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San Luis Obispo County Agriculture News

June 3, 2024

www.slofarmbureau.org

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County Board of Supervisors to Consider the Recommended Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors will be meeting Monday, June 3rd and potentially Tuesday, June 4th to review the recommended budget for FY24/25 at 9am.


The public comment period is at the start of the meeting and for budget throughout the day. 


This budget includes assumptions for the next fiscal year such as increases in salaries and benefits for county staff, increases in CAL FIRE contracts due to a shift in work week hours, and groundwater sustainability increases among many others.


The budget includes a $530,562 or 32% increase in expenditures for groundwater sustainability. This increase is mostly due to coordination and managing projects for the Paso Basin and SLO Valley Basin. These projects include coordination of a 5-year Groundwater Sustainability Plan Evaluation in the Paso Basin and completion of a rate study in the SLO Valley Basin.


You can review the full text of the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year SLO County Recommended and Supplemental Budget documents here.

This Week In SLO County Agriculture

In This Week's Issue:

  • Community: Harvestly to Host Summer Markets
  • State Government: Newsom Unveils Plan that Would Hasten Insurance-Rate Reviews and Increases
  • Federal Government: Reminder to Comply with U.S. Treasury Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule
  • Produce: Biopesticide Control Survey for Produce Growers Now Open
  • Labor: California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has Issued a Revised Supplemental Notice to H-2A Employees
  • Business Member Spotlight: Eagle Energy, Inc.
  • Featured Member Benefit: Dungarees
  • Livestock: 'Upsetting': Cal Poly Staff, Students React to People Trespassing, Harassing Campus Horses
  • Vineyard and Wine: Global Alcohol Beverage Consumption Drops, Impacting California Wine Industry
  • Water: Opportunity to Comment on Convening a Second Statewide Expert Panel for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program

May 20 Most-Read

  1. PD Editorial: The high cost of outlawing farms
  2. The Iceberg Lettuce Revival Has Wilted
  3. New UC Study Estimates Costs for Growing Coastal Organic Strawberries
  4. Several States Sue California Over Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate
  5. CDC Reports Second Human Case of H5 Bird Flu Tied to Dairy Cow Outbreak
  6. California County’s Farm Bureau Sues Over State Monitoring of Groundwater
  7. 27th Annual Atascadero Lakeside Wine Fest seeking volunteers
  8. Report: 97% Of Fruits And Vegetables Tested In California Are Free Of Illegal Pesticide Residues
  9. Are We on the Brink of a New Trade War with China?
  10. Bipartisan group in U.S. House urges relief for farmers, temporary freeze on rising wages

SLO County Farm Bureau Calendar of Events:

  • June 5- CA Rangeland Trust- Conserving Your Legacy Workshop, 8am-1pm at Office, Register Here
  • June 11- Young Farmers and Ranchers BBQ and PCA Panel at Office, 6pm
  • June 25- SLO County Farm Bureau Board Meeting at 5pm at Office (4875 Morabito Pl. SLO, CA 93401), All members welcome to attend (Please call 805-543-3654 to RSVP)

Community: Harvestly to Host Summer Markets

Open Farm Days- June 21st-23rd

This family-friendly experience is an up-close chance to learn about agriculture through demonstrations, tastings, and farm tours. Ticket holders will visit local farms, ranches, producers and purveyors setting their own pace as a self guided adventure along the trail. Local farms will be featuring everything from beekeeping to olive oil production.

Read More

Cal Poly hosts rare cork harvesting event

On Tuesday, Cal Poly students participated in an event that hasn't occurred in over 30 years - harvesting the university's cork oak trees.

Read More

State Government: Newsom Unveils Plan that Would Hasten Insurance-Rate Reviews and Increases

Valadao Calls on Newsom to Suspend Gas Tax Increase - California Ag Network

Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) led the entire California Republican congressional delegation in urging Governor Gavin Newsom to suspend the state's upcoming gas tax increase on July 1, 2024. According to Triple A, the national average price for a gallon of gas is $3.60, but in California, the average price is $5.13 per gallon.

Read More

Newsom unveils plan that would hasten insurance-rate reviews - and increases

A bill from Gov. Gavin Newsom would speed up the review process for insurance rate increase requests from insurers in California.

Read More

Meeting to Cover Economic Development Initiatives That Advance Opportunities for Farmers

SACRAMENTO -- The California State Board of Food and Agriculture will discuss local economic initiatives that advance opportunities within agricultural communities at its upcoming meeting...

