San Luis Obispo County Agriculture News
February 19, 2021
Farm Bureau Magazine is Here: Check Your Mailbox
San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau's Winter 2021 Magazine should be arriving in your mailbox this week! This issue includes:
  • I Am Ag profiles on California FFA State President Dean Hill of Templeton, Farm Credit West Senior Vice President Tom McGuire, and Pacific Coast Farming Manager Erin Amaral;
  • Ag By The Numbers: San Luis Obispo County agricultural statistics show the national significance of our local food production industry;
  • The Year We Will Not Soon Forget: Our essential local agriculture industry never stopped during the pandemic, and neither did your Farm Bureau;
  • Get to Know Our 2020 Agriculturalist of the Year Jerry Rutiz of Arroyo Grande; and
  • Opinion: Proposed Water Cuts Could Dry Up Paso Economy.

Special thanks to our advertisers JB Dewar, Farm Credit West, The Rice Partnership, and Nationwide. Also, thank you to Farm Bureau member Poor Richard's Press for being our local printer.

If you are a Farm Bureau member and do not receive a copy of the magazine, please contact our office. Interested in advertising? We only hold four pages for advertising in our 24-page quarterly publication, so please reserve your space today if you are interested in an ad for our Spring 2021 issue. Reach over 800 local households for only $300!
This Week in SLO County Agriculture
In This Issue:
  • Community News: Hometown Radio - Farm Bureau Exec Talks Vaccines for Agriculture Industry
  • State Government News: The California Legislature is Preparing to Impose a New COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Mandate
  • Wildfire News: KPBS-Few Fire Insurance Options Left for San Diego County Farmers
  • COVID-19 News: Six COVID-19 Vaccine Myths
  • Tax & Land News: Sonoma County Property Owners Rush to Transfer Inheritance Ahead of New Prop. 19 Rules, Higher Taxes
  • Farm Bureau Member Benefit: Ford
  • Business Member Spotlight: E. & J. Gallo Winery
  • Livestock News: Morning Ag Clips - Bill Would Promote Regenerative Ranching in California
  • Labor News: Free Webinar for Farm Bureau Members Feb. 24 -"A Shot in the Arm: Cal/OSHA and Employment Law Issues Related to the COVID-19 Vaccine"
  • Produce News: The Produce News - OPN Releases State of Organic Produce Report
  • Vineyard & Winery News: Ask A Viticulturist-Can I Walk Away From My Vineyard
  • Water News: Last Chance to Submit Comments to the Regional Water Board on Ag Order 4.0 - Comments Due February 25
  • Environmental News: American Farm Bureau - Reviewing U.S. Carbon Sequestration
  • Cannabis & Hemp News: Cal Coast News - California Fast Tracking Cannabis Business Licenses for Refugees
  • Agronomic Resources: Practical Training on Nitrogen Management in the Organic Vegetables and Strawberries
  • Wisdom From the Farm & Ranch - The Farmer's Creed - Frank Mann
Community News: Hometown Radio - Farm Bureau Exec Talks Vaccines for Agriculture Industry
UC's Humiston: Extension's budget woes 'frustrating'

The annual battle to adequately fund University of California Cooperative Extension programs continues to frustrate Glenda Humiston, vice president of the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Division. As the annual rate of inflation continues to ...

Read more
www.farmprogress.com
Hometown Radio-2/18-Farm Bureau Exec Talks Vaccines for Ag

Dave Congalton's Hometown Radio 02/18/21: Brent Burchett from the Farm Bureau discusses getting the COVID Vaccine to farm workers and more on the 4pm segment.

Read more
www.920kvec.com
California Small Farm Conference Feb. 22
Help AgNet West Celebrate 1000th Episode by Winning Free Stuff!
Join AgNet West and their sponsors in celebrating the 1,000th episode of the Farm City Newsday by AgNet West podcast.

Sponsors are donating ag products worth $5000 or more to lucky producers. Keep an eye out for AgNet West Facebook and Twitter posts over the next few weeks. All you have to do tag a friend who is involved in commercial agriculture in the comments and then share/re-tweet the post. They will draw a winner every Friday through March 19.

