Get Your Tickets for the SLO County Farm Bureau's 101st Annual Meeting on October 24, 2023 | |
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San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau is celebrating 101 years of advocating on behalf of our family farmers, ranchers and local agriculture businesses in San Luis Obispo County! Please join us on Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 5pm for a casual evening of drinks, dinner and recognition of our 2023 award recipients.
Buy your tickets by October 17 here.
This year's Farm Bureau Freddy, Heritage Award, and Business of the Year awards will be announced during the program alongside brief Annual Meeting business.
The evening's tentative schedule of events is as follows:
- 5:00 p.m. Social Hour
- 6:00 p.m. Invocation and Dinner
- 6:30 p.m. Program and Awards
- 7:00 p.m. Event Ends
We’ll start the evening with a hosted Social Hour featuring local wine and beer. Our Farm Bureau BBQ Crew will serve up a traditional Santa Maria-style dinner with tri-tip, pinquito beans, fresh salsa, tossed green salad, and grilled bread.
Here's the details:
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Tickets are $20 per person through Eventbrite (plus credit card fee).
- Kids 12 and under are free
- Semi-casual attire.
Please purchase your tickets online through Eventbrite by October 17. Only a limited number of tickets will be available at the door. If you want to pay at the door with cash or check, please contact our office to RSVP.
For questions, please contact SLO County Farm Bureau staff Brent Burchett at bburchett@slofarmbureau.org, Catie Field at cfield@slofarmbureau.org or call the office (805) 543-3654.
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| Nominations for 2023-24 SLO County Farm Bureau Officers and District Directors
All agricultural members are hereby notified of the Nominating Committee Report for candidates for office and district directors to serve in 2023-2024.
President - Sarah Kramer
Vice President - Wyatt Mello
Vice President - Matt Merrill
Secretary/Treasurer - Kurtis Kobara
Past President - Hilary Graves
Paul Clark - District 1
Ray Wiebe - District 2
Jeff Buckingham - District 3
Matt Merrill - District 4
Tom Ikeda - District 5
If after the close of nominations, the number of people nominated is not more than the number to be elected to an office, the president shall declare that those nominated and qualified have been elected to that office without further action and announce such election at the annual meeting. The 101st Annual Meeting of Members will be October 24, 2023 at 4pm. | | |
This Week In SLO County Agriculture | |
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Calendar- Upcoming Events & Deadlines:
- October 10 - SLO County Great AGventure at Paso Robles Event Center
- October 13 - Deadline to apply for the USDA FSA's Emergency Conservation Program for January, February and March 2023 storm damages in SLO County
- October 14 - Young Farmers and Ranchers to participate in Paso Robles Pioneer Day Parade; Meet at 8:30am to decorate float
- October 15 - Volunteer Event for Floracycle - 9am-11:30am at Farm Bureau office
- October 24 - SLO County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting (Get tickets before Oct. 17 here)
- November 3 – First Application Cutoff Period for USDA NRCS Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
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Community: Applications for South County and North County Leadership Classes Now Open | |
Central Coast Economic Forecast Happening on Friday, November 3 |
CDFA Launches Farm2Food Training Program - Oct. 9th Application Deadline | |
Farm2Food Accelerator Program provides customized training and assistance to grow your business. A free program in partnership with CA Department of Food and Agriculture and NASDA Foundation
November 1, 2023 - March 20, 2024
The California Farm2Food Program supports small businesses with a focus on Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC) as well as women farmers and food entrepreneurs by providing practical tools and knowledge to increase income stability and resilience to unpredictable market events
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Join SLO County Farm Bureau for the 93rd Annual Pioneer Day Parade on October 14, 2023! 🤠
Exact location of our float staging area is to be determined. Stay tuned for updates and email cfield@slofarmbureau.org if you are interested in joining us!
| Hotel Cerro Presents: Still Takeover and Whiskey Workshop with RE:FIND Distillery and Paso Robles Distillery Trail | |
Applications for South County and North County Leadership Classes Now Open | |
Local Government: Bordonaro Releases County Assessor Annual Report | |
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SLO County Agricultural Preserve Review Committee Meets On October 16 at 1:30PM
The Preserve Review Committee is a technical advisory committee that acts on behalf of the Board of Supervisors and makes recommendations to the Board on agriculture related planning matters.
The agenda for the meeting can be found here.
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Bordonaro Releases County Assessor Annual Report
I am honored to provide you with the Annual Report of the Office of the Assessor for 2023-24. This report will provide useful information regarding the value of property in San Luis Obispo County. It is also an opportunity to express my appreciation to the great staff of the Assessor’s Office and to the people of our wonderful community.
