CAWG eNews: The Winegrape Update, Golden State Recap, New Laws in 2025, and More...

view as webpage

January 2, 2025

YOUR SOURCE FOR CAWG AND INDUSTRY NEWS

FOR CAWG MEMBERS ONLY

IN THIS eNEWS

This Week's eNews Includes:

CAWG News:

The Winegrape Update Returns January 8, 2025
Golden State Recap
New Laws in 2025
New Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crop Producers - Apply by Jan. 8
Webinar: Get a Fast ROI with the Right Palletizing Deployment Method
Unified Wine and Grape Symposium - Early Registration Closes on January 21
CAWG Awards of Excellence Reception

Industry News:

Leader Schumer Announces New US Senate Democratic Committee Assignments
Corporate Transparency Act Enforcement Halted: Deadlines Suspended
Congress Averts Government Shutdown, Farm Bill Extended for One Year
USDA Announces Final $300 Million in Automatic Assistance for Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers
How AI is Revolutionizing Vineyard Management
Santa Barbara County Takes Steps Toward Wine Business Improvement District
Lumo and AvidWater Partner to Expand Precision Irrigation in California

Upcoming Events:

Lodi IPM Network Meeting: ChatGPT
2025 San Joaquin Valley Grape Symposium

REMINDER: CAWG membership invoices have been mailed. Please contact Mindy DeRohan with any questions or to pay your invoice. Thank you - we look forward to working for you in the year ahead.

CAWG News

The Winegrape Update Returns January 8, 2025

Designed exclusively for CAWG members, this virtual forum offers a unique space for members to interact with CAWG staff, industry experts, and fellow members in more of a town hall kind of format. The Winegrape Update guarantees insightful conversations on relevant subjects.

This month, CAWG staff will provide updates on federal and state legislative items and Kristine Fox with Relation Insurance Services will provide helpful crop insurance reminders. Newly elected Senator Christopher Cabaldon (who represents wine country from Clarksburg into Napa) has been invited to join us.

Golden State Recap

This year, Governor Newsom waited until June to deliver his State of the State address, which is historically delivered early in the calendar year. That address was heavy on national issues, as at that time, we were in the throes of national campaigns for president. This week Newsom released “The Golden State Recap” video, looking back on 2024.

The video is full of statements about the governor taking on various issues. Newsom proclaims there was tremendous progress in 2024 on everything from building housing, to increasing wages, to fighting the oil industry, and more. However, his video fails to recognize several challenges facing California in 2024 and 2025. These include the following:

The increased minimum wage has resulted in the closure of far too many restaurants and threatens the availability of health care in rural communities. Additionally, the ag overtime law has resulted in less take home pay for ag employees.
Available housing continues to fall far short of demand, and there is no meaningful plan in place to finance more housing or make it easier to build housing (especially housing for ag workers).
Restrictions on water are driving down some agricultural real estate values. That, combined with increased imports, means California agriculture is taking a big hit, especially winegrape growers.
Without regard to Newsom’s efforts to go after the oil industry, California has the highest gas prices in the lower 48.
High electricity rates are continuing to rise in light of increased demand and declining supply.

There is no doubt that California is facing significant challenges. Some of those challenges are from climate change and our evolving environment. But some of those challenges are a direct result of unworkable regulatory policies coming out of Sacramento and DC. A recap of 2024 that does not address those challenges is incomplete.

New Laws in 2025

With every new year comes a bunch of new laws. CAWG hosted a webinar to discuss a few new laws of interest to winegrape growers. Below are a few links to other news accounts of some of the new laws in California in 2025.

One of those new laws is already being challenged in court. The California Chamber of Commerce and the California Restaurant Association have filed a federal lawsuit challenging a law taking effect this year that bans "captive audience" meetings.

SB 399 prohibits employers from taking any action if an employee refuses to attend a meeting that speaks about political or religious matters. The bill's labor union sponsors have said part of the intent was to free employees from intimidation, particularly if they are trying to organize a union. CAWG was opposed because the bill is much broader and likely violates the First Amendment and 14th Amendment of the Constitution.