And remember to search ‘AgNet West’ or ‘Farm City Newsday’ wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe for your daily agricultural news.
State Government News: The California Legislature is Preparing to Impose a New COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Mandate
The California Legislature is preparing to impose a new COVID-19 paid sick leave mandate on California farm employers who have already endured a year of expensive new COVID-19 mandates and regulations, new costs imposed on them by the state and federal governments related to COVID-19 and have already borne the cost of the COVID-19 recession, including an estimated $8 billion hit on farm income. The state has experienced a COVID-19 windfall estimated at between $10 billion and $40 billion (estimated by the Legislative Analyst’s Office) at the expense taxpayers employers. If the State of California wants California farm employers to furnish paid, the state should pay for that leave, as Congress did when it mandated COVID-19 paid sick leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA).  
  • California has the financial resources available now to reinvigorate the economy and provide added financial assistance for employees. The Legislature and the Governor should help us be part of the solution. 
  • Call the office of Governor Newsom: 916-445-2841. Urge Governor Newsom to oppose any imposition of new COVID-19 paid sick leave mandate that is not funded by the state, and oppose imposing this new COVID-19-related burden on California employers. 
Send this message to your Legislator. Stop Costly Sick Leave Mandate 
Wildfire News: KPBS-Few Fire Insurance Options Left for San Diego County Farmers
Climate change and fire suppression

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The unprecedented and deadly blazes that engulfed the American West in 2020 attest to the increasing number, size and severity of wildfires in the region. And while scientists predict the climate crisis will exacerbate...

Read more
www.morningagclips.com
Few Fire Insurance Options Left For San Diego County Farmers

Three wildfires have crept close to Nathan Rakov's 30-acre chicken ranch in rural Alpine since he moved there in 2006. If his barn, coops and storage rooms burned down, he'd struggle to rebuild because he hasn't found a complete and affordable...

Read more
www.kpbs.org
COVID-19 News: Six COVID-19 Vaccine Myths
February 17, 2021 - County Public Health Updates
SLO County residents age 65 and older are now eligible to get a vaccine, but vaccines are limited due to supply shortages. Please bear with us as we wait for larger shipments. More COVID-19 vaccine first-dose and second dose appointments for next week are available now.
  • Next week at our COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in San Luis Obispo, the County plans to administer 1,000 doses per day, Monday through Friday. This is the only clinic that will be offering first dose appointments.
  • Next week, our COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in Arroyo Grande will administer more than 600 second doses per day Monday through Wednesday.
  • Next week, our COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in Paso Robles will administer more than 600 second doses per day Tuesday through Thursday. 
To make an appointment:
Additionally, you can find local updates on COVID-19 vaccines here:
Lack of masks, insufficient translations: Farmworkers...

For months, many farmworkers in the tri-county region and the rest of California, especially indigenous workers who speak neither Spanish nor English...

Read more
www.pacbiztimes.com
Coronavirus devastates California farm workers - Capitol ...

Farm workers with masks pick strawberries near Carlsbad, San Diego County. (Photo: Simone Hogan, via Shutterstock) Back in April, when the lockdown was first beginning...

Read more
capitolweekly.net
Coachella first city in U.S. to require "hero pay" for...

A number of West Coast cities have recently moved to require that large grocery chains offer employees what has come to be known as "hero" or "hazard" pay...

Read more
www.cbsnews.com
Tax & Land News: Sonoma County Property Owners Rush to Transfer Inheritance Ahead of New Prop. 19 Rules, Higher Taxes
Tax Reform is Top of Mind for Farmers

The 2021 legislative session is well under way for members of Congress, from considering the presidential nominations to settling into new committee and leadership positions...

Read more
www.fb.org
Solano assessor: Gaps remain in voter-approved...

Clay Parks rents out three homes he inherited from his parents. Solano County Assessor-Recorder Marc Tonnesen said the new law is still a good deal for...

Read more
www.dailyrepublic.com
Sonoma County property owners rush to transfer...

Since December, more than 6,200 property transfers have been logged by the county assessor's office, nearly doubling the number for the same period a year...

Read more
www.sonomanews.com
Farm Bureau Member Benefit:
Ford
Farm Bureau Bonus Cash is exclusively for active Farm Bureau members who are residents of the United States. $500 Bonus Cash on eligible new 2020/2021/2022 Ford Ranger, F-150 or Super Duty.®

Visit FordFarmBureauAdvantage.com or see your authorized Ford Dealer for qualifications and complete details.

This incentive is not available on F-150 Raptor, F-600, F-650 and F-750 Super Duty®. This offer may not be used in conjunction with most other Ford Motor Company private incentives or AXZD-Plans. Some customer and purchase eligibility restrictions apply.

