- fullyscrutinizeproposedexpenditureseven if theyareunder theguiseof safety. Inaddi- tion, thecommissionshouldbe focusedon findingfundingresources thatdiminishthe

Karen Norene Mills, California Farm Bureau director of legal services, said the organizat ion f i led a protest to PG&E’s application on Aug. 5, noting an 18.7% increase in revenue requirement for agriculture. PG&E’s application in- cludes a $3.6 billion increase in wildfire spending, which does not include the utility’s proposed 10,000 miles of un-

Farm organizations say utility costs represent a significant portion of a farm’s monthly expenses, and that they will op- pose the rate request before theCalifornia PublicUtilities Commission. Public participation hearings in the

Data released for aquifer pumping The California Department of Water Resources reported lastweek that newsat- ellite data show land surface sinking con- tinued during the 2021 water year due to excessive groundwater pumping. But the pacewas slower than past drought years. “Californians rely on groundwater during drought, so it’s not surprising that land in some areas is continuing to sink,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “But it is good news that, compared to previous droughts, subsidence is slowing. Over time, recharginggroundwaterbasinswhen it’s wet and lowering demand for ground- water is the long-termsolution toground- water sustainability and subsidence.” DWRhas intensifiedmonitoring tohelp identify impacts of land subsistence, or sinking, and address the issue with local groundwater agencies, counties and land- owners. Areas experiencing themost sub- sidenceduring the2021water yearwere in theSanJoaquinValley,withamaximumof 1.1 feet of subsidence observed, and the SacramentoValley,withamaximumof 0.7 feet.Data showthat sinkingof greater than 0.5 feet per year expanded to more areas thanobserved inthe2020water year.More areas experienced higher rates of subsid- ence in the 2016 drought year. Radar satellitemaps released last week cover data retrieved fromOctober 2020 to September2021formorethan140ground- water basins. DWR secured funding last year to increase collection and reporting frequencyof statewidesatellite-basedsub- sidencedata fromannually toquarterly to providemore real-time information. Data will be updated four times a year. Local and state agencies are imple- menting groundwater sustainability plans and taking actions to monitor and address subsidence causedby groundwa- ter pumping. Current actions to manage impacts of subsidence are in: California Aqueduct in western Fresno and Kings counties ; the Friant-Kern Canal in Tulare County; San Joaquin Valley from Kern County to Madera County; and the Sacramento Valley in Glenn, Colusa and Yolo counties. Publicparticipationhearingswillbeheld inthePG&EPhase1proceeding (A. 21-06- 021) viawebcast from2 to6p.m. onMarch 1,March10andMarch22.All hearingswill cover theentirePG&Eservice territory, but theMarch10hearing,Mills said, will focus onSan JoaquinValley customers. The meeting may be accessed at www. adminmonitor.com/ca/cpuc/.Tocomment duringthepublichearing,call800-857-1917 and enter passcode 6032788# andpress *1. Submit written comments to apps.cpuc. ca.gov/c/A2106021.

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14 Ag Alert February 23, 2022

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