Some SLO County Fields Still Under Water, More Rain On The Way | |
This Week In SLO County Agriculture | |
Community: Celebration of Life for Darrell Twisselman is March 25 | |
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A Legend Lives On - Celebration of Life for Darrell Twisselman is March 25 at 1pm
From the Family of Darrell Twisselman:
Please join us to celebrate the most amazing man, husband, father and grandfather. To know him was to love him and he will forever live on in our hearts and our stories. We hope all who were touched by his beautiful soul, will come celebrate his incredible life and legacy with us. RSVPs greatly appreciated so we have an idea for food. Thanks!
- When: Saturday, March 25 at 1pm
- Where: Twisselman Pond 7365 Cattle Drive, Santa Margarita
- RSVPs requested by Facebook here
- Watch a video featuring Darrell here
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SLO Food System Coalition is Hiring
Are you interested in enhancing the sustainability and quality of our local food system? Consider applying for the Coordinator position with the SLO Food System Coalition!
Join a collaborative network working to better our food system through increasing access to local, healthy food, raising awareness of food policy issues, and training on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the food system.
Check out the job description here which includes details on how to apply. Email slofoodsystem@gmail.com with any questions!
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SLO Food System Coalition Steering Committee invites you to Non-Profit Monday March 20th 4:30-6:30pm
Join SLO County Farm Bureau Executive director Brent Burchett tonight for a fundraiser benefiting the SLO Food System Coalition! Tip your Food System Coalition bartender at SLO Provisions.Bring your friends and family for an early dinner and drinks
- SLO Provisions @ 1255 Monterey Street in SLO
- 4:30pm-6:30pm all tips for the bartender go to your Food System Coalition
Guest bartenders from the FSC Steering Committee will be pouring your favorite local wines and all tips benefit the coalition.
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Stunning viral video shows California farmers launching truck into levee to stop flooding | A viral video that circulated among California farmers this week, showing two pricey pickup trucks sacrificed to plug a hole in a levee, reveals the drastic measures that some in the agricultural community are taking to protect fields from flooding. | | | | |
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Hambly Lavender Farms Announces All-New 2023 Lavender U-Pick Experience
The Hambly Farms 2023 season begins May 1 through late October, Ma Nature willing, though reservations are now open for your SLO CAL vacation planning. This all-new experience will feature a lavender u-pick of multiple varieties, from culinary to craft. The vistas from their rolling hills of lavender include local vineyards, with the California coastal mountain range in the background, providing farm goers picturesque views and photo opps while harvesting and breathing in the sweet scents of summer. Visitors will also find friendly barnyard animals looking on adorably as they stroll into the fields.
Whether you are an experienced u-picker, or a first timer, Hambly Farms guests will select a one-hour morning or sunset farmer lead u-pick session, allowing plenty of time to hit one of the many trails for more agritourism activities and fit for foodie experiences found in San Luis Obispo County. Learn more about Hambly Lavender Farms at hamblyfarms.com and confirm available dates for your u-pick harvest experience.
Hambly Farms is a multi-generational family owned u-pick lavender farm nestled in Paso Robles Wine Country, amidst the beautiful Central Coast of California. Hambly Farms nurtures the land and gathers their harvest to create estate-made lavender products in a place that family, new friends and old will come together to make memories that will last a lifetime. For more information about Hambly Farms visit hamblyfarms.com or @hamblyfarms
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California Farm Bureau News: Farm Equipment Safety Training- March 21 | | |
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Farm Bureau Extension: 2023 CE Series | California Farm Bureau presents the Farm Bureau Extension: 2023 CE Series held virtually. Join us throughout the year for webinars featuring content that meets your pesticide continuing education (CE) requirements. Subject matter experts will share information immediately applicable to your business operations and advance your professional development. | | | |
Local Government: San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors Meets Tuesday, March 21 | |
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San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors Meets Tuesday, March 21
SLO County Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday March 21 at 9:00am. The agenda can be viewed here and additional item documents here. The meeting will be available to stream online here once the meeting starts.
Items of Interest to Agriculture:
19 Request to approve a resolution authorizing the Director of Groundwater Sustainability, or designee, to file an application and execute a grant agreement with the California Department of Conservation and to provide and execute funding agreements with any local project sponsors for funding under the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program Round 2 Grant Program to support development and implementation of a Multibenefit Irrigated Land Repurposing (MILR) Program for the Paso Robles Groundwater Subbasin. Districts 1, 2, 4 and 5.
