Ag Alert June 19, 2024

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.

Tomato menace Pesticide use granted for virus-transmitting pest

Special issue Organic farmers, retailers look to expand markets

Page 6

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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com JUNE 19, 2024

Vegetables

special report

By Vicky Boyd Vegetable seed companies have cut back vine seed production this season, sending Sacramento Valley producers who used to grow them under contract scrambling to find replacement crops. While representatives from some seed companies would not comment on the sit- uation, others blamed a complex set of vari- ables, including overproduction last season for decreased production needs this year. One of those affected by the cutbacks was Driver Family Farms, which grows a variety of row crops near Knights Landing and Robbins. Three years ago, Ethan Driver, who farms with his father and un- cle, added vine seed production to the farm’s crop lineup. It was part of his goal to expand the number of row crops the farm grew beyond its staple rice to spread risks. Initially, Driver said, he wanted to try only 50 acres to get his feet wet, but the seed company urged him to plant 100 acres of mostly open-pollinated watermel- on along with a few acres of squash seed. In 2023, Driver said he had planned on 100 acres but was talked into producing more than 200 acres of mainly watermelon with a few acres of cucumber seed. With two years under his belt, he said he felt comfortable producing vine seed and was planning on about the same acreage as 2023. This year, the seed company notified the Drivers to say it wanted only 50 acres of vine seed from him. The cutbacks also came at the same time the farm lost its hybrid sun- flower seed contract when Syngenta pulled out of the California market. “Everything happened all at the same time, and it makes it tough,” Driver said. “The sunflowers are big here, the vine seed also, but the sunflowers were the main hit for us. With those two crops being cut, those were good money makers compared to the other crops.” Driver has been looking for other field See SEED, Page 15 Farmers worry as seed firms scale back production

Solano County farmer Russ Lester stands in his organic walnut orchard, which shows remnants of a leguminous cover crop that dies back in May and June. He says the cover crop fixes nitrogen to the soil, attracts beneficial insects and forms a heavy mat on the orchard floor, allowing him to use less water.

Increased demand helps organic walnuts

By Ching Lee Certified organic crops typically earn a higher price than their conventional coun-

years, dragging down organic walnut pric- es. At the same time, “a steady increase in supply” has also weighed on the organic walnut market, said Teddy Schrier, who markets organic walnuts for Grower Direct Nut Co. in Stanislaus County. “Once the supply got big enough to where it didn’t seem that the (market) was taking all of it easily, then prices don’t flourish,” he said.

California’s organic walnut sector remains small, with about 2% of total state produc- tion in 2023, or 18,514 tons compared to 805,035 tons of conventional walnuts, ac- cording to the California Walnut Board. This is the first year the board has pub- lished numbers specific to organic walnut inventory and shipments, which the in- dustry pushed for, Schrier noted. The new

terparts, but for strug- gling California walnut growers, the organic premiums have not

necessarily translated to higher profits. The price of conventional walnuts has plunged to record-low levels in recent

See WALNUTS, Page 11

n e w s p a p e r

Comment ......................................2 From the Fields .......................4-5 Vegetables................................ 6-7 Classifieds........................... 18-19 Inside

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Crop insurance critical for risky business of farming

By Daniel Munch Farming and ranching are not for the faint of heart. Taking on a substantial

