Madera County FarM Bureau

June 2018 Vol. 8, No. 6agriculture today

Madera CountyFarM Bureau

Tree & Vine HarVesT safeTy Training

June 28THSee page 10

ag HazmaT Training June 20TH

See page 8

CALENDAR

19th Annual Wine & Beer Tasting Scholarship FundraiserMadera County Farm Bureau would

like to thank everyone that participated in any way to make our 19th Annual Wine & Beer Tasting Scholarship Fun-draiser a great success. Whether you donated your time, money, products or services, you were integral to the success of our event. Because of you, Madera County Farm Bureau can continue to award scholarships to local high school students who are pursuing a higher ed-ucation in agriculture, agribusiness, or other agriculturally related careers.

A special thank you to our generous do-nors and participants: Mrs. Elaine Se-cara, Tesei Petroleum, Peters Brothers Nursery, Back Street Bar & Grill, Mo-

jos Catering, Ostioneria Guadalajara Restaurant, Players Smoked BBQ , The Tap House, The Vineyard Restaurant, Hilmar Cheese, Blue Diamond, Aga-janian Vineyards & Wine Company, Cardella Winery, Donaghy Sales, Lo-mac Winery, Mission Bell Winery, Ri-ley’s Brewing Co., San Joaquin Wine Co., Sequoia Brewing Co., The Wine Group, Quady Winery, Madera Private Security, Garrett Jones, Fresno Made-ra Farm Credit, Liberty High School FFA, Madera South High School FFA, Kuckenbucker, Ficklin Vineyards, Greg Christiansen and Freedom Sound, Midland Tractor, Howard 4-H, Val-ley Feed, Madera County 4-H Leaders

Council, Firebaugh High School FFA, Yosemite High School FFA, Christina & Spencer Beckstead, N&S Tractor Dos Palos, Jennifer & Kurt Peters, Sam Weiss, Chowchilla High School FFA, Friant Water Authority, Laura’s Nuts, and Bill Hoffrage.

Our gratitude is also awarded to our event sponsors:

Lead Sponsors: Crop Production

Services, Deerpoint Group, Inc., Lau-ra’s Nuts, Georgia Pacific, Tesei Petro-leum, and Pacific Farm Management.

Private Reserve Sponsors: Cal West Rain, Consolidated Insurance Services, Fermin Campos Farms, Helena Chem-ical, Panoche Creek Packing, PG&E, Rabobank, Root Creek Farms, Sierra

See FUNDRAISER; Page 16

JUNEESJ Workshops at MCFB by appointment only, please call 209-303-14687 UCCE Spring Citrus Meeting, 8:30am- 12:00pm, Tulare County Agricultural Building, Call 559-684-3300 to RSVP11 ESJWQC Board meeting at MCFB 12pm-3pm15 Madera County Ag Round Table 11am-1pm, call 559-674-8871 to RSVP20 Ag Hazmat Training22 MCFB Board of Directors meeting 1pm22 Member Mixer with CFBF, Madera FB & Merced FB, to RSVP call 559-674-887128 Tree & Vine Harvest Safety (MCFB and Nationwide), call 559-674-8871

JULYESJ Workshops at MCFB by appointment only, please call 209-303-14684 Independence Day12 MCFB Board of Directors meeting 1pm18 SmartWater CSI Launch, to RSVP call 559-674-8871

2 | June 2018 Madera County Farm Bureau

Farm Bureau Membership Benefits

InsuranceNationwide Travel Insurance

Nationwide Agribusiness, VPI Pet Insurance

News and Entertainment

AgAlert, California Country Mag & T.V.

VehiclesAvis, Budget, Ford,

Hertz Vehicle RentalsDo-It-Yourself

Grainger, Kelly-Moore Paints, Dunn Edwards Paints,

Case IH, CAT, Grainger and

Western Square Ind., O'Reilly Auto Parts

TravelChoice Hotels,

Wyndham HotelsBusiness ServicesAnderson Marketing, Farm Bureau Bank,

Farm Employers Laborers Service,

A4 PromotionsHealth ServicesClear Value Hearing,

Farm Bureau Prescription Discount

Program, LensCrafters,

Preferred AllianceContact

the MCFB Office at (559) 674-8871 or

www.maderafb.com for details.