25 Submittal of resolutions to levy benefit assessments for costs of San Luis Obispo County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Zones 1, 1A, 4, 16, and 18 for FY 2023-24. Districts 1, 2, 4, and 5 (Old District 4). (See table above right)
26 Submittal of a resolution and tabulation of changes in mileage of maintained County roads as required by the State Department of Transportation. All Districts.
41 Hearing to consider: 1) adoption of an ordinance authorizing the implementation of a community choice aggregation program in the unincorporated areas of San Luis Obispo County through the County organization’s participation in Central Coast Community Energy’s (3CE) community choice aggregation program; 2) adoption of a resolution requesting membership in 3CE’s Joint Powers Authority and authorizing the Chair to execute the Joint Powers Authority Agreement as amended with 3CE; and 3) direct staff as appropriate. All Districts.
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State Government: CDFA Releases Annual Ag Report | |
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California Farm Bureau's Farm Bureau at Work-
March 17, 2022
Pesticides
EPA ANNOUNCES ACCELERATED ACTION ON FOUR ORGANOPHOSPHATE PESTICIDES BASED ON UPDATED EXPOSURE ASSESSMENTS
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing an effort to expedite protections on some high-risk uses of four organophosphate pesticides. The Agency is releasing the updated occupational and non-occupational spray drift exposure risk assessments for these four pesticides – diazinon, ethoprop, tribufos and phosmet – several years ahead of the scheduled completion of EPA’s work on these chemicals in order to seek early mitigation prior to completing the standard registration review process.
EPA is currently meeting with the technical registrants of the four pesticides about early risk mitigation. The types of mitigation under consideration include cancellation of uses and formulation types, prohibition of application methods, increased personal protective equipment for pesticide handlers, spray drift requirements, and new restrictions on when workers can reenter treated fields and perform harvesting and other types of post-application activities. The Agency is asking the registrants to submit label amendments that reflect the necessary risk mitigation measures for each of these four organophosphates and is prepared to expedite label reviews in order to implement the protections as quickly as possible. California Farm Bureau will work with AFBF to provide further comments on this issue.
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CDFA releases annual ag stats report | The annual California Agricultural Statistics Review has been released. This publication provides comprehensive data and information on California's diverse agricultural economy for the 2021 crop year, including agricultural exports and organic production. | | | | |
State Agencies to Host Webinar on Executive Order N-4-23: Flood Water & Groundwater Recharge | On March 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-4-23, which set forth the conditions under which water users may capture and divert floodwater for groundwater recharge - temporarily lifting regulations and setting clear conditions for diverting flood stage water without state permits to boost groundwater recharge storage. | | |
Heavy rainfall in early 2023 caused floodwater challenges for many of us in California's agriculture community. Following are relief and support resources available from state and federal partners. | | | |
Federal Government: State Senate Ag Committee Session Offers Farm Bill Input | |
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California Farm Bureau's Federal Policy News -
March 17, 2023
- President Biden Unveils Pricey Budget Proposal
- EPA Proposes Drinking Water Rule Targeting “Forever Chemicals”
- USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack Meets with Legislators in Senate Hearing
- CAFB Signs On to Wildlife Services Letter
- IRS Extends Tax-Filing Date for Several Dozen CA Counties
- California Ag Vision Workshop Scheduled for April 18
- New USDA FSA Simplified Direct Loan Application Now Available to Producers
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State Senate Ag Committee Session Offers Farm Bill Input | By Christine Souza As the No. 1 agricultural state, with a $51.1 billion farm economy and more than 400 commodities, California and its government leaders, farmers and residents are weighing in on how members of Congress should shape the 2023 Farm Bill. During a state Senate Agriculture Committee hearing last week, Sen. | | | | |
The 'Others' of The Farm Bill - Titles Outside of the 'Big 4' | This Market Intel will analyze the titles of the farm bill outside of the top four titles that account for nearly all farm bill outlays. These programs, while only making up 1%, have huge impacts on one of the most productive groups of people in the country, rural Americans. | | | |
Business Member Spotlight:
Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc.
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Our #1 priority is to treat our customers right. This extends not only to the final consumer who will enjoy the taste of our pistachios, but also to our family of growers with whom we partner to bring those pistachios to market.
We believe that producing the highest quality products and building relationships with our customers will not only win the taste buds of consumers, but also keep them coming back.
