SLO County Farm Bureau member Holland American Flowers shared a photo of an employee harvesting snapdragons last week on Instagram. "The name 'Snapdragon' originates from the flower’s reaction to having their throats squeezed, causing the “mouth” of the petals to open resembling a dragons mouth🐉 🐲 We love our snapdragon fields as these flowers grow tall and strong, and we are able to grow them all year long in many colors!" Holland American Flowers has been operating in Arroyo Grande since 1986, after the Dobbe family expanded their production from Woodland, Washington to California. Photo by Mady Braught | |
New Requirements in 2022 for Agriculture Employers:
Farm Bureau Hosts Info Session February 7
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2022 brings new requirements for California agricultural employers. What do you need to know to be in compliance? California Farm Bureau's Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS) is hosting a free live webinar on February 7 and February 14. Both sessions are the same content.
Topics covered will include:
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FELS Chief Operating Officer Bryan Little will brief you on important legislative actions taken by the California Legislature in 2021 impact ag employers.
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Carl Borden of California Farm Bureau's Legal Affairs Division will review changes in the California minimum wage and overtime requirements for ag employees that will become effective for employers of 25 or fewer employees in 2022.
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Paul Yossem, Regional Vice President Private Sector Retirement Plans for California Farm Bureau Premier Partner Nationwide (invited) will inform you of the upcoming June 2022 deadline to enroll your business with the CalSavers employee retirement savings program and an alternative offered by Nationwide for Farm Bureau members, the new Farm Bureau Retirement Plan.
- Last, Seth Mehrten of Farm Employers Labor Service Group Legal Services Program partner Barsamian & Moody (invited) will walk you the ever-evolving Cal/OSHA ETS and changes that will become effective in January 2022.
When: February 7 & 14, 2022, 10 AM
Where: Online via Zoom
Registration: You can register here for February 7; here for February 14
Cost: FREE!
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This Week In SLO County Agriculture | |
Community: Supervisor Peschong to Speak at Adelaida Farm Center Meeting Feb. 18 | |
Gallo Internship Opportunity | |
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Join us at Avila Valley Barn, home of Gopher Glen Hard Cider, for an in-person gathering of the California Small Farm Conference. Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, learn what others picked up at the conference and tour Avila Valley Barn as we welcome a new growing season.
This event is hosted by Avila Valley Barn/Gopher Glen Hard Cider, FARMstead ED and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF). Event protocol will follow CDC safety recommendations. Learn more here.
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Registration is Now Open for the 2022 Central Coast Olive Oil Competition | The Central Coast Olive Oil Competition, hosted annually by the California Mid-State Fair and in partnership with the Lodi Grape Festival, is now accepting entries. The 14 th Annual competition will take place in April 2022 and feature olive oil from across the state of California. | | | |
Announcements February 2022 | Center for Sustainability | Agriculture for Tomorrow A College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) Program Preparing leaders in sustainability through education, research, outreach, and operations. To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves. -Mahatma Gandhi Image credit: Citrus Chicks Please see below for links to upcoming events and opportunities in sustainable agriculture: 1. | | | |
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Upcoming California Women For Agriculture Social and Meeting!
When: February 15th at 5:30 P.M.
Where: The Porch Café in Santa Margarita
To become a California Women For Agriculture Member, click here.
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Supervisor Peschong to Speak at Adelaida Farm Center Meeting Feb. 18
Date: Friday, February 18, 2022
Time: Social at 6:30 P.M. Dinner at 7:00 P.M.
Place: Adelaida Schoolhouse
9001 Chimney Rock Road
Paso Robles
Dinner: Potluck dinner
Guest Speaker: District 1 Supervisor, John Peschong
Hosted By: SLO County Farm Bureau Adelaida Farm Center Chair Brandon Wiebe
RSVP: Brandon Wiebe at 805-238-9661 or apachecat2002@yahoo.com. Please RSVP as soon as possible so we can have a headcount for dinner.
