SLO County's Kiah Twisselman Burchett Showcases California Agriculture With "Backroad Cowgirls" Digital Series | |
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San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau member Kiah Twisselman Burchett is on a mission "show the faces of agriculture like you’ve never seen them before.”
The first episode of Burchett and co-host Courtenay DeHoff’s “Backroad Cowgirls” digital video series launched this week on YouTube. Last month, the cowgirls travelled across San Luis Obispo County and California in a camper van to “shine a candid light on the people who make up agriculture.”
From pistachio growers to tatted-up chefs and restauranteurs, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ farmers, cattle ranchers, mental health professionals, vintners and more – the digital series aims to connect consumers with agriculture by telling the stories of the people behind it.
Burchett says the project would not have been possible without the support of many local Farm Bureau members, including Todd Ventura and the Poor Richards Press team who sponsored branding and promotional items for the van.
A new episode launches every Tuesday for the next 12 weeks on the Backroad Cowgirls YouTube channel. Watch full episodes of the series here and and the Season 1 Trailer below. Learn more about the project here.
Photography by Paso Robles' Shelby Caitlin
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This Week In SLO County Agriculture | |
Community: 'Backroad Cowgirls': Court and Kiah Take California | |
Open Farm Day 2022 Tickets Now on Sale! | |
The pre-sale tickets are live!
Our 2nd annual Open Farm Days on the SLO Co Farm Trail has grown to TWO days! Join us for one-of-a-kind experiences including tastings and farm tours offering behind the barn access to the moo-vers and shakers of the San Luis Obispo agriCULTURAL scene.
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'Backroad Cowgirls': Court and Kiah Take California | CALIFORNIA - A new digital series highlighting California's people in agriculture premiered this week - and it was created and hosted by the Central Coast's very own Kiah Twisselman Burchett. "Backroad Cowgirls" premiered the first episode of its first season on YouTube this week. | | | |
Young Farmers and Ranchers Summer Kickoff Social June 23 | | |
Adelaida Farm Center Meeting on June 18 | |
Election News: California Primary Results: Who is advancing to November? | |
Choosing change? Turnout nearly hit a new low, yet early election results signaled upsets in a few local races | click to enlarge Cover Photo By Jayson Mellom The midterm primary has come and gone, and even though every registered voter in the state received a mail-in ballot, only some 15 percent had voted ahead of the June 7 election day. That's worse than in 2018, according to the LA Times. | | |
California primary results: Who is advancing to November? | The polls are closed, but remember: In California elections, this is just the beginning. The June top-two primary is when California voters choose their two favorites for governor, for top prosecutor, for fiscal watchdog and for a phalanx of lesser known and less competitive positions. | | | | |
Paulding, Ortiz-Legg, Gibson take leads in SLO County supervisor elections | Even after two years of intense campaigning in South County, Jimmy Paulding said he had no idea what to expect on June 7 when the preliminary results for his 4th District county supervisor race posted shortly after 8 p.m. | | | |
County Government: SLO County Board of Supervisors to Hold Annual Budget Hearings June 13-15 | |
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SLO County Board of Supervisors to Hold Annual Budget Hearings June 13-15
Watch the meeting live here.The County's the Fiscal Year 2022-23 Recommended and Supplemental Budget documents can be viewed at the following link: https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/budget. The budget document also includes a summary of activities from the current fiscal year.