labor, and more uncertainty in price and the ability to find buyers all increase risks. Significant advances have been made in providing more coverage for fruit, veg- etable and nut growers. The top specialty crops covered in these policies include almonds, grapes, apples, potatoes, citrus and tomatoes. Crop insurance stands as a corner- stone of agriculture’s resilience, provid- ing a vital safety net for nearly 370,000 farmers amid weather, pests and market fluctuations. Despite its critical value to farmers and ranchers, it faces significant criticism. The reality is that crop insur- ance is an actuarially sound government program that represents a small fraction of federal spending. It is a public-private partnership that works to secure the nation’s food supply and support farmer sustainability in a way that is not entirely dependent on taxpayer funding but instead spreads the risk of the program among farmers, private-sector crop insurance companies and taxpayers. While acknowledging there are gaps in coverage, particularly for specialty crop growers, it’s essential to recognize the strides made in expanding coverage op- tions and addressing these shortcomings through the farm bill and beyond. As the U.S. navigates an increasingly uncertain future, improving and enhanc- ing crop insurance through passage of a new five-year farm bill is essential for safe- guarding the livelihoods of farmers, the stability of rural economies and the reli- ability of our food system. (Daniel Munch is an economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation. This article is adapted from his Market Intel re- port, “Crop Insurance Provides a Critical ROI for Taxpayers,” which appears online at www.fb.org/market-intel.)

amount of risk is part of the busi- ness. The year starts with a farmer making extensive investments by purchasing inputs such as seed, fer- tilizer, equipment and its mainte- nance, fuel, crop

Daniel Munch

protectants and pest control, which can easily total hundreds of thousands of dol- lars. That’s just to get a crop in the ground. Those investments can be wiped out suddenly with a single destructive weather event, pest infestation or disease that caus- es a crop loss or decline in revenue. After successfully navigating Mother Nature, farmers who harvest a crop still face mas- sive risk as price-takers in commodity mar- kets with significant price volatility by the time that crop is ready to be sold. Given historically slim—and often neg- ative—profit margins, farmers are often reliant on lines of credit borrowed from financial institutions at the cost of inter- est. When all or nearly all of a crop is lost, farmers—who don’t have significant cash reserves to begin with—risk defaulting on their loans and losing their farm. Without some form of risk management protection in place, the liability of farming becomes impossible to maintain. Crop insurance through the Federal Crop Insurance Program, which oper- ates as a public-private partnership, is not merely a safety net. It is a lifeline for farm businesses, the rural communities they support and the food supply. According to the 2024 Feeding the

Specialty crop growers are calling for a new farm bill that expands federal crop insurance to cover more fruits, vegetables and nuts so that they are protected from crop losses.

Economy report, U.S. food and agricul- tural sectors directly support nearly 24 million jobs and account for $9.6 tril- lion in economic activity, or 20% of total U.S. economic output. In February, the Congressional Budget Office projected that crop insurance expenses from 2024 to 2034 would total $124 billion, accounting for approximately one-tenth of 1% of total projected federal spending. Based on calculations from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency, crop insurance has cost each American on average about $2.18 per month since 2008. Crop insurance cannot be offered by the private sector alone due to correlated risk. If I get into a car accident, it doesn’t impact my neighbor’s likelihood of getting into a car accident. However, if there is a severe drought in the West or Midwest, for example, all the farmers in the region will be impacted. This would make crop insur- ance products financially unattainable for

farmers without government support. Even at the highest levels of crop in- surance coverage, individual crop insur- ance plans pay a maximum of 85% of the expected value of the crop. This means 15% of the liability of a farmer’s crop is lost as a deductible, which can equal tens of thousands of dollars even for the most ex- pensive policy. For most farmers, selected coverage levels are closer to the 70% range, meaning farmers must experience a 30% decline in actual revenue before crop in- surance comes into play. Some farmers will purchase addition- al supplemental and enhanced coverage options. But critics often define crop in- surance by what it doesn’t cover. There are gaps that leave producers of certain crops and in certain regions with few-to-no risk management options. Specialty crops, for example, often face higher levels of risk than crops grown at substantially higher volumes. Increased sensitivity to weather, pests and diseases, increased reliance on

VOL. 51, NO. 23

June 19, 2024

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2 Ag Alert June 19, 2024

California Farm Bureau’s new Chief Operating Officer Dan Durheim tends to his family’s flock of sheep in Ohio, where he worked as associate vice president of sponsor relations for Nationwide.