Link to the full Complaint here.

USDA Launches New Marketing Assistance Program for Specialty Crop Producers

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) rolled out a new program available to specialty crop producers to offer economic assistance. The Marketing Assistance for Specialty Crops (MASC) program; offers $2 Billion in funding to help specialty crop producers expand markets and manage higher costs, including labor.

The application period is open and the deadline is quickly approaching! Applications are due to any FSA county office by Jan. 8, 2025, and staff at your local USDA Service Center will work with you to file your application.

CAWG's full eAlert has information on eligibility, application steps, program payouts, and additional resources.

Quote of the Week

"Numer 11: Drinking the occasional glass of wine - Winemaking was one of Carter’s favorite hobbies, and he even planted a vineyard and started the Georgia Winery as a non-profit organization."

On President Jimmy Carter’s 12 daily habits that led to 100 fulfilling years. Read more here.

President Carter passed away on December 29, 2024, at the age of 100. He will be honored at a state funeral on January 9 in Washington D.C. before he is buried in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, alongside his wife, Rosalynn.

Webinar: Get a Fast ROI with the Right Palletizing Deployment Method

Wineries increasingly turn to end-of-line automation to address labor shortages, rising costs, and safety concerns. However, deploying a palletizing system can seem daunting, especially in the unique environment of a winery. Robotiq’s lean robotics approach, developed by CEO Samuel Bouchard, has already helped wineries and manufacturers of all sizes—from family-owned operations to large enterprises—overcome production challenges.

If you're a winery owner or manager looking to automate your palletizing process, this session is designed specifically for you. Join CAWG and Robotiq on January 16 at 10 AM to learn more!

Unified Wine and Grape Symposium - Early Registration Closes on January 21

The 2025 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium kicks off in less than a month and early registration closes on Tuesday, January 21! Register here for the 2025 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium (UW&GS)! CAWG members receive up to a $200 discount on registration as a benefit of their membership. Codes have been emailed to all CAWG members. If you didn't receive your membership code, please contact the CAWG office at 916-379-8995 or email Mindy@cawg.org.

Last Call - Sponsorship & Advertisement Opportunities - Seeking Wine Glass Sponsors! Showcase your brand as a Wine Glass Sponsor at the upcoming UW&S - be the sponsor of the wine glasses provided at the Regional Wine Tasting event, Breakout Sessions, and the Thursday Exhibitor Luncheon! To view the full list of opportunities, you can visit the Unified website or download the brochure. For questions, contact Jenny Devine.

CAWG Awards of Excellence Reception

Join CAWG on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 6:00 PM at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento for the Awards of Excellence celebration following the Welcome Reception at the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium.

CAWG will honor the Miller Family, The Thornhill Companies as the 2025 Grower of the Year, and Randy Heinzen, Vineyard Professional Services as the 2025 Leader of the Year.

Registration for the Unified Wine and Grape Symposium is not required and the Awards of Excellence Reception is free to attend with no RSVP needed. Sponsorship opportunities are available (please contact Jenny Devine for more information)!

Industry News

Leader Schumer Announces New US Senate Democratic Committee Assignments

US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has announced the committee assignments for the 119th Congress.

Newly elected California Senator Adam Schiff has been appointed to the Senate Agriculture Committee, marking a potentially significant opportunity for California’s agricultural industry to have direct representation on key policy discussions. His predecessor, the late Senator Dianne Feinstein was a strong supporter of California winegrape growers. Additionally, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) has been named to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and both Senators Schiff and Padilla will also serve on the Environment and Public Works Committee.

CAWG looks forward to working with both Senators Padilla and Schiff in the year ahead!

Corporate Transparency Act Enforcement Halted: Deadlines Suspended

Last year, CAWG had been sharing reminders as to the obligation for companies to file beneficial ownership information in compliance with the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). On December 26, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals once again blocked enforcement of the CTA, suspending all filing deadlines. This comes just days after another panel of the same court had reinstated the reporting requirements, pushing the compliance deadline to January 13, 2025.