This philosophy was bred the day we began business and remains steadfast today. Being successful means keeping our extended family of employees, growers and customers excited about producing the best tasting pistachios for the long term.
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Thank You Farm Bureau Members | |
USDA: USDA Proposes New Requirements for the "Product of USA" Label Claim | |
USDA Proposes New Requirements for the "Product of USA" Label Claim | WASHINGTON, March 6, 2023 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released a proposed rule with new regulatory requirements to better align the voluntary "Product of USA" label claim with consumer understanding of what the claim means. | | | | |
USDA Announces Cooperative Agreements for Compost and Food Waste Reduction | WASHINGTON, March 16, 2023 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the availability of up to $9.5 million for Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2023. The cooperative agreements support projects that develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans. | | | |
Environmental: Ag Order 4.0 Could Double Central Coast Cover Cropping | |
Ag Order 4.0 Could Double Central Coast Cover Cropping | Requirements under Ag Order 4.0 could make the practice of cover cropping more necessary for Central Coast growers. Certain types of cover crops can help growers to better manage nitrogen, a cornerstone of the new requirements. Research Horticulturalist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eric Brennan explained the order provides incentives for growers who use cover crops. | | | | |
California's new pesticide notification system aims to protect public health. Will it work? | By Zaydee Sanchez Editor's note: This story is the second of "Adrift," a three-part series by Environmental Health News and palabra, a multimedia platform of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, on pesticide use in California that finds rural communities of color and farmworkers are disproportionately exposed to some of the most dangerous chemicals approved for use in [...] | | | | |
Application Deadlines Approaching for EQIP and CSP | The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds producers that the application deadlines for two popular conservation programs are coming up. USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California is accepting submissions for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). | | | |
Upcoming CARB Mobile Source Training | |
MS510: CARB Smog Check for Heavy Trucks:
The Heavy Duty Inspection and Maintenance (HD I/M) Program
Do you own, operate, or dispatch heavy-duty trucks in or to California? Then you need to know about the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) upcoming requirement to regularly test the emission control system of nearly every truck operating within California, regardless of where the tucks owner lives or where the truck is based. The new requirements are more commonly know as a heavy duty truck smog check and will become effective over the next couple of years. If your vehicles are not compliant, you need to know what the current and future requirements are. If your vehicles are compliant, you may need to regularly test and report to remain compliant. This course gives you information about how to comply with the HD I/M program and how to report to continue operating legally in 2022 and beyond.
Date: March 29, 2023 (Offered in-person & via Zoom webinar)
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Webinar: Zoom Registration
Date: April 4, 2023 (Offered in-person & via Zoom webinar)
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Webinar: Zoom Registration
MS 507: Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs)
Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) are used on semi-trailers, truck vans, shipping containers, and rail cars. Most TRUs are diesel-powered. Although TRU engines are relatively small, significant numbers of these engines congregate at distribution centers, truck stops, and other facilities, resulting in exposure to diesel particulate matter (PM) and health risks to those that live and work nearby. To reduce the risks of exposure to diesel PM from TRUs, owners, operators, dispatchers, and distribution centers must comply with the TRU Air Toxic Control Measure (ATCM). This class covers the requirements of the existing ATCM as well amendments adopted in 2022.
Date: April 5, 2023 (Offered in-person & via Zoom webinar)
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Webinar: Zoom Registration
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Featured Member Benefit:
Budget Truck Rental
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Budget Truck: Stay under budget with Budget
Even before applying your Farm Bureau discount, Budget Truck offers the best prices for local moves, according to Move.org. Throw in your 20% off vehicle and mileage rates, and you’re getting an absolute steal. Book your rental at BudgetTruck.com/FarmBureau or call 1-800-566-8422 and mention Farm Bureau® Member Account #56000127747.