Food for thought…More often than not, the public is very quick to judge, throw-ing agriculture under the bus every chance they get. This usu-ally occurs because of lack of education. As an industry, agricul-ture spends most of its time on the defense, defending against false claims, instead of being on the of-

fense. As an industry there needs to be more education, but how is that done? Farm Bureau (both State and local, but mostly local) does a great job of keeping its members informed, and providing education where needed, but it’s always geared at agriculture.

Recently there has been more and more animosity within our own indus-try. Farmers are pitted against farmers for one reason or another. At what point as a “farmer” do you stop, take a breath, think before you speak and consider what the other person may be facing? Everyone has a different way of doing things, but in the end, all anyone wants is to survive as the never-ending roll of red tape continues to wreak havoc.

Every area of agriculture is struggling in one way or another, how do we find common ground in an effort to find a solution that may benefit the industry not the individual? Personally, I think being proactive with issues and politics (unfortunately politics play a big part in all of this) is key. Now that the prima-ries are over, MCFB has decided to host a candidate forum to discuss agriculture in the near future. Although MCFB does not endorse, the Board of Direc-tors feel that it’s time to impress upon the candidates the role they play in our everyday lives as they head on the cam-paign trail to the November Election. If any of the membership has specific

questions they would like included in the forum discussion, please send them to staff at MCFB. Please stay tuned for updates on date, time and location.

Recently, the MCFB Board of Di-rectors voted to purchase SmartWa-ter CSI for its agricultural members…What does that mean you ask? If you are a voting member of MCFB, you and your business, have the opportunity to use this new technology. MCFB and Madera County Sheriff ’s Department have contracted with SmartWater CSI to assist in combating rural crime in Madera County. This technology al-lows owners to mark their property with a “coded” solution. If the marked prop-erty is stolen and recovered the item can be traced back to the correct owner us-ing SmartWater CSI. The program will launch on July 18th, and is only being offered to Farm Bureau members. We will host lunch at noon, followed by a presentation from SmartWater CSI. So, make sure that your agricultural mem-bership is current if you would like to take advantage of this opportunity. If you plan to attend the launch please contact the office to RSVP no later than Friday, July 13th.

On another note, as harvest ap-proaches, please make sure employees have their necessary training. MCFB is partnering with Agriland Farming to provide Hazmat Training on June 20th for anyone that may be transporting chemicals, fuel and/or hazardous mate-rials. There will also be a harvest train-ing for Trees and Vines on June 28th. Please contact the farm bureau office for more information.

In the meantime, enjoy the wonder-ful weather. I look forward to hearing from you with any thoughts/ideas on the things discussed this month. ■

executive Director’s address

Christina Beckstead,Executive Director

To BEComE A DoNoR CALL 674-8871

new MCFB donorsMCFB would like to thank all our members who

help support our work through their voluntary contributions for the month of May:

James m. CostaDavid L. Davis

Del Shebelut FarmLeonardi B. Ward

To BEComE A mEmBER CALL 674-8871

NAME CITY P/C/B

new MCFB MembersMCFB welcomes the following new Agricultural (producer),

Associate (consumer) Collegiate, and Business Support members who joined in May.