New Farm Bureau leader is driven to motivate, inspire

By Christine Souza Born and raised on his family’s livestock farm in rural Minnesota, Dan Durheim has spent nearly 30 years in leadership roles supporting agriculture. He is no stranger to hard work. Although he has milked his share of dairy cows and tossed many hay bales, the incoming chief operating officer for the California Farm Bureau said his forte is leading people. “Some people have a natural ability to work on tractors or plant things,” Durheim said. “While I love agriculture, what I have naturally is the love of people and an ability to build relationships and really bring out the best in folks that I work with.” The California Farm Bureau Board of Directors selected Durheim as the orga- nization’s first-ever COO after screening more than 1,100 candidates following a comprehensive executive search led by the business consulting firm Morrison. In his new role, Durheim will oversee daily operations and management of per- sonnel and ensure that the goals of the or- ganization are carried out. Durheim joins the Farm Bureau on July 1. California Farm Bureau President Shannon Douglass called Durheim “a longtime champion for agriculture and for Farm Bureau.” She noted his extensive background with the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Minnesota Farm Bureau. She also praised his commitment to grassroots work on behalf of farmers and ranchers at county, state and national levels. “Dan’s deep experience with Farm Bureau, established relationships within the industry, selfless leadership style and focus on strategic service of our members make him uniquely qualified to serve in this historic position for our organization,” Douglass said.

Durheim grew up in the central Minnesota town of Eagle Bend, where his parents raised beef cattle and sheep, and held jobs outside the farm. “It was in a very agrarian community dependent upon agriculture,” he said of his hometown, which has a population of about 550. He added that he and his family were active in the community, 4-H and FFA. While attending the University of Minnesota, Durheim helped plan livestock shows as an intern at the Minnesota State Fair. It was through this experience that he met a woman who introduced him to the Farm Bureau, a pivotal experience that he said influenced the trajectory of his career. “I met Robin Kinney, who worked for the Minnesota Farm Bureau, who became a mentor,” Durheim said. “I was just im- pressed. She had this calling for me about the way that she served members and the excitement that she had. Because of Robin Kinney, here I am nearly 30 years later.” Kinney, Minnesota Farm Bureau direc- tor of membership and marketing, said she is excited that Durheim is returning to the Farm Bureau family. “Dan empowers people to be their best, and I think that is what our grassroots members need, and I think that’s what those in production agriculture need,” Kinney said. “They need somebody to be their champion and coach, and I can’t think of a more perfect mentor.” In discussing how he intends to ap- proach the position, Durheim said he hopes to strengthen relationships and uni- fy the state’s farmers and ranchers, adding, “there’s a real opportunity to champion what we do.” “There is no place in the world that is more productive and does more to sustain life than California farmers and ranchers,” he said. “When I think about just the sheer See DURHEIM, Page 8

From the Fields ®

To contribute to From the Fields, submit your name, county of membership and contact information to agalert@cfbf.com.

Kulwant Johl Yuba County tree crop farmer

Taylor Serres Sonoma and Mendocino counties farmer and rancher

The cling peach crop looks good and is sizing nicely. Plus, the weather is good and has not been too hot, so that helps. The state’s cling peach crop is estimated to be a little larger than last year. In 2023, the crop was light because some varieties did not set well due to rain during bloom. The Yuba-Sutter cling peach-growing area has about 8,400 bearing acres of peaches that are sold to canners. This is a good area for growing peaches. Farmers in other areas of the state can grow other crops. We are relatively limit- ed in this area. Due to the salt, we can’t grow pistachios. We do have almonds, but they don’t produce as well here. We are about three weeks away from cling-peach harvest. We have extra-ear- ly, early, late and extra-late varieties. From extra-early to extra-late, these are: Calaveras, Loadel, Stanislaus, Carson, Kader, Andross, Vilmos and Kingsburg. Harvest for these varieties lasts from about the first week of July to the first week of September. To prepare the orchards for harvest, we had to spray for Oriental fruit moth and peach twig borer. We are also mowing and getting other things ready. We have some harvesting machines. I keep them ready just in case, but I don’t use them because canners only allow use of machine harvesting on a limited basis. Because I have varieties coming off one after the other, I have a better chance of finding employees for harvest than some other farmers who may only have one crop to harvest. We believe we will have enough workers for harvest this season. Inflation and the cost of inputs are high, and sales for peaches are coming down. Canned and dried fruit is not selling as much as it did before. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was good. Everything sold—peaches, prunes, whatever people got hold of, they bought it.