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Avocado: California Avocado Society Fertilizer Seminar Available Online | |
Common Mistakes When Planting Young Avocado Trees | Planting California avocado trees generally takes place beginning in February, so Dr. Ben Faber recently shared planting advice based on common mistakes he sees in groves. Below is a summary of his observations. The most common mistakes Dr. Faber sees in California avocado groves are trees that are either planted too deeply or trees planted with soil amendments that result in the tree settling. | | | | |
California Avocado Society Fertilizer Seminar Available Online | A recording of the "Get Down - Fertilizers" seminar is now available online. The seminar outlined best practices for fertilization, as well as how to read water and soil reports applicable to California avocado groves. Dr. Danny Klittich, director of agronomy at Mission Produce, and Dr. Ben Faber of the UC Cooperative Extension led the session. | | | |
Produce: Strawberry Industry Holding Steady Despite Statewide Damage to Farm Fields | |
Strawberry Industry Holding Steady Despite Statewide Damage to Farm Fields | This week's storms have left many farmers up and down the state dealing with flood damage to their berry fields. However, officials with the California Strawberry Commission say the consumer will likely not feel its impacts. | | | | |
California Olive Oil Might Be The Best Bet For US Shoppers. Here's Why | When it comes to olive oil, the Golden State makes a case that's hard to beat. While Americans still buy mostly from producers outside the country, there are some solid reasons to try California olive oil. To begin with, olive oil production moves fast. | | | | |
More rain for California growers and shippers to manage | Ag growers and shippers in affected parts of California are taking stock following late last week and the weekend's rains, and the ones still coming. The Central Coast particularly has seen significant rain and cooler-than-normal temperatures over the past several weeks, and another atmospheric river is forecast to bring heavy rain and wind through Wednesday. | | | |
Labor: Newsom's $42 Million in Aid for Flooded Farmworkers Is Actually Old COVID Funding | |
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Cal/OSHA Standards Board Rejects Autonomous Tractor Advisory Committee
On March 16, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board rejected a motion offered by board member Chris Lacsz-Davis to empanel an advisory committee to examine possible changes to Title 8, Section 3441 OSHA regulations governing the use of driverless tractors. Existing regulations require an operator at the controls of a furrow-guided tractor.
The advent of autonomous and semi-autonomous agricultural vehicle technologies raises a possible conflict with this regulation. An advisory committee would bring together interested stakeholders to try to reach consensus on the matter. Labor advocates insisted that there was no reason to empanel an advisory committee given their position that there is no safe way to operate autonomous or semi-autonomous agricultural vehicles. Proponents highlighted data indicating safe operation of similar vehicles in industries like mining and construction, as well as early data from two regulatory variances granted to allow limited use of autonomous tractors, in the face of insistence from some Board members and labor advocates that no such data exists. Opponents of the measure also decline to specify what, if any, safety data they may find sufficiently compelling to warrant further conversation on the matter.
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Cal/OSHA Appeals Board Decision Scrambles Understanding of "as close as practicable:" In a decision issued in early February, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board upheld a Cal/OSHA GISO 3395 heat illness citation against a vineyard management company operating in Sonoma County. The agency's citation contended that the employer failed to furnish drinking water "as close as practicable" to employees pruning and tying grapevines in August 2018. The employer furnished large water containers end of some rows where employees worked; in some instances water containers were located on a shade trailer much as 1500 feet from some locations where employees were working, in a row approximately 2100 feet long.
The agency found this would oblige some employees to walk the distance between their work location to the end of row in which they were working, and then (if no water container was positioned at the end of that particular row) from the end of the row to the row-end location of the water container, or to the water container on the shade trailer. Some of the employees self-furnished water bottles, and fellow employees would assist in filling those bottles and pass then through the trellises to colleagues in adjacent rows.
Cal/OSHA contended, and the Appeals Board concurred, that the long rows obliged employees to negotiate trellis wires and irrigation lines to access the nearest water containers to refill their bottles. The agency found, and the Appeals Board agreed, that while the employer argued that crossing through the trellises was not difficult, that employees devised a system of filling and passing water bottles indicated that, in fact, the trellises presented a obstacle to easy access to water.
The agency contended (and the Appeals Board agreed) that the employer could have met the "as close as practicable" requirement by placing water containers at the end of each row, and furnishing employees with refillable portable water jugs, citing the employees' ad hoc "bucket brigade" water distribution system as evidence that the employer failed to provide water "as close as practicable" to workers.
The agency has previously interpreted "as close as practicable" somewhat loosely; previously indicating its view that placing water on the opposite side of a road or irrigation or drainage ditch was not going to meet this requirement. After this decision, it appears that the agency's interpretation of "as close as practicable" will impose greater obligations of employers than previously believed, and that obstacles to access to water like a long row of trellised grape vines will be seen by the agency as causing the employer to fail to properly situate drinking water.