Mazon Trucking Madera BHansen Family Farms Madera P

Madera County Farm Bureau

news2018 Executive Committee

President: Jay Mahil 1st Vice President: Nick Davis

2nd Vice President/Treasurer: Michael Naito Secretary: Laura Gutile

Appointed by President: Steve Massaro Appointed by President: Dennis Meisner

Appointed by President: Tom Rogers Appointed by President: Chris Wylie

Directors at LargeRyan CosynsClay Daulton

Stephen ElgorriagaJason EricksonClay Haynes

Michele Lasgoity

Jennifer PetersScott Maxwell

Neil McDougaldJeff McKinneyPat Ricchiuti

California Farm Bureau - District 9 Director Tom Rogers

California Farm Bureau Committee Energy, Air, and Climate- Clay Daulton

Agriculture Labor- Jay Mahil, Nick Davis Federal Economy & Farm Policy- Scott Maxwell

Marketing, Organics and Food Safety- Tom Rogers Pollinator & Crop Production- Ryan Cosyns

Office Staff Executive Director: Christina Beckstead

Executive Assistant: Kristen Sargent

madera County Farm Bureau 1102 South Pine Street

Madera, CA 93637 (559) 674-8871; www.maderafb.com

Advertising/Publishing Mid-Valley Publishing

1130 G Street, Reedley, CA 93654

Advertising Sales Debra Leak (559) 638-2244

Editor Kristen Sargent

Periodical Postage Paid at Fresno, California 93706

PoSTmASTER Send address changes to:

Madera County Farm Bureau 1102 South Pine Street, Madera, CA 93637

The Madera County Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers or for products

advertised in Madera County Farm Bureau.

Introduce your business to new clients – Reserve your space in the

Agriculture Today Business Directory

Madera County Farm Bureau June 2018 | 3

Issues collide as CFBF group visits capitalBy Christina Souza CFBF Ag AlertMay 23, 2018

Arriving during a consequential week in Washington, D.C., a delegation of Farm Bureau leaders from California advocated on key issues as two of those issues took center stage at the U.S. Cap-itol.

"There couldn't have been a bet-ter time to be in Washington, as we watched two critical issues—the farm bill and immigration—collide," Cali-fornia Farm Bureau Federation Presi-dent Jamie Johansson said. "The input of California Farm Bureau Federation was critical at a time when the change we are seeking needs personal engage-ment, which is what the trip to Wash-ington is all about."

County Farm Bureau leaders from across the state—including the 2018 Leadership Farm Bureau class—joined CFBF officers and staff for a packed, three-day schedule of meetings that took place in offices, hallways, or during "walk-and-talk" sessions with elected leaders and administration officials.

At the end of the week, the House version of the 2018 Farm Bill—the pri-mary source of federal authority and funding for farm and nutrition pro-grams—failed passage amid disagree-ments on immigration policies and nutrition programs. Some House Re-publicans sought to tie the farm bill vote to a vote on a separate immigration bill, and House Democrats voted against the farm bill due to nutrition program changes sought by Republicans.

CFBF Federal Policy Manager Josh Rolph said the House farm bill could come up for another vote as early as this week, and the Senate is also expected to soon consider its version of the bill.

As the House reconsiders the bill, Rolph said CFBF will continue to ad-vocate for an improved definition of the term "rural"—which affects which regions qualify for certain rural-devel-opment programs—for improvements to the dairy program and for additional regulatory reform.

On immigration policy, the CFBF delegation expressed the need for re-form that would lead to a more stable flow of employees and a way for people who have been working in agriculture for years to qualify for an adjustment of legal status.

"We realize our labor source is get-

ting short and our competition for la-bor is greater, so we have to figure out something to be more viable and get our crops harvested," said Kern County farmer Jason Gianelli, a member of the Leadership Farm Bureau class. "Go-ing into all of the meetings and talking with representatives was very enlight-ening. I think we were able to get our points across."

With the recent tariffs targeting China and China's retaliatory response affecting U.S. agricultural exports, the CFBF delegation focused on trade con-cerns during meetings with members of Congress, including Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, with U.S. Chief Agricultural Ne-gotiator Gregory Doud and with trade policy officials at the British Embassy.

"The 15 percent tariff that China put on fresh fruits and vegetables and dried fruits and nuts is immediate, so we had members who had almonds in container ships in the water that were affected by this," Johansson said.