We have cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, zinfandel and other red winegrape varieties. We have gone through fruit set. We’ve finished all our suck- ering. We are starting to leaf pull. We’ve had a moderate season as far as weath- er goes. The grapes look good. The market is a little precarious with the oversupply of grapes. We are opti- mistic about it. We have almost everything under contract, but there is still some fruit available. We are slightly worried about the Point Fire that just broke out. We hope it won’t have too much of an impact. It was very smoky here in Sonoma Valley on Sunday. We are probably a good 30 to 40 miles from the fire. We don’t know yet if there will be an impact on the grapes. We’re thankful not to be in evacuation proximity, but we think of our neighbors who are impacted by smoke and evac- uations. With a fire of this magnitude this early in the season, we’re hoping this will be the first and last of it. Our blueberries are in Laytonville in Mendocino County. We’re going to start har- vesting this week. That will keep us busy for the next month or so. Talking to other growers, everyone is saying they’ve had a bumper crop. I think it’s going to be a lighter crop for us. We haven’t had the heat we need to get the berries to size up. We tend to come in after the Watsonville and Salinas area and before Washington and Oregon. That market window is beneficial for us. I spoke with a wholesaler who said blueberry production elsewhere in California has come to a close for this season. We also have cattle in Laytonville. We’ve had a very good grass year. Being organic, we incur extra costs, but it seems to work out in the end. We sold our steers and heifers last week, and prices seem to be strong.

Josh Barton San Joaquin County walnut grower

It’s kind of uncharacteristic to have these high, triple-digit temperatures in the beginning of June. This year, specifically, given where the industry is on the walnut side, we have made an aggressive effort to focus any and all of our resources on preserving quality on our products. Quality is what’s going to try to raise all tides. We’ve done a lot in preparation for this sea- son knowing that our goal was to put the emphasis on quality. We’ve made a very mitigated irrigation schedule to be on top of it, irrigate more intermittently to satisfy the water demand in the trees. With the heat that we’ve had in early June, we have gone through and applied Surround on our early varietals in a hope that we can alleviate any sunburn that may or may not come from this heat. It’s also a really important time because we’re trying to get size right now, and when you get into this high-heat index, as your crop is trying to size up, it can hit stall points with really hot temperatures. We really need more of those mid-80-degree, low 90-degree days right now to get really good, consistent size as we transition from post bloom into the heart of the growing season. It’s a two-prong approach. We’re doing everything we can to monitor our ir- rigation closely, to not overirrigate but not underirrigate and hit size and quality early on. That helps set the tone for the rest of the growing season. Early-season fertilizers are going out as well. We’re trying to take our nitrogen manage- ment plan, and we’re already starting to spread or inject fertilizer on the walnuts as well, to try to meet the early demand on our nitrogen budget at this time.

4 Ag Alert June 19, 2024

Insights from farmers and ranchers across the Golden State, including members of the California Farm Bureau.