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CA Dept. of Public Health Issues New COVID Isolation, Quarantine Guidance
On March 3, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued updated COVID-19 guidance revising their COVID-19 public health order. People testing positive may leave isolation after five days if they are feeling well, their symptoms are improving and they have no fever for 24 hours. Cal/OSHA is expected to issue updated guidance soon outlining how this new guidance will effect employer requirements under the COVID-19 non-emergency standard that became effective in early February (see "Two-Year COVID Reg Now in Effect," COVID-19 News & Resources for Farm Employers, FELS website, February 24, 2023).
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Workplace Violence Changes Coming?
Perhaps it's no surprise that members of the Cal/OSHA Standards Board and workers advocates both called for quick action by workers safety authorities in the wake of the workplace shooting incident in Half Moon Bay in late January. Cal/OSHA and Standards Board staff have been working on long-pending workplace violence proposed regulation based on an existing standard meant to address incidents of patient/caregiver violence at mental hospitals. Employer advocates have indicated misgivings about the draft's one-size-fits-all approach imposing similar requirements on offices with little public exposure as late-night retail establishments with easy public access.
At the Standards Board's February meeting in Fresno, some Board members called for quick action and Board staff indicated an advisory committee meeting could occur early in 2023. California Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee Chairman Dave Cortese (D-San Mateo County) has introduced SB 553, requiring the Board to adopt a workplace violence reg by an unspecified future date. Stay tuned.
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Newsom's $42 Million in Aid for Flooded Farmworkers Is Actually Old COVID Funding | |
At a press conference in the flood-stricken Monterey County town of Pajaro on Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom talked up a plan, paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and managed by United Way, to provide financial aid to farmworkers affected by floods and recent winter storms. "There's not a state in America, not one state, no other state that does more for farmworkers than the state of California," Newsom said.
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Livestock: USDA awards funding to protect U.S. cattle herd from FMD | |
USDA awards funding to protect U.S. cattle herd from FMD | PUBLISHED ON WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced this week that they are awarding the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) with $445,396 in funding to advance the Secure Beef Supply Plan (SBS) in the event of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the U.S. | | | | |
Could a possible chicken shortage be on the horizon? | FREDERICK, Md. (DC News Now) - The largest outbreak of avian flu in U.S. history is causing many consumers to see a rise in egg prices and a decline in egg products. H5N1 Bird Flu, also known as the Avian Flu virus, was detected in U.S. | | | |
Vineyard & Wine: Legislation to Improve California Water Situation With Recharge | |
Legislation to Improve California Water Situation With Recharge - American Vineyard Magazine | While a record amount of rain has fallen on the drought-stricken soils of California over the winter, this will unfortunately not solve the state's ongoing drought and water supply issues. Watch this brief interview with Michael Miiller from the California Association of Winegrape Growers as he shares a new push for the state's cooperation and support for groundwater recharge as a solution for times like these. | | | | |
Neighborhood Vine Mealy Bug Management Seminar- April 12 | Vine mealybug occurs in all major California production areas. In California, the vine mealybug feeds predominantly on grapevines and is a damaging pest capable of rapidly transmitting grape leafroll viruses. This pest does not respect the borders of vineyards and will cross over to other vineyards, bringing viruses with them. | | | |
Water: Lopez Lake Expected to Overflow for the First Time in 25 Years | |
California farm groups praise governor's actions to recharge aquifers | Amid more heavy rain and snow throughout California, Gov. Gavin Newson signed an executive order March 10 that would allows floodwater capture to basins easier for groundwater storage. The order suspends regulations and restrictions to enable water agencies and water users to divert flood water to boosting groundwater recharge. | | | | |
Floods fill some of California's summer strawberry fields | As river water gushed through a broken levee, thousands of people in a California farming town were forced to evacuate as their homes were flooded and businesses destroyed. Yet another potential casualty of the powerful rainstorms that drenched coastal California: hundreds of acres of fresh strawberries slated for America's supermarket shelves this summer. | | | | |
Lopez Lake Expected to Overflow for the First Time in 25 Years | Reservoirs continue to fill up across the Central Coast, which is great news for our local water supply. Lopez Lake is expected to overflow in a matter of days. That would send water over the spillway for the first time in 25 years. After approaching record-low levels, Lopez Lake is now almost completely full. | | | |
Farm Bureau Membership Matters | | |
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We cannot support your freedom to farm and ranch without your membership.
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.
We're here to help! Call us if you need us to lookup your member number or we can process your membership for you, at 805-543-3654.
All California county Farm Bureau memberships are processed through the California Farm Bureau Federation, but please reach out to our SLO County office if you need your membership number or have questions.
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Thank You Platinum Members | | | | |
