San Luis Obispo County Agriculture News
April 23, 2021
San Luis Obispo County Cattlemen's Association held its annual Spring Meeting this week. Pictured above, incoming President Seth Scribner (right) presents a belt buckle to outgoing President Anthony Stornetta. SLO County Farm Bureau wants to thank Anthony for his service to our agriculture community!
Paso Basin Cooperative Committee Meets April 28
The Paso Basin Cooperative Committee will hold a Regular Meeting at 4:00 P.M. on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. There will be no physical meeting location for this Cooperative Committee Meeting. Members of the public can participate via phone or by logging into the web-based meeting. 
  
Click here to view the agenda packet for this meeting and information on how to participate by Zoom or phone.  
  
At Wednesday’s meeting, the Committee will: 
  • Receive overview of Prop 1 Integrated Regional Water Management Implementation Grant Program 
  • Receive presentation on Paso Basin Aerial Groundwater Mapping Pilot Study (image of map shown) 
  • Receive presentation on Shandon-San Juan Water District Applications to State Water Resources Control Board to Appropriate Water for Nacimiento and Santa Margarita Lakes
 
For additional information on the Paso Basin, please visit the County's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act web page at https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/pasobasin.
This Week in SLO County Agriculture
In This Issue:
  • COVID-19 News: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2
  • USDA News: Expansion and Renewal of Conservation Reserve Program
  • State Government News: Farm Bureau's Friday Review
  • County Government News: Paso Robles Press - Board of Supervisors Discuss Hearings Regarding Land Use in North County
  • Business Member Spotlight: Greengate Ranch & Vineyard
  • Labor News: Agri-Pulse - California Hires more H-2A Guest Workers - Despite Strict new Regulatory Hurdles for COVID-19
  • Wildfire News: AgAlert - Action aim to Broaden Farmers' Insurance Options
  • Vineyard & Winery News: Vineyard Team - Bonus Podcast: The Smiths of Saxum Support College Students in the Name of Juan Nevarez
  • Livestock News: Farm Progress - Interior Asked to Halt Grazing Rights to Protect Wild Horses
  • Produce News: Ad Week - California Avocado Commission pts the 'CA' in 'Avocado'
  • Water News: California Farm Bureau - Water-quality Rule will Affect Central Coast Farms;
  • Environmental News: Ag Web - Land Grab or Climate Solution? President Biden Could Unveil '30 by 30' Plan Details Next Week
  • Wisdom From the Farm & Ranch
COVID-19 News: Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced an expansion of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) on March 24, 2021. This is part of a larger effort to reach a greater share of farming operations and improve USDA pandemic assistance.

Read more
www.farmers.gov
USDA News: Expansion and Renewal of Conservation Reserve Program
Expansion and Renewal of Conservation Reserve Program 

USDA is updating the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to have higher payment rates, new incentives, and a more targeted focus on the program’s role in climate change mitigation. USDA’s goal is to enroll up to 4 million new acres in CRP by raising rental payment rates and expanding the number of incentivized environmental practices allowed under the program. 

San Luis Obispo County FSA Executive Director Jeff Sledd reported to Farm Bureau that this change in CRP rates making putting ground in CRP a more attractive option for SLO County farmers and ranchers. Producers can enroll new ground in CRP if it is highly erodible and has been farmed at least four years between 2012 and 2017. To contact the County FSA office, call 805-434-0396. 


To read more about FSA programs, read April 2021 newsletter here
State Government News: Farm Bureau's Friday Review
As California recall looks likely, hard work begins for GOP

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom's critics almost certainly have qualified a recall election for the ballot, a remarkable feat in the heavily Democratic state. Now the real work begins. The chance to recapture the...

Read more
apnews.com
California lawmakers want to protect agriculture by...

Two narrow bills in the Assembly have ignited a much broader debate among lawmakers over protecting California farmers from competitors who are not held to such strict labor and environmental standards...

Read more
www.agri-pulse.com
California Farm Bureau's Friday Review -for April 23, 2021

This week's State Legislative and Governmental Affairs Update includes:
  • Ag Labor: AB 616, AB 701, AB 955, AB 1179, AB 1192;
  • Air Quality: AB 1001;
  • Animal Health & Welfare: AB 888;
  • Climate Change: AB 1395, SB 27;
  • Commodities: AB 778, vacancy on the California Apiary Board;
  • Insurance: SB 11;
  • Packaging: SB 54;
  • Taxation: AB 80;
  • Transportation: SB 287, AB 505;
  • Utilities: AB 525, AB 1087, SB 67 and
  • Water: AB 377, California Water Commission funding approval, Gov. Newsom's Drought Proclamation.
County Government News: Paso Robles Press - Board of Supervisors Discuss Hearings Regarding Land Use in North County
Board of Supervisors Discuss Hearings Regarding Land Use ...