Grant Chaffin Riverside County farmer

We hit our first heat wave. When Southern California has a heat wave, temperatures can get up to 115 to 123 degrees for a couple of days. This type of heat is very tough on the crops. Alfalfa yields have been good to date. We started our fifth cutting. Pricing is down 35% on about all our commodities from a year ago. It doesn’t look like there’s a lot of relief in sight. This may be due to local and regional supply and demand. When you look at alfal- fa as a commodity, dairy market pricing is down, and export market pricing is down. Our different forages and grasses are coming along, but those markets are also down 35%. These things are cyclical, so you try to take advantage of some buying op- portunities where you can lock up some inputs at a cheap price. We’re always looking for these opportunities. In mid- to late June, we start harvesting onions for processing markets. Prices are down 25% from last year. Overall, it looks like a good crop. The onions are dehydrated for fast food hamburgers and cheeseburgers, or they end up in a variety of spices, such as onion salt and onion powder. They also get chopped, diced and minced and put into cans and bottles. To reduce margins and increase efficiency, we are trying to mechanize every process we can, whether it’s upgrading equipment or irrigation infrastructure. Labor is never getting cheaper. With the upward trends in labor, I think another increase in the hourly wage is around the corner. We’re trying to do more with fewer guys, whether it’s imple- menting more efficient equipment or mechanizing. We have constantly engaged in differ- ent field trial programs with the University of California Cooperative Extension. We get our water from the Colorado River, and I don’t think we’re out of the drought. The Colorado River Basin states are negotiating the 2026 shortage sharing agreement, so I think there’s going to be opportunities for on-farm conservation programs.

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June 19, 2024 Ag Alert 5

CALIFORNIA

Vegetables A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ®

Processing tomato pest triggers county emergencies By Vicky Boyd Emergency declarations in several counties in the San Joaquin Valley have allowed processing tomato growers to use neonicotinoid pesticides to treat fields impacted by sugar beet leafhoppers. The insect pest transmits beet curly top virus, which leads to reduced yields. County agricultural commissioners made the declarations preemptively to contain the pest before it damaged too many crops.

“So much of it is we don’t know for sure,” he said. “If we need it or have to use it, by the time we see leafhoppers becoming an issue, we don’t have two to three weeks to go through the (emergency declaration) process. We need to take care of it now.” In late May, Bays said he had begun to see a few leafhoppers moving into his tomato fields near the coastal foothills. He typically looks to Fresno and Kern counties as predictors of what might occur in his area because they tend to be a few weeks ahead on leafhopper migration. “They’ve been seeing more leafhoppers down there, so we know it’s only a matter of time before we’ll be seeing more,” he said. The emergency declaration requests, which were approved by boards of supervisors in Kern, Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Stanislaus counties, apply only to use of neon- icotinoids on processing tomatoes for beet leafhoppers. Growers must first obtain a pest control advisor recommendation for the pesticide’s use, follow label instructions and visit the BeeWhere beehive location website or survey for nearby bees, Pinfold said. The declarations expire 60 days after approval.

In a preemptive move this spring, several county agricultural commissioners sought emergency declarations for a processing tomato pest so growers could have in-season access to popular neonicotinoid insecticides. Had they waited for the sugar beet leafhopper to show up in San Joaquin Valley process- ing tomato fields, it would have likely been too late to begin the emergency declaration process, said Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner Linda Pinfold. “We know every year we have the beet leafhopper, and as things warm up, they come down from the hills and migrate into the valley,” she said of the pest, which spreads beet curly top virus, a disease known to cause serious crop damage. “The tomato plants, espe- cially from the moment they’re planted to when they fill out fruit, are the most susceptible.” She said the county declaration was needed “so that the growers can have the tools available to them if and when they detect beet leafhopper that’s migrated in.” Stanislaus County farmer Daniel Bays, who grows a mix of tree and row crops, including processing tomatoes near Westley, said having neonicotinoids available for in-season leafhopper control was a relief.

