May 11-12
CAWG Board of Directors Meeting, Sacramento
May 18
CAWG PAC Event, Paso Robles
2016 National Grape and Wine Policy Conference, Washington, DC
CAWG PAC Golf Tournament and
5th Annual Awards of Excellence Program & Dinner, Monterey
CAWG Summer Conference, Speaker Program and Annual Business Meeting, Monterey
CAWG Board of Directors Meeting, Monterey
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CALL TO ACTION: AB 2757 / Ag Overtime Bill
AB 2757 by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego) would eliminate the current 10 hours per day/60 hours per week overtime exemption for agricultural workers and replace it with an 8 hours per day/40 hours per week overtime system. The bill was heard on April 6 in the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, where it passed on a party line vote with Democrats supporting the bill. Brad Goehring, chair of the CAWG State Government Affairs Committee, and employees from Kautz Vineyards spoke in opposition to the bill during the hearing. The bill will now move to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, where it will likely be heard on April 13.
CAWG staff strongly encourages you to contact your Assembly member regarding this bill
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Click here to be linked to the CAWG Action Center to contact legislators.
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$90 Million in Grants Available for Specialty Crop Growers
More than $90 million in competitive grants are available from USDA to help strengthen local and regional food systems, develop new market opportunities for producers, and support specialty crop producers. The grant programs are administered by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. More than $62 million is allocated in grants to U.S. states and territories through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program for projects supporting specialty crop growers through research and programs.
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Arizona Passes Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping Bill
Arizona enacted a new law on March 31, allowing Arizona residents to receive wine directly from in-state and out-of-state wineries - without requiring a visit to the winery and regardless of winery size. According to the Wine Institute, the new law provides for limited, regulated, tax-paid wine shipping by wineries in the United States that obtain a license from the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control. The organization said, "Arizona is ranked 14th in wine consumption nationally, making this a big win for Arizona wine consumers and the 1,000 U.S. wineries producing more than 20,000 gallons per year."
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Tips for Preventing Trunk Disease
Growing Produce has published an article about proper preventative measures to avoid trunk disease.
Allison Ferry-Abee, University of California Cooperative Extension advisor for Tulare and Kings counties offers three tips and explanations for preventing trunk disease: delay pruning, double pruning and protect pruning wounds.
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Research Article: Arsenic Content in California Wines Not a Health Risk
In the April issue of the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture, researchers published the article "Analysis of Total Arsenic Content in California Wines and Comparison to Various Health Risk Criteria." According to the abstract,
chronic daily intake of arsenic as a result of wine consumption was estimated to account for a small fraction of a typical adult's dietary arsenic intake, indicating that wine consumption is not a significant source of total arsenic exposure. The results indicate that the presence of arsenic in wine does not represent a health risk for consumers.
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Record Growth in U.S. Organic Producers
The number of certified organic operations has increased substantially, continuing the trend of double digit growth in the organic sector. According to new data from USDA, there are now 21,781 certified organic operations in the United States. Information about specific certified organic farms and businesses - including those in the winegrape industry - are available online through a new
Organic Integrity Database, a modernized system that tracks organic operations.
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Reclamation: Initial Water Supply Allocation for Central Valley Project
The Bureau of Reclamation on April 1 announced the initial 2016 water supply allocation for Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors. This allocation is based on a cautious estimate of the amount of water that will be available for delivery to CVP water users and reflects current reservoir storages, precipitation and snowpack in the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada.
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SECURE Water Act Report: Reclamation Climate Change and Water 2016
Focusing on the importance of water sustainability, the Bureau of Reclamation released a basin-by-basin report that identifies climate change as a growing risk to Western water management. It cites warmer temperatures, changes to precipitation, snowpack and the timing and quality of streamflow runoff across major river basins as threats to water sustainability. The report details adaptation strategies to better protect major river basins in the West.
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Californians Conserve 1.19 Million Acre-Feet of Water in Nine Months
Californians fell just short of Gov. Brown's 25 percent water conservation mandate for the nine months since mandatory urban conservation began. From June 2015 through February 2016, the state saved 1.19 million acre-feet of water - 96 percent of the savings goal. The cumulative statewide reduction was 23.9 percent, compared to the same months in 2013. Statewide, the conservation rate dropped from 17.1 percent in January to 12 percent in February, likely due to a warm and dry February.
