Ag Alert December 20, 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.

Protecting lettuce Weeds targeted to fight impatiens necrotic spot virus

Ag Alert returns Jan. 3 Ag Alert ® publishes 46 times a year and will be on hiatus next week (Dec. 27). Our next issue will be published Jan. 3. In the meantime, check the Ag Alert and California Farm Bureau websites at www.agalert.com and www.cfbf.com for breaking news.

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www.cfbf.com • www.agalert.com DECEMBER 20, 2023

Trees & Vines ®

special report

By Ching Lee With companies increasingly using the term “regenerative” to sell their products, there’s also growing pressure to nail down what this latest farming buzzword means. The unregulated term has crept into leg- islation, language authorizing government funding and public policy promoting sus- tainable food systems. Yet opinions vary on what constitutes regenerative agriculture, as there is no clear scientific definition. The state is trying to change that. During a virtual meeting this month, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the State Board of Food and Agriculture in- vited public input to help define regenera- tive agriculture. The listening session—the first of five the state plans to hold through May—drew more than 260 participants. The eventual definition could be used to update state farm policies such as the Healthy Soils Program and the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program. It could also have national implications. While organizations such as the Regenerative Organic Alliance and California Certified Organic Farmers have their own definitions and standards for regenerative agriculture, Josh Eddy, ex- ecutive director of the state board, made clear the purpose of the state initiative is to define the term on a “narrow bandwidth” of state policies and programs, not for a certification system. Having a definition, he said, would help lawmakers and agencies develop legisla- tion and make decisions that become part of the state Food and Agriculture Code. He noted the “wide variety of interests” in regenerative agriculture, with lawmakers weighing in and state agencies and pro- grams using the term to focus funding. “From a state board perspective, there really becomes a need to have a sci- ence-based criterion and to help inform a designation and a recognition of the term regenerative,” Eddy said. Some people want the state to take a See REGENERATIVE, Page 11 State takes crack at giving meaning to ‘regenerative’

By Christine Souza California water officials are working on an updated plan to improve condi- tions for declining fish populations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The state is also seeking input from farmers, water districts, environmentalists and other water interests on a water-qual- ity control plan for the delta and the San Francisco Bay. As part of a legally re- quired process, the California State Water Resources Control Board is accepting pub- lic comments related to a Sept. 28 draft en- vironmental report by staff that evaluates approaches under consideration. The draft report evaluates strategies that set minimum amounts of unimpaired flow of water in rivers and tributaries that would require water users to cut usage. It also an- alyzes a voluntary-agreement approach that recommends targeted flows be paired with habitat restoration, scientific moni- toring and hundreds of millions of dollars for implementation. “Restoring flows is critical, and the vol- untary agreements propose to do that in all water year types,” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot told board members last week during a third public hearing on the draft report. “We have scientists that have made a clear case that those improved flows, in ad- dition to habitat, scientific monitoring and adaptive management, will be sufficient to move toward recovery of the species,” Crowfoot said. See PLAN, Page 10 Farmers, water districts to weigh in on flows plan

High water following 2023 storms flows in the San Joaquin River in Manteca in June. California water officials are seeking comments, including input from farmers, on a draft environmental report to evaluate voluntary-agreement approaches for targeted flows to help fish and restore habitat.

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New mandates on transportation take effect in 2024

By Katie Little California farmers and ranchers are no strangers to our continuing onslaught of state regulations. Now, as the New Year approaches, several new mandates that

regulations, or SORE, are stirring some concerns in agriculture. The rules primarily apply to lawn and garden equipment with rated power at or below 25 horsepower. Engines that use diesel fuel and engine that are used in stationary equipment, in- cluding standby generators, are not subject to SORE regulations. Additionally, federal law preempts states from regulating new en- gines that are used in construction or farm equipment with less than 175 horsepower. But the SORE regulation directly im- pacts machine manufacturers. If they wish to sell products within California, they must produce zero-emission engines beginning Jan. 1. Yet, even beyond 2024, consumers will be able to use any pre-2024 lawnmow- er, landscaping equipment or SORE- regulated equipment until the end of its useful life. Equipment owners can contin- ue to repair these engines as long as parts and equipment are available. The SORE rules will apply only to new equipment being produced after Jan. 1. Older model-year equipment will be al- lowed to be sold in stores until it is gone, then will be replaced by zero-emission equip- ment. Supplies of 2022 or 2023 engines may last well into 2024, depending on inventory and manufacturer demand for the products. The purchase of gas or diesel burning equipment manufactured out of state for California use is prohibited. Some out-of- state retailers may require identification to guard against selling noncompliant equip- ment into California. The California Farm Bureau continues to express concerns to the air resources board about these regulations and the obstacles they will create within our food supply chain. (Katie Little is a senior policy advocate for the California Farm Bureau. She may be contacted at klittle@cfbf.com)

will take effect come from one agency alone: the California Air Resources Board. CARB has been particularly busy enacting trans- portation policies called for by the Legislature and

