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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$219.9 Billion: Wine Industry's National Economic Impact
WineAmerica, the National Association of American Wineries, this week unveiled a national economic impact study showing the wine industry's total benefit to the American economy at $219.9 billion in 2017. This is the first detailed study ever conducted of the wine industry's national economic impact.
California generates close to $71.2 billion in total economic activity, the largest among states. According to the study, the California wine industry has 4,581 wine producers and 560,000 acres of vineyards. More than 485,000 jobs are created and supported by the state's wine industry, which pays $10.8 billion in local, state and national taxes. California's wine country regions generate 23.6 million tourist visits annually. The study was conducted by John Dunham & Associates, the same group that prepared
The Economic Impact of California Wine and Grapes 2015, commissioned by CAWG and Wine Institute last year.
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Breaking News: Notice of Treatment for Medfly for Fairfield
At this time, the Solano County ag commissioner has not yet approved the quarantine boundary. Once approved it would be posted to a public website. A grower will be able to enter their location and the map will show if they are in or out of the quarantine area. CDFA and the county ag commissioner will also push out information on who to contact if a grower is in. The project will also hold a grower meeting for those interested. CDFA or the county ag commissioner will have a list serve feature for growers to automatically be notified if the quarantine boundary changes.
Regulations, maps and additional information about medfly quarantines are available online. CAWG will continue to be engaged on this and make information available to area growers as we receive it. (Photo: CDFA)
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Government Relations Capitol Report
ANTI-TRUMP LEGISLATION HELD IN ASSEMBLY
To the delight of virtually every industry organization in California, when the Legislature adjourned two weeks ago, it did so without sending SB 49 (De León and Stern) to the governor.
SB 49 is an anti-Trump measure intended to protect against "backsliding" in environmental and labor laws by the Trump administration. "Backsliding" would be determined on a case-by-case basis by state regulatory agencies who would be empowered by SB 49 to adopt emergency regulations with little or no public input.
This bill was amended six times in an attempt to earn Republican or moderate Democrat votes in the Assembly. This effort failed because SB 49 would lock in a host of public policies that would ignore future changes in federal law based on science. This just makes no sense, and consequently, the bill did not advance.
However, as John Boehner once said, "Any good comeback needs some true believers." Those behind this bill are true believers and will no doubt attempt a comeback for SB 49 in 2018.
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CalChamber Reports on Major Legislation for Business
CalChamber last week published a 26-page status update (as of Sept. 16) that summarizes top priority legislation for the group. Categories include agriculture, air quality, climate change, environmental regulation, immigration, regulatory reform, taxation and more. Oct. 15 is the last day for Gov. Brown to sign or veto bills passed by the Legislature on or before Sept. 16.
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Trump Administration Unveils Tax Reform, Wants to Eliminate Estate Tax
The Trump Administration, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and the Senate Committee on Finance yesterday unveiled its unified framework for tax reform. In his
speech in Indianapolis, Trump highlighted the proposed elimination of the estate tax (or "death tax"). "To protect millions of small businesses and the American farmer, we are finally ending the crushing, the horrible, the unfair estate tax, or as it is often referred to, the death tax. We will protect our farmers, our ranchers, and our small businesses, and we will make taxes simple, easy and fair for all Americans."
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Wine Tourism in California is Strong
Who is visiting California wine regions? A comprehensive new survey commissioned by Wine Institute gives us the details about the typical California wine country visitor. The survey's statistics highlight demographic profile such as age, gender, generation and income. For example, the average age of visitors is 43.9 years old, with baby boomers accounting for 39.5 percent, gen X 21.9 percent and millennials 36.1 percent.
The survey also shows statistics for
place of residence, wine consumption, wine knowledge, travel behaviors and more. More than 2,000 U.S. adults participated in the online survey.
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State Board of Food and Ag to Address DACA's Impact on Farmworker Community
The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss recent federal changes to immigration policy that will end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. A range of speakers representing agriculture to education will share their perspectives. The meeting will be held on Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the CDFA main auditorium at 1220 N Street in Sacramento.
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HARVEST
Sonoma's 2017 winegrape harvest on track to finish about mid-October.
Western Farm Press, Sept. 28
Weather and lack of farmworkers are adding to harvest troubles.
Wine Enthusiast, Sept. 27
CAWG member Glenn Proctor interviewed about this year's winegrape crop and market activity.
Western Farm Press, Sept. 26
CAWG member Luke Shoffner talks harvest, yields and mechanization.
Western Farm Press, Sept. 26
LABOR
Rep. Bill Goodlatte is reintroducing a bill that would replace the current H-2A program with an H-2C program.
Growing Produce, Sept. 27
VINEYARD
Dick Cooper (CAWG member) is the Johnny Appleseed of barbera, the first Shenandoah Valley grape grower to plant ambitiously this under-appreciated Italian variety.
Sacramento Bee, Sept. 26
Rebecca Rosin uses various abatement practices to control bird populations that damage winegrapes.
Napa Valley Register, Sept. 23
OTHER
From CAWG member Ciatti Company. Key takeaways:
Unprecedented heat means harvest 2017 is a race to the finish, placing a strain on logistics and resource allocation. The crop size still looks average, with varietals heat-impacted to varying extents. The market is quiet, as per normal this time of the year.
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Westlands Water District Votes No on Delta Tunnels
Westlands Water District, the largest agricultural water district in the U.S., last week voted 7-1 to not to participate in the California WaterFix (CWF). "Westlands supported the development of CWF and has invested considerable financial resources, time and expertise into its planning, but consistently stated that it would not obligate the farmers it serves to billions of dollars in debt without reasonable assurances that the project would produce reliable, affordable water supplies," said a
Sept. 20 statement
.
>SAC BEE ARTICLE: Delta tunnels dead? Southern California ready to plow ahead
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WOTUS Comment Period Closes
Sept. 27 was the last day for stakeholders to submit comments regarding EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' plan to recodify the previous definition of "waters of the United States" (WOTUS).
An online statistic on the regulations.gov page shows that 207,196 comments and submissions were received.
Dozens of agricultural organizations signed on to a letter to EPA on Sept. 27 strongly supporting the repeal and to move quickly to propose a new definition of WOTUS.
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A presentation from the commission's September meeting that provides an overview of the project and its operations and how it integrates with other components of California's water supply system.
Maven's Notebook, Sept. 26
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Have a License to Apply Pesticides? Renew Now!
Mail your application
before November
so that your license or certificate can be issued before it expires. If you submit
before October
, you will be renewed by early December and can then register with your county before Dec. 31. Submitting earlier allows DPR staff additional time to notify you of any issues that could delay processing your license.
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CASINO GAMES!
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UCCE Seminar: Current Issues in Vineyard Health
Foundation Plant Services Director Deborah Golino will lead this seminar focusing on topics such as Pierce's disease, powdery mildew and Botrytis bunch rot diseases, and mealybugs and grapevine leafroll viruses.
When:
Dec. 5 / 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where:
UC Davis Conference Center, 550 Alumni Lane, Davis
Cost:
$210 (includes materials and lunch)
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WHEN: Nov. 7 / 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Stanislaus County Fairgrounds
FEATURES: Grower seminars, grower/PCA breakfast, industry lunch, 4 hours of PCA credits.
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WHEN: Nov. 10 / 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds
FEATURES: Grower seminars, grower/PCA breakfast, industry lunch, 4 hours of PCA credits.
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WHEN: Nov. 14 / 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Big Fresno Fairgrounds
FEATURES: Grower seminars, grower/PCA breakfast, industry lunch, 5 hours of CEUs.
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