SAN LUIS OBISPO - The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors met on Tuesday, Apr. 20, for a regularly scheduled meeting. The meeting opened with the consent agenda, of which Supervisor John Peschong requested to pull item two, the...

Read more
pasoroblespress.com
SLO County Agricultural Preserve Review Committee to Meet April 26 
 
The Ag Preserve Review Committee will meet via Zoom on Monday, April 26 at 1:30pm.

The Committee’s agenda includes:
  • Three agricultural preserve proposals,
  • Discussion item on “Cannabis Use and Compatibility” and
  • Discussion item on “Proposition 19 - Ownership change for parcels under land conservation contracts.” 
 
Meeting ID: 815 7338 3098 
Call in Phone Number: (669) 900-9128 
 
To review the agenda and watch the meeting click here.
Business Member Spotlight:
Greengate Ranch & Vineyard
Greengate is your luxury weekend escape. Located in the heart of Edna Valley Wine Country on California’s Central Coast, Greengate Ranch & Vineyard is 140 acres, combining recreation areas and lush rolling hills of world acclaimed vineyards. Once a working horse ranch, our property features four incredible vacation rental homes with 13 bedrooms, horse stables, a vintage wood barn, courtyard and multiple grand lawns offering an uncommon venue for recreation, retreat, and celebration. The Pool & Spa Arena recreational area completes our guest amenities and event offerings.

If you’re newly engaged and searching for a one of a kind venue for your destination wedding weekend, we’d love to share our slice of goodness with you. If you’re a traveler looking for a unique experience that includes luxurious accommodations while you partake of the Central Coast lifestyle for a few days, we welcome you. If you’re a corporate executive trying to find an authentic change of pace for your team gathering in the way of a corporate retreat, we're excited you found us!
300 Green Gate Road | San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 459-9683 greengateweddings.com
Thank You Farm Bureau Members
New Platinum Member
 
New Associate Member
Janet Johnson
 
Renewing Business Support Member
 
Renewing Members
Elliott Paulson, Paso De Record Vineyard, Robert Cummings, Rolling Hills Farms, Wade Negranti, Michael Myers, Pat Moore, Rosemary Cummings, Paul Wolcott, Susan Warren, Carl Holloway, UnitedAg, Tobin Shumrick, David Edwards, Nicholas Negranti, Robert Newberg, Judith Pett, Cheryl Cole, FARMStead Ed, Bruce Beaudoin, Wicks Roofing Inc.
Labor News: Agri-Pulse - California Hires more H-2A Guest Workers - Despite Strict new Regulatory Hurdles for COVID-19
April 30, 2021, 10:00 AM: FELS Ag Employment Policy Update: "CalSavers Sign-Up Deadline Coming Soon: Are You Ready?" 

CalSavers, California's mandatory employee opt-out retirement savings program is gradually being applied to smaller and smaller employers; in June 2020, employees of 50 or more employees will be mandated to register with CalSavers if they are not already furnishing their employees with an IRS tax-favored retirement savings option. What do you need to know? Jonathan Herrera, Outreach & Marketing Manager for the CalSavers Retirement Savings Program will brief you on the CalSavers program.  Paul Yossem, Regional Vice President Private Sector Retirement Plans for California Farm Bureau Premier Partner Nationwide, will inform you about the California Farm Bureau’s Multiple Employer Plan (MEP), partnering with Nationwide to exclusively offer to CAFB agricultural members.   
  
May 14, 2021, 10:00 AM: "COVID-19 -- Vacunas:" California farm employers are working to offer vaccination opportunities to their employees as we close in on our busy agricultural seasons. Do your employees have questions about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines? FELS is teaming up with the Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety at UC Davis and Western Center Education and Outreach Specialist Teresa Andrews, MS to present “COVID-19 – Vacunas” in Spanish.    
 
You can register for the April 30 webinar and find a link to allow your employees to access the May 14 webinar at "Webinars by Farm Employers Labor Service." 
California hires more H-2A guest workers - despite...