Following the advocacy trip, Gianelli joined farmers, members of Congress and state agriculture directors in a news conference organized by the advocacy group Farmers for Free Trade. The group, which includes the American Farm Bureau Federation, supports ex-panding export opportunities for U.S. farms and ranches. Emphasizing the significance of California agricultural exports, Gianelli noted that California exported more than $2 billion in farm products to China in 2016 and that China is California's third-largest des-tination for agricultural exports.

At the British Embassy, Farm Bu-reau leaders heard from trade officials including Sarah Clegg, head of trade policy, who described issues includ-ing the decision by the United King-dom to leave the European Union as "a very fluid situation." She said more will be learned at a June meeting of the European Council, when the coun-tries should be closer to agreeing on an outline for a future economic partner-ship. Clegg spoke favorably about keep-ing lines of communication open with CFBF as trade talks continue.

The ongoing need for water supply certainty remains a key issue for Cali-fornia farmers and ranchers. Rolph said Farm Bureau members advocated for H.R. 23, the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act by Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, which Rolph said "would build upon the successes of the Water

Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act in increasing storage and providing more water to the Central Valley."

Other issues of concern to farmers were discussed, including challenges brought by the Food Safety Moderniza-tion Act. Rolph said the delegation met with lawmakers to ask that oversight of the program be moved from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Agriculture.

Sheep rancher Taylor Zumstein, who serves as event and marketing coordi-nator for the San Diego County Farm Bureau, described the Capitol Hill ex-perience as "quick, but packed full of meaningful discussion and education."

"We have a continuous need for farm-ers to make these visits and represent our organization to build upon our story. We need more farmers to impress

the importance of these issues upon leg-islators, so that the voice of agriculture is sought after and remembered genera-tion after generation," said Zumstein, a member of the Leadership Farm Bu-reau class.

CFBF Second Vice President Shaun Crook said that by visiting Washington, Farm Bureau members can help elected leaders and administration officials un-derstand the real-world meaning of the decisions they make.

"Elected officials need to hear it from us, and they need to see that these issues matter so much to us, that we spend the time and money to meet with them on their turf in Washington," Crook said. "Victories come in different sizes, but they are all important, and you never know when that one meeting can lead to something much larger than we ever hoped for." ■


BUSINESS MEMBER DIRECTORYBecome a Madera County Farm Bureau Business Member

Business Support: $450/yr. Applies to any company who receives income from the local farming industry or a company who does not, but supports local farming

• Agricultural Member Voting Rights and Benefits • Eligibility to provide benefits to MCFB members * Discounted advertising in our monthly newsletter • Free job postings in our E-Newsletter • Name, phone number, and website in our Business Member directory (print and online)

ACCOUNTINGBaker Peterson & Franklin CPA LLP970 W Alluvial Ave Ste 101Fresno, CA 93711 (559) 432-2346www.bpfcpa.com

AG INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES & SERVICESCrop Production ServicesFresno: 559-233-0585Madera: 559-674-6741www.cpsagu.com

D &D Ag ServicesPO Box 1246 Madera, CA 93639559-871-2290

Fresno Equipment Company4288 S Bagley AveFresno, CA 93725559-486-8020www.fresnoequipment.com

H.M. Holloway, Inc.12806 Road 26, Suite 3Madera, CA 93637559-662-8820www.hmholloway.com

Madera Ag Supply Inc23400 Road 24Chowchilla, CA 93610559-665-2300www.maderaagsupply.com

Pacific Distributing907 Helms LaneModesto, CA 95350209-480-2863www.orchard-rite.com

Stanislaus Farm Supply Co Inc624 E Service RdModesto, CA 95358(209) 538-7070www.farmsupply.coop

Thiel Air Care IncPO Box 605Chowchilla, CA 93610(559) 665-7830Email: [email protected]

ATTORNEYSSagaser Watkins & Wieland PC5260 N Palm Ave Ste 400Fresno, CA 93704(559) 421-7000www.sagaserlaw.com

AUTOMOTIVEGill Auto Group1100 S Madera AveMadera, CA 93637(559) 674-5661www.gillautogroupmadera.com

BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION, CONSULTANTSTSB Ag IncPO Box 58Madera, CA 93639

CONSERVATIONCalifornia Farmland Trust8788 Elk Grove BlvdBuilding 1, Suite IElk Grove, CA 95624916-687-3178www.cafarmstrust.org

DISPOSAL & RECYCLINGMid-Valley Disposal, LLC15300 W. Jensen AvenueKerman, CA 93630(559) 567-0532www.midvalleydisposal.com

FARMSCressey RiverFagundes Fagundes FagundesForebay FarmsTF FarmsPO Box 2717Merced, CA 95344Email: [email protected]

Laura's NutsLaura Gutile559-706-5586Parichan Farms Inc8344 Road 33Madera, CA 93636Email: [email protected]

Triangle T Partners LLCPO Box 109El Nido, CA 95317(559) 665-5319Valley Pride Farming5 E River Park Pl E Ste 101Fresno, CA 93720Email: [email protected]

FARM MANAGEMENTAgriland Farming Company Inc.23400 Rd 24Chowchilla, CA 93610559-665-2100www.agrilandfarming.com

FIGSCalifornia Fig Advisory Board1925 Howard RoadMadera, CA 93637

FINANCIALCentral Valley Community Bank7100 N Financial Dr.Fresno, CA 93720(559) 323-3472www.cvcb.com

HULLER/ PROCESSORS

Sierra Valley Almonds850 Commerce DriveMadera, CA 93637(559) 661-8800svalmonds.com

INSURANCE

Nationwide1-877-669-6877www.nationwide.com

PETROLEUM & PROPANE PRODUCTS

Valley Pacific Petroleum1633 E Mineral King AveVisalia, CA 93292-69371-800-266-3782www.vpps.net

WATER, IRRIGATION & ENERGY

Chowchilla Water DistrictPO Box 905Chowchilla, CA 93610(559) 665-3747www.cwdwater.com

Deerpoint Group Inc.1963 Independence Dr., CA 93637(559) 224-4000deerpointgroup.com

*Bold listings indicate Friend of Farm Bureau members.

For information on Friends of Farm Bureau please contact

our office at 559-674-8871

Supply, demand key to balancing valley's water needsBy Tim Hearden Western Farm PressMay 16, 2018

As general manager of a water district that serves about 27,000 agricultural acres in the southern San Joaquin Val-ley, Eric Averett knows the solutions to the region’s water shortages are fairly straight-forward.

He speaks of two knobs that valley water users can turn. One controls sup-ply, and the other demand.

In past years, Averett says he figura-tively had his hand slapped by his Rose-dale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District board whenever he tried to adjust the knob that affected the supply of water to growers. But as droughts, surface water cutbacks and groundwater over-drafts confront districts throughout the Central Valley, all solutions are now on

the table.“Throughout the valley, we’re going to

end up turning both knobs in the fu-ture,” Averett said during a recent panel discussion on the valley’s water future.

In short, experts believe the only way to bring the valley’s overburdened water supplies into balance will be to increase supply, mainly by making the most of available water, and reduce demand. And part of reducing demand may well be the voluntary fallowing of agricul-tural land.

“For some of our hardest-hit areas, the idling of agricultural land is go-ing to be a reality,” says Abbey Hart, the agriculture project director for The Nature Conservancy. She adds that growers may see an economic benefit for converting land into wildlife habi-tat, but the process will have to be well planned. A checkerboard approach to

creating habitat won’t work, she says.“A lot of these species won’t be able

to use tiny patches of land,” Hart told about 200 growers and others at the water forum in early May, sponsored by the Almond Board of California.

Grower input urgedThe “Navigating the Waters” forum at

the DoubleTree Hotel in Modesto fea-tured a wide range of speakers, includ-ing representatives of resource agencies and environmental groups such as the Nature Conservancy and Sustainable Conservation. The Almond Board and Sustainable Conservation have teamed in recent years to fund groundwater-re-charge research in orchards throughout the Central Valley.