Items of Interest to Agriculture in the FY22-23 Budget Include:
- Page 50 – Top 10 Property Taxpayers - page 50
- FC 141 — Agricultural Commissioner – page 110-115
- FC 142 — Planning and Building – page 117-125
- FC 405 — Public Works – page 130-138
- FC 201 — Public Works - Special Services – page 155-157
- FC 205 — Groundwater Sustainability – page 161-166
- FC 215 — UC Cooperative Extension – page 340-345
- FC 330 — Wildlife and Grazing – page 345-347
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Water usage restrictions are coming to some SLO County cities amid severe drought | The state is in its third year of harsh drought, and the Central Coast is particularly vulnerable. State officials announced new water bill use restrictions to try to address that, and San Luis Obispo County is preparing for a change in how much water we use. | | | | |
Supervisors Approve Amendment to Emergency Groundwater Ordinance | SLO COUNTY - San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to a groundwater export ordinance that requires a permit to move water between groundwater basins within San Luis Obispo County. | | | |
State Government: Farm Bureau at Work- Legislative & Government Affairs Report from Sacramento | |
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California Farm Bureau's Farm Bureau at Work -
Legislative & Government Affairs Report from Sacramento
June 10 Highlights (Full Report Here):
Animal Health & Welfare
The Department of Food and Agriculture released draft changes on Thursday to the proposed regulations regarding animal confinement – also known as Prop 12. CA Farm Bureau will review these changes and if a comment is warranted, staff will submit a letter by the deadline of June 24. Farm Bureau has expressed concern with the regulations throughout the process and will continue to engage CDFA staff. Staff: Katie Little, klittle@cfbf.com
Commodity
The Senate Governmental Organization Committee will be meeting on Tuesday at 9am to discuss AB 778 (Eduardo Garcia, D-Coachella). This Farm Bureau supported bill would require state institutions, except schools, to buy California agricultural products at certain targets: 50% by 2025, 60% by 2027 and 75% by 2030. Staff: Taylor Roschen, troschen@cfbf.com
The Senate Education Committee will be hearing AB 558 (Adrin Nazarian, D-San Fernando) on Wednesday morning. This bill would offer an additional $0.30 per meal for schools who choose to purchase plant-based alternatives to meat and dairy products. Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations are in opposition. Staff: Taylor Roschen, troschen@cfbf.com
Pesticides
The Department of Pesticide Regulation will be hosting three workshops on June 27, 28 and 29th on the development of a statewide pesticide notification system. Below are live links to each workshop:
Four pilot projects are currently underway in Ventura, Riverside, Santa Cruz, and Stanislaus
counties. More information about the individual pilots and the state’s proposal can be found here.
Farm Bureau will be providing information to County Farm Bureaus and members interested in
participating. Staff: Taylor Roschen, troschen@cfbf.com
The Office of Pesticide Consultation and Analysis (OPCA) is hosting a public conference on June
28, 2022 from 8:30am to 12:30pm. OPCA provides consultation to the California Department of
Pesticide Regulation (DPR) with a focus on the economic analysis of potential pesticide regulatory
impacts and pest management alternatives that may mitigate impacts on production agriculture
in California. The conference will host discussions their grant-funded research projects, including
biological controls, mating disruption, and other reduced-risk pest management practices.
Economists and scientists will also present on organic and integrated pest management practices,
cost and return studies, and the tension between food safety and some alternative practices.
Attendees may be able to obtain continuing education credits with the Department of Food and
Agriculture. This conference will be hosted over zoom with the following link here.
Staff: Taylor Roschen, troschen@cfbf.com
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Federal Government: House Democrats unveil 'lower food and fuel costs' bill | |
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California Farm Bureau Federal Policy News - June 9
- AFBF President Duvall Discusses Supply Chain Issues with President Biden
- Action Alert Reminder: Comment on the Securities Exchange Commission Proposed Rule Today
- AFBF Releases Third Iteration of Drought Survey - Respond Today!