Must be a Farm Bureau member for 30 consecutive days prior to purchase and take new retail delivery from an authorized Ford Dealer’s stock by January 3, 2022.  
Business Member Spotlight:
E. & J. Gallo Winery
Today we are guided by a clear vision for our success.
E. & J. Gallo Winery will remain a family-owned company that will be the leader in the U.S. wine industry and the leading provider of California wines in select markets around the world.

From our humble beginnings, the hallmark of our company has been an unwavering commitment to quality. By taking the utmost care through each and every step of the grape growing and winemaking process, we are able to consistently deliver world-class wines, spirits, and other alcoholic beverages for every occasion. Today we are recognized as one of the leading global producers of these products, both in the art of the grape growing and wine and spirits making and also in the distribution and marketing of these products in more than 90 countries around the globe.
5585 Creston Valley Road | Paso Robles, CA 93446
(805) 239-3168 gallo.com
Thank You Farm Bureau Members
New Business Support Member:
 
New Agricultural Member:
James Righetti

Renewing Business Support Members:

Renewing Members:
JP Ag Services LLC, Bejo Seeds Inc., Cynthia Douglas, Kent Allen, Kathleen Marquart, Richard Ziel, Salud Carbajal for Congress, George Ross
Livestock News: Morning Ag Clips - Bill Would Promote Regenerative Ranching in California
Bill Gates: Rich nations should shift entirely to synthetic

In his new book, How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Bill Gates lays out what it will really take to eliminate the greenhouse-gas emissions driving climate change.

Read more
www.technologyreview.com
Bill would promote regenerative ranching in California

California state Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), along with a number of Senate and Assembly coauthors, introduced a bill ...

Read more
www.morningagclips.com
A Different Kind of Land Management: Let the Cows Stomp

Regenerative grazing can store more carbon in soils in the form of roots and other plant tissues. But how much can it really help the fight against climate change?...

Read more
www.nytimes.com
Labor News: Free Webinar for Farm Bureau Members Feb. 24 -"A Shot in the Arm: Cal/OSHA and Employment Law Issues Related to the COVID-19 Vaccine"
Biden administration sides with California in allowing...

Reversing former President Donald Trump's position, the Biden administration is backing California in a Supreme Court case by growers challenging state regulations that allow union representatives onto their property to talk to farmworkers during ...

Read more
www.sfchronicle.com
The 2021 AEWR Finally Revealed

With the release of USDA's Farm Labor Survey on February 11, farmers that utilize the H-2A program finally know the minimum wage they must pay their H-2A workers in 2021.

Read more
www.fb.org
"A Shot in the Arm: Cal/OSHA and Employment Law Issues Related to the COVID-19 Vaccine:"
Wednesday, February 24 at 10:00 AM
Click here to register for FREE

In December 2020, two COVID-19 vaccines received emergency use authorization from the US government and several more vaccines may be approved in the coming months. In the greatest concerted public health effort in the U.S. since the rollout of the Polio vaccine in the 1930's, federal, state and local health agencies are working together - and with private companies - to distribute and administer the COVID-19 vaccine. Agricultural employers in California will play a key role in this effort.
Presenters 
  • Eric J. Conn of Conn Maciel Carey's National OSHA Practice
  • Fern Fleischer-Daves of Conn Maciel Carey's National OSHA Practice
To read more click here.
Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Regulation Update (Webinar)
Tuesday, February 23 from 9:00-10:15AM
Click here to register for FREE
Presentado en ingles con interpretación simultánea al español 

What have we learned since the implementation of Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Prevention Program §3205 -in effect since November 30, 2020? Learn about the updated guidance from Cal/OSHA's FAQs and best practices; extension of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA); and a better understanding of the requirements and impacts for ag employers. 
Presenters 
  • Erica Rosasco, McKague Rosasco LLP 
  • Michael C. Alvarez, Division of Occupational Safety and Health. 
FELS COVID-19 News - February 14, 2021

  • FELS Furnishes Ag Employment Letter: February 10: Certain county health departments are beginning to furnish COVID-19 vaccines to critical infrastructure employees, including food and agricultural employees. In some cases, potential vaccine recipients are being asked for proof of employment. Should an employee who seeks a vaccination not possess any kind of company identification (i.e. an ID badge or facility access card) and prefer not to furnish a paycheck stub, a substitute form of proof of employment may be needed. FELS has created a proof of employment letter you can furnish your employees to verify their employment in an eligible essential workforce sector. You can find a link to this draft letter at COVID-19 News & Resources for Farm Employers.
  • CDC Updates Workplace-Based Testing Guidance: January 29: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued updated guidance for employers considering implementation of workplace-based COVID-19 testing, including recommending disclosures to employees who participate in workplace testing. While much of what CDC recommends is also required by the Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), it also serves as a reminder to employers that they are specifically permitted by the ETS to rely on publically-available testing furnished outside the workplace. 
  • Employers Should Not Administer Workplace-Based Testing Without Securing Employee Consent: Another feature of CDC's January 29 workplace-based testing guidance is a recommendation that employers secure informed employee consent prior to administering a test to an employee. An employee should be informed of the possible ramifications of a positive test, including issues related to leaves and compensation (both of which are closely prescribed by California law). 
  