California's new emergency measures to protect workers from COVID-19 infections in the workplace have added more layers of regulations for agricultural employers dependent on the H-2A visa program for guest workers...

Read more
www.agri-pulse.com
Wildfire News: AgAlert - Action aim to Broaden Farmers' Insurance Options
Bill Bolstering Wildfire Protections for Farmworkers...

A bill that would increase protections for California's farmworkers during hazardous smoky conditions created by seasonal wildfires is making its way through the state legislature. Assembly Bill 73, also known as the Farmworker Wildfire Smoke...

Read more
goodtimes.sc
California 'burn bosses' set controlled forest fires....

Across California, property owners and their "burn bosses" are setting fires. When the weather is cool, calm and wet enough, these planned forest fires are designed to clear overgrown vegetation that could accelerate a wildfire in dry months....

Read more
www.sacbee.com
Actions aim to broaden farmers’ insurance options 

As farmers and ranchers in fire-prone regions of the state struggle to find insurance for their businesses and properties, the California Farm Bureau has pursued a two-pronged approach to providing new coverage options. "Farmers and ranchers from around the state have told us they have been unable to renew insurance and have not been able to find replacement coverage,"

www.agalert.com
California's Dry Weather Is Bad News For Wildfires And...

LAist only exists with your help. Full transparency: Although we've experienced a huge growth in readership, not nearly enough of our readers have stepped up to support our non-profit model. Please take a moment right now during our spring member...

Read more
laist.com
Should ranchers have a pass to rescue animals behind...

The Assembly Agriculture Committee approved a bill last week that would grant a special ag pass to farmers and ranchers, allowing them access to their land when it is within a wildfire evacuation zone...

Read more
www.agri-pulse.com
Vineyard & Winery News: Vineyard Team - Bonus Podcast: The Smiths of Saxum Support College Students in the Name of Juan Nevarez
Bonus Podcast: The Smiths of Saxum Support College Students in the Name of Juan Nevarez 
Courtesy of Vineyard Team 
 
The Smiths of Saxum and James Berry Vineyard, know that our people are vital to sustainability. Justin Smith tells the story of Juan Nevarez, a person instrumental in their wine business for over three decades, and their inspiration to donate to the scholarship fund in his name. 
  
Listen to the podcast here.
Booker Vineyard Achieves Top Level of Organic...

15-Year Investment in Wellness and Transparency Culminates in Official "CCOF" Certification for Iconic Paso Robles Vineyard April 22nd - Paso Robles, CA-Booker Vineyard & Winery announced today that its 60-acre estate vineyard has received...

Read more
wineindustryadvisor.com
The Road Less Traveled - Wineries of Edna Valley &...

While not the hidden-away paradise of Shangri-La in James Hilton's famous novel "Lost Horizon," Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande are two small wine appellations that wine adventurers have for so long passed by unawares. "People sometimes stumble in...

Read more
pasoroblespress.com
Livestock News: Farm Progress - Interior Asked to Halt Grazing Rights to Protect Wild Horses
California Coastal Commission endorses Point Reyes...

After nearly 12 hours of debate on Thursday, California's top coastal regulators conditionally approved a controversial federal plan to allow commercial cattle ranchers who rent land in Point Reyes National Seashore to obtain longer leases and a...

Read more
www.marinij.com
Interior asked to halt grazing rights to protect wild horses

A coalition of more than 70 equine protection, animal welfare and environmental groups, as well as numerous wild-horse and ecotourism businesses, called on newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to halt livestock grazing and...

Read more
www.farmprogress.com
Produce News: Ad Week - California Avocado Commission puts the 'CA' in 'Avocado'
Kern County Dominates U.S. Carrot Supply

California’s Kern County produces eight out every 10 carrots grown in the U.S., according to a recent estimate by the University of California, Davis. County officials estimated the 2019 value of the fresh and processed carrot supply at $336.1 million. The 2017 Census of Agriculture put fresh carrot acreage in Kern County at 27,078 acres, compared with 3,250 acres for processed carrot acreage.

thepacker.com
CA LGMA Endorses Pre-Harvest Testing to Reduce Outbreaks

Last week the California LGMA Board endorsed new Pre-Harvest Testing guidance in an effort to prevent foodborne illness outbreaks associated with leafy greens. The guidance calls for pre-harvest testing of leafy greens products when risk...

