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This week's eNews Includes:

CAWG News:

• Lead Story: Treating the Symptom
• Public Workshop on Vineyard Order 
• The Legislature Returns 
• New and Exciting 2024 UW&GS Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities
• CAWG's August Issue of The Crush Newsletter
• American Vineyard Magazine's New Column

Industry News:

• UC Powdery Mildew Fungicide Field Trial Results
• Rising Temperatures Could Impact Quality of Grapes Used to Make Wine in Napa Valley
• Paul Dolan's Celebration of Life
• In the News: NASA Helps Spot Wine Grape Disease from Skies Above California
• CDFA Accepting Proposals for 2024 Specialty Crop Block Grants and Applications for Technical Review Committee



Upcoming Events

• Acres U.S.A. Healthy Soils Summit - August 23-24
• Mechanization and the Future of Farming - August 23
• FIRA USA 2023 - See Autonomous Farming Solutions in Action - September 19-21

CAWG News

Lead Story: Treating the Symptom 

Labor unions are sponsoring SB 553 (Cortese, D-San Jose) to create new requirements for California employers to protect employees from workplace violence. The primary goal of the bill is the retail sector where shoplifters may loot with reckless abandon and in many cases commit armed robbery thereby putting retail employees at risk. SB 553 would create new requirements for employers in responding to an active shooter and protecting against mental health breakdowns, threats, and other potential sources of violence.  

However, rather than deal with the societal problems associated with mental health, education, housing, criminal sentencing, etc., labor unions are asking lawmakers to assume that the workplace is inherently violent, especially in the retail sector, and therefore employers must protect employees from that violence. To advance their message, labor unions have brought in retail workers to testify in legislative and regulatory public meetings. (Go to the 22:00 mark in the video.) Keep in mind, when labor unions are done with retail, agriculture is likely their next target.  

As Governor Newsom is contemplating his potential national political future, he has repeatedly touted California’s strong economy, low unemployment, and high environmental standards. However, if SB 553 becomes law, California would also become the first state in the nation to place into law a presumption that because our state has become so unstable, our workplaces have become inherently violent. 

CAWG is opposed to SB 553 and will be working to defeat this legislation when the legislature returns from its summer break next week. Workplace violence is a symptom of greater societal problems. If we really want to address this issue, the most effective approach would be through addressing those societal problems.  

Public Workshop on Vineyard Order 

Last week, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board held a public workshop on its proposed “Program for Discharges of Waste Associated with Vineyards.” The vineyard order would place stringent and unnecessary monitoring and reporting requirements for California Coastal winegrape growers predominately in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.  

Dozens of area growers testified at the public workshop and joined CAWG and Wine Institute in raising significant concerns. When CAWG staff took issue with the proposal’s rushed timeline, Board vice-chair Greg Giusti replied with good news. The board, “does not look at this December deadline as an absolute. We want to get this thing right,” said Giusti.  The public comment period has also been extended from August 14, 2023, to August 30, 2023. 

CAWG staff remains hopeful that over the next several months, this proposal will be modified to accomplish its goal without creating pointless regulatory requirements for growers.  

The Legislature Returns  

Labor bills are on the agenda. 

On Monday, the legislature will return from its summer break. There are roughly 600 Assembly measures and about 320 Senate measures remaining. The Governor has already acted on more than 135 bills so far. The respective Appropriations Committees will likely decide on Friday, September 1 which bills should advance, and which should remain behind. Those committees’ actions will reduce the number of bills that reach the Senate and Assembly Floors in the last two weeks of the Session. 

In the remaining weeks of the 2023 legislative year, the legislature will take up several important bills related to labor issues. These will include increasing paid sick leave from three to five days annually, new standards for workplace violence prevention, and new restrictions to employer communication with employees. CAWG will be engaging on these bills as a priority and in the next few weeks we will be asking growers to contact their lawmakers.  

The legislature is scheduled to adjourn for the year on September 14 and the governor will have until October 14 to take action on bills that reach his desk.    

New and Exciting 2024 UW&GS Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities

The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium is the ideal location to promote your company to thousands of industry professionals. Our varied sponsorship and advertising program offers several different options for budgets of all sizes. Banners and signs proclaim your presence, print and online ads showcase your product, and exclusive sponsorship opportunities increase your brand visibility. Custom sponsorship opportunities are also available to help further promote your brand.

Review the sponsorship and advertising options or download the Sponsorship & Advertising Opportunities brochure.

Contact Jenny Devine to discuss and learn more about how to promote your brand and stand above the competition at the 2024 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium!

CAWG's August Issue of The Crush Newsletter

Earlier this week, the August issue of The Crush Newsletter was released.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

• Feature Story: Preparing for Harvest
• Federal Focus: Federal Update
• State Update: Because it Says So
• Mechanization and the Future of Farming
• CDFA Rescheduled Hearing and Extension of Written Comment Period for Proposed Rulemaking Effecting Grape Crush District
• Webinar Alert: Streamline Disease Scouting with Aerial Imagery
• U.S. Customs and Immigration Services Releases New Form I-9
• CAWG's 49th Annual Meeting
• My Ag-Life Video" Five-Year Strategy for Spotted Lanternfly
• Save the Date: Unified Wine and Grape Symposium
• Grape Data Tool Released
• Regional Round-up: CAWG & Lodi District Grape Growers Host Lodi Grower Meeting
• Webinar Recording: Harvest Preparedness
• CAWG Associate Member Highlight: HotSpot AG

American Vineyard Magazine's New Column

Have you picked up your copy of the August issue of American Vineyard Magazine?