Each year the Assessor is required to prepare an Assessment Roll of the value of all property subject to property taxation. The Roll for this year shows substantial growth in the value of real property. This resulted in a 6.24% increase in value for 2022-23.
The Annual Report this year takes a look at the impact of Proposition 13. The 2% limit on annual increases in assessed value continues to provide substantial benefits compared to the California Consumer Price Index (CPI).
In addition to sending you the Assessor’s Annual Report, I am available to speak to organizations or the general public regarding the Annual Report and the work performed by my office.
Sincerely,
Tom J. Bordonaro, Jr.
County Assessor
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State Government: Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Extend Paid Sick Days for California Workers | |
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California Farm Bureau's Farm Bureau at Work - State Government Affairs Weekly Update- October 6, 2023
Agricultural Employment Policy
- On October 4, Governor Newsom announced that he had signed SB 616 . Senator Lena Gonzalez, (D-Long Beach) increasing the statewide paid sick leave mandate to five days or forty hours, increasing the three-day/24 hour paid sick leave mandate first established by (AB 1522 in 2013). No provision was made in SB 616 to allow employers to manage misuse of paid sick leave through requiring written verification that paid sick leave is being used for its intended purpose, limiting abusive use of leave. Farm Bureau opposed SB 616.
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Grant Applications for Proactive IPM Solutions Program Due October 11 | CDFA is currently accepting grant applications for its Proactive IPM Solutions Program through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11... | | | | |
Gov. Newsom Signs Bill to Extend Paid Sick Days for California Workers - Western Growers Association | California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed SB 616 to increase workers' paid sick leave from three days to five days per year. | | | |
Federal Government: Search for Speaker Another Delay for Farm Bill | |
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This Week in California Farm Bureau's Federal Policy News
October 5, 2023
- House Votes to Vacate Office of the Speaker
- Senator Feinstein Passes, Governor Newsom Appoints Replacement
- Government Shutdown Averted, Farm Bill Expires
- Comments Submitted to Council on Environmental Quality on Proposed NEPA Rulemaking
- Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Releases Anticipated Report
- USDA Expands Climate-Smart Practices Eligible for IRA Funding
- Cannabis Banking Bill Clears First Senate Hurdle
- USDA Seeks Nominations for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Advisory Committee
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Search for Speaker Another Delay for Farm Bill - AgNet West | Another delay for the farm bill, as the House must now spend time electing another Speaker after the ousting of Representative Kevin McCarthy | | | | |
How Laphonza Butler could reshape California's U.S. Senate race | Laphonza Butler is set to be sworn in Tuesday as California's U.S. senator, but she isn't saying whether she will run next year. | | | |
Business Member Spotlight:
Sinton Helicopters
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As Sinton Helicopters continues the conservative tradition of slow growth, we have branched out into a number of different fields. Our operations include fire fighting, helicopter skiing, search and rescue, utility patrols, agricultural spraying, fertilizing and seeding, frost protection, construction lift work, geophysical exploration, animal control, charter and tours.
Sinton Helicopters continues to look to the future with a growth-oriented perspective while staying close to the small-town, familly-friendly values of its foundation.
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Environmental: California Olive Farmers Turn to Birds for Natural Pest Control | |
Environmentalists suffer another setback in fight to shutter California's last nuclear power plant | Federal regulators have rejected a request from environmental groups to immediately shut down one of two reactors at California's last nuclear power plant. | | | | |
California Olive Farmers Turn to Birds for Natural Pest Control | Olive farmers are boosting bird populations and biodiversity by creating and preserving bird-friendly habitats to help control pests. | | | | |
As California Gets Drier, Solar Panels Could Help Farms Save Water | |
Satellite imagery of Topaz Solar Farm, a massive solar installation inland from San Luis Obispo in Central California, depicts ...
