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YOUR SOURCE FOR CAWG AND INDUSTRY NEWS
FOR CAWG MEMBERS ONLY
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This week's eNews Includes:
CAWG News:
- Lead Story: Job Killer Legislation
- USDA Announces New Grapevine Insurance Program to Protect Against Natural Hazards
- Padilla Announces Legislation to Improve Access to Federal Ag Disaster Relief Programs
- EPA Issued Amended WOTUS Rule
- CAWG Congratulates Incoming Senate Leader
Industry News:
- Gallo Purchases Rombauer
- Red Flag Warnings Issued and PG&E To Shut Off Power In Northern California Counties Due To Fire Risk
- Autonomy Could Help With Labor Challenges
- California's Organic Wine Acreage Increases
- France's Destruction of Surplus Wine Hints at an Existential Wine Crisis
- Utah is an Alcohol Control State - A New Citizen Initiative Wants to Change That
- Navigating the Flames: British Columbia Wineries' Response to the Growing Wildfire Threats
Upcoming Events
- 2023 Grape Pierce's Disease Field Day - Sept. 6
- Open-Air Ag Burning Outreach Meeting for San Joaquin Valley Winegrowers - Sept. 12
- Wage and Hour Compliance in the Field, Packhouse, and Plant Webinar - Sept. 12
- Building Domestic Stability and Global Influence Through Innovation Webinar - Sept. 13
- FIRA USA 2023 - See Autonomous Farming Solutions in Action - Sept.19-21
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Lead Story: Job Killer Legislation
This week, the Appropriations Committees of the Senate and Assembly will decide the fate of 766 bills. Legislation not approved by the committees this week will be dead for the year. Many of those pending bills are sponsored by labor unions.
Below are three labor union-sponsored bills to which CAWG is opposed and the California Chamber of Commerce has identified as Job Killers:
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AB 524 (Wicks, D-Oakland) would expose employers to costly litigation by asserting that any adverse employment action was in relation to an employee’s family caregiver status. This bill broadly defines this status to include any employee who contributes to the care of any person of their choosing thereby creating an accommodation requirement that would especially burden small businesses.
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SB 616 (Gonzalez, D-Long Beach) would impose new costs and leave requirements on employers of all sizes, by more than doubling the existing sick leave mandate (from 3 to 7 days annually). This wouldn't be in addition to all other enacted leave mandates that small employers throughout the state are already struggling with to implement and comply.
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SB 799 (Portantino, D-Burbank) would require all employers to subsidize unrelated workers who are on strike. This would create long-term costs for California businesses that are already paying down a $18 billion deficit to the federal government which was created in large part by mismanagement at EDD during the pandemic.
The Kosmont-Rose Institute 2022 Cost of Doing Business Survey, reported, “Among the 50 highest cost cities [in the nation], California claims 43 spots. California’s costliness for businesses is difficult to overstate.”
Legislation like the ones outlined above would make an already bad situation worse.
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USDA Announces New Grapevine Insurance Program to Protect Against Natural Hazards
This week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is expanding crop insurance options with a new Grapevine Insurance Program, which will provide coverage for the loss of grafted vines caused by natural perils such as freeze or fire. The new program will complement the existing Grape crop insurance program which covers the fruit itself.
The program is based on the Tree Based Dollar Amount of Insurance (TDO) Plan and includes an Occurrence Loss Option that provides coverage for smaller losses, at an additional premium, for producers with buy-up coverage.
It is classified as a “mortality policy,” paying losses when the vine is dead or so badly damaged it will not recover in the following 12 months. The program will cover freeze, fire, hail, flood, and failure of the irrigation water supply caused by an unavoidable, naturally occurring event. Producers using Freeze Protection practices in their operation that are recognized by industry experts can also benefit from lower premium costs under the program.
The program will be available in select counties in California for the 2024 crop year, please reach out to your crop insurance agent to learn more. The deadline for signing up for insurance is Nov. 1, 2023.
Grapevine Insurance Fact Sheet
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Padilla Announces Legislation to Improve Access to Federal Ag Disaster Relief Programs
This week, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) announced bipartisan legislation to improve access to federal agriculture disaster programs. The introduction of this legislation follows Tropical Storm Hilary, which caused significant damage to numerous specialty crops in California.