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Vegetation fire burns quarter-acre near strawberry fields in SLO | A vegetation fire broke out early Wednesday morning near strawberry fields off Los Osos Valley Road, according to the San Luis Obispo Fire Department. It burned about a quarter-acre of heavy vegetation with one small... | | | |
160-year-old SLO County store is back home again. 'House moving is a lost art' | History went for another short ride in San Simeon on Monday, as crews moved the circa 1860s Sebastian's General Store building back home and onto its new foundation - a stable footing the structure never... | | | |
52 most valuable crops grown in California | There are more than 2 million farms in the United States, about 98% of which are operated by families, individuals, family partnerships, or family corporations, according to the American Farm Bureau... | | | |
County Government: Paso Robles Daily News - Geoff Auslen Launches Campaign For County Supervisor | |
SLO County wants to allow camping on private property, but it's got some hurdles to clear | County supervisors plan to make changes soon that would make it easier for owners of rural and even urban land to add rentable campsites and even small campgrounds to their properties. Before county planners can begin drafting the complicated ordinance modifications the supervisors directed them to do, however, the board has to figure out how to pay for the added chores. | | | | |
Geoff Auslen launches campaign for county supervisor | On Monday, Atascadero small business owner and community leader Geoff Auslen launched a campaign for San Luis Obispo County's new Second Supervisorial District. "San Luis Obispo County is at a crossroads," said Auslen. | | | |
State Government: California Farm Bureau - Friday Review Of Legislative And Governmental Affairs | |
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government - Public Policy Institute of California | COVID and homelessness as well as jobs, the economy, and inflation are the top issues Californians want the governor and legislature to work on in 2022... | | | | |
Help repeal the Death Tax! Come by SLO County Farm Bureau to sign the petition to get this referendum on the November 2022 ballot. | |
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Keeping an Eye on Sacramento - The Latest on Legislation from California Farm Bureau's Feb. 4 Friday Review
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The California Legislature is expected to act next week to reinstate COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave which expired in September 2021. AB 84 (Budget Committee) provides for two buckets of paid sick leave; the first bucket of 40 hours of paid sick leave is available to employees upon request without any verification of need. For employees to access the second bucket of 40 hours of leave, employers may request proof of a positive COVID test. Leave for vaccination or vaccine side effects is limited to 24 hours. Leave would be paid at the rate customarily used to calculate compensation for paid sick leave or by dividing the employee’s total wages in the prior 90 days of employment by the total number of hours worked in that period. The paid sick leave mandate in AB 84 is retroactive to January 1, 2021.
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Late in the session on January 31, Assembly Labor Committee Chairman Ash Kalra (D-San Jose) announced he would not ask the Assembly to consider AB 1400, single-payer healthcare legislation that would have vastly expanded the size and scope of state government and imposed massive tax increases to pay for the program. Apparently, the bill was many votes short of the required 41-vote majority for Assembly passage.
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Two bills failed to pass the Assembly by the legislative deadline. AB 519 (Jacqui Irwin, D-Camarillo) would have amended the labeling standards (regarding type size and characters) for honey. Also, AB 1025 (Robert Rivas, D-Salinas) would have required all state institutions, including schools to solicit bids from California-grown producers and processors and provide a 25% purchase preference to California bids. This bill failed to receive a policy committee hearing.
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Several land uses bills have failed to pass the Assembly and Senate considering the legislative deadline. AB 352 (Robert Rivas, D-Salinas) would have amended the California Farmland Protection Conservancy Program at the Department of Conservation, a program that provides grant funds for the purchase of agricultural conservation easements. This bill would have required 25% of the limited funds to offer leases or sales of agricultural land for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers as well as increased technical assistance. Farm Bureau opposed this bill, as drafted, suggesting a buy-hold-sell transaction with non-agricultural entities can lead to fallowing and repurposing of agricultural lands and with the limited fund source, prioritization should be offered to mission-critical practices, like easements. AB 564 (Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego) has also failed passage which would have codified a contrary 30x30 conservation goal that is currently underway at CNRA.
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A Farm Bureau opposed bill, AB 1001 (Cristina Garcia, D-Bell Gardens), has narrowly passed the Assembly and has been moved to the Senate. This bill would add environmental justice to the considerations required under the California Environmental Quality Act. The bill would also prohibit mitigation measures for adverse impacts to occur off-site from the facility. These provisions will make CEQA compliance for agriculture-related facilities and projects more complicated and likely expensive and eliminate important opportunities for agriculture to host mitigation measures, like land protection and conservation, for off-site projects.
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Assemblymember Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) has introduced AB 1773, a bill which appropriate $40 million from the General Fund to make subvention payments to counties for implementation of the Williamson Act. Farm Bureau will likely strongly support this bill but has yet to be assigned to a policy committee.
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AB 1218 (McCarty – Sacramento), a bill that would mandate that 100% of in-state sales of new passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks be zero-emission by 2035, died on the Assembly Floor on Monday. The bill was not taken up for a vote, presumably because of the lack of “yes” votes. It did not meet the house of origin deadline and can longer move forward this year. The governor’s Executive Order, No. N-79-20, still urges CARB to reach this goal. CA Farm Bureau will remain engaged on this regulatory process.
