CAWG PAC fundraiser, Madera
November 9-10
CAWG Board of Directors meeting, Lodi
January 23-25, 2018
Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, Sacramento
February 22-23, 2018
CAWG Board of Directors meeting, Temecula
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Immigrant Worker Protection Act Passes Senate Appropriations
The
Immigrant Worker Protection Act (AB 450), a bill by Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco), passed the state Senate Appropriations Committee on Sept. 1.
AB 450 intends to protect workers from ICE raids by prohibiting employers from allowing immigration officials onto the work site without a search warrant. On Wednesday, Chiu and dozens of workers appeared at a rally at the state Capitol to call for passage of the bill. Among those who spoke at the rally was Ceja Vineyards President Amelia Ceja, who was an immigrant from Mexico. The rally was held a day after the Trump administration/Department of Justice
declared the end
of the
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
program.
>LA TIMES ARTICLE: Immigrant rights advocates rally in Sacramento to fight for workplace protections from ICE raids
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Government Relations Capitol Report
As the California Legislature prepares to adjourn for the year next week, one of its final issues is housing. A
housing bond (which includes funding for ag housing), a
real estate transaction fee
to increase funding for affordable housing, and
building reforms have yet to be approved in final form. Keep in mind, though, that the Legislature is driven by deadlines and routinely deals with the most controversial legislation at the end.
Additionally, in the last hours of the legislative year, legislation that had previously died sometimes comes back to life. With that hope, environmental justice (EJ) advocates and others are pushing for a bill that would provide funding for clean drinking water and provide regulatory relief for growers in certain areas. Toward this end, EJ groups have organized phone banks to call assembly members asking them to take up and approve SB 623 (Monning),which failed passage last week in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and was made a two-year bill.
Considering the hijinks that may occur in the next few days, the Mickey Mouse Club comes to mind. "Anything Can Happen" was the show's theme for Wednesday.
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NBC's "Today" Looks at Wine and Weed in California
This week the "Today" show aired a 3-minute story on how the legalization of weed in California may affect the state's wine industry. One issue is labor, according to a vineyard owner. "I see cannabis production as a direct competitor for workers."
>
VIDEO
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It's Official: DowDuPont Merger Closes
DowDuPont™ on Sept. 1
announced
the successful completion of the merger of The Dow Chemical Company and E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, effective Aug. 31, 2017. The combined entity is operating as a holding company under the name DowDuPont with three divisions - agriculture, materials science and specialty products. The agriculture division brings together DuPont Crop Protection, Dow AgroSciences and DuPont Pioneer.
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Winegrape Industry Represented in Newest Ag Leadership Class
Three CAWG member employees - Tim Fitzgerald of G3 Enterprises, Alejandra Navarrete of E. & J. Gallo, and Adam Lovgren of Wonderful Nurseries - are among the 24 fellows selected for Class 48 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Other fellows with a winegrape industry connection are Paul Crout of Vineyard Professional Services and Jazmin Lopez of Pisoni Farms/Pisoni Vineyards. Many CAWG members are alumni of the program, considered to be one of the premier leadership development experiences in the U.S.
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HARVEST
CAWG members and CAWG President John Aguirre are quoted. The consensus among growers and industry executives is that the 2017 crop will come in slightly below normal.
Ag Alert, Sept. 6
Labor shortage and rising wages are driving mechanization.
KEYT-Santa Barbara, Sept. 6
Growers are now navigating a new challenge: muggy, humid weather conditions that bring the threat of mildew and botrytis, or fruit rot. CAWG members interviewed.
Press Democrat, Sept. 6
LABOR
CAWG board members Brad Goehring and Tom Slater were interviewed about the farmworker shortage. Brad is also featured in the video.
Sacramento Bee, Sept. 1
Updates from growers and vineyard managers about the harvest and labor situation.
San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 1
OTHER
Working with UC Davis' Foundation Plant Services, Bryan Harrington is on a mission to change California wine by hunting down rare grapes from Italy and growing them here.
Wine Enthusiast, Sept. 1
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State Water Board Proposes to Redefine Wetland
In the September issue of The Crush (in mailboxes soon), CAWG Director of Government Relations Michael Miiller writes about the State Water Resources Control Board's proposed wetland policies that could cause substantial problems for agriculture.
The water board recently published its final draft proposed rule - "
State Wetland Definition and Procedures for Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State
." The state definition of wetland is much broader than the federal definition. CAWG intends to strongly advocate on the proposed rule to protect property rights and a grower's ability to grow winegrapes.
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DWR Releases Updated Central Valley Flood Protection Plan
The Central Valley Flood Protection Board on Aug. 25 adopted the 2017 update to the Central Valley Flood Prevention Plan (CVFPP).
The update's primary goal is to improve flood risk management throughout the Central Valley, which includes the Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins. The comprehensive and long-range plan identifies the need to invest $17-$21 billion to improve the Central Valley flood control over the next 30 years. The CVFPP is updated every five years per the Central Valley Flood Protection Act of 2008.
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California Reports on Conditions of Hundreds of Dams
The California Division of Safety of Dams (DSOD) on Sept. 1 released
updated information
on 1,249 dams under its jurisdiction, including downstream hazard classification, condition assessment, and reservoir restriction status for each dam.
Currently 1,151 dams (92 percent) within DSOD's jurisdiction are rated satisfactory, meaning no identified deficiencies. Ninety-seven dams (less than 8 percent) have a deficiency with a current condition assessment of fair, poor or unsatisfactory. The updated dam information helps carry out legislation signed by Gov. Brown earlier this year requiring dam owners to update emergency action plans and inundation maps to incorporate new information.
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Water Articles and Resources
Independent experts charged that the state and federal officials who inspected Oroville Dam ignored blueprints, construction records and other clues that could have warned them about the dam's troubled flood-control spillway before it fractured.
Sacramento Bee, Sept. 5
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Share Your Harvest Photos with CAWG!
CAWG would like to share your awesome harvest photos on its Facebook and Twitter pages. Please share your posts or photos on the CAWG Facebook page or email photos to Natalie Collins at [email protected]. >
FACEBOOK
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CASINO GAMES!
GREAT FOOD!
FABULOUS COMPANY!
click on image for more details
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Independent Grape Growers of Paso Robles - Educational Seminar
WHEN: Sept. 20 / 1-4 p.m.
WHERE: J. Lohr Vineyard & Winery, Paso Robles
TOPICS:
Advances in mechanical harvesting, unfair business and labor practices, and harvest pre-check (testing, tracking data, weather).
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7th Annual Ag Labor Issues Forum
WHEN: Nov. 15-16
WHERE: Tachi Palace, Lemoore
TOPICS:
-New Laws and Regulations for 2018
-Ripped from the Headlines: Work Stoppage, Demand for Higher Wages
-Understanding the H2A Visa Process - Costs and Benefits
-Designing Employee Benefit Plans for Today's Ag Workforce
-Conducting Effective and Legal Internal Investigations
-Best Practices to Control Work Comp Claim Costs
-Updates on New WPS Pesticide Safety Training Requirements
-Exploring Technologies in Personnel Management
-Research Findings: Who Are California's Farmworkers?
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A multi-day seminar and tradeshow for farmers, ag professionals and PCAs to learn about the latest in research, resources and trends related to sustainable agriculture.
Winegrape-specific sessions
focus on vine mealybug management, virus management, red blotch, Pierce's disease, vineyard development, plant material and disease considerations, and vineyard mechanization.
WHEN: Nov. 13-15
WHERE: Madonna Inn Expo Center, San Luis Obispo
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