The experts discussed various critical issues facing California agriculture, in-cluding how implementation of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management

Act will affect water availability in the future. The speakers urged growers to become more involved in local entities’ water decisions.

“It is clearly time to engage,” says David Orth, a principal for the Fresno-based consulting service New Current Water and Land. “Historically, you elected landowners to your local water agency, the water agency board hired a general manager … The district allo-cated water supply and sent you a bill.”

That was the extent to which growers were involved with their water distribu-tor, he says.

“But that has changed, and it needs to continue to change,” Orth says. “All of these actions are going to shape our future.”

A sense of urgency has existed in the See WATER NEEDS; Page 5


valley since SGMA was passed at the height of the recent historic drought, as growers and regulators realize that the next drought is around the corner. As surface water was entirely shut off in some areas, many farms got by with groundwater. But the National Aero-nautics and Space Administration re-ported in 2015 and again last year that land in the valley is sinking at historic rates. Moreover, rigorous new state con-trols are being implemented to reduce nitrates and salinity in groundwater.

The valley’s water challenges call for comprehensive solutions, says Taryn Ravazzini, the state Department of Water Resources’ deputy director for special initiatives.

“There’s no one, single method to manage this natural resource,” Ravazzi-ni told growers. “We’re looking to all of you to manage the future of groundwa-ter … It is the department’s goal to help local agencies put together the strongest plan they can.”

Solutions soughtWith more severe water shortages

looming, the Public Policy Institute of California has assembled a dozen sci-entists from the University of Califor-nia and elsewhere to look for long-term solutions. In a preliminary report last year, they suggested four:

Manage groundwater reserves. Groundwater sustainability agencies being formed under SGMA will need “solid water accounting tools to under-stand how much water is available and how much is being withdrawn,” the scientists wrote. They will also need to

incentivize recharge and reductions in pumping, the team advised.

Expand usable supplies. Captur-ing and storing more local runoff in groundwater basins and reusing wa-ter would help curb near-term deficits, while larger infrastructure investments such as better conveyance of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta could help in the long term, the experts wrote.

Reduce demand. Although farmers can save some water through crop choice and management, idling some farmland is also likely in basins that can’t close the groundwater deficit with new sup-plies. Water trading – both within and across basins – can lessen the costs of shortages, the scientists added.

Explore “multi-benefit strategies.” Groundwater recharge could be man-aged in ways that improve water supply

and quality, the scientists advised. For example, growers could tailor irriga-tion systems and crop choices to maxi-mize clean recharge in prime areas, they wrote. With the right incentives in place, idled lands could be managed to reduce effects on air quality, while im-proving wildlife habitat.

“Reducing demand may be scary, but you already do it a lot,” PPIC director Ellen Hanak told growers at the water forum.

The scientists note that for some grow-ers, rotational fallowing may be more economically attractive than permanent land retirement. A system of idling seg-ments of land a season at a time – usu-ally with a cover crop – has been used by some farmers for decades as a way to boost soil health. Recent studies have shown the practice can improve soil moisture infiltration and retention and

help with long-term productivity, the scientists’ report noted.

More crop per dropFor high-value crops such as almonds

that are known to use more water than some other crops, the push is underway to get “more crop per drop,” as Almond Board officials put it. They note that in the last 20 years, growers have reduced the amount of water it takes to grow a pound of almonds by 33 percent.

In December, the board launched a new initiative to develop new uses for co-products, such as hulls and shells. These co-products have historically been used as livestock bedding and dairy feed, but future uses could in-clude strengthening recycled plastics and feeding hull and shell material to black soldier flies and converting their larvae into a high-protein poultry feed, explains Richard Waycott, the board’s president and CEO.

“Seventy percent of what comes out of the orchard is not the almond kernel,” Waycott says. “We’re producing more hulls every year, and the traditional market for that is not expanding. That’s not a good place for us to be.”

As water becomes more scarce, the co-products could be key to making al-mond farms more valuable, he says.

