San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau member Brian Talley testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management last week regarding the efficacy of the farm safety net. Talley is President of Talley Farms and Talley Vineyards in Arroyo Grande.

“I view the Federal crop insurance program to be a fundamental element of the safety net that secures the survival of domestic food production, which I consider to be of critical national importance for all Americans,” Talley told members of the Subcommittee, which includes Representative Salud Carbajal.

Talley and four other agricultural panelists spoke by video conference to the committee, as the U.S. Capitol remains closed to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions. California farmers continue to call for federal farm programs to focus more on the needs of the specialty crop industry. Any changes to farm safety net programs like crop insurance will likely come in the 2023 Farm Bill.

SLO County Farm Bureau wants to thank Brian Talley for making our voice heard in Congress and to Rep. Carbajal for reaching out to our office to include a SLO County agriculture perspective on the important issue of crop insurance.

Do you have questions about crop insurance? Contact Farm Bureau member Chris Laird of Crop Insurance Services by AMS based in San Luis Obispo.

To read Talley's testimony click here. You can watch video of the meeting here. Here are the highlights:

Cattlemen & Farmers Day at the Mid State Fair - Thursday, July 22nd at the California Mid-State Fair Livestock Pavilion 

6:30 P.M. Presentation of Awards (CattleWoman, Cattleman and Agriculturalist of the Year)

We hope this amazing video  will encourage each of you to participate by joining our Buyer’s Coalition. Info may be found at www.jwbylf.org.  Of course, there are a number of options to support.

Seth Joel and Charlie Holland have traveled the world together, photographing and writing about unique places and people. They spent two months in India, chronicling the maharajas there, just before they married. The couple has collaborated on many projects, but it was during a 2015 visit to Arizona, shooting for an online food magazine, that their careers took an interesting turn. Friends invited them to a rodeo, where they encountered children who lived on ranches. Read more at californiabountiful.com

Hotel Buena Vista SLO is conveniently located off of Highway 101. Our 100 percent smoke free hotel offers world class amenities such as 24-hour concierge desk, multilingual staff, and complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access, access to copy and fax service. Start your day with our complimentary continental breakfast. Work out in our fitness center or heated outdoor pool, then unwind in our Jacuzzi. Our 75 spacious guest rooms feature all of the comforts of home including a microwave, mini-fridge, coffeemaker, 32 inch flat screen satellite TV with HBO and ESPN, clock radio, iron, ironing board, desk with lamp and complimentary local call access. Private bathrooms feature a hairdryer. Select rooms offer a kitchenette, available by request. Laundry and dry cleaning service is available upon request.

San Luis Obispo is the most dynamic and beautiful area of the California coast, we enjoy fantastic sunny weather and near- perfect temperature almost any day of the year. In keeping with our temperate, near-tropical weather, the hotel is developed garden style, with comfortable indoor and outdoor setting and a sun-filled pool area. Our professional staff welcomes guests to our community and insures that guests are at the center of recreation, entertainment and business opportunities.

From this center, your visit to Hearst Castle, World Class wine growing regions, and the most accessible and pristine beaches in California are so simple that your time with us will seem all too short.

(805) 549-9911 hotelbuenavistaslo.com

PAL Ventures LLC, Matt Trevisan, Robert Morrison, Mar Vista Berry LLC, Megan’s Organic Market SLO, Bob Keulen

From our friends at Herencia Indigena:

The APA Medication Access Advocacy Program is designed to help our community members who encounter barriers to accessing healthcare services. This includes individuals who are uninsured or underinsured and other individuals who are at risk of not receiving access to medications. Since 2004, APA has advocated for more than 13,000 patients throughout the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo County. The dedicated and compassionate APA Advocates have experience in navigating the various available financial assistance programs that can help patients save on their prescriptions. 

This program helps so many people to reduce healthcare costs and make their medication attainable. It's a wonderful service that many people are not aware of due to language barriers.  

To learn more click here.

The Cal/OSHA Standards Board adopted a revised version of the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on June 17 with immediate effect that will be effective until January 2022. What does it require ag employers to do? Bryan Little, FELS COO, and Seth Mehrten of FELS Group Legal Service Plan partner firm Barsamian & Moody briefed over 100 participants on the revised ETS on June 25, 2021.

You can review the presentations and view the video of the webinar at Webinars by Farm Employers Labor Service.

Following successful programs in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, SLO County Fire Department announced this week it is now accepting applications from farmers and ranchers for its newly-developed Ag Pass program.

This program identifies farm and ranch employees to first responders and emergency workers assigned to restrict public access to areas threatened during a fire and other disasters. The Ag Pass program allows limited emergency access to protect or care for agricultural assets and/or provide support information to emergency personnel. Your role does not involve fighting fire or acting as a first responder during disaster.

For more information, please contact Loree McRoberts at (805) 593-3490 or loree.mcroberts@fire.ca.gov

Join SLO County Farm Bureau now or renew your membership online. Go to slofarmbureau.org to join, or download the membership form PDF. Have your renewal notice available to speed up the process; you will need to enter your membership number, name and ZIP code. Renewal dues may be paid online or over the phone by credit card.