Katie Little

Gov. Gavin Newsom. The mandates af- fecting agriculture in 2024 stem from the governor’s September 2020 executive or- der, which recognized impacts of climate change and the importance of transition- ing to zero-emission vehicles. Newsom directed the state to reach 100% sales rate for zero-emission pas- senger cars and trucks by 2035 and 100% sales of medium and heavy-duty vehicles by 2045. Now a trio of regulations aim to achieve those outcomes. The Advanced Clean Fleet Regulation, or ACF, requires the phaseout of inter- nal combustion engines in medium and heavy-duty trucks. This affects medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including trac- tors that weigh more than 8,500 pounds. The ACF rules apply to fleets performing drayage operations, those owned by state, local and federal agencies, and high-pri- ority fleets from companies that have $50 million or more in gross annual revenues, or 50 or more vehicles. The California Farm Bureau has raised concerns about this regulation, which re- quires that the vehicle fleets start phasing in zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVS, next

Starting Jan. 1, new California Air Resources Board regulations take effect as part of a state transition to zero-emission cars and trucks. Many rural communities lack needed charging stations.

year. The majority of our farmers and ranchers live in remote, rural communities that have limited access to vehicle charging stations needed to support this transition. The time required to charge these ve- hicles—and the time needed to travel to charging facilities—could jeopardize timely delivery of farm products, adding to risks of food insecurity. There are also supply challenges, including shortages of ZEVS for purchase and the fact that many agricultural operations require specialty equipment or vehicles for which there is no zero-emission option. There are exemptions from the rules for infrastructure and supply delays, al- though applying for waivers requires a lengthy process. A second regulation approved by the air resources board—Clean Truck Check— seeks to ensure that heavy-duty vehicles operating in California are well-main- tained and repaired quickly when needed to reduce emissions.

The rule provides a level playing field for the businesses that operate these vehicles as it applies to heavy-duty vehicles both registered in California and out of the state. The regulation covers nearly all non-gaso- line vehicles weighing over 14,000 pounds. As of Oct. 1, those subject to the rule are required to enter their vehicles in the air board’s Clean Truck Check database and pay an initial annual compliance fee of $30 per vehicle by Dec. 31. Starting Jan. 1, all trucks driving in California will need proof of compliance to continue operating in the state. Starting July 1, Clean Truck Check will require heavy-duty vehicle owners to con- duct periodic emissions testing, similar to California’s smog check program for cars. Periodic testing initially will be re- quired twice yearly for nearly all vehicles in the program. Agricultural vehicles and California-registered motor homes are re- quired to test once annually. Lastly, new Small Off-Road Engines

VOL. 50, NO. 46

December 20, 2023

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2 Ag Alert December 20, 2023

Weed control effort seeks to curb virus threat for lettuce

with severe impact, it has been relatively mild in 2023. “We’ve had very little INSV this year,” said Jennifer Clarke, California Leafy Greens Research program executive di- rector. “This is probably due to our cold, wet winter and cool summer.” This virus was first detected on Central Coast lettuce in 2006. Since 2018 it has fre- quently destroyed entire fields of the crop. Weed control and research to develop va- rieties with genetic resistance may be key to long-term management.

Researchers from the UC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are working with lettuce growers on crop breeding tri- als aimed at diminishing the threat. “Genetic resistance is the most econom- ical and environmentally sound control method,” the USDA Agricultural Research Service reported in a research summary, “but only partial resistance to INSV has been identified.” ( Bob Johnson is a reporter in Monterey County. He may be contacted at bjohn11135@gmail.com.)