“We’re an industry that, in my opin-ion, belongs here,” Waycott says, add-ing that board members understand that water efficiency is more important than ever. “The almond board really accepts the responsibility of being the state’s leading crop.” ■

Photo Contributed

Experts say getting the Central Valley through future droughts will require expanding existing water supplies while reducing demand, partly by voluntarily leaving some land idle.

waTer neeDsContinued from Page 4

DAN HOEKSTRA - (805) 839-8292 - CalBRE01942198RUSS WAYMIRE - (559) 977-6000 - CalBRE01763629

23.5 AC Dover & 12th Ave., Class 1 Soil, 3 Legal Parcels, 2 Water Sources: New Well & River Side Ditch Water, Hanford, REDUCED to $35k/Ac30 AC Laton area Fruit & Nut Ranch 2 EXCELLENT Water Sources, Excellent Soils. Laguna Water District & Newer Water Well. 120.3 AC Walnut Ranch, Well and District, Hanford $6,616,500 SOLD NEW 157 Ac Arvin Edison Planted to JoJoBa Beans, good soils & Arvin Edison Water District. $22,500 Per Ac 165.22 AC Producing Pistachio Ranch, planted 2006, Firebaugh $27k Per Ac 176.8 AC 1000 Cow Dairy, Jacobs Irrigation District & NEW WATER WELL, Lemoore $2,250,000 REDUCED 233.09 AC Open Land, 2 water Sources, good soils, Pixley Water District & 2 wells, Corcoran $13,500/Ac 473.1 AC Open Land, EXCELLENT WATER DISTRICT, KDWD, good soils, 2 older wells, Bakersfield $25,000/Ac 475 Ac Blackwells Corner, Hwy 46 & Hwy 33 Commercial Options $3,368/Ac 357.27 Ac Producing Almonds 120 Ac & Producing Pistachios 77 ac & ac Open Land, 2 Water Sources, Semi Tropic WD Contract Water & Well Water, Wasco, Ca. $7,912,6401009 AC Farmland, wells, good soils, 999 AF Adj. Water, Willow Springs $9,500/Ac NEW 821.8 Ac Producing Pistachios, Grapes, Pomegrantes & Open great Production, 4 Water Sources, Excellent Water District & 2 Newer Wells. Priced to Sell at $23,011 Per Ac.

2167

06Call or Text Dan Hoekstra to join our email list! Check our website for current listings at: www.hoekstra-associates.com

8798


Brown's revised budget boosts 'climate smart' agBy Tim Hearden Western Farm PressMay 11, 2018

Gov. Jerry Brown's $137.6 billion re-vised budget proposal for fiscal 2018-19 seeks to boost "climate smart" agricul-ture, including $60 million in one-time grant funding to help growers replace old diesel-powered vehicles and equip-ment and put in more resource-efficient systems.

The proposal unveiled May 11 would provide a one-time increase of $30 mil-lion to the California Air Resources Board to replace existing diesel agricul-tural vehicles and equipment with "the cleanest available diesel or advanced technologies," a budget summary ex-plains. Another $30 million is proposed for the Energy Commission to fund innovative projects that reduce energy costs and emissions and increase effi-ciency, according to the summary.

The funding would be in addition to the $244 million in receipts from the state's cap-and-trade program set aside for various projects to help farmers and ranchers reduce missions, state officials say.

"We think that this is overall a sig-nificant program," Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird told re-porters in a conference call. "One of the upshots is that we can understand what the impact of this $30 million (for die-sel equipment) is and see if more needs to be done."

Money from the diesel-replacement program can be used for a variety of items, including irrigation pumps, trac-tor and truck engines and complete pieces of equipment, says Dave Clegern, an Air Resources Board spokesman. Judging from historical data from the state's Carl Moyer engine retrofit and replacement program, officials expect that most of the replacements will be tractors, Clegern told Western Farm Press in an email. As such, $30 million

would buy about 600 tractors, he says.With such a purchase, the annual

emissions reductions would be 368 tons