County Corner Highlighting county Farm Bureaus working on behalf of California’s agricultural communities As floods surged, farmers rallied to help each other
challenge. Several feet may now be covering the irrigation systems in our orange groves, almond and pistachio orchards, and vineyards. Tulare County Farm Bureau has worked closely with local officials to try to direct re- sources to dairies and farms in most urgent need. After the flooding subsided, we hosted two disaster relief workshops with our partners at California Citrus Mutual and the county agricultural commissioner, while bringing county, state and federal agencies together to answer questions for our farmers and ranchers. Unfortunately, officials too often told them that disaster relief for agriculture is limited by many factors. For example, there really are no mechanisms to reimburse a dairy that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on feed, transportation and heavy equipment use to save their cows and livelihoods. Untold millions of dollars in work was performed to help save farms and homes and rescue small communities. But that may not qualify for any relief aid. As our county works on recovery, we have had Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration officials here responding to many residential home- owners impacted by the floods. However, far less assistance appears available for our impacted farms and dairies. We continue to amplify those concerns to our congressional representatives and state officials. However, the answers seem to fall short of providing real measures of relief or recovery assistance. Telling our story is important. Our Farm Bureau has responded to more than 78 media calls, providing interviews to television and cable news outlets, radio networks, digital media and newspapers from as far away as New York. While the media interest was re- markable, I can only hope that it will help move the ball to bring attention to the needs of our region. In the face of adversity, what I am always most humbled by is the resiliency and com- passion of our farmers and dairy producers who have helped others in need. The rapid evacuation of nearly 40,000 dairy animals, the around-the-clock work on roads
Tricia Stever Blattler Executive Director
As March came in like a lion with atmospheric storms, concerns mounted in Tulare County that high-elevation rainfall coupled with warming temperatures could send a massive amount of floodwater down rivers and watersheds, damaging roads, bridges, levees, homes and farms. Those fears were realized as communities in the foothills and western and southern parts of our county were hard hit. In the aftermath, the response from the farm and dairy community to help each other was unparalleled. Every farmer with a backhoe, dozer or excavator began working around the clock to shore up broken levees, repair roads, fill in dirt to reinforce weakened stream banks and pull debris from rivers. I know many farmers who were on their heavy equipment, burning their own diesel fuel, working days and nights to prevent destruction to their homes and farms and to protect their neighbors’ as well. I know many dairies that had to rapidly evacuate cows and calves to higher ground. Neighbors rallied to help, providing trailers and drivers and corral space. One weekend alone, I received 156 texts from volunteers offering help in rescuing livestock. Repairs to infrastructure, including roads, bridges and water channels, will take many months and likely years. Finding the money for all these repairs will be the biggest chal- lenge. Tulare County is still compiling damage surveys from farmers, ranchers, dairy producers, homeowners and businesses. Estimates of agricultural losses in the county now top $160 million. One dairy alone has provided an early estimate of more than $621,000 in costs for evacuation, feed, livestock hauling and heavy equipment work. In talking with dairy associations, flooding disruptions preventing the milk shed from reaching creameries could add up to billions of dollars in lost production and jobs. We have dairies overextended with creditors and facing rising production costs for feed and inputs. Coupled with flood damages, that could force some out of business. There have been several full herd dispersal sales here since the flooding. I anticipate there will be more. For our orchards and vineyards, managing mud and heavy sediment and silt is a major
See TULARE, Page 17
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May 24, 2023 Ag Alert 15
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