By Bob Johnson Monterey County has enacted a manda- tory abatement program for select weeds as part of an effort to contain the impatiens necrotic spot virus, or INSV, which has se- verely impacted the region’s lettuce crop in recent years. Officials are urging residents who notice any of the 10 most important weed hosts of the virus growing near lettuce production areas to report the sighting to the county agricultural commissioner. The agricultural commissioner will in- vestigate the sighting. If inspectors find one of the 10 suspect weeds, the virus and the insects that vector it, they will serve the prop- erty owner with notice to abate the nuisance. “If the property owner doesn’t abate the weeds, the agricultural commissioner can abate the weed and bill the owner,” said Hannah Wallis, a Monterey County agri- cultural programs biologist. Wallis discussed the ongoing weed abatement program during a pest man- agement meeting held by the University of California Cooperative Extension in Salinas earlier this month. Monterey County farmers in 2022 suffered an estimated $150 million in crop losses as INSV, which is spread by thrips, moved from field to field in the Salinas Valley. The county normally harvests 100,000 acres of lettuce valued at $1.2 billion. This year, exceptionally wet and cold conditions from atmospheric river storms resulted in a dramatic reduction in INSV infections. But lettuce growers suffered an additional $54.4 million in losses from the storms. INSV on lettuce causes yellowing and stunting and can make the crop unfit for market. Management is difficult because the virus has hundreds of crop and weed hosts and is easily spread by western flower thrips after they feed on an infected plant. The 10 suspect weeds on the zero- tolerance list are common purslane, lambsquarter, field bindweed, shep- herd’s purse, nettleleaf goosefoot, hairy fleabane, annual sowthistle, malva and burning nettle. In a statement, the agricultural commis- sioner’s office said, “Getting rid of these 10 plants in non-crop areas near lettuce production is critical to protect next year’s lettuce crop from INSV.” The most critical time to control the weeds is during the lettuce-free period adopted decades ago to manage lettuce mosaic virus. The period from Dec. 7 to Dec. 21— when no lettuce can be aboveground in the county—has been enough to control another lettuce threat, the mosaic virus. But INSV remains a concern due to its abil- ity to spread from host weeds commonly found in Monterey County. “The best thing we can do to minimize INSV is to take advantage of the lettuce-free period to control weed hosts,” Wallis said. Fourteen reports of the weeds have been

made to the agricultural commissioner’s office in 2023, and all of them have been resolved voluntarily. Some of the sightings have been on ground owned by Monterey County, the cities of Salinas and Gonzales, Caltrans and Union Pacific, officials said. While INSV has been widespread in the Salinas Valley in recent years, sometimes

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December 20, 2023 Ag Alert 3

Growers call for increased production of organic seeds

Sonnabend worked on the team that developed California’s original organic regulations, which inspired some of the national certification standards, she said. Now, organic policy advocates are work- ing to correct seed market deficiencies that may have resulted from exceptions to or- ganic regulations, Sonnabend said. “It is the intent of activists and regula- tors in the seed world to try and strengthen these recommendations to encourage the use of more organic seed,” she said. In spring 2019, the National Organic Standards Board recommended updating

organic seed guidance for the National Organic Program to spur more production. Similar recommendations were made in 2005 and 2008. Sonnabend said the latest recommendations are more strident in seeking to uphold a “founding principle of organics.” In Europe, regulatory pressure helped boost the organic seed market, said Jared Zystro, research and education assis- tant director of the agricultural advoca- cy group Organic Seed Alliance, a Port

By Caitlin Fillmore Though certified organic farming acre- age has steadily grown in California and the U.S., farmers say they still have trouble securing organic seeds for planting. Some growers continue to call for a tightening of national organic standards to drive needed growth in organic seed production. They say current rules allow exemptions to using organic seeds, thus slowing development of seed varieties and discouraging production of more diverse seed options for organic farmers. At the Organic Growers Summit in Monterey last month, a panel discussion entitled “Challenges of Organic Seed Production” revealed continuing frus- trations for growers who want certified organic seeds. During the discussion, Theojary Crisantes Jr., chairman of the Organic Produce Association, urged growers to commit to producing and procuring more organic seeds. Crisantes is chief operations officer of Wholesum Family Farms, which has pro- duction in Watsonville, Arizona and Mexico. Two years ago, the firm began producing organic cucumber and pepper seeds in part- nership with a Dutch seed company. “This has been our journey,” Crisantes told attendees. “I encourage everybody to think about this and be part of the solu- tion—one, by procuring the seeds but maybe even thinking about the produc- tion of seeds.” Zea Sonnabend, an organic farmer at Fruitilicious Farm in Watsonville, blamed exemptions to organic standards for di- minishing demand for organic seeds. While regulations for other aspects of the national organic certification process re- main strict, she said, using organic seed re- mains a less stringent aspect of certification. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires farmers to use organic seed to be certified organic. The USDA National Organic Program requirements state that

organic producers “must use organically grown seeds, seedlings and planting stock.” But USDA also allows exemptions that enable growers to use untreated, conven- tionally grown seeds when they cannot source organic seeds in the “form, func- tion and quality that was required for production,” Sonnabend said.