CAWG is excited to announce a new collaboration with Malcolm Media. Each month, a new column, CAWG @ Work, will be included in the magazine discussing industry-related hot topics. We view this as an additional avenue for CAWG to connect with a wider range of growers and industry providers, further fortifying our membership base, and thereby enhancing our capacity to advocate for and support California's winegrape growers.

Read the August column online, hint - it's on page 8.

Industry News

UC Powdery Mildew Fungicide Field Trial Results

The University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and the UC Davis (UCD) Department of Plant Pathology hosted a field day on July 31st to share the results of their Powdery Mildew Fungicide Field Trials. The field day was held at the UCD Armstrong Field Station and allowed attendees the opportunity to visually compare the efficacies of currently available and new provisional synthetic, biological, and organic fungicides for the control of grape powdery mildew tested during the 2023 growing season.

The trial and field day presentation was led by Dr. Akif Eskalen, UCCE Specialist in Plant Pathology based at UCD. "Fungicide manufacturers are coming out with new materials every year. If you are basing your treatment program on what materials were available 20 years ago, you are behind the times. We hold this field day each year at the end of our field trial for growers to see what is new and what combinations of materials can provide good powdery mildew control," said Eskalen.

Rising Temperatures Could Impact Quality of Grapes Used to Make Wine in Napa Valley

In a recent study at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, scientists found that the rising temperatures are shifting the growing season in Napa Valley and may impact the varieties of grapes that are grown in that region.

The research team found that after analyzing local temperature records spanning between 1958 to 2016 the grape growing season in Napa Valley is occurring a month earlier than it did in the 1950s. Temperature is “vital” for grape growth and grape characteristics, Scripps Institution of Oceanography research meteorologist Daniel Cayan and author of the study, told ABC News. Temperature characteristics have “well-known” impacts on grape growth and grape quality.

The goal of the study was to to chart the effects the growing influence of human-caused climate change, as well as effects from natural climate variations, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, on the seasonal rhythms and shorter term temperature extremes in Napa Valley. The research was funded by Napa Valley Vintners and supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Paul Dolan's Celebration of Life

More than 300 of Paul Dolan's friends and family including members of the winemaking community and elected officials gathered on Friday, August 4 at Dark Horse Vineyard to honor the esteemed industry leader.

The former president of Fetzer Vineyards and Bonterra founder, Dolan died on June 26 after a long battle with cancer. Paul was an early adopter of sustainability, organic, biodynamic, and regenerative organic wine growing and was considered by many to be California's "godfather of sustainable winegrowing."

Wine Business highlights some of Paul's contributions to the wine industry and shares memories from his Celebration of Life.

In the News: NASA Helps Spot Wine Grape Disease from Skies Above California

In a recent case study, researchers detected a costly infection of leafroll in cabernet sauvignon grapevines from the skies above before they showed symptoms visible to the human eye.

Using an airborne science instrument developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, researchers from JPL and Cornell University discovered they can accurately spot the signs of GLRaV-3 (short for grapevine leafroll-associated virus complex 3). Primarily spread by insects, GLRaV-3 reduces yields and sours developing fruit, costing the U.S. wine and grape industry some $3 billion in damage and losses annually. It typically is detected by labor-intensive vine-by-vine scouting and expensive molecular testing.

CDFA Accepting Proposals for 2024 Specialty Crop Block Grants and Applications for Technical Review Committee

CDFA announced earlier today that proposals are now being accepted for the 2024 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the 2024 SCBGP Technical Review Committee.

Each year, CDFA conducts a two-phase competitive solicitation process to award funds to projects that enhance the competitiveness of California specialty crops. Grant awards will range from $100,000 to $500,000 per project; projects may last for up to two years and eight months. Non-profit and for-profit organizations; local, state, federal, and tribal government entities; and public and private colleges and universities are eligible to apply. 

Specialty crops include fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture). Review the 2024 Request for Concept Proposals for detailed application instructions. 

The Technical Review Committee is comprised of volunteers with knowledge and expertise regarding California’s specialty crop industry. The committee reviews, evaluates, and makes recommendations to CDFA on proposals submitted for funding to California’s SCBGP. Interested individuals must submit a completed application form and a copy of their résumé/CV to grants@cdfa.ca.gov before 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, September 8, 2023. For more information and to download the application, please visit CDFA’s SCBGP website.

Upcoming Events and Trainings

Acres U.S.A. Healthy Soils Summit



This annual event held in Seaside is essential for ranchers, growers, and farmers looking to improve their soil health management systems. An optional half-day farm tour to Paicines Ranch and Pinnacle Organically Grown Produce is included.

When and Where:

• August 23-24, Seaside

Register

Mechanization and the Future of Farming

The California Association of Winegrape Growers Foundation is inviting lawmakers and Newsom Administration staff for an educational program and dinner at Silt Wine Company in Clarksburg. The event aims to help inform policymakers on mechanization and the future of farming. Interest in this technology has increased as awareness of the environmental and safety benefits of the technology grows. CAWG is hosting this event to showcase demonstrations of autonomous tractors as it is important that policymakers have first-hand experience with this technology.

Thank you to the event sponsors:

When and Where:

• August 23, Silt Wine Company

If you are interested in sponsoring this important educational event, please contact Jenny Devine. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. 

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.

August

23 - Mechanization and the Future of Farming

November

8 - CAWG Board Meeting & Outgoing Chair Dinner

January

23-25 - Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

STAY CONNECTED