- Senate Agriculture Conservation Subcommittee Holds First Hearing Since 2013 on Drought
- Forest Service Re-issues Restrictions of Certain Fire-Related Activities for Public Safety
- House Ag Subcommittee Holds Farm Bill Hearing on SNAP
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Weekly Agriculture- Politico | The United Nations is trying to broker a deal with Russia to allow Ukraine to restart grain exports via the Black Sea. Biden administration officials and lawmakers, however, are highly skeptical Russia is operating in good faith. - On Capitol Hill this week: The House Ag Committee is holding two farm bill-related hearings. | | | | |
House Democrats unveil 'lower food and fuel costs' bill | The House could vote as early as next week on an omnibus bill that would allow summertime sale of E15, create a special investigator's office at the USDA to enforce fair-play laws in meatpacking, and help farmers adopt so-called precision agriculture technology. | | | | |
Lawmakers mull margin protection, permanent disaster program for crops | Concerned by rising production costs and the longevity of sky-high commodity prices, farm-state lawmakers floated margin protection for crop growers and standby farm disaster programs on Thursday for inclusion in the 2023 farm bill. However, farm bill funding may be tight, which could limit Congress' ability to add new features to the farm program. | | | |
Business Member Spotlight:
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USDA: Public agricultural R&D spending in the United States has declined in recent years | |
Public agricultural R&D spending in the United States has declined in recent years | Spending on agricultural research and development (R&D) comes from private and public sources. Public R&D, however, has traditionally been the primary source directly oriented toward improving farm technology and productivity. Since the early 2000s, expenditures have declined in real terms for agricultural R&D performed by public institutions, including USDA laboratories, land grant universities, and other cooperating institutions. | | | | |
USDA investments to support urban agriculture | WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announces significant investments to support urban agriculture, including $43.1 million for grants and cooperative agreements as well as six new urban county committees to help deliver key USDA programs to urban producers. | | | | |
USDA Seeks Feedback from Producers on 2022 Crops, Stocks, Inventories, and Values - California Ag Network | During the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will conduct two major mid-year surveys, the June Agricultural Survey, and the June Area Survey. The agency will contact nearly 2,100 producers across California to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1, 2022. | | | |
Ag Economics: FAO, WFP warn of looming widespread food crisis | |
FAO, WFP warn of looming widespread food crisis | ROME - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued a stark warning of multiple, looming food crises, driven by conflict, climate shocks, the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and massive public debt burdens - exacerbated by the ripple effects of the war in Ukraine which has pushed food and fuel prices to accelerate in many nations across the globe. | | | | |
World's most vulnerable paying more for less food | ROME - The global food import bill is on course to hit a new record of US$1.8 trillion this year, but higher prices and transport costs rather than volumes account for the bulk of the expected increase, according to a new report released June 9 by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). | | | | |
Consumers feeling meat price sticker shock have ways to save | "Spikes in fuel costs cause everything to go up," Rentfrow said. "But also, we have to think about labor and higher production and transportation costs. The cost of corn and grain is high and what do we feed livestock? We feed them grain. | | | |
Most Right-to-Repair Lawsuits Against John Deere To Be Litigated in Northern Illinois | All the cases alleged the company violated the Sherman Act and seek damages for farmers who paid for repairs from John Deere dealers beginning on Jan. 12, 2018, to the present. The cases allege the company has monopolized the repair service market for John Deere brand agricultural equipment with onboard central computers known as engine control units, or ECUs. | | | | |
Economists: Soaring input costs to weigh on farm income for years | Farm input costs are likely to remain at elevated levels well after commodity prices come off their historic highs, and farm bill programs could provide only limited help, economists warned lawmakers Thursday. | | | |
Thank You Farm Bureau Members | |
Featured Member Benefit:
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
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Looking for some exciting thrills this summer?
Stretch your entertainment dollars at major amusement parks and attractions with a variety of discounts. For website links, discounts codes and coupons, call the member help desk at (800) 698-FARM.
Purchase your tickets online to receive $8.00 off on Good-Any-Day tickets at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Available February-October.
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Environmental: Appeals Court Classifies Bees as Fish Under Endangered Species Act | |
Appeals Court Classifies Bees as Fish Under Endangered Species Act | An appeals court recently reversed an earlier judgment preventing bumblebees from falling under the definition of "fish" in the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The California Third District Court of Appeal found that because the CESA definition of "fish" includes "invertebrate," that bumblebees meet that criterion. | | | | |
U.S. Department of Agriculture approves release of tiny wasp that targets destructive fruit fly | After 12 years of research, a parasitic wasp that controls a highly destructive fruit fly will be released by Oregon State University agricultural scientists in June. Vaughn Walton, Extension entomologist and professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences, said the U.S. | | | |
Produce: San Diego County family sues over alleged Hepatitis A infections linked to strawberries | |
In a world where bigger usually equates to better, this family farm is just fine offering small bites that lead to a world of possibilities! Located in the fertile Santa Maria Valley, Babé Farms is a year-round grower, packer and shipper of some of the finest specialty produce around. | | | | |
San Diego County family sues over alleged Hepatitis A infections linked to strawberries | SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A lawsuit filed on behalf of a San Diego County family alleges all three family members contracted hepatitis A after eating strawberries just weeks before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it was investigating an outbreak among people who had consumed the fruit. | | | | |
CA to Hold Public Workshops on Statewide Pesticide Application Notification System - California Ag Network | The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will hold three public workshops on June 27, 28 and 29 to collect feedback to inform the next phase of design and development for the state's pesticide application notification system. California will be the first state in the nation to develop a statewide system to provide the public more ... | | | |
Labor: Grower Shipper Association of Central California Shares Insight on H2A Program | |
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Ag Employment News
From California Farm Bureau’s Farm Employers Labor Service
CA Legislature Moving Employment Bills Affecting Ag Employment: AB 2183 (Stone), agricultural employee card check legislation, passed the Assembly on May 25, 49-22 with seven absences or abstentions. AB 2183 is a re-tread of AB 616 (also by Stone) vetoed by Governor Newsom in September 2021. As in the past, proponents characterized the bill as a reform allowing mail-in balloting in Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) elections despite the bill’s plain language permitting union agents to distribute, supervise the completion of, gather and return to the ALRB “ballots” envisioned by the bill.
AB 2188 (Quirk) was approved by the Assembly on May 26, 42-23 with 13 absences or abstentions. AB 2188 will ban the use of blood, skin, or urine testing for cannabis metabolites for any employment-related screening to detect cannabis use, permitting the use only of saliva tests or performance to determine actual intoxication. A broad coalition of employers has expressed concern that AB 2188 unduly restricts employers’ ability to deter on-the-job intoxication.
AB 2243 (Garcia) passed the Assembly on May 25, 47-19 with 12 absences or abstentions. The bill directs Cal/OSHA to propose to the Standards Board for its consideration amendments to the Heat Illness Prevention Standard to implement a set super-high heat requirements when the temperature exceeds 105 degrees F, including hourly breaks and distribution of written heat illness prevention plans to employees, amend the Wildfire Smoke Standard to require use of N95 respirators when the AQI for PM 2.5 exceeds 200 and various other changes to both standards dealing with employee training and acclimatization.
SB 1044 (Durazo) passed the Senate on May 25 on a 24-10 vote with six absences or abstentions. The Durazo bill would prevent an employer from taking adverse employment action against an employee who refuses to work during the existence of a natural or man-made emergency if the employee believes the work might be unsafe. As a result, millions of California employers could refuse to work immediately due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic emergency, and employees could refuse to work during a wildfire emergency (for example) even if the wildfire in question is miles away from the worksite.
SB 1162 (Limon) was approved by the Senate on May 24, 27-9 with four abstentions or absences. SB 1162 requires employers of 100 or more employees to submit pay data reports with information about employees’ pay according to race, ethnicity and sex to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), removes the current law exemption allowing employers submitting EEO-1 reports to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to forgo the DFEH report and imposes the reporting requirement of employers who contract with entities who employ 100 or more employees. This payroll information will be published on DFEH’s website and made available to the public and will require employers to furnish a pay scale for available jobs in a position announcement and make this information available to existing employees. The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement would be empowered to investigate possible violations and penalize employers for violations.
FELS' parent organization, California Farm Bureau, opposes all these billsas unneeded further impositions of costs, burdens and responsibilities on California agricultural employers. Each of these bills has now emerged from its house of origin and is pending in the second house. Farm Bureau works every day for the interests of agricultural employers; if you're not a Farm Bureau member, you should be! Click here. If you're already a Farm Bureau member, or if you join, you should also join Farm Bureau's grassroots action network, Farm Team! Click here.
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These are the impacts of California's worst drought on record | Leila Fadel asks Hernan Hernandez of the California Farmworker Foundation about the state's worst ever drought and what it means for growers, farmworkers, and grocery shoppers nationwide. LEILA FADEL, HOST: California farmers and farmworkers are struggling under California's worst drought ever. Officials say this year, the third straight year of drought, is the driest on record. | | | | |
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Grower Shipper Association of Central California Shares Insight on H2A Program
SALINAS, CA - Labor in the agricultural industry remains a central topic of conversation in California. The New York Times recently published an article regarding the decrease in illegal immigration and how that is impacting the state’s ag workforce. In response, the Grower Shipper Association of Central California (GSA) clarified how the use of the H2A program helps farmers navigate this changing landscape.
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Wildfire: 'The threat is real': Officials offer grim outlook for 2022 fire season | |
'The threat is real': Officials offer grim outlook for 2022 fire season | Southern California is facing a potentially treacherous wildfire season this year, as climate change, drought and extreme heat conspire to bake vegetation and prime the landscape for burning, officials say. | | | | |
Goats may help prevent wildfires in California as drought worsens | Whittier, California From a sunbaked peak in the Puente Hills Preserve, the panorama stretches from the skyscrapers of downtown Los Angeles to the edge of the fog-blanketed Pacific Ocean. In between, rolling green and brown hills are dappled yellow with blooming black mustard, an invasive plant that poses a mounting threat in California. | | | | |
Wildfire is Coming...Are You Ready? | Are you ready for wildfire? Prepare yourself, your home and your family before it's too late! Get evacuation information, materials... | | | |
Livestock: New Foster Farms owner to retain brand name. Impact on employees unclear. | |
Cattle industry holds WOTUS roundtable | PUBLISHED ON WASHINGTON - On June 6, the Kansas Livestock Association (KLA), an affiliate of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), hosted a Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) roundtable with representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Army Corps of Engineers. | | | | |
New Foster Farms owner to retain brand name. Impact on employees unclear | Foster Farms announced Tuesday that it has been sold to a Connecticut holding company, ending the poultry processor's 83 years of family ownership. Atlas Holdings bought the Livingston-based business for an undisclosed price. It includes turkey processing in Turlock and chicken plants in Livingston, Fresno, Porterville, Oregon, Washington and Alabama. | | | | |
Range Improvement Association Annual Meeting and BBQ- June 23 | |
Vineyard & Wine: Virtual Vineyard Grazing Workshop Offered by UCCE on July 18 | |
Vintners need to tighten job policies amid closer government scrutiny, attorney says | Overtime for California agricultural workers started kicking in this year and is set to expand to smaller companies in 2025. At the same time, state and federal labor regulators are ratcheting up their scrutiny of company employment policies, namely on how disputes are resolved. | | | | |
Invasive insect may threaten California's wine grapes | The spotted lanternfly may reach several wine-producing counties in California, putting the fruit and other crops at risk of being destroyed, as the invasive insect spreads across the United States. A new analysis from North Carolina State University released Wednesday has revealed that the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect native to Asia, has a chance... | | | | |
Virtual Vineyard Grazing Workshop Offered by UCCE on July 18 | |
Water: Cambria Cattle Rancher and SLO County Farm Bureau Member Jon Pedotti Featured in SFGate Article - ‘Game over’: The tiny Central Coast town of Cambria is about to run out of water | |
Cambria Cattle Rancher and SLO County Farm Bureau Member Jon Pedotti Featured in SFGate Article - ‘Game over’: The tiny Central Coast town of Cambria is about to run out of water | Nestled along the Central Coast, Cambria is a picturesque town famous for its vintage clothing and antique shops, its one-of-a-kind olallieberry pies, its scarecrow festival in the fall and its Disneyesque Christmas market and light display in December. | | | |
Water restrictions show folly of California's rejection of large-scale desalination projects | As the state continues to grapple with drought conditions, water restrictions are being placed on six million residents in Southern California. The latest restrictions are another reminder that the California Coastal Commission's recent rejection of the Orange County desalination plant, after 24 years of delay, reinforces the state's position as a laggard in adopting technology that could provide water security. | | |
Landmark CA Groundwater policy neglects small, underrepresented farmers - CAFF | The most consequential groundwater policy in California history has so far failed to include small and underrepresented farmers, according to a new report. Passed in 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was designed to protect the state's groundwater, setting up local agencies to develop regional plans to prevent over-pumping as demand grows, droughts persist, [...] | | | | |
Newsom should act to preserve our water - Santa Barbara News-Press | "It's not the lack of resources that cause failure, it's the lack of resourcefulness that causes failure." - Tony Robbins Did you know that the California Coastal Commission, of which Santa Barbara City Councilmember Meaghan Harmon is a member, rejected a water desal permit application for a plant in Orange County, like the one now operational in Carlsbad? | | |
California lawmakers mull buying out farmers to save water | SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - After decades of fighting farmers in court over how much water they can take out of California's rivers and streams, some state lawmakers want to try something different: use taxpayer money to buy out farmers. | | | |
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 | | | | |