See SEEDS, Page 8

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December 20, 2023 Ag Alert 5

A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® CALIFORNIA Trees & Vines ®

A “mummy shake” takes place in Manteca to sanitize an orchard for the dormant season. Shaking the trees removes remaining almond mummies that can become a food source for overwintering pests.

Orchard sanitation key to thwarting new beetle pest By Vicky Boyd A small beetle that is a top almond pest in Australia has been found infesting almonds and pistachios in the San Joaquin Valley. C. truncatus is closely related to C. hemipterus, the dried-fruit beetle that infests figs and raisins after harvest.

So far, Wilson and his colleagues have confirmed C. truncatus in Stanislaus, Madera, Merced and Kings counties, which he said suggests it is already widespread. In addition, they have samples collected in Merced County in 2022, indicating it has been in the state for at least a year. Bob Klein, California Pistachio Research Board manager, said he doesn’t know how extensive the pest is in pistachios, but it started showing up as early as 2017. “The question is why did it show up at the levels it has this year?” Klein said about the beetle. “Almonds had a bad year with (navel orangeworm), so the speculation is that winter sanitation wasn’t done with the same stringency as it was in the past due to the wet weather and low prices, and insecticides weren’t used as much for (navel orangeworm) control. That may have led to an increase in the beetle population.” Following the discovery of carpophilus beetle in September, Wilson partnered with other farm advisors to conduct a broader survey of orchards across the San Joaquin Valley to determine the extent of the infestation. The survey team includes Jhalendra Rijal, a UCCE integrated pest management advisor for the northern San Joaquin Valley, and David Haviland, a UCCE farm advisor in Kern County. So far, researchers have collected samples from almonds, pistachios, walnuts and pecans, the latter two prompted by reports of C. truncatus infesting walnuts in See BEETLE, Page 7

Until more is known about the behavior of the carpophilus beetle in California, univer- sity entomologists recommend the state’s growers adopt Australia’s primary management strategy of winter sanitation. It involves shaking trees to remove nuts left after harvest, or mummies, where the pest can overwinter. Equally important is windrowing the shaken mummies, then shredding or chopping them. “Winter sanitation is going to be critical,” said Houston Wilson, an associate Cooperative Extension specialist with the University of California, Riverside. This is the same practice that is the foundation of navel orangeworm management in tree nuts. Wilson first learned about the beetle when a pest control advisor alerted Madera County orchard-systems advisor Phoebe Gordon to some strange almond damage in September 2023. At the time, the PCA thought it might be caused by twig borer. When Wilson visited the orchard, the grower recalled complaints from his nut processor about bad ant damage. A short time later, Wilson received a pistachio sample from Kings County that was also infested with the beetle. The California Department of Food and Agriculture identified the culprit as Carpophilus truncatus, which has been a well-established pest in Australian almond orchards for about 10 years. In that country, it has been reported frequently causing 3% to 5% kernel damage.

6 Ag Alert December 20, 2023

Beetle Continued from Page 6

storage in Italy and Argentina. Wilson, Haviland and Rijal are also cur- rently developing a game plan for research and Extension activities in the 2024 season. Wilson and Haviland have already been in contact with their Australian counter- parts to discuss their experiences with the pest in almonds and pistachios, as well as their research to date. “The Australians have been great,” said Wilson, who is based at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center near Parlier. “There’s a lot of discussion with colleagues in Australia to put together a re- search and Extension program for 2024 and beyond. It’s definitely a collaboration.” The Australians have already isolated an attraction pheromone specific to C. truncatus that can be used in monitoring traps. Wilson said he hoped to obtain the compound so they can begin monitoring for the beetle and developing phenology, or life-cycle, models in California in 2024. Although adult beetles can feed on the kernels, larvae account for the bulk of dam- age. Adults are black and 2-3 millimeters long—about half the size of an uncooked medium-grain rice grain. Female beetles lay eggs on the nut during hull split. The larvae make pin- head-size holes as they burrow through the kernel. C. truncatus damage differs from dam- age caused by the navel orangeworm in

Navel orangeworms are messy feeders, leaving behind course frass, or excrement, and webbing in nuts. Winter sanitation efforts seek to rid orchards of worm populations and a new California pest, the carpophilus beetle.