See LEAFHOPPER, Page 7

6 Ag Alert June 19, 2024

Until this year, processing tomato grow- ers could use neonicotinoid insecticides in-season to manage beet leafhoppers as long as they followed the product label. On Jan. 1, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation significantly restrict- ed use of four neonicotinoids on a wide variety of crops as part of pollinator pro- tection measures. For processing tomatoes, growers could make applications only from preplant un- til bloom. But the new restrictions allow neonicotinoid applications past that time- frame for a local emergency or to control a quarantine pest. The cause for concern is the 0.13-inch- long beet leafhopper can transmit beet curly top virus, which may kill young toma- to plants. In older plants, it may distort and discolor leaves, stunt growth and reduce fruit yield and quality. Depending on the weather and leafhop- per pressure, the effectiveness of an early season neonicotinoid application may wane two to three weeks after transplant- ing tomatoes into a field, said University of California Cooperative Extension vege- table crop advisor Tom Turini, who serves Fresno County. This may leave the plants at risk later in the season should infected beet leafhoppers migrate into the area. Based on results of ongoing field trials of alternative insecticides at the UC West Side Research and Extension Center, he said neonicotinoids are the most effective products at preventing leafhopper feeding and thus virus infection. Scott Stoddard, UCCE vegetable farm advisor for Merced and Madera counties, is conducting simi- lar trials this season. Turini works closely with area pest con- trol advisors to collect and submit leafhop- per samples to UC Davis plant pathology professor Bob Gilbertson for virus testing. He also submits weed samples from the valley floor for testing, since numerous asymptomatic weeds may still be infected. Leafhopper Continued from Page 6

Beet curly top virus, spread by the the sugar beet leafhopper, inset, may stunt processing tomato plant growth and reduce fruit yield and quality. Agricultural commissioners in Kern, Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced and Stanislaus counties declared emergencies this spring to control the pest.

As of late May, the percentage of infect- ed leafhoppers has remained relatively low, while a larger percentage of weeds such as goosefoot and lambsquarter has come back positive for curly top virus, Gilbertson said. Based on this year’s results, Turini de- scribed the tomato curly top risk as mild to moderate. “Usually, the hills will dry much ear- lier than they did this year, so we did see the increase in beet leafhopper later than we usually do,” he said. “We have generations of leafhoppers on the valley floor, and we know (the virus) is in the weeds, and we can expect those popu- lations to move.” Turini said last month, “I think there’s a risk as we get further into the season

because there are still tomatoes going in at the end of May right now.” Beet leafhoppers overwinter in the coastal foothills, where they likely pick up beet curly top virus by feeding on infected weeds. As the foothills dry in the spring, the insects migrate into the San Joaquin Valley looking for green plants on which to feed. The insect pest has a wide host range, in- cluding numerous weeds. In fact, tomatoes aren’t even a preferred food. As they probe to taste tomato plants, the insects may in- ject virus and infect them before flying off to other plants or crops. Historically, severe curly top virus outbreaks have occurred in processing tomatoes when both leafhopper populations and the percentage of infected leafhoppers are high, Gilbertson said. This

occurred in 2006 and 2013. Although beet curly top disease out- breaks are unpredictable, he said he ex- pects 2024 to be a relatively low disease year based on high winter leafhopper mortality from wet weather, foothills leafhopper sampling data and virus test- ing results to date. Nevertheless, some fields, particularly along the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, may become infected, he added. “From western Fresno and Kings down into Kern and maybe into southern Merced County historically have been our greatest challenges,” Turini said. “Even in a mild to moderate year, you can still have fields that have damage.” (Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She may be contacted at vlboyd@att.net.)

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June 19, 2024 Ag Alert 7

Durheim Continued from Page 3

Dan Durheim, incoming chief operating officer for the California Farm Bureau, enjoys a stroll with his daughter, Savannah, and animals on the family’s property in Ohio. Durheim served in multiple leadership roles for the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Minnesota Farm Bureau.