Read more
lgma.ca.gov
Bred for California: Corberosa teams up with farmers to...

Coffee farmers don't necessarily drink coffee made from the beans they grow. "You go out to the farm, and you pick your beans, and you suck on them. And they taste like honey," said Andrew Houghtaling, one of the brains behind Corberosa Premium...

Read more
www.newtimesslo.com
Spring 2021 Issue of From the Grove Available Online

The Spring 2021 issue of From the Grove is now available on the California avocado growers' website. Highlights from the quarterly publication of the California Avocado Commission are as follows:

Read more
www.californiaavocadogrower...
The April 2021 Vegetables West Magazine includes an article titled: "UC Davis Releases Two New Strawberry Varieties"
USDA terminates standards that impede marketing of...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) recently announced the termination of 10 U.S. consumer standards that are obsolete and impede the effective marketing of specialty crops.

Read more
www.morningagclips.com
Water News: California Farm Bureau - Water-Quality Rule will Affect Central Coast Farms
Water-quality rule will affect Central Coast farms 
California Farm Bureau | Issue Date: April 21, 2021 
  
Predicting that it will have a profound impact on Central Coast agriculture, farm organizations expressed disappointment in a final waste-discharge regulation adopted by a regional water quality board. 
  
Known as the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program for Central Coast Agriculture, and by the shorthand term Ag Order 4.0, the regulatory permit governs runoff from irrigated farmland. It received unanimous approval last week from the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board. 
  
Agricultural advocates said the regional board made few changes to the order that would have made it easier for farmers to comply—and therefore achieve the desired results. Ag Order 4.0 expands monitoring and reporting requirements and also sets a limit on the amount of nitrogen farmers can apply to crops. 
  
For three years, California Farm Bureau Senior Counsel Kari Fisher said, agricultural stakeholders including the Farm Bureau provided feedback regarding the proposal, detailing the challenges it would create for farmers and ranchers on the Central Coast. 
  
Fisher said farm groups invested much time in developing "a robust, third-party alternative" that would protect surface water and groundwater quality. But she said the newly adopted order does not include the agricultural organizations' full alternative proposal, which featured incentives for individual farmers who take a collective or third-party approach to meeting the regulations. 
  
"Although agricultural stakeholders were successful in getting some significant revisions to the final adopted order, there's still numerous provisions that are concerning to Central Coast agriculture," Fisher said. 
  
Those problematic provisions include the regional board's decision to hold farmers accountable as "dischargers," due to what staff described as "passive migration" of groundwater that includes the contaminant 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP)—something Fisher said hasn't been used in agriculture for decades. 
  
In addition, the order requires enforceable limits on nitrogen fertilizer applications, which Fisher said she believes "goes beyond the scope of the regional water quality control board" by regulating what is applied to a field. 
  
"The board's authority is to regulate the discharge of water from the field," Fisher said. 
  
Another provision in the order puts enforceable limits on the amount of nitrogen that might be discharged from the farm. 
  
Monterey County Farm Bureau Executive Director Norm Groot said Ag Order 4.0 will take a financial toll on Central Coast farmers, and will "substantially change" the character of farming on the Central Coast. 
  
"Small farms will be challenged to meet all the confusing, complex requirements," Groot said, "and larger farms will spend more resources on data gathering, reporting and calculations than actual water quality improvements." 
  
He added that experts to help farmers manage the program would be hard to find, "as we already have a shortage of professionals who can assist with irrigation nutrient management plans." 
  
"What the board has crafted cannot be successfully implemented without a strong, third-party alternative; all incentives for growers to participate have been removed or minimized, and are punitive with respect to compliance qualifications for membership," Groot said. 
  
With Ag Order 4.0 now in effect, Fisher said, individuals and entities that want to challenge it have until May 17 to file an appeal with the State Water Resources Control Board. 
  
For more information about the order, click here.
  
(Christine Souza is an assistant editor of Ag Alert. She may be contacted at csouza@cfbf.com.) 
Compliance Assistance Available for Key Provision of Ag Order 4.0 
SLO County Farm Bureau member Kay Mercer of Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group has developed an educational calculator to help growers understand new requirements for managing nitrogen applications in the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (Ag Order 4.0).  
 