that the beetle larvae tend to consume the kernel meat but not the brown skin. In doing so, they leave behind fine, white, powdery frass, or excrement, along with almond meal but no webbing. Navel orangeworm larvae, on the other hand, produce large amounts of webbing and courser, darker frass as they feed on the kernel, including the brown skin. Because the beetles spend much of their lives protected inside nuts, Wilson said the role of insecticides as management tools is unclear. One biological product researchers want to examine is Beauveria bassiana, a naturally occurring beneficial fungus that

has shown some efficacy against the bee- tle. But Wilson said further work is needed to determine how reliable a strategy it is. C. truncatus’ origin remains unknown. Wilson said UC researchers hope to work with the other countries where the pest has been found to compare genetic fingerprints. “We’ll most likely collaborate with Italy, Argentina and, of course, Australia, to see how interrelated those populations are to ours and to understand the spread that is occurring so rapidly,” he said. Wilson also is asking growers and pest

control advisors to be on the lookout for C. truncatus and report suspected finds to their local farm advisor, UCCE specialist or county agricultural commissioner. “The most important thing growers and PCAs can do right now to control carpo- philus beetle is sanitize. I cannot empha- size this enough,” Wilson said. “Like navel orangeworm, these beetles overwinter in mummy nuts, and so it is imperative to re- move and destroy those nuts.” (Vicky Boyd is a reporter in Modesto. She may be contacted at vlboyd@att.net.)

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December 20, 2023 Ag Alert 7

Agencies agree to reduce Colorado River water use The Biden administration announced agreements with California water agen- cies last week to conserve Colorado River water supplies and boost reservoir levels at Lake Mead. agreement to conserve some 100,000 acre-feet in 2023. proach and close collaboration among federal, state, tribal and local communi- ties. When we work together, we can find solutions to meet the challenges of these unprecedented drought conditions.”

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton joined federal, tribal and state leaders in Nevada in announcing agreements that federal officials say will conserve up to 643,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead. The nation’s largest reservoir, located near Las Vegas, is at about one-third of ca- pacity. But officials said 2023 storms raised Lake Mead levels by 40 feet higher than ex- pected for this time of year. The Coachella Valley Water District agreed to conserve up to 105,000 acre- feet of water, and the Quechan Indian Tribe agreed to save up to 39,000 acre- feet through 2025. Previously, the Imperial Irrigation District signed an

The bureau said additional agreements with the Palo Verde Irrigation District and Bard Water District are expected to be fi- nalized in coming weeks in cooperation with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Reclamation also said a second agreement is pending with the Coachella Valley Water District. “These agreements represent anoth- er critical step in our collective efforts to address the water management challeng- es the Colorado River Basin faces due to drought and climate change,” Touton said in a statement. “Addressing the drought crisis requires an all-hands-on-deck ap-

Officials also announced $295 million in federal funds to support water conser- vation projects to ease demands on the Colorado River. The Biden administration previously announced $4 billion funding from the Inflation Reduction Act would be made available to support water management and conservation efforts in the Colorado River Basin. The funds could be used for water-saving infrastructure and reimburs- ing farmers who fallow fields.

Seeds Continued from Page 5

Townsend, Wash., nonprofit dedicated to promoting “an abundant and diverse supply of organic seed.” But demand for organic seed in the United States still remains low, Zystro said. “There is real interest in growing the or- ganic seed market, but the challenge for seed producers is the demand side,” he said. “If we want to see investment in the needs of organic growers, we need to see some increased uptake in organic seed among growers.” Zystro said the Organic Seed Alliance’s 2022 State of Organic Seed report noted the seed market remains stagnant for vegeta- ble farms of more than 50 acres. “There is a lack of growth or decrease in use of organic seed among the largest vegetable farms,” he said. Michael Willey, North America pro- duction lead at Bayer Crop Science, appealed to growers at the Monterey gathering to reach out and tell seed companies if they want organic seed. Breeding programs can take between 10 to 12 years to produce seed at a large scale, Willey said. “We’re really hoping to partner with many of you and hopefully get into this space of producing organic seed if that is where you, our customer, are willing to go,” Willey said. Crisantes described some drawbacks to growing seed, including getting adjusted to a one-time payment for seed versus the constant cash flow of growing vegetables. He also listed benefits of growing organic seed, from predictable, set prices for the crop to rewarding relationships built with seed scientists. Zystro said growing more organic seed can boost crop genetics. He said unique strains of genetics are frequently discard- ed because the seed market is not robust enough to support diverse varieties. “There could be varieties addressing your production challenges or opportu- nities for new markets that you could cap- ture with unique colors and flavors,” Zystro said. “There could be a lot more options and more organic-tailored genetics if there was more investment.” Zystro said using organic seed reinforces organic integrity and standards while also maintaining a trusting relationship with consumers, who believe organic produce comes from organic inputs. “Whenever there is a discrepancy be- tween consumer expectation and the realities,” Zystro said, “it’s a risk point for everyone.” (Caitlin Fillmore is a reporter in Monterey County. She may be contacted at cslhfillmore@gmail.com.)