Read More

Federal Government: Reminder to Comply with U.S. Treasury Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule

Reminder to Comply with U.S. Treasury Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Rule


To all agriculturalists who operate either a corporation or LLC, the U.S. Department of Treasury is now requiring small, closely held corporations and limited liability companies in the United States to file a report stating the beneficial owners (shareholders or members) of the entity. If you formed your corporation or LLC before January 1, 2024, the deadline to file the report is January 1, 2025. If you formed the entity after January 1, 2024, the deadline is sixty days after the formation. Here are the links to the Small Entity Compliance Guide and the Frequently Asked Questions posted by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. If you have questions about compliance, please discuss the issue with your lawyer or accountant.


Is China Buying up All of US Farmland? No, Finds New Study: It's Canada

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Despite concerns that China is buying or leasing all the farmland in the United States, new Cornell-led research shows that this is...

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Ag Organizations React to Advancement of Farm Bill

WASHINGTON -- Editor's note: H.R. 8467, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2024, was passed by the House Committee on Agriculture on May...

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Produce: Biopesticide Control Survey for Produce Growers Now Open

Funding for Projects Under New Assisting Specialty Crop Exports Initiative

USDA announced the availability of funding for the first five projects under the new Assisting Specialty Crop Exports initiative...

Read More

Biopesticide Control Survey for Produce Growers Now Open

Researcher seeks biopesticide control input from West Coast specialty crops industry stakeholders, especially California growers.

Read More

Labor: California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has Issued a Revised Supplemental Notice to H-2A Employees

Rare Win for Employers: Knowing and Intentional Wage Statement Defense

On May 6, the California Supreme Court gave a rare win to employers when it issued its most recent opinion in the ongoing fight in Naranjo v. Spectrum Security Services, Inc.


The name may sound familiar because in 2022 the California Supreme Court issued a decision in the same case, finding that the one hour of premium pay owed to employees who are deprived of their timely and full-length off-duty meal periods or rest periods constitutes wages subject to the same payment timeframes and wage statement reporting rules as other forms of compensation.


This year, the Court was asked whether an employer can argue that it acted reasonably and in good faith to defend against allegations of a “knowing and intentional” failure to include such premium payment on the wage statement, which is subject to statutory penalties of up to $4,000 or the employee’s actual damages should the employee’s damages exceed the statutory penalties.


The Court held that yes, “if an employer reasonably and in good faith believed it was providing a complete and accurate wage statement in compliance with the requirements of section 226, then it has not knowingly and intentionally failed to comply with the wage statement law.”


What This Means for Employers

Nearly every wage and hour class action filed in California contains a claim for failure to provide meal and rest periods and includes derivative wage statement violations and waiting time penalties based on the alleged meal and rest period violations.


The result has been that an alleged denial of a single meal period could lead to liability for premium pay under Labor Code section 226.7, waiting time penalties under Labor Code section 203, interest on the unpaid premium pay, a civil penalty under the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004 (Lab. Code, § 2698 et seq.) and actual damages or statutory penalties up to $4,000 per employee under Labor Code section 226.


This ruling provides employers with some significant leverage in negotiating with law firms representing plaintiffs because an employer may be able to limit or eliminate a significant amount of potential liability if it can establish that it had a good faith belief it was providing complete and accurate wage statements to its employees, even if it ultimately was wrong.


The goal of this article is to provide employers with current labor and employment law information. Its contents should be neither interpreted nor construed as legal advice or opinion. The reader should consult with Barsamian & Moody at (559) 248-2360 for individual responses to questions or concerns regarding any given situation.

Final Rule: Improving Protections for Workers in Temporary Agricultural Employment in the United States

On Thursday, June 6, 2024, the Department of Labor will host a public webinar to educate employers, agricultural associations, farm labor contractors, farmworkers, advocates, and other interested members of the public on the changes to the H-2A and Wagner-Peyser Employment Service programs made by the 2024 Farmworker Protection Final Rule.

Read More

California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has Issued a Revised Supplemental Notice to H-2A Employees

Business Member Spotlight:

Eagle Energy, Inc.