Above is a screen shot of the Nitrogen-Applied minus Nitrogen-Removed calculator, which will assist you with developing a baseline from previously reported Total Nitrogen Applied forms. If you are interested in knowing more about this educational calculator, contact Kay Mercer at: kmercer@ppeng.com. Kay will send you the spreadsheet and instructions. If you need help, she can walk you through a couple of calculations. 
Marin to be first big Bay Area water agency to push...

As drought conditions worsen across Northern California, the Marin Municipal Water District is about to become the Bay Area's first major water agency to make the leap to mandatory water restrictions.

Read more
www.sfchronicle.com
Central Coast Water Board Approves Ag Order 4.0

General Waste Discharge Requirements for Discharges from Irrigated Lands, simply known as Ag Order 4.0, will officially begin to be implemented...

Read more
agnetwest.com
California governor declares drought emergency in 2 counties

Standing in the dry, cracked bottom of Lake Mendocino, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought emergency Wednesday in two Northern California counties where grape growers and wineries are major users, an order that came in...

Read more
apnews.com
Newsom's drought emergency raises concerns for water...

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a drought in Mendocino and Sonoma counties on Wednesday. The lengthy emergency proclamation covers the Russian River watershed, the most impacted part of the state. Saying he was "mindful of the rhetoric when it comes...

Read more
www.agri-pulse.com
County Adopts Water Management Amendment to State Water...

After nearly three months of deliberation, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to adopt a water management amendment to the State Water Project that allows local water districts to buy and sell water supplies outside...

Read more
www.noozhawk.com
Environmental News: Ag Web - Land Grab or Climate Solution? President Biden Could Unveil '30 by 30' Plan Details Next Week
Overhauled climate bill wins expanded support to lay...

A landmark bill aimed at smoothing the development of ag carbon markets has been thoroughly rewritten to give farmers more say over the certification of credit verifiers and technical advisers, and the legislation has new provisions intended to...

Read more
www.agri-pulse.com
EPA wants to leave Trump rules on insecticide in place...

To the dismay of environmentalists, the Biden administration is proposing to continue its predecessor's licensing of the widely used insecticide sulfoxaflor while examining.

Read more
www.sfchronicle.com
Land Grab or Climate Solution? President Biden Could Unveil '30 by 30' Plan Details Next Week

In a series of executive orders signed by President Biden since taking office, one signed on Jan. 27 could impact land. It’s known as the ’30 by 30’ plan and would place 30% of U.S. lands and 30% of U.S. waters under federal jurisdiction by 2030.

agweb.com
Newsom reportedly planning phase-out of fracking permits ...

Gov. Gavin Newsom is preparing a plan to phase out the oil extraction method known as fracking in California, according to environmentalists who were briefed on the effort. Newsom is facing pressure to act from environmentalists...

Read more
www.sfchronicle.com
SLO's largest solar project goes live, powering the...

The County of San Luis Obispo has completed a 1.2 MW ground-mounted solar energy project at its County Operations Center facility. The system is expected to offset 10% of the County's total energy usage with renewable energy. Developed by...

Read more
www.ksby.com
Advertise with SLO County Farm Bureau
Get Your Message in Front of Over 1400 San Luis Obispo Countians!
Our weekly E-News is sent out every Friday to our membership. If you're interested in an effective, low-cost advertising campaign ($150 a month) please give us a call or send an email to SLO County Farm Bureau Executive Director Brent Burchett.
Wisdom From the Farm & Ranch
Peace at the End?
By Susan O'Connell

His is one of the West's most enduring tales,
long after the man himself is gone.
History has a way of blending truth and myth
so our heroes will always live on.

Wyatt Earp has been glorified,
a legend of America's past.
But trying to find the real man in the myth
might reveal the truth at last.

He had the same faults as you or I.
He had his share of adventure and betrayal.
Was he a hero or a man with flaws?
It depends on who tells the tale.

In his own words, some past deeds caused remorse,
poor judgment or petty crime.
He was embarrassed by all the acclaim and esteem
somehow softened by re-telling and time.

But he played the hand that he was dealt,
and found his own way to fit in and belong.
He hoped that his life had some value and worth
and the right choices out-numbered the wrong.

Would Wyatt have changed his life if given the choice?
Did he regret the winding path that he chose?
I think at the end he wondered, "What might have been,"
since his last words were, "Suppose, suppose."
Farm Bureau Membership Matters
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 some assistance with membership, 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.
Thank You San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau
Platinum Members