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8 Ag Alert December 20, 2023

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At certain times of the year, the pest dis- tricts meet and coordinate an areawide spray program. Growers in these districts do a coordinated spray application to achieve a more uniform knock-down of the popu- lations. This approach has greatly reduced ACP levels, and it can take several months for populations to recover. The coordinated sprays occur through- out the year. One of the most important applications is in January. It can start in late December when schools are closed, allowing growers to work around school sites. Spraying usually runs from early to mid-January. The treatment is a dormant spray and gen- erally a pyrethroid application. Pyrethrin is the organic option. It kills the overwintering ACP adults and prevents them from immedi- ately laying eggs when spring growth arrives. The program leads to a bottleneck of pest populations in the middle of the winter when they’re most fragile. Sometimes the January applications will provide protection until June or July, before the insect is seen again.

January is dormant spray time for Asian citrus psyllids. ACP carries the bacterial dis- ease huanglongbing, or HLB, also known as citrus greening. HLB kills citrus trees when it builds up over time. Certain regions of the world have more problems with it. Florida, in particu- lar, has a climate that’s more conducive to the pest. The state has more generations of psyllids, so they have the ability to transmit the disease because of higher numbers in the environment. California, in comparison, hasn’t had the disease pressure Florida has seen, even though the psyllid has been in the state for some 12 years. Residential settings in Orange and Los Angeles counties have HLB disease detections, so there’s potential for it to spread. In an effort to prevent HLB from moving into commercial groves, testing districts were set up in Southern California to target ACP and prevent the pests from spreading the HLB disease.

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Chris Boisseranc, Southwest Ag Consulting, Redlands

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December 20, 2023 Ag Alert 9

Plan Continued from Page 1

Authority represents 27 member agen- cies that provide water to about 2.5 mil- lion Californians and more than 1.2 mil- lion acres of irrigated agriculture. Scott Peterson, the authority’s water policy di- rector, said the unimpaired flows approach would result in a 250,000 acre-feet reduc- tion of water. Peterson said that would mean “signif- icant negative impacts to communities, farms and ecosystems.” In discussing potential food-security impacts, Peterson cited a 2022 econom- ic analysis of Wetlands Water District by Pepperdine University that found a striking correlation between water supply and pov- erty in Fresno and Kings counties. “When the water district receives little to no water, poverty levels increase, and when the district receives a higher water allocation, economic stability in that re- gion improves,” he said. “The communities in the San Joaquin Valley are more eco- nomically disadvantaged than the rest of California, and they’re disproportionately impacted by water-supply reductions.” Alicia Rockwell, chief government affairs officer for Blue Diamond Growers, a mem- ber-owned agricultural cooperative repre- senting state almond growers, spoke in sup- port of the voluntary-agreements approach. “We believe the voluntary-agreements alternative emerges as a more promis- ing option for achieving a balanced and sustainable water management strategy,” Rockwell said. “These agreements encour- age stakeholders to work together to find solutions that accommodate both envi- ronmental needs and the requirements of the agricultural sector.” Rockwell said a Healthy Rivers and Landscapes proposal promotes innova- tion and investment. “Participants, includ- ing farmers and environmental advocates, are more likely to invest in modern and ef- ficient water technologies when they’re

actively engaged in the decision-making process,” she said. Andy Fecko, general manager of the Placer County Water Agency, who also represents the Regional Water Authority, said the voluntary agreements represent about a decade of work. Because “much of California’s ecosystem is driven by a drought-flood cycle,” he told the board he is concerned with managing water in such an uncertain environment. “How do you manage around that?” asked Fecko, who called for an adaptive management approach. “This is precisely why we’ve tried to build in both the flexi- bility and the assets, and the science and governance, to make real-time decisions.” Northern California Water Association President David Guy said there is a need to combine flows with function to help the ecosystem. “There is a real opportuni- ty here to reimagine our infrastructure in combination with flows,” Guy said. As the state works to update the Bay-Delta plan, about a dozen lawsuits that challenge the state’s 2018 unimpaired flows plan for the San Joaquin River tributaries (Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers) are pending in Sacramento County Superior Court. The cases include a lawsuit brought by the California Farm Bureau that challenges the plan’s adoption and argues the state’s environmental review document underes- timates the harm the plan would cause to