Services Include:

  • ExxonMobil Oil Distributor of bulk and packaged products
  • Distributor of Phillips 76 fuels
  • Truck & Trailer station distributors and Fuel Management
  • Construction and Agriculture Tankwagon Fuel Management and Delivery


Hours of Operation

Santa Margarita: Main Office & Warehouse Hours:

Monday-Friday 8am-5pm


Eagle Energy Country Store

24/7!

eagleenergyinc.com

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Thank You Farm Bureau Members

Renewing Agricultural Members

DAOU Vineyards, Tobias Wheeler, Michael Owens, Mar Vista Berry LLC, Elliott Paulson, Roberta Hillstein, Martinez Farming LLC, and Gerald Shaffer

Renewing Associate Business Support Member

PG and E

Renewing Associate Members

FARMStead ED and Mark Wheeler

SLO County Farm Bureau Business Support Member List

Featured Member Benefit:

Dungarees

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Dungarees carries a massive inventory of premium men's and women's workwear brands, including one of the largest selections of Carhartt in the nation.


As a California Farm Bureau member, you receive:


10% discount on orders under $200

15% discount on orders over $200

20% discount on orders over $500

Free shipping on all orders over $55 (contiguous U.S. only)


Featured brands include Carhartt, CAT, Wolverine and YETI.


Visit dungarees.com to start shopping. Enter code CAFRB on the last page of checkout to receive your discount.


*Restrictions may apply. Discount applies to select items only.

Livestock: 'Upsetting': Cal Poly Staff, Students React to People Trespassing, Harassing Campus Horses

'Upsetting': Cal Poly staff, students react to people trespassing, harassing campus horses

College officials are reminding the public to keep their distance from campus animals after receiving a video of several people trespassing and harassing horses.

Read More

Lab-grown meat isn't on store shelves yet, but some states have already banned it

Lab-grown meat is not currently available in any U.S. grocery stores or restaurants. If some lawmakers have their way, it never will be.

Read More

Angus Sire Evaluation Report Updates Implemented in May

SAINT JOSEPH, Mo. -- This spring, alongside the routine annual updates of economic assumptions and genomic scores, significant enhancements were implemented in the Sire Evaluation...

Read More

Farmers must kill 4.2 million chickens after bird flu hits Iowa egg farm

More than 4 million chickens in Iowa will have to be killed after a case of the highly pathogenic bird flu was detected at a large egg farm.

Read More

Vineyard and Wine: Global Alcohol Beverage Consumption Drops, Impacting California Wine Industry

Global Alcohol Beverage Consumption Drops, Impacting California Wine Industry - California Ag Network

Wine grape growers may have difficulty finding a home for their crop this season due to a global decline in consumer demand for wine and alcoholic beverages overall. Watch this brief interview with Danny Brager of Brager Beverage Alcohol Consulting to learn more.

Read More

Eberle Winery Celebrates The 40th Anniversary

Our congratulations to Eberle Winery on the 40th Anniversary of the winery and to owner Gary Eberle who has contributed significantly to the wine history of San Luis Obispo County in four areas: grape varietals, the founding of the Paso Robles AVA, the production of fine red wines (Cabernet Sauvignon is his favorite) and the...

Read More

Water: Opportunity to Comment on Convening a Second Statewide Expert Panel for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program

Opportunity to Comment on Covening a Second Statewide Expert Panel for the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program

NOTICE

The State Water Board will accept written comments on the proposed questions of convening of a second statewide agricultural expert panel, including the proposed questions, areas of expertise to be considered, and the data to be given for consideration.


Electronic comments should be submitted to: ILRP@waterboards.ca.gov


Written comments may alternatively be sent via mail to:

State Water Resources Control Board

Attn: Kelsey Moore, Division of Water Quality

1001 I Street, 15th Floor

Sacramento, CA 95814

Stalled out: Cambria's CSD is trying to overcome almost a decade of failing to get a permanent permit for its water facility

Getting a straight answer about the future of Cambria's water situation isn't easy. That's, in part, thanks to the town's water reclamation facility, which has...

Read More

Avila Beach water repair project will lead to lane closures

In Avila Beach, a repair project began today to refurbish the interconnect between two adjacent water systems.

Read More

New federal bill addresses PFAS contamination near SLO airport

Under a new federal bill, the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport will receive funding to replace firefighting foams that contaminate groundwater with so-called "forever chemicals."

Read More

Farm Bureau Membership Matters

SLO County Farm Bureau - Membership Info 2020.png

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.

Join or Renew Your San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau Membership

Thank You Platinum Members

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SLO County Agriculture News is distributed by SLO County Farm Bureau for information purposes only. Stories written by SLO County Farm Bureau may be reprinted with attribution. Some outside story links may require site registration. Opinions expressed in stories, commentaries or editorials included in this newsletter do not necessarily represent the views of SLO County Farm Bureau. For information on advertising opportunities, please email info@slofarmbureau.org or call our office at 805-543-3654.

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