Key Timeline Highlights:

2021: CTA enacted, with reporting obligations set for January 1, 2025.
December 3, 2024: Texas court halted the CTA’s requirements.
December 23, 2024: 5th Circuit revived the CTA, resetting the deadline to January 13, 2025.
December 26, 2024: Another 5th Circuit panel reinstated the injunction, halting CTA enforcement nationwide.
March 25, 2025: 5th Circuit set to hear arguments on the appeal.

Current Status:

No immediate filing is required for Reporting Companies, including those formed before January 1, 2024.
Voluntary submissions are permitted, though not mandatory.
Businesses should monitor developments and prepare for potential compliance if the injunction is lifted.

The CTA remains in legal limbo, and its fate will depend on future court rulings. Stay informed and ready to act as the situation evolves.

Read more from CAWG member Fisher Phillips

Congress Averts Government Shutdown, Farm Bill Extended for One Year

On December 21, Congress passed, and President Biden signed, a year end spending package at the eleventh hour to avert a government shutdown before the holidays. After a long week of the House of Representatives shopping different versions of a continuing resolution (CR), House Republicans introduced their third CR Friday to fund the government through March 14, which passed on the House floor by a 366-34-1 vote and in the Senate by a 84-11 vote. The package also included over $100 billion in funding for natural disasters, including roughly $20.78 billion for agricultural producers impacted by disasters during 2023 and 2024. Also included was $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers and a one-year farm bill extension. Congress will return tomorrow to kick off the 119th Congress.

USDA Announces Final $300 Million in Automatic Assistance for Distressed Farm Loan Borrowers

On Dec. 20, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the issuance of the final $300 million in assistance to distressed direct and guaranteed farm loan borrowers under Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds. Since the IRA was signed into law in August of 2022, USDA has provided approximately $2.5 billion in assistance to more than 47,800 distressed borrowed to help producers retain their land and continue agricultural operations. The funding from this announcement is expected to aid over 12,800 distressed direct and guaranteed Farm Loan Programs (FLP) borrowers. FLP payment eligibility is determined on a loan-by-loan basis and distressed borrowers may be able to receive assistance under multiple categories if they have qualifying multiple direct or guarantee loans. For more details on FLP, visit your local FSA office or fsa.usda.gov.

How AI is Revolutionizing Vineyard Management

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing vineyard management, combining precision and innovation to improve efficiency, sustainability, and grape quality. The Wine Industry Network published an article highlighting a few ways AI is used in vineyards.

Precision Monitoring: AI-powered drones and sensors provide real-time data on soil health, moisture, and plant stress, enabling early disease detection and targeted interventions.
Weather Prediction: AI analyzes climate patterns to forecast weather events, helping vineyards prepare for frost or drought with automated systems.
Water Optimization: AI tools recommend efficient irrigation schedules, reducing water use by up to 30% while maintaining grape quality.
Pest and Disease Control: Machine learning detects pests and diseases early, reducing chemical use and protecting vine health.
Yield Prediction: AI predicts harvest size and timing, optimizing labor and resources while minimizing waste.
Sustainability: By optimizing inputs and promoting biodiversity, AI supports eco-friendly practices and reduces carbon footprints.

As AI advances, it promises even greater innovations, ensuring vineyards thrive while preserving the artistry of winemaking. The Lodi Winegrape Commission is hosting a meeting on January 7 focused on the use of AI in vineyards. More details are below.

Santa Barbara County Takes Steps Toward Wine Business Improvement District

The Santa Barbara County Vintners Association is making progress on establishing a countywide Wine Business Improvement District (BID) to boost local wine sales and tourism. At a December 17 meeting, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved key steps to move the BID forward, including resolutions and public hearings set for early 2025. If approved, a 1% assessment on direct-to-consumer wine sales at tasting facilities could generate $1.5-$1.6 million annually, significantly increasing the association’s current $600,000 budget.

Funding from the BID would enhance marketing, brand awareness, events, community engagement, and industry education. The BID aims to strengthen Santa Barbara’s position in California’s wine landscape, ensuring its recognition alongside Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles. Public hearings will continue into 2025 as the association seeks final approval.