YOUR SOURCE FOR CAWG AND INDUSTRY NEWS. FOR CAWG MEMBERS ONLY.
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UCCE, CAWG Members Partner on 'The Mother of All Cabernet Trials'
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What’s being called "the mother of all cabernet trials" and “the wine industry’s most ambitious cabernet sauvignon rootstock and clone trial” launched on Aug. 15, according to a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources article. UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) is collaborating with CAWG members Beckstoffer Vineyards and Duarte Nursery on the experimental trial in the Red Hills of Lake County. The trial – named “Climate-smart Solutions for Cabernet Sauvignon Production” – includes 3,600 vines with 10 cabernet sauvignon clones on 10 rootstocks. Dr. Kaan Kurtural, UCCE viticulture specialist in Oakville, is the trial's lead researcher. “This trial will give us data that will help inform and improve growing practices for cabernet sauvignon across the state for the next two decades,” he said in the article. “Nothing of this scope has been attempted.”
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Government Relations Report
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THE RIGHT LEFT OF TAXES
A ballot measure that recently qualified for the November 2020 ballot would revisit Proposition 13 (the 1978 Howard Jarvis property tax measure) by creating what is known as “split-roll.” Statewide, this would raise taxes by about $10 billion annually by treating residential and commercial property differently for purposes of property tax assessments.
This week, labor unions announced their effort to seek a replacement split-roll ballot measure which would also add some accountability measures for split-roll, exempt small businesses, and direct funds to community colleges.
Gov. Newsom has indicated he is not a fan of split-roll. This is in part because affordable housing advocates fear it would incentivize commercial real estate development (instead of housing) by making it a larger revenue generator for local governments. Newsom may be hoping for a legislative solution instead of a ballot measure.
However, the California Legislature has not indicated a willingness to increase taxes. For example, the Assembly on Monday rejected Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 1 (Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters), which would lower the voter threshold from a two-thirds supermajority to 55 percent majority to approve local taxes and bonds for affordable housing and public infrastructure.
This week’s actions on ACA 1 is an indication that the ongoing tax slugfest, both in the state Capitol and at the ballot, is not ending anytime soon.
CENTRAL VALLEY SENATE RACE
The race to replace termed-out Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton) took a peculiar turn this week. The main candidates are Stockton City Council member
Jesus Andrade
, a Republican, Assemblymember
Susan Eggman
(D-Stockton) and Modesto City Council member
Mani Grewal
, a Democrat.
Grewal has been courting the ag industry for endorsements and financial support for more than two years. So, it was a surprise when he posted a
Facebook video
attacking Eggman for her stance on the ag overtime law. In the video, Grewal states ag workers, “Work 10 hours without overtime pay. Susan Eggman doesn’t support overtime pay for these hard-working people.”
In politics, it is common for candidates to find ways to distinguish themselves from their opponents. This video is most surprising to growers because Grewal is a farmer. Political insiders believe this video is the brainchild of Richie Ross, Grewal’s campaign consultant. Ross has a
long history of political work
with the United Farm Workers.
It will be interesting to see how this Central Valley Senate race plays out in the months ahead.
-Michael Miiller / michael@cawg.org / 916-379-8995
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PD/GWSS Updates for First Half of 2019
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From the PD/GWSS Board website:
>Nursery Stock Approved Treatment Program (ATP):
From Jan. 1 to June 30 there were 5,798 ATP shipments consisting of approximately 1.5 million plants. No regulatory actions were necessary this year against any ATP nurseries or shipments.
>Nursery Regulatory Program:
From Jan. 1 to June 30 there were 21,661 nursery stock shipments from the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS) infested areas to non-infested areas of the state. Origin county inspections found and removed three adult GWSS and 25 egg masses from nursery stock shipments, but one viable egg mass was found in a shipment at destination.
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Friday, Aug. 23
-- CDFA to Host Healthy Soils Program Public Meeting, Webinar
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Farmers, ag associations and other stakeholders are invited to participate in this meeting/webinar on the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s
Healthy Soils Program
. CDFA is seeking input about the program – part of its Climate Smart Agriculture portfolio – in an effort to make continued improvements.
WHEN: Aug. 23 / 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: CDFA, 1220 N Street, Sacramento
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Legislative Wine Committee Hearing: Summary Report, Video Now Available
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The Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry and the Assembly Select Committee on Wine held a joint hearing on June 28 at Sonoma State University. Tony Stephen, of Scheid Family Wines in Monterey County, testified on behalf of CAWG.