“As we approach the Farm Bill expiration this September, hundreds of thousands of farmers are counting on us to make things right. That’s why today I’m announcing the introduction of bipartisan, bicameral legislation to even the playing field for specialty crop growers hoping to access critical federal agriculture disaster programs,” said Senator Padilla.
The Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act, which is co-led by Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), would waive the adjusted gross income (AGI) restriction on producers who derive 75 percent of their income from farming, ranching, or related farming practices from receiving USDA disaster program relief. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and John Cornyn (R-TX) will also cosponsor the bill. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) and Kat Cammack (R-FL-03) have introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
Specifically, the Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act waives the AGI limitation for the following disaster programs: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), Tree Assistance Program (TAP), and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP).
The legislation is endorsed by the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, of which CAWG is a member.
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EPA Issued Amended WOTUS Rule
On Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) issued a final rule to amend the definition of Waters of the United States (WOTUS). EPA and USACE were directed to update the WOTUS definition to conform with the Supreme Court decision on Sackett v. EPA from this spring. The new definition eliminates the “significant nexus” test, which had allowed streams and wetlands adjacent to larger bodies of water to be covered by Clean Water Act protections. It also clarifies that wetlands must have a continuous surface connection to navigable waters to be protected under the Clean Water Act. The new rule revises the standard EPA and USACE released in January 2023.
More information on the new final rule can be found here.
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CAWG Congratulates Incoming Senate Leader
CAWG released the statement below earlier this week congratulating Senator Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) on being selected as Senate President pro Tempore.
“We congratulate Senator McGuire on his new position as the future leader of the Senate,” said Natalie Collins, President of CAWG. “With his representation of wine growing regions and his role as co-chair of the Senate Select Committee on California’s Wine Industry, Senator McGuire possesses a deep understanding of the industry.”
“McGuire has witnessed firsthand the prideful collaboration, sustainability, and stewardship efforts of the winegrape communities he represents. We look forward to working with Senator McGuire in his new capacity.”
Full Press Release
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Gallo Purchases Rombauer
Rombauer Vineyards, most famously known for their buttery Chardonnay, was purchased by E. & J. Gallo Winery. The news was announced on Tuesday and states that the purchase includes three wineries, two tasting rooms, and nearly 700 acres of vineyards with most of them being in Napa Valley.
Below are articles related to the purchase:
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Red Flag Warnings Issued and PG&E Shut Off Power In Northern California Counties Due To Fire Risk
Weather conditions from Shasta County south through the North Bay’s interior mountains and Sacramento County have prompted officials to issue red flag warnings through yesterday, August 30.
PG&E proactively turned off power in some of the areas through a measure known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff. Power is supposed to be restored within 24 hours, but could leave PG&E customers in the affected areas without power for two to five days.
Parts of California should anticipate potential red flag warnings and power outages in the near future.
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Autonomy Could Help With Labor Challenges
The ongoing challenge of labor for agricultural growers is recognized nationally. CAWG has previously highlighted the numerous benefits autonomous equipment could provide, with a major benefit being the potential to alleviate the labor shortfall. A recent article published in Missouri Farmer Today provides an insightful update on the advancements in autonomous equipment and explores the transformative potential this technology holds for agriculture in the future.
“There’s already a fair amount of automation that occurs on tractors and self-adjustments on combines,” says Bruce Erickson, an agronomist at Purdue Univerity. “…There’s going to be more and more of that in the future. The big change coming is removing the driver from the machine. There are changes that have been incremental, but removing the person would be a big change.”
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California's Organic Wine Acreage Increases
In the last 12 months, California has added 1,774 acres of certified organic winegrape vineyard acreage. Sonoma County added the most amount of acreage (732.95 acres), followed by Napa (430 acres).
In their article, Organic Wines Uncorked writes, "What's remarkable is that the biggest properties–four properties with a total of 1,370 acres or 77 percent of the new acres–getting certified are large wineries who represent a mix of family-owned (Jackson, Halter Ranch, Stolpman) as well as big corporations (Constellation)."
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France's Destruction of Surplus Wine Hints at an Existential Wine Crisis
California is not alone. Wine regions throughout the world are facing an oversupply crisis. This week, it was announced that the French government along with the E.U. created a plan to spend more than 200 million euros to dispose of surplus wine with the goal of helping growers find sources of revenue in the market again.