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Orchard: California Avocado Commission President and CEO Departs | |
California Avocado Commission President and CEO Departs | The California Avocado Commission says that Jeff Oberman, who served as president and CEO of the organization since October 2022, has left the organization to pursue other interests. | | | | |
Pistachio Production Poised for Significant Gains in Coming Years | Pistachio production is expected to experience significant growth over the next 10 years, according to a recent report commissioned by... | | | |
Produce: New California Strawberry Sustainability Snapshot Now Available to Download | |
Late year heat could damage Central Coast berry farms | Berry growers, especially of strawberries, the county's top crop, are fearful the heat could sunburn or damage their product. | | | | |
Better Understanding Fusarium Wilt Race 2 Issues in Strawberries | The discovery of fusarium wilt race 2 in strawberry fields has prompted several avenues of research to better understand the issue... | | | |
Thank You Farm Bureau Members | |
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Renewing Agricultural Business Support Member
Greengate Ranch and Vineyard
Renewing Agricultural Members
Olea Farm, Daniel Jaureguy, Alex Kuhnle, Angelou LLC, Halcyon Farms Inc., Caliente Management Company LLC, Holger Andersen, John Goodrich, Las Tablas Ranch, Joy Fitzhugh, Chris Jennings, and D Lewis Farms
New Associate Member
Taryn Mohler (harvestly)
Renewing Associate Members
Carl Wynne, Joe Dana, Michael Noble, Michael Reddell, John Wright, and
Lynne Schmitz
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Featured Member Benefit:
Budget Car Rental: Savings any way you Travel
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Any way you travel, with Budget you can earn extra miles or save when you use Budget Rewards. See how you can take advantage of your Budget Rewards all while saving up to 35% with your CA Farm Bureau benefits.
Visit www.budget.com/cafb or call 1-800-527-0700 to make a reservation.
*Discount rates may vary between 5–30 percent, depending on time of year,
availability and other factors.
**Farm Bureau discount may not be stacked with other AWD/BCD corporate or membership discounts.
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Labor: Help Unwanted? Driverless Tractors and Bots Are Coming To a Farm Near You | |
Employment in U.S. agriculture grew 6 percent between 2012 and 2022 | Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) show wage and salaried employment in agriculture stabilized in the 2000s and has been on a gradual upward trend since 2010. U.S. agriculture employment rose from 1.11 million jobs in 2012 to 1.18 million jobs in 2022, a gain of 6 percent. | | | | |
Workers Just Got More Paid Sick Days | California Governor | WHAT TO KNOW: Governor Newsom signed legislation to expand workers' paid sick leave, guaranteeing five paid sick days per year and increasing the ability to earn and keep them. | | |
Help Unwanted? Driverless Tractors and Bots Are Coming To a Farm Near You | They’re here — finally. The robots growers have been hearing about for decades are not just being tested in the lab, or even the field — they are out working in U.S. orchards and vineyards. More than 1,700 specialty crop growers, start-up engineers, investors, and others affiliated with the industry recently attended FIRA USA 2023 in Salinas, CA, to see the latest robots for fruit and vegetable production in action. | | | |
Wildfire: "Green" Fire East of Cambria Burns Over 200 Acres | |
CAL FIRE SLO: "Green" Fire East of Cambria Burns Over 200 Acres | Crews have made progress on the fire that broke out east of Cambria on Friday. As of 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Cal Fire SLO officials say the vegetation fire, now called the "Green" fire has burned 243 acres. | | | | |
Climate change is narrowing and shifting prescribed fire windows in the western United States | Note: This special Weather West article focuses on new peer-reviewed scientific research, recently published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment, that I led with the help of a team of collaborators from UC Merced, UC Berkeley, The Nature Conservancy, and Washington State University. | | | | |
Biden-Harris Administration's Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Releases Report Outlining Comprehensive Recommendations to Change the Nation's Relationship with Wildfire | WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2023 - Today, the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission released its report (PDF, 5.3 MB) outlining a comprehensive, consensus-based set of recommendations to Congress to address the nation's wildfire crisis. | | | |
Livestock: Free Ranch Field Tour on Oct. 20 at Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific Ranch | |
Free Ranch Field Tour on Oct. 20 at Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific Ranch | | |
USDA awards $2 million to study livestock grazing in organic orchards | Courtesy of UC ANR News UC, The Organic Center, University of Rhode Island partner on $3.5m food safety study for organic produce growers Grazing sheep and other livestock can help convert cover crops to fertilizer for orchard crops. To develop best management practices, the University | | | |
Vineyard and Wine: Standards Sought for Testing Smoke Taint in Vineyards | |
Water: Conflict Between Lake Nacimiento Locals and Monterey County Enters New Phase After Year-Long Delay | |
Conflict Between Lake Nacimiento Locals and Monterey County Enters New Phase After Year-Long Delay | For more than four years, Steve Blois has been waiting, debating, and fighting for something near and dear to him and his fellow Lake Nacimiento... | | | | |
Commentary: Data tool emerges as water-rights threat is defeated | In the past several years, the equity and effectiveness of California’s water-rights system and the California State Water Resources Control Board’s ability to enforce it have come under scrutiny from activists and environmental interest groups. This scrutiny increased following documented violations of the agency’s water curtailment orders in August 2022. | | | | |
Making water conservation a 'California way of life': Controversial state rules could cost $13 billion | Rebates are costly and people may refuse to remove their lawns. The rules aim to save enough water for more than a million households a year. | | | |
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. | | | | |