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Federal Government: California Farm Bureau - USDA Announces Partnership With Port Of Oakland To Help Ease Congestion | |
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USDA Announces Partnership with Port of Oakland to Help Ease Congestion
On Monday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the federal government would be partnering with the Port of Oakland in order to build a new “pop-up” 25-acre container yard in order to help
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A closer look at USDA's vaccine rate | Every Agriculture Department agency was at least 95 percent compliant with the federal vaccine mandate by the deadline of Nov. 8, according to data requested by POLITICO. But several key agencies had a notable gap between staff compliance and the real vaccination rate. | | | |
**CORRECTED**San Luis Obispo County Farm Service Agency Monthly Update | Agricultural producers and landowners can sign up soon for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), a cornerstone conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris Administration effort to | | | |
EPA is Muddying the Waters Once Again | By Courtney Briggs No one knows the benefits of clean water better than our nation's farmers and ranchers. The food, fiber, and fuel we produce to support the needs of all Americans requires clean water. The health of our most valuable asset-our land, requires clean water. | | | |
Market Issues to Track for 2022 | Rising prices, strong worldwide demand and more than $27.2 billion in government payments drove net farm income in the U.S. to $117 billion in 2021, its highest level in eight years. The outlook for 2022 ... | | | |
Proposed Rule for H-2A Wage Differentiation Means Higher Outlays for Farmers | On Dec. 1, the Department of Labor published a proposed rule that would amend its regulations regarding certain provisions of the H-2A program. Following the methodology supplied by... | | | |
Advertise With SLO County Farm Bureau | |
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Get Your Message in Front of Over 2,000 San Luis Obispo Countians!
Our weekly E-News is sent out every Friday to our membership and local leaders. If you're interested in an effective, low-cost advertising campaign ($150 a month) please give us a call or send an email to SLO County Farm Bureau Executive Director Brent Burchett.
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Business Member Spotlight:
JUSTIN
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At JUSTIN, we combine traditional Old World methods—like hand-harvesting and small-barrel aging in French oak—with New World technology. For example, the “Air Knife”, an ingenious New World process invented by our winemakers, boosts grape quality and efficiency.
Once the grapes are harvested, our winemakers—some of the best in the business—gather to sort, select, age, taste, blend and decide what goes into every bottle.
We planted our first vineyard back in 1981 with a mission to make world-class Bordeaux-style blends. Since then, we’ve expanded both our knowledge of viticulture in this unique region as well as our acreage. Rich in fossilized limestone from eons of marine deposits, JUSTIN’s soil is ideally suited to creating big, Bordeaux-style reds. The limestone “stresses” the vines, producing grapes that fully express their varietal character. Paso Robles’ distinctive microclimate offers the widest day-night temperature swings of any grape-growing region in California. The hot days allow the grapes to develop intense flavor, while the cool nights create great structure and balance.
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11680 Chimney Rock Rd | Paso Robles, CA 93446
805.591.3224 | justinwine.com
Monday - Sunday 11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
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Thank You Farm Bureau Members | |
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New Platinum Member
Brazil Trust Real Estate Holdings
New Collegiate Student
Madalynn Tellesen
Renewing Members
Byrd Farming Partners, Steve Williams, Rancho Cortez, Charlie Lackie, Tony Costa, John Walter, Jerry Mendes, Jerry Reaugh, Mike Buzzetti, Richard Kitzman
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Livestock: Morning Ag Clips - USDA Announces Appointments To Cattlemen's Beef Promotion & Research Board | |
USDA announces appointments to Cattlemen's Beef Promotion & Research Board | The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the appointment of 35 members to serve on the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board. All appointed members will serve three-year terms beginning February 2022 and ending ... | | | |
Signup for Free USDA Webinars on Tax Information on Livestock Sales and Disaster Losses | Tax season is just around the corner and there are a variety of important considerations for farmers and livestock producers. USDA has partnered with agriculture tax experts around the country to connect producers to important tax information related to their operations... | | | |
Employers take California to court over ag overtime rules for sheepherders | California sheep ranchers have filed a complaint against the state for including their workers in the agriculture overtime law that took effect for smaller employers this month. As of Jan. 1, agricultural employers with fewer than 26 employees are | | | |
NCBA members vote against mandates for cash trade at annual convention | Whether to support or oppose a widely-discussed piece of legislation that aims to increase price transparency in the U.S. cattle market is one of the big topics up for debate at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association's annual Cattle Convention... | | | |