enjoys cooking, gardening and attending food festivals, fairs and livestock shows. “We will absolutely frequent where we can find, not only Farm Bureau members, but other folks that love to celebrate agri- culture,” Durheim said. “I know it is going to be hot in California, but we are very ex- cited about the sunshine.” (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

numbers of production and the diversity of what farmers produce, I’m very eager to re- ally show the value of the California Farm Bureau to farmers and ranchers.” At the University of Minnesota, Durheim earned a Bachelor of Science and pursued a Master of Education in agriculture and extension education services. In 1997, after his time at the university, Durheim was hired by the Minnesota Farm Bureau as an area pro- gram director for membership, policy and leadership development. In 2003, he relocated to Washington, D.C., where he completed almost 20 years serving the American Farm Bureau Federation in multiple roles, including as executive director of industry affairs, direc- tor of program development and execu- tive director of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. Most recently, Durheim worked for Nationwide Insurance in Columbus, Ohio, as associate vice president for sponsor re- lations, a position he held since 2016. Durheim’s wife, Cheryl, who also grew up in agriculture, has worked as an adjunct professor and is a professional photogra- pher with her own business. The Durheims have three children. Abby, 25, works for the Nebraska Farm Bureau; Caleb, 22, attends the University of Nebraska; and Savannah, 16, attends high school in Ohio and is active in FFA. As the family relocates to California, Durheim said their small flock of sheep will be of- fered to 4-H families. Durheim said he is an avid reader and Cal Fire grants to support biomass, forestry projects The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has awarded $17 mil- lion in business and workforce develop- ment grants in an effort to enhance for- est resilience and wildfire preparedness across the state. The grants will support 20 projects fo- cusing on increasing capacity for using forest biomass and enhancing career opportunities in forestry. Several grants will reimburse small forest operators for equipment acquisitions, including sawmill upgrades to increase the use of biomass, Cal Fire announced. The agency said the grants will help in- crease fuels treatments and help California reach its forest management objectives. Grants will also support training and job placement programs by the California Conservation Corps Foundation. “The Cal Fire Business and Workforce Development Grant Program has been instrumental for the development of both our own biomass utilization fa- cility and so many others across the state of California,” Matt King, owner of Tuolumne Biomass in Jamestown, said in a statement. 8 Ag Alert June 19, 2024

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Farm Bureau at work California Farm Bureau’s government affairs team is at the Capitol, advocating for farmers, ranchers and agriculture’s future. Here are some key issues Farm Bureau is focused on this week.

Water State legislation that seeks to increase authority over the state’s oldest, most se- nior water rights has been dropped by the author amid pressure from the California Farm Bureau, water districts and others. Assembly Bill 1337, by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, would have brought all water rights, including pre-1914 and riparian, under the author- ity of the California State Water Resources Control Board. The bill would have given the five-member board the ability to cur- tail water deliveries, not just in years of drought, but in any year and for any reason. After conversations between the California Farm Bureau and the bill’s sponsors and author’s staff, no com- promises were possible this year, so Wicks pulled the bill. AB 1337 passed the Assembly last year and was awaiting a hearing in the state Senate. Meanwhile, Farm Bureau-opposed AB 460, by Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer- Kahan, D-Orinda, reached a favorable outcome. The bill was amended June 3, to remove much of the language that would have stripped due process from water rights holders when the state water board pursues an enforcement action. The remaining bill language was amended to increase per-incident fines for unauthorized water diversions and add a volumetric fine component. Once amendments were made, leaders of a 200-organization opposition coalition, including the California Farm Bureau, dropped opposition to the bill. It subse- quently passed the state Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. AB 2079, by Assembly Member Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, died in the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee last week after it received six “no” votes by committee members. The bill would have effectively banned new groundwa- ter wells in most groundwater basins. The California Department of Water Resources sponsored the bill. The California Farm Bureau and others have committed to working with DWR to develop guidance on well permitting to prevent subsidence and interference with drinking-water wells. Forestry and wildfire The California Farm Bureau has changed its position in support of Senate Bill 1101, by state Sen. Monique Limón, D-Santa Barbara. The legislation, which expands the use of beneficial fire, was amended to include expedited state contracting for all forms of fire mitigation, not just prescribed burn. The bill moves to the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources. In addition, Assembly Bill 2276, by Assembly Member Jim Wood, D-Santa Rosa, and supported by California Farm Bureau, passed the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee with unanimous support. The bill would revise, improve and reauthorize an exemption first created in

Energy Assembly Bill 2779, by Assembly Member Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine, passed the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee with 17 “yes” votes and one abstention. The bill would require the California Independent System Operator to report to the state Legislature

and Public Utilities Commission any new use of grid enhancing technology and the savings in deploying the technology. The California Farm Bureau supports the bill as an opportunity to avoid costs for rate- payers and the potential transmission siting on agricultural lands. The bill heads to the state Senate Appropriations Committee.