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One More Week to Submit Nominations for Grower of the Year and Leader of the Year
Please submit your nominations by Friday, April 15.
Visit the CAWG website to learn more about the awards, the judging and nominations procedure.
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Smart Marketer Seminar Presented by CAWG, Sonoma County Winegrowers
When: April 26 / 3-5 p.m.
Where: Wine Country Hilton
For CAWG and Sonoma County Winegrape Commission members only.
Topics: state and federal issues (piece rate, FSMA, SGMA, minimum wage), contracts and liens, and market update.
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April 28 / 10-11 a.m.
Succession & Estate Planning
Presented by Mike Weinstraub, Pan American
May 4 / 10-11 a.m.
Heat Illness Prevention
Presented by Bryan Little, FELS
June 14 / 10-11 a.m.
Food Safety Modernization Act-Wine Grapes
Presented by Leila Bruderer, Downey Brand
July 14 / 10-11 a.m.
Night Harvest Illumination
Presented by Amy Wolfe, AgSafe
TBD
Vineyard Tax Benefits
Presented by Robert Murphy, Frank, Rimerman + Co. LLP
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Save the Dates! Join Us For the 2016 CAWG Summer Conference
PORTOLA HOTEL AND SPA
MONTEREY
JULY 20 - MORNING
5th annual CAWG PAC Golf Tournament, Del Monte Golf Course. An awards ceremony and reception will follow.
JULY 20 - EVENING
5th annual Awards of Excellence Program. This event will include a reception, dinner, and award presentations for CAWG Leader of the Year and CAWG Grower of the Year.
JULY 21
CAWG Speaker Program and 42nd Annual Meeting. The speaker program will feature presentations from wine industry experts who will educate and inform on key 2016 issues affecting our business operations. CAWG's annual business meeting will follow the speaker program.
JULY 22
CAWG board of directors meeting.
REGISTRATION AND HOTEL: Visit the CAWG website. CAWG has negotiated a room rate of $209 at the Portola Hotel and Spa. The deadline to reserve a room at that rate is Tuesday, June 28.
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UC Davis Seminars and Meetings
Viticulture and Enology On the Road in Modesto
When: April 11, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Harvest Hall, Stanislaus County Ag Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way Ste. B, Modesto
Presentations include:
-Factors affecting micro-oxygenation: microbes and antioxidants
-Alternative wine grape varieties for the San Joaquin Valley
-Geospatial variation in soil available water, vine water status and cabernet sauvignon fruit quality characteristics
-Impact of red blotch disease on grape and wine composition
-Rootstocks and applied water affect productivity and phenolic composition of zinfandel
Current Developments in Vineyard Mechanization & Precision Management
When: April 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: UCD Conference Center and Robert Mondavi Institute Teaching and Research Vineyard
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Napa Valley Grapegrowers: Vine Physiology & Nutrition with WSU's Markus Keller
When: April 13
Where: COPIA Theater, Napa
Feature: World-renowned researcher
Dr. Markus Keller will discuss how vines acquire mineral nutrients from the soil and use them for growth, fruit production and ripening. The influence of water deficit on these processes will also be considered. The presentation will emphasize key nutrients and their impact on fruit composition.
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21st Annual Vineyard Economics Seminar
When: May 25
Where: Napa Valley Marriott, Napa
The program features agricultural experts, wine industry professionals and high level decision makers from all areas of the industry. Topics will include the grape market, premiumization of vineyards, water and drought issues, vineyard risk factors, and tax and lending information specific to vineyards and growers.
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2016 National Grape & Wine Policy Conference
When: May 22-24
Where: Grand Hyatt, Washington, D.C.
The 2016 National Grape and Wine Policy Conference will take place at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, May 22 - 24, 2016. The conference will begin with a welcome reception on Sunday, May 22. WGA and WineAmerica will host their board meetings on Monday morning, May 23, followed by the keynote speaker luncheon and afternoon sessions. Tuesday, May 24, will include morning sessions, hill visits and a legislative wine reception. Wednesday, May 25, you will have the opportunity to schedule further hill visits if needed.
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