Central Valley agriculture. “In the name of water quality, we’re trying to clamp down entire river systems that have a lot of vested and important and productive human uses of water that have been a feature of California law and policy and history for 150 years,” said Chris Scheuring, senior counsel for the California Farm Bureau, about the pend- ing state water board decision. “Anything that sets aside implemen- tation of the hard path in favor of a more holistic look at the other stressors and rea- sons for fish-population declines is some- thing we’ve been talking about for years,” Scheuring said. Legal arguments were heard this past fall in Sacramento County Superior Court. Scheuring said he anticipates the judge may rule on the matter in January. After evaluating public feedback on the draft report and peer review input on the science report findings on proposed vol- untary agreements, state water board staff could incorporate any changes and release draft plan amendments for public review and comment in early to mid-2024. To learn more or submit written com- ments on the draft staff report by Jan. 19, visit www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/ water_issues/programs/bay_delta/. (Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.)

Voluntary agreements, which received early support from Gov. Gavin Newsom, propose to restore and maintain tens of thousands of acres of habitat in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers that feed into the delta. Early implementation of voluntary agreements is happening, Crowfoot said, with a few dozen habitat projects either complete or almost complete, with more projects in the planning stages. “The state government has identified over $1 billion of improvements—habitat improvements and environmental flow purchases—that would be part of the vol- untary agreements that will provide envi- ronmental benefit regardless of the water board’s approach,” he said. Some districts, farmers and residents have protested the unimpaired flows ap- proach, saying it would do little to restore salmon and other fish populations, while cutting water supplies and causing eco- nomic harm to affected communities. Alexandra Biering, California Farm Bureau senior policy advocate, said under the unimpaired flows alternative, “in most years, an average year looks like the eight drought years we’ve had in the last decade, which is really devastating.” Biering said many state water users, districts and others support the compre- hensive approach proposed in voluntary agreements known as the Healthy Rivers and Landscapes Program. “California’s economy is one of the largest in the world, and much of that is predicated on the availability and use of water supplies that we can move around the state,” Biering said. “When you knee- cap that resource input and prevent it from being available, there is no way to maintain that sort of standing.” The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water

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10 Ag Alert December 20, 2023

Regenerative Continued from Page 1 “big tent” approach that would encourage more farmers to adopt practices that they say benefit ecosystems. Others called for a narrower definition, saying broadening it would cheapen the term. More specifical- ly, they want organic farming practices to serve as a baseline. The CDFA Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel did some prelim- inary work and has submitted to the state some recommendations that serve as guiding principles. Jeff Dlott, who chairs the panel, said the group wants to guard against green- washing, which refers to making decep- tive advertising or marketing claims about products and services so that they appear more environmentally friendly. He said the panel suggested “larger guardrails” so the term can apply to most California farmers. “We did not have a preconceived notion of what that meant other than applicable to more rather than less,” he said, adding the “hard work” will be moving forward as public discussions help decide how big the tent should be. With California’s di- verse farming regions, he said the panel recommended a definition robust enough to accommodate the state’s more than 400 crops and 1,500 soil types. The panel also said regenerative agri- culture should lead to positive impacts on the environment, climate, social and hu- man health, and the economy. The results should be easily measured and verified without being too burdensome on farmers and ranchers, the panel said. In addition, the panel suggested that building soil health should be a foundation of regenerative agriculture. This could be through practices that sequester carbon, increase soil biodiversity and alleviate cli- mate change.