Cattle producers converge in Houston for educational experience | HOUSTON - Hundreds of cattlemen and women attended the 29th annual Cattlemen's College in Houston, Texas, Jan. 31-Feb. 1, which was held before the Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show. Cattlemen's College, sponsored by Zoetis, is one of the cattle industry's premier... | | | |
Produce: The Produce News - Avocado Demand, Supplies Super Strong for Super Bowl Sunday | |
Upcoming California Avocado Disease Management Webinar | The California Avocado Society, California Avocado Commission and UC Cooperative Extension are hosting a free online Grower Webinar: Avocado Disease Management session on Wednesday, February 16 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. The webinar is designed to provide growers and grove managers with information concerning management strategies for diseases that California avocado trees are prone to. | | | |
Research Indicates Paint Not Effective at Protecting Young Trees from Herbicide Drift | While it is often common practice for fruit growers to apply white latex paint to the bottom 2 to 3 feet of young, newly planted trees in order to provide some protection from herbicide drift, researchers note there is little evidence to prove this practice is effective. | | | |
Avocado demand, supplies super strong for Super Bowl Sunday | The avocado's surge in popularity has defied gravity over the past decade and once again it appears headed in that direction as f.o.b. prices are almost record-breaking even... | | | |
Florida strawberry growers bracing for cold; California production on the rise | The last weekend of January is expected to see temperatures flirting with freezing in Florida's strawberry production area near Plant City. Combined with rain during the Jan. 23-29 week, strawberry production is expected to be tight heading into the Valentine's Day pull. | | | |
Labor: CFLCA - Free Webinar: H-2A 101: Understanding The Nuts And Bolts | |
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Free Webinar: H-2A 101:Understanding the Nuts and Bolts
From California Farm Labor Contractors Association
Tuesday, February 15 from 10:00 - 11:00 am - Due to a dwindling labor pool, the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program has seen explosive growth in California. The number of H-2A workers in the state has doubled in the last five years and is projected to increase exponentially. Could the H-2A program be right for you? Learn the fundamentals of how it works with a specific focus on issues relevant to FLCs in California, why it can be a win/win solution to your labor needs, and expert advice to make the program effective and profitable for your operation. Presenter: Tom Bortnyk, Senior Vice President and General Counsel with másLabor. Register here.
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A just transition for farmworkers | Victoria Ruddy paced in front of a pickup truck in the parking lot of a Bi-Mart discount store in Sunnyside, a farming town in the Yakima Valley, a vast semi-arid desert just east of the Cascades and the heart of Washington's agricultural industry. It was barely 8 a.m., and the temperature was already in the 80s. | | | |
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Ag Employment News
Employers Required to Post 2021 Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses on February 1: California employers who had at least 11 employees at any time in 2021 are required to post their 2021 annual summary of work-related illnesses and injuries, including any related to COVID-19, in a readily accessible workplace location at every worksite. The Form 300A must remain posted from February 1 until April 30. You can find form templates and instructions here.
An agricultural employer with more than 20 employees at any time in 2020 must between Jan. 2 and March 2 submit to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Injury Tracking Application Form 300A data for 2021 no later than March 2. You can find more information about this requirement here.
Governor Newsom and Legislative Leaders Reach Agreement to Require COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave: On January 25, Governor Newsom and Senate President ProTem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced agreement in principal to renew the requirement that expired in September 2021 for California employers to provide paid sick leave for employees experiencing COVID-19. While details remain scarce, it appears the leave mandate would be retroactive to January 1, 2022 and would require employers of 26 or more to offer up one week of paid sick leave for their own COVID-related illnesses, a second week if the employee or family member tests positive, with limitations on availability for receiving a COVID vaccination, illness resulting from vaccination, or other purposes.
Cal/OSHA Furnishes Further-Revised COVID-19 ETS FAQ: On January 24, Cal/OSHA published further revisions of it’s long-running series of frequently-asked questions (FAQ) concerning the version of the ETS adopted in December 2021 that became effective on January 14, 2022.
Cal/OSHA Consultation Offers COVID-19 ETS Webinars: The Cal/OSHA Consultation Service is offering three two-hour webinars covering changes to the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) adopted by the Cal/OSHA Standards Board on December 16, 2021 on February 1, February 3, and February 9, 2022.
You can read more at COVID-19 News & Resources for Farm Employers on FELS' website.