You can read more at COVID-19 News & Resources for Farm Employers at FELS' website. 
Produce News: The Produce News - OPN Releases State of Organic Produce Report
OPN releases State of Organic Produce report

The Organic Produce Network has released its inaugural State of Organic Produce, a comprehensive overview of how the industry performed last year...

Read more
theproducenews.com
New food-safety guide outlines laws and best practices...

Published on: February 16, 2021 Californians growing food in cities now have help understanding the food safety laws that apply to them...

Read more
ucanr.edu
UC Davis releases 2 new strawberry varieties

PUBLISHED ON DAVIS, Calif. - Red, ripe strawberries are the hallmark of spring in California. Two new varieties from the Public Strawberry Breeding Program...

Read more
www.morningagclips.com
Home Gardeners Drive Rise in Seed Demand

Pandemic gardening, which took root last spring as COVID-19 lockdowns inspired more people to dig in their yards, appears to have staying power, and that has fueled increased demand for certain seed

agalert.com
Labor and Water Dominate California Fruit Growers' Concerns

Growers all over the U.S. are concerned about labor, and those in the Golden State are no exception...

Read more
www.growingproduce.com
Vineyard & Winery News: Ask A Viticulturist-Can I Walk Away From My Vineyard
Sustainable Vineyard Education and Events | Vineyard Team

Mark Greenspan (Advanced Viticulture) will give an overview of soil, plant, and weather technology, including data is used to inform irrigation scheduling...

Read more
www.vineyardteam.org
Crush Figures Illustrate Tough Year for Grapes

The COVID-19 pandemic, lack of rain, persistent oversupply concerns and a record-setting wildfire season conspired to wallop California winegrape production...

agalert.com
Ask a Viticulturist: Can I walk away from my vineyard...

If you're not planning on harvesting this year, you want to cut as many corners as you can without sacrificing quality in future vintages.

Read more
advancedvit.com
Water News: Last Chance to Submit Comments to the Regional Water Board on Ag Order 4.0 - Comments Due February 25
The deadline for San Luis Obispo County farmers to submit comments to the Central Coast Regional Water Board on the final draft Ag Order 4.0 is Thursday, February 25, 2021 at 11:59 PM. Comments should be emailed to AgNOI@waterboards.ca.gov with “Comments on Revised Draft Ag Order 4.0” in the subject line.  
 
Below are some suggested talking points for comment submission, but please include your own unique perspectives to make our comments more effective. To review the Draft Agricultural Order 4.0 Document's click here.  
 
Suggested Ag Order 4.0 Talking Points for Growers:
I support the goal and purpose of Ag Order 4.0 to protect water quality. However, it is critical that in adopting the Order, the Central Coast Water Board does not devastate the Central Coast Region, agriculture, and its inhabitants economically. 
  
I want to join a third-party cooperative compliance program, but do not have enough of an understanding on how that will work in Ag Order 4.0 or what incentives will be offered to make the third-party compliance option viable both financially and operationally. 
  
In order to be successful, a third-party cooperative compliance program must, at a minimum: 
  • be cost effective; 
  • provide incentives for grower participation; 
  • utilize the third-party in direct grower education, outreach, and follow-up that can assist in efficient implementation of the Order on behalf of growers/landowners; and 
  • be reasonable and realistic in its implementation and requirements. 
I also incorporate the Ag Partners’ Legal and Policy concerns expressed in its June 22, 2020 comment letter.
Water Wars Heat Up in California

Water makes the world go 'round, and a major player in California's breadbasket doesn't want to part with more than they have already. The Kern River has played a serious role in summer adventures for generations...

Read more
www.courthousenews.com
Paso Basin Annual Report posted for public comment

For additional information on the Paso Basin, please visit the County's SGMA web page by The Paso Robles Subbasin Water Year 2020 Annual Report has been posted to the County's website...

Read more
mailchi.mp
Ag-backed study says potential water cutbacks in Paso...

In the debate over how to bring the overpumped Paso Robles Groundwater Basin back into sustainability, two diverging paths have emerged...