Most of the people who spoke at the meeting sided with restricting regenera- tive agriculture to only organic farmers. Several called for prohibiting conventional pesticides and fertilizers, including the use of biotech methods such as CRISPR and genetic engineering. Lena Brook of the environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council praised the inclusion of human health goals in the panel’s proposed definition. But she said there should be more focus on “an explicit commitment to reducing and/ or possibly eliminating the use of synthet- ic inputs like pesticides and fertilizers.” At a minimum, organic farming techniques should be one way into regenerative agri- culture, she said. “This is especially important consider- ing that you’re taking a big tent approach because we definitely want to encourage more producers to adopt regenerative practices and be inclusive, and we also want to make sure that the tent isn’t so big that the entire concept of regenerative…is completely watered down,” Brook added. Tim LaSalle, co-founder of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at California State University, Chico, advocated leaving room in policy language for the 99% of farmers who are not organic, to get them on board using practic- es that improve soil health, such as no-till, which is not required in organic farming. “Farmers will move quickly to reduce their input costs as they find they don’t need them,” he said, adding that constrict- ing the framework up front “will keep most farmers away.” Del Norte County farmer Blake Alexandre said even though he’s “an ab- solute believer in organic,” he urged those calling to restrict regenerative to organic to keep an open mind.

“Instead of asking everybody to switch churches and religions all at the same time, I really encourage farmers to consider some of the religious principles of regener- ative ag and start there, and we’ll get them in the organic world eventually because it’s logically what makes sense,” he said. Others such as John Roulac, who found- ed the organic food company Nutiva, said one of the best ways to expand biodiversi- ty in soils and ecosystems is to work with larger-scale farms. “Regeneration offers the potential to help change agricultural practices on tens of millions of acres,” Roulac said. Doug Peterson, a producer in Missouri, challenged the notion that organic equals regenerative, saying, “just because you are organic doesn’t mean you are regenera- tive. Some of the worst farms I’ve been on have been organic.” He urged the state to be cautious in the process, as its actions could set a precedent for other states. Rosie Burroughs of Burroughs Family Farms in Denair spoke in favor of supporting

farmers in transitioning to regenerative farming, as “it doesn’t happen overnight.” “The beautiful part about it is that when farmers get to experience the positive suc- cess using the regenerative practices… they will be able to wean themselves off of the heroin addiction of toxic chemicals,” she said. Doria Robinson, executive director of Urban Tilth who serves on the State Board of Food and Agriculture, invited thoughts on whether regenerative agricultural systems should also include socioeconomic struc- tures such as farmworker treatment as part of the framework. Some certification pro- grams require farmers to meet standards on animal welfare and farmworker fairness. After the five listening sessions, the state board plans to create a work group to con- sider public comments and results from the science advisory panel. The task force will then make a recommendation to the state board by June or July 2024, Robinson said. (Ching Lee is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at clee@cfbf.com.)

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155.00

169-171

167-170

79.00

67.38

68.95

117-140

180

188

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MODESTO GARTON TRACTOR INC. 209-538-0911 www.gartontractor.com NEWMAN GARTON TRACTOR INC. 209-862-3760 www.gartontractor.com SANTA ROSA GARTON TRACTOR INC. 707-586-1790 www.gartontractor.com STOCKTON GARTON TRACTOR INC. 209-948-5401 www.gartontractor.com STRATFORD N&S TRACTOR 559-947-3301 www.nstractor.com

TULARE GARTON TRACTOR INC. 559-686-0054 www.gartontractor.com TURLOCK GARTON TRACTOR INC. 209-632-3931 www.gartontractor.com UKIAH GARTON TRACTOR INC. 707-468-5880 www.gartontractor.com WOODLAND GARTON TRACTOR INC. 530-615-2828 www.gartontractor.com

H elle Farm Equipment, Inc. 1 4155 Route 136, Dyersville, IA 52040 h ttps://www.hellefarmequipment.com 5 55-555-5555

79.37

78.72

77.65

8.85

6.64

6.52

No Quote No Quote 260 (G/F) 475 (P/S)

No Quote

No Quote No Quote No Quote 90 (F/G)

Region 2, Sacramento Valley

310 (S)

H elle Farm Equipment, Inc. 1 4155 Route 136, Dyersville, IA 52040 h ttps://www.hellefarmequipment.com 5 55-555-5555

Region 3, Northern San Joaquin Valley Region 4, Central San Joaquin Valley

No Quote 155 {F/G)

Region 5, Southern California Region 6, Southeast Interior

No Quote 19.50 (P, per bale) 19.50 (P, per bale)

380-400 (P)

250-260 (P)

210 (P)

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68-72

40-42

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Provided by the California Farm Bureau as a service to Farm Bureau members. Information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Market News Branch. * ADF=Acid detergent fiber; (S) = Supreme/<27%ADF; (P) = Premium/27-29; (G) = Good/29-32; (F) = Fair/32-35.

December 20, 2023 Ag Alert 11

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