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Farm Bureau Extension Continuing Education Series: Choosing the Right Pesticide and Label Review & Pesticide Handler Safety for Applicators
Farm Bureau Extension, a new program offered by California Farm Bureau, is offering a continuing education series of classes held virtually.
Subject matter experts will share information immediately applicable to your business operations and advance your professional development. CE certificates will be sent for each webinar attended after the successful completion of a simple quiz on the material.
English Session: Choosing the Right Pesticide and Label Review with Ashley Bandoni, Sales Representative, Syngenta
Spanish Session: Pesticide Handler Safety for Applicators with Mary Canchola, Agriculture Inspector, Stanislaus County
February 24, 2022
English Session: 9:30 am- 10:30 am
Spanish Session: 10:45 am- 11:45 am
Register here. These classes are free to all Farm Bureau members. Contact SLO County Farm Bureau to get your member number.
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Environmental: Reuters - California Urged To Keep Nuclear Plant Open To Meet Climate Goals | |
Condors still dying as firearm and wildlife factions continue lead-ammo fight | Asking hunters, ranchers and other firearms owners to switch from lead to non-lead ammunition - in order to help save California condors - seems to be asking a lot. Given the demise of an alarming number of condors, it appears - at this moment - it could be | | | |
SLO County residents living in polluted areas can soon get free air purifiers. Here's how | Some residents in southwestern San Luis Obispo County may be eligible for a free indoor air purifier from the local Air Pollution Control District (APCD) to combat the negative health impacts from wildfire smoke and blowing dust. | | | |
CA lawmaker wants to make it easier to hunt pesky feral pigs, push comes from Bay Area | NAPA, Calif. (KGO) -- State Senator Bill Dodd wants to make it easier for people to hunt pesky wild pigs. He pointed to destruction, potential dangers and public health risks as reasons behind his push to get the state's feral pig population under control. | | | |
California urged to keep nuclear plant open to meet climate goals | Feb 3 (Reuters) - Nearly 80 scientists and academics, including a former U.S. energy secretary, on Thursday urged Governor Gavin Newsom to delay closure of California's remaining nuclear plant to comply with state laws on fighting global warming. | | | |
Vineyard & Wine: Silicon Valley Bank - Wine Industry Trends And Report 2022 | |
2022 winegrape crop forecast as 'stable' | For Jeff Bitter, 2022 will be a year of recovery for California winegrape farmers-but not for the reasons one might think. "It's not so much a recovery from the pandemic as much as it is recovery from oversupply in the grape market," Bitter | | | |
Wine Industry Trends and Report 2022 | Silicon Valley Bank | After a difficult 2020 of closed tasting rooms and restaurants, 2021 was bound to be better for the industry. Surprisingly, the industry instead lost volume and share to spirits, but the premium segment thrived. | | | |
Wine History Project | 2022 New Year Updates | January 2022 Newsletter | Each month we post biographies of legendary growers, winemakers, innovators, movers and shakers. We highlight tools and equipment from our historic collections. We write.. | | | |
Water: The Tribune - State Determines Paso Robles Groundwater Basin Plan Is 'Incomplete.' Here's What That Means | |
Comparative stats of ag and water use strikes a nerve | Re " Here's the first step to a sustainable water policy "; Commentary, Jan. 26, 2022 We hear ad nauseum that agriculture accounts for 80% of water usage in California yet only contributes 2% to the state's economy. It's a comparative statistic used to bring attention to this apparent lack of equity and | | | |
State determines Paso Robles groundwater basin plan is 'incomplete.' Here's what that means | The California Department of Water Resources determined that San Luis Obispo County's groundwater sustainability plan for the Paso Robles basin was "incomplete," according to a letter sent to the county Jan. 21. The county acknowledged the deficiencies and said it will make the necessary improvements in the plan by | | | |
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SLO Valley Groundwater Sustainability Commission Meets February 9
The Groundwater Sustainability Commission for the San Luis Obispo Valley Groundwater Basin will meet Wednesday, February 9 at 3:30pm by Zoom. The Commission will receive a presentation on the Draft Water Year 2021 Annual Report for the San Luis Obispo Valley Basin. Due to COVID-19, the meeting will be held...
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January was 'a complete bust' for rain - here's what that means for SLO County residents | After heavy December rains refreshed thirsty reservoirs, rivers and wells, January proved to be quite the opposite for San Luis Obispo County. No area of the county received more than a half-inch of rain during what has historically been one of the wettest months in the Central Coast's rainy season. | | | |
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 | | | | |
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