Read more
www.newtimesslo.com
Summary of Public Workshop #1: Basin Setting and Visioning for the Arroyo Grande Subbasin Now Available 
 
On December 15th, 2020, the County of San Luis Obispo and the City of Arroyo Grande hosted a public workshop on Groundwater Sustainability Plan development for the Arroyo Grande Subbasin. A summary of this workshop, including stakeholder input from the interactive basin visioning excercise has been posted to the County's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act website and can be viewed by clicking here.

If you would like to view a recording of this workshop, access an interactive map of the Arroyo Grande Subbasin, or sign up for future meeting announcements, please visit https://www.slocounty.ca.gov/agbasin.

Environmental News: American Farm Bureau - Reviewing U.S. Carbon Sequestration
Environmental activists argue the monarch butterfly...

For years, people flocked to California's central coast from October to February to observe thousands of monarch butterflies...

Read more
www.thecalifornian.com
Reviewing U.S. Carbon Sequestration

The most recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data Explorer reveals U.S...

Read more
www.fb.org
Exploring Alternatives to Plastic Mulch - Vegetables...

In my conversations with growers, plastic mulch has been a leading topic of both interest and concern...

Read more
vegetableswest.com
Cannabis & Hemp News: Cal Coast News - California Fast Tracking Cannabis Business Licenses for Refugees
USDA Publishes Final Rule and Guidance for Domestic Hemp ...

The U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program-the USDA's Final Rule regulating the domestic production of hemp-is scheduled to take effect on March 22, 2021....

Read more
www.jdsupra.com
California fast tracking cannabis business licenses for...

February 10, 2021 By KAREN VELIE As part of Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to support diversity, the California Bureau of Cannabis Control is expediting...

Read more
calcoastnews.com
Natural Healing Center cannabis grow clears appeal

A large cannabis farm proposed near San Miguel overcame a neighbor's appeal on Feb. 9-earning a 3-2 vote of support from the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors...

Read more
www.newtimesslo.com
California hemp producer sues Santa Cruz County for...

Sungrown Organic Hemp, a hemp producer based in Watsonville, California, filed a $9.6 million lawsuit ...

Read more
hempindustrydaily.com
Save the dates for Frost Brown Todd's Hemp Webinar...

Frost Brown Todd is back for 2021 with our Hemp Webinar Series. Be sure to mark your calendars with these upcoming dates. ...

Read more
communications.frostbrownto...
Lessons Learned in Regulating Hemp - California Ag Network

Navigating the Urban/Agriculture Interface: As California's population ...

Read more
californiaagnet.com
Agronomic Resources: Practical Training on Nitrogen Management in the Organic Vegetables and Strawberries
Limited to 50 participants so register early! Click to see the schedule. 

  • Where: Virtual Webinar via Zoom (link and instructions to join will be emailed to registrants closer to the session dates)
  • Registration fee: $30 for 3 workshops - you must enroll in all three sessions!
  • When: Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 9-11 AM on March 2, 9 and 16, 2021
  • Continuing Education: 6 CEUs from CCA 
 
Contacts for More Information:
  • Logistics and Registration: UC ANR Program Support, 530-750-1361 (messages only)
  • Course Content: Richard Smith 
Register here.
Advertise with SLO County Farm Bureau
Get Your Message in Front of Over 1000 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
The Farmer's Creed - Frank Mann

I believe a man’s greatest possession is his dignity and that no calling bestows this more abundantly than farming. 
  
I believe hard work and honest sweat are the building blocks of a person’s character. 
  
I believe that farmers, despite its hardships and disappointments is the most honest and honorable way a man can spend his days on earth. 
  
I believe my children are learning values that will last a lifetime and can be earned no other way. 
  
I believe farming provides education for life and that no other occupation teaches so much about birth, growth and maturity in such a variety of ways. 
  
I believe many of the best things in life are indeed free: the splendor of a sunrise, the rapture of wide open spaces, and the exhilarating sight of your land greening each spring. 
  
I believe true happiness comes in watching your crops ripen in the field, your children grow tall in the sun, and your whole family feel the pride that springs from their shared experience. 
  
I believe that by my toil I am giving more to the world than I am taking from it, an honor that does not come to all men. 
  
I believe my life will be measured ultimately by what I have done for my fellow man, and by this standard I fear no judgment.

I believe when a man grows old and sums up his days, he should be able to stand tall and feel pride in the life he’s lived. 

I believe in farming because it makes all this possible. 
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
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