Jason Wilson writes for Wine Enthusiast outlining the surplus of wine worldwide and the challenges that exist around the younger generation choosing to drink options other than wine.
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Utah is an Alcohol Control State - A New Citizen Initiative Wants to Change That
Voters in Utah are looking to change how Utah manages and operates alcohol sales in the state.
According to an article published earlier this week, "a group filed a citizen initiative to overhaul what they consider a monopoly on liquor, wine and high-point beers. They call Utah’s state control of alcohol “prejudiced due to endemic partisan politics and influenced by specific religious special interests” in filing documents."
The initiative would make the following changes:
- Do away with the majority of state-owned and operated liquor stores
- Allow privatized liquor and wine stores in Utah
- Authorize the sale of anything above 5% ABV (liquor, wine, and high-point beer) in some grocery stores, like Costco and Trader Joe’s
- Decrease state retail markup of 88% over cost to 30% flat tax on alcohol over 5% ABV to create a wholesale price for retailers
- Allow wine to be shipped to consumers directly
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Navigating the Flames: British Columbia Wineries' Response to the Growing Wildfire Threats
More than 400 wildfires persist throughout British Columbia, putting the nation's wine region at risk just ahead of the harvest season. In response, the wineries have rallied to support the firefighting teams. Their efforts range from temporarily shutting down their kitchens to prepare over 600 meals daily for the firefighters, to ongoing removal of potential fire "fuel" such as dead trees and branches from their properties. Additionally, they've formed the Vineyard Resiliency Task Group, aimed at proactively reducing the threat of forest fires.
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Upcoming Events and Trainings | |
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2023 Grape Pierce's Disease Field Day
A team of UC Davis researchers, led by Dr. Akif Eskalen, have been testing eight combinations of four biological treatments for controlling Xylella fastidiosa (Xf), the bacterial pathogen that causes PD, in the field. Join them for a Research Field Day where they will be sharing their latest results. The field day is free to attend, but registration is required.
When and Where:
- September 6, Armstrong Field Station, UC Davis
Register
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CLEARING THE AIR: Open-Air Ag Burning Outreach Meeting for Winegrowers
Join CAWG, the Lodi Winegrape Commission, and the Lodi District Grape Growers Association to learn about open-air ag burning restrictions and alternatives in the San Joaquin Valley. Confusion exists on all sides of the open-air ag burning topic – from enforcement agencies not understanding the nuances of the regulation to winegrape growers not knowing how to legally remove and dispose of a vineyard.
The goal of this meeting is to provide clarity and understanding amongst the winegrowing industry, the California Air Resources Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, County Agriculture Commissioners, and policymakers. The meeting is free to attend.
When and Where:
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September 12, 9am, Cabral Ag Center, Stockton
RSVP by September 7 to info@lodiwine.com.
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Wage and Hour Compliance in the Field, Packhouse and Plant Webinar
Fisher Phillips is hosting a webinar to discuss wage and hour hot topics in the agriculture industry including meal and rest break compliance, tracking non-productive time, and compensable vs. non-compensable activities.
When and Where:
Register
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Building Domestic Stability and Global Influence Through Innovation Webinar
Agri-pulse is hosting a webinar featuring House Ag Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson discussing how new tools and technology can improve the resiliency of U.S. agriculture. Other speakers include Lynn Tjeerdsma, conservation and farm bill advisor, David Kanter, Ph.D., asst. professor of environmental studies, New York University, Jacqlyn Schneider, partner, FGS Global, and Jon Doggett, former CEO, National Corn Growers Association. The webinar is complimentary to join, but registration is required.
When and Where:
Register
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FIRA USA 2023 - See Autonomous Farming Solutions in Action
FIRA USA is a three-day event bringing together all aspects of autonomous farming and agricultural robotics solutions.
During the event, attendees can expect to see robotic farming solutions, exhibitions, presentations, panel discussions and networking opportunities. More than 20 demos and 35 robots will be on display from manufacturers from all over the world. All demos and exhibitions will take place onsite, making it easy for attendees to navigate between presentations and the exhibitor and demo areas.
FIRA’s panel discussions include:
- How the federal government is investing in agricultural robotics
- Developing open digital infrastructure for agricultural automation
- Ag robotics education and career pathways
- What robotic weeding can teach us about next generation farm operations
When and Where:
- September 19-21, Salinas Sports Complex
The full agenda is posted online.
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