Member Tom Ikeda Featured in Ag Alert's From the Field Segment | |
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By California Farm Bureau Federation's Ag Alert
In preparation for another good rain, we made sure all our drainage ditches are clear and fields are graded properly. The sooner we can get the water off the fields, the sooner we can get back in once it dries.
With all the rain, we’re struggling to get the ground worked. In some fields, we’ve been waiting for almost two months. Instead of waiting, we’re working it up little by little to try to minimize the work we need to do to get the ground ready. We’ve been planting for spring since December, but wet conditions have made it challenging to stay on our planting schedule.
Because of the wet weather, crops aren’t going to grow at 100%, so there may be some gaps in the spring market, which could be good for farmers who have crops in the ground but not so good for the consumer. Lettuces could be a challenge. During the transition in the growing season from the desert to the Central Coast, if the desert has warm weather and their crops mature quicker and the coast stays cool, there’s going to be a gap. If the coast has wet weather and we can’t stay on our planting schedule, it’s going to create shortages and spikes in price.
Wet weather creates opportunities, and things need to fall into place for us to realize those opportunities. Anything we have in the ground we’re trying to take care of because it may fall into that window where there’s a good opportunity. You have to be on your toes, and you have to be an optimist. You know where the opportunities may be, and those are the places you may take a little more risk.
Whenever we can get rain, it’s a good thing. It may not be convenient; it may make things a mess and create more work, but in the big picture, I’d rather have too much than not enough.
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This Week In SLO County Agriculture | |
Community: SLO County Young Farmers and Ranchers Meeting on March 12th at 6PM | |
Douglass becomes first woman to lead California Farm Bureau | Shannon Douglass, the new president of the California Farm Bureau and the first woman to lead the organization, said her family is her motivation as she advocates for agriculture. | | | |  |
Commentary: Thanks to FFA, agriculture's future is in good hands | National FFA Week kicked off Feb. 19 as students began to celebrate in chapters across all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The tradition originated in 1948, recognizing George Washington’s legacy as an agriculturist and farmer. | | | |
County Government: Election Day is Tomorrow, March 5, 2024 | |
Clerk-recorder's office consolidates polling places in SLO Co. due to short staffing | The San Luis Obispo Clerk-Recorder's Office had to make last-minute adjustments to polling locations ahead of Tuesday's Presidential Primary Election. | | | | |
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Election Day is Tomorrow, March 5, 2024
Ballots should be filled out and returned to a ballot box location or mailed. You can also find your in-person Polling location here.
Live in SLO County's 5th District? Check out questionnaire responses from the candidates here.
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Federal Government: Congressional Leaders Come Out With 6 Spending Bills in a Drive to Avoid a Partial Shutdown | |
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- Shutdown Looms, Farm Bill Losing Steam
- Dairy Margin Coverage Program Opens for 2024
- President Announces $1.7B to Fight Hunger Across US
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Major Disasters and Severe Weather Caused Over $21 Billion in Crop Losses in 2023 | AFBF's Market Intel team has created a series highlighting agricultural losses incurred due to weather disasters and the disaster assistance programs meant to help mitigate their impacts. Previous articles include: AFBF has calculated crop and rangeland damage estimates since 2021 to provide a window into the impacts of natural disasters on domestic food production. | | |
Number of farms continues to drop in state and nation | The number of farms in California dropped by 10% from 2017 to 2022, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The federal government conducts the survey every five years. | | | | |
Time for Congress to Step Up and Deliver a New Farm Bill | Farmers and ranchers don't shy away from hard work. When there's a storm coming, we band together to bring the crops in. When our neighbors need a hand rebuilding, we pack our tools in our trucks and head right over. But even in the best of seasons, there's not an easy day on the farm. | | |
Congressional leaders come out with 6 spending bills in a drive to avoid a partial shutdown | Congressional leaders have come out with a package of six bills setting full-year spending levels for some federal agencies | | | |
Labor: Heavy Rains and Flooding Threaten California Strawberry Crops and Displace Farm Workers | |
Heavy rains and flooding threaten California strawberry crops and displace farm workers | Unprecedented heavy rains in California have wreaked havoc on strawberry fields and other crops, posing a threat to farm workers and potentially causing price hikes for consumers. | | | | |
In a rural California region, a plan takes shape to provide shade from dangerous heat | Elected officials, community leaders and farmworkers on Saturday launched a project to significantly increase the amount of shade in unincorporated areas in the Eastern Coachella Valley, a major agricultural area in southern California where temperatur... | | | |
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CFLCA Webinars this Month
Member registration for CFLCA webinars is free! Register yourself and your supervisors for the best practices and to maximize your changes of staying compliant and knowing your rights!
When DOL Comes Knocking-Field Access Training
- March 12 • Register Here
- Join CFLCA with Erica Rosasco, CEO of Rosasco Law Group, to learn how employers should familiarize themselves with their rights before government representatives arrive. How you handle an investigation can make the difference between being heavily fined or walking away unscathed.
Ensuring a Compliant Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
- March 19 • Register Here
- SB 553 was signed into law, mandating a comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) for California employers. This law, effective from July 1, 2024, requires businesses to maintain a WVPP, in addition to an Injury and Illness Prevention Programs. Join us for a webinar that will unpack the intricacies of the new requirement.
Rescheduled: Supervisor Training: Protecting the Company & Workforce in a New Union Climate
- March 25 • English Register Here
- March 26 • Spanish Register Here
- Register now, this training will not be recorded! Register your team for this training, geared towards supervisors and mayordomos. Make sure they understand the implications of this new law, the unionization process, compliance regulations, and how their actions could incur fines from the ALRB of up to $25,000.
