CAWG PAC fundraiser, Madera
January 23-25, 2018
Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, Sacramento
February 15-16, 2018
CAWG Board of Directors meeting
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Photos and Presentations from CAWG Summer Conference
Please visit our
Facebook page
to see a photo gallery from the conference and the CAWG PAC golf tournament. Power Point presentations from the speakers have also been posted on the CAWG website (click here). If you do not have your password, please contact Natalie Collins at 916-379-8995.
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Select Committees on Wine to Hold Hearing on Farmworker Housing and Sustainable Farming
The Senate Select Committee on California's Wine Industry and Assembly Select Committee on Wine will examine farmworker housing and sustainable/fish friendly farming at a joint informational hearing next month. Sens. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) chair the Senate committee and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry chairs the Assembly committee. The hearing will be held at Napa Valley College (McPherson Administration Bldg., room 1538) on Aug. 16 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
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Gov. Brown Signs Bill to Extend California's Cap-and-Trade Program
Gov. Jerry Brown on July 25 signed AB 398 by Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), which extends the state's cap-and-trade program from 2020 to 2030 to ensure California continues to meet its ambitious climate change goals. Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who signed the original cap-and-trade bill in 2006, was present at the signing and spoke about the bill's bipartisan support. According to a
San Jose Mercury News article
, the legislation "brought together a rare coalition of environmentalists, agriculture interests, business groups and the oil industry."
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Panetta Speaks Out on 'Blue Card' Bill
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Carmel Valley) is expressing his support for the
Agricultural Worker Program Act
, also known as the "blue card" bill, which he said would "help address the current labor shortage facing producers throughout the Central Coast of California." Panetta is one of 57 Democrat cosponsors of the bill. No Republicans have cosponsored the bill. H.R. 2690 would
shield undocumented agriculture workers from deportation and put them on the path to citizenship. Panetta
spoke on the House Floor
last week in support of the bill and urged Democrats and Republicans to work together on bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform.
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Grower Feedback Wanted at Farm Bill Listening Session in Modesto
To gather input from farmers and other stakeholders, the House Agriculture Committee will hold a listening session - "The Next Farm Bill: Conversations in the Field" - at the Modesto Junior College Ag Pavilion on Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. Committee members are trying to hear different perspectives directly from growers throughout the country to help in crafting the farm bill. AgNet West will be streaming the listening session audio live on its website. Further details will be released soon, see link below.
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On NAFTA: 'Achieve the Best Deal Possible for American Agriculture'
The House Agriculture Committee yesterday held a hearing to prepare for renegotiations of NAFTA.
"Trade is vital to U.S. agriculture and nowhere is it more important than with our neighbors to the north and south," Committee Chair Michael Conaway (R-Texas) said in a statement. "Agriculture needs to keep its foot on the gas to ensure their interests are known and reflected in the agreement. "
Six agriculture industry representatives, including former USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, provided testimony about their industry priorities.
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Chlorpyrifos Ban Bill Introduced in US Senate
With support from environmentalists and other activist groups, U.S. Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have introduced legislation to ban chlorpyrifos. Their bill results from EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt
signing an order on March 29 denying a petition that would have banned chlorpyrifos for agricultural use.
According to an Udall
press release
, the Protect Children, Farmers & Farmworkers from Nerve Agent Pesticides Act would be the first time a bill has been introduced to ban chlorpyrifos. The bill is cosponsored by seven senators, including California's Kamala Harris.
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Aguirre Interviewed on Produce Safety Rule Winegrape Exemption
In a 5-minute interview with California AgNet/American Vineyard, CAWG President John Aguirre provided a concise explanation and update about CAWG's efforts to exempt winegrapes from the Food Safety Modernization Act's produce safety rule. The interview took place at last week's CAWG Summer Conference.
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Grower Ryan Carr gives an update on flower production, canopies, vine growth and more.
Western Farm Press, July 26
Today, the U.S. Department of Labor
announced
that it will publish a request for information regarding the federal overtime rule, which defines who is exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements under the Fair Labor and Standards Act.
CalChamber, July 25
A wet winter and spring brought welcome relief, but has also raised the threat of fungus.
Wine Spectator, July 24
The $47 billion agriculture industry is trying to bring technological innovation up to warp speed before it runs out of immigrant farmworkers.
Los Angeles Times, July 21
A Catalan (Spain) winery is preparing for the industry's future with revived regional varieties that thrive in hotter, drier climates.
The Atlantic, July 17
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State Gives Thumbs Up to Proposed Delta Tunnels
The Delta tunnels reached another major milestone last week when the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) certified the environmental analysis of the California WaterFix. The announcement follows the biological opinions from two federal agencies in June that the plan would likely not jeopardize the environment and wildlife.
"With this certification, our state is now closer to modernizing our aging water delivery system in a way that improves reliability and protects the environment," said DWR Acting Director Cindy Messer.
For more information, including fact sheets about project costs, cost allocation, project delivery and environmental benefits, visit www.californiawaterfix.com.
>
ARTICLE/VIDEO
: Let the lawsuits begin: Delta tunnels get official state green light (Sac Bee)
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Water Articles and Resources
An editorial with different perspectives about river water going through the Delta into San Francisco Bay.
UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, July 24
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Smoke Taint - As a Covered Cause of Loss
Pan American has compiled a frequently asked questions document regarding coverage for smoke tainted grapes under a federal crop insurance policy. The PDF is posted on the CAWG website (homepage) under current hot topics.
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WHEN: Aug. 8 / 7:30 to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Kearney Ag Research and Extension Center, Parlier
The event will feature field tours and classroom presentations. Topics include nematode problems of grapes, grapevine mineral nutrition and mealybug pest control. For more information, contact Matthew Fidelibus at 559-646-6510 or mwfidelibus@ucanr.edu.
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