2004 to provide an alternative to the timber harvest plan process. It would extend the sunset date to Jan. 1, 2031, for three exemp- tions from timber harvest plan require- ments necessary for small landowners to perform fuels treatment and vegetation maintenance on their properties for the purpose of wildfire mitigation.

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June 19, 2024 Ag Alert 9

Farm group awarded funds to expand organic markets By Caitlin Fillmore To expand markets and boost demand

California’s then-nascent organic farming sector is now planning an advertising cam- paign. The effort, which begins in 2025, seeks to promote organic produce while building brand loyalty for farm products bearing the “USDA organic” label. “This is the last chance for organic to clarify why it’s so important,” said Michael Recco, marketing director of CCOF. He said it is “a make-or-break moment” for promoting recognition of certified-organic products and determining if organic cer- tification “will survive and set out what it wanted to achieve 50 years ago.” Nationally, the Organic Market Development Grant program awarded $40.5 million to 60 organic programs that seek to “further our goals of creating and expanding markets for producers,” said

Jenny Lester Moffitt, USDA underecretary for marketing and regulatory programs. CCOF has a three-part strategy for its funding. A marketing toolkit will provide templates and messages for organic farm- ers to implement, with a particular focus on digital marketing and e-commerce. “These are people who definitely don’t have marketing departments to do all of those things on their own,” Recco said. CCOF plans to enhance its member di- rectory as an interactive resource large re- tailers could use to source organic produce close to their distribution centers. The advertising campaign will also fo- cus on television streaming services. It will air on services such as Roku, Peacock and YouTube TV.

“People are spending their time and attention on streaming, and if it’s targeted correctly and strategically, it works, and you can learn from it,” Recco said. Previous marketing campaigns were grassroots efforts limited to the Central Coast. Today, the organization conducts ex- tensive market research and selects market- ing agencies, adopting strategies a Fortune 500 company would use, Recco said. “This is the first amount of money I’ve seen and those in the industry have seen like this,” he said. CCOF serves more than 4,500 mem- ber-farmers in the U.S. and Canada as “one of the largest, if not the largest, North American certifiers,” Recco said. The organization provides third-party organic certification services and resourc- es to growers. Grant funds are targeted to assist farmers who meet USDA’s definition of underserved, including veterans, and low-income and beginning farmers. The new advertising investment comes at a critical time, Recco said. He noted that labels such non-GMO, all-natural and regenerative have created consumer confusion, potentially diluting the appeal of the USDA organic label. “People are trusting less and under- standing less what organic actually is,” Recco said. “Things are not defined. People are confused. We have to get in front of it so organic farming lasts and can fulfill the promise made over the last 50 years.” More than 200 CCOF members have expressed interest in being featured in planned documentaries and advertise- ments, he said. “All of these members and organic pro- ducers who want to create content will get the visibility they wouldn’t have gotten be- fore,” Recco said. (Caitlin Fillmore is a reporter in Monterey County. She may be contacted at cslhfillmore@gmail.com.)

for organic produce, a California marketing and certification or- ganization for organic farmers is planning a nationwide advertising campaign, aided by an infusion of grant funding. Santa Cruz-based California Certified Organic Farmers was awarded $3 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Organic Market Grant program. It also exceeded a 50% funding match required by the program by raising an additional $1.7 million. As a result, the nonprofit organization founded a half-century ago to promote

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