>
VIDEO
(starts at the 20-minute mark)
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CAWG Members Selected to Lodi Winegrape Commission Board
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Four CAWG members were recently
named to the Lodi Winegrape Commission board
. Joining as a commissioner is Diego Olagaray, who also serves on the CAWG board. Joining as alternates are Jason Eells, Todd Maley and Mitch Spaletta.
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Providing creative, integrated solutions for our beverage and agricultural industry partners with quality packaging products and supply chain services
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CAWG's preferred partner for insurance products for more than 20 years. Group workers' comp, wine industry package, federal crop insurance, employee benefits...and more. For more information: 209-955-2600 or
email
.
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Providing the very best California crop insurance services.
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IF YOU ARE
INTERESTED IN SPONSORING
CAWG eNEWS,
CALL 916-379-8995.
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Next Week!
Night Harvest Vineyard Tour & Dinner
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CAWG growers and staff will meet with lawmakers and staff from the Newsom administration to share information about the industry, the upcoming harvest and challenges facing growers.
WHEN: Aug. 28 / 6 p.m. (social, dinner and tour)
WHERE: Heringer Estates Family Vineyards & Winery, Clarksburg
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EPA Awards More Than $8M to California State Water Board
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The California State Water Resources Control Board is
receiving a $8,415,900 grant
from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce polluted runoff and improve the state’s lakes, rivers, coastal water and groundwater. The grant is part of the Clean Water Act’s Nonpoint Source (NPS) program. NPS grants are awarded to states to implement environmental programs that address various sources of nonpoint source pollution to surface water and groundwater in order to achieve and maintain water quality standards.
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Interview With Dorene D'Adamo, Ag Member of State Water Resources Control Board
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In a five-minute interview with California Ag Network, Dorene D’Adamo explains that it will take much more than a couple of farming board members to make a difference in current water issues. D’Adamo was appointed to the board in 2013 and reappointed in 2018.
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Sonoma County: Largest Winegrape Crop Ever Harvested
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The 2018 winegrape crop was the largest ever harvested in Sonoma County. Total winegrape tonnage jumped 34 percent – from 206,097 in 2017 to 275,977 in 2018. Total winegrape value increased 34.3 percent – from $578,312,900 in 2017 to $777,675,300 in 2018. The top reds by
value
were pinot noir (13,383 acres/58,005 tons/$220.5 million), cabernet sauvignon (12,505 acres/56,948 tons/$177.3 million) and zinfandel (4,947 acres/15,731 tons/$48.8 million). The top whites by
value
were chardonnay (15,885 acres/88,312 tons/$209 million), sauvignon blanc (2,712 acres/18,918 tons/$33.9 million) and pinot gris (398 acres/1,670 tons/$3 million). The gross value of all ag commodities exceeded $1 billion for the first time.
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Ciatti Company
Picking has begun in prime growing regions in the northern Bay Area.
Western Farm Press, Aug. 21
Despite a 19-page proposal (after three revisions) by Kendall-Jackson, the Unicode Technical Committee said it will not move forward at this time, but may consider the emoji in the future.
People, Aug. 19
Los Angeles Times, Aug. 18
Construction of the center is underway.
Wine Business,
Aug. 22
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A U.S. official has offered to triple the number of temporary farmworker visas available to Guatemalans.
Reuters, Aug. 19
Four-page summary of a recent UC Davis-California Farm Bureau survey on farm labor.
University of California ARE Update, July/August issue
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Wildfires burned more than 1.8 million acres in 2018 and 1.2 million acres in 2017, but only 51,079 acres have burned this year on state and federal lands in California.
Los Angeles Times, Aug. 22
Press release, Aug. 20
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Sensor Technology Workshop Hosted by NGRA and USDA-NRS
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The National Grape Research Alliance (of which CAWG is a proud member) and USDA's Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have partnered to offer the
NGRA-ARS Sensor Technology Workshop
in November. Nearly 30 scientists from ARS and other academic institutions will present their work developing sensor technologies for vine status and irrigation management, and pests and diseases, and the data integration and modeling applications that translate sensor outputs into usable information. A grower panel also will present their experiences implementing these technologies, reporting on their successes and reflecting on what they've learned.
WHEN: Nov. 30 / 7:30 a.m.
WHERE: Embassy Suites, 100 Capitol Mall, Sacramento
COST: $250
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August 28
November 7
CAWG Board of Directors meeting,
Modesto
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