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Business Member Spotlight:
DiBuduo & DeFendis Insurance Brokers LLC
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SERVICES
At D&D, we provide our clients with more than just comprehensive coverage at affordable rates. We take a partnership approach to your business by offering a number of services and programs.
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LOSS CONTROL
We work with you to develop safety strategies and programs to prevent injuries, control losses and get injured employees back to work as soon as possible. Programs that ultimately lower your insurance cost.
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CLAIMS
Claims management is a hallmark of D&D. Every business eventually has a claim and helping you through the process, being your advocate with the carrier is our number one priority.
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Orchard: California Avocado Growers Hoping For Warm Growing Days Following Recent Rains | |
USDA allows phosphine gas for use on quarantine citrus | California citrus growers and packers within the Redlands Oriental fruit fly quarantine area of San Bernardino and Riverside counties now have a new postharvest treatment option that allows them to move fresh fruit from noncore areas of the quarantine to areas outside the quarantine. | | |
California avocado growers hoping for warm growing days following recent rains | California anticipates a somewhat smaller avocado crop this season. "The forecast is for 208 million pounds of California avocados," says Terry Splane, Vice President Marketing for the... | | | | |
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Spotlight on Healthy Soils Program
for Citrus Growers
| Soil health is defined as "the ability of the soil to sustain the productivity, diversity, and environmental services of terrestrial ecosystems" (FAO & ITPS 2020) Soils are the primary growing medium that nurtures our food, playing a pivotal role in food production. | | |
Campaign Aims to Curb Misuse of 'Regenerative' in Agriculture | With rising demand for organic olive oil, California farmers are at the forefront of efforts to promote the true meaning of organic, regenerative agriculture. | | | |
Thank You Farm Bureau Members | |
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Renewing Agricultural Platinum Members
Limoneira Company Inc. and Bee Sweet Citrus Inc.
Renewing Agricultural Members
Vineyard Team, Halter Ranch, Hope Family Wines, Paso De Record Vineyard, French Camp Vineyards, Susan Warren, Danilu Ramirez, Michael Broadhurst, Manetta Bennett, Geof Gurley, Cynthia Douglas, Nicholas Negranti, Laurie Moore, and James Righetti
New Agricultural Business Members
All Seasons Weed Control Inc.
Renewing Associate Members
Ag Ed & Communication Dept, Don Whittemore, and Jim Wheeler
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Featured Member Benefit:
Ford Survey
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Greetings,
As a valued Farm Bureau member, you are invited to participate in this short survey inquiring about your current experience with the Farm Bureau incentive program offered by Ford. Your feedback in the survey is extremely important and will provide Ford Motor Company with valuable information about the program.
This survey will take less than 5 minutes to complete. Your responses will be anonymous and used only by Ford Motor Company.
We thank you for your time. If you have any questions or issues while taking the survey, please contact Program Headquarters.
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Livestock: Scholarship Applications for SLOCCW Now Open | |
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Scholarship Applications for SLOCCW Now Open
The San Luis Obispo CattleWomen (SLOCCW) have launched applications for their 2024 Scholarship Program. Those SLO County graduating seniors with goals of pursuing agriculture and a path that will directly or indirectly support the cattle industry are encouraged to apply. The requirements, application, and instructions are posted on the SLOCCW website. In addition, the scholarship is open to San Luis Obispo County college students continuing their college education in fall 2024 here in San Luis Obispo County. There are no restrictions on race, gender, or religion. Application deadline is April 1, 2024. For more information visit our website at https://www.cattlewomenslo.org/slo-cattlewomen-scholarship or contact Pat Abel at patsloccw@gmail.com.
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Supplies of dairy heifers shrink as more bred to beef | Dairy farmers looking to buy young heifers to replace their older milking cows should get used to the sticker shock for a while, as the nation’s dairy heifer inventory has plummeted to a 20-year low. | | | | |
California wildlife is vulnerable to an avian flu 'apocalypse.' What is driving the spread? | What is driving the unprecedented spread of avian flu? | | | | |
New Resource Helps Cattle Producers Maximize Profitability | CENTENNIAL, Colo. -- A new resource developed by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and CattleFax helps cattle producers maximize profitability from their culling decisions. "Right... | | | |
Vineyard and Wine: Power Up: Sustainable Energy for the Wine Industry | |
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Power Up: Sustainable Energy for the Wine Industry
Join the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance and Vineyard Team on Thursday, March 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for an educational event that brings together wine industry professionals and energy partners for a half day of sessions and networking focused on sustainable energy.
THURSDAY, MARCH 14
8:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
SPRINGHILL SUITES BY MARRIOTT
900 EL CAMINO REAL, ATASCADERO
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Winegrape haul surges in spite of lagging wine sales | Winegrape production in California is outpacing demand. With some 20,000 acres of new vineyards becoming productive, another 50,000 acres may need to be pulled to balance the market. | | | | |
Higher yields, less demand for wine in 2023 across California, report says | The Turrentine Brokerage released a grape crush report for 2023 that provided "growers and wineries insight into the inventory position of the California wine business over the past year." | | | |
Water: How did Winter Rains Affect Paso Robles Groundwater Basin? There's Really Good News | |
Despite storms, water-delivery pledges remain low | State and federal water officials last week announced preliminary water deliveries of 15% of requested supplies for 2024 from the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. | | | | |
California needs reliable water supply, but climate change brings more uncertainty | As California's precipitation becomes more erratic, the state needs more storage capacity to make the water supply more reliable. | | | |
How did winter rains affect Paso Robles groundwater basin? There's 'really good news' | New data show how many local wells saw water levels rise after years of steep decline. | | | | |
California water data shows change for typically drier months ahead | The state has dealt with recent years of drought conditions, but multiple atmospheric rivers have caused higher-than-normal water levels. | | | |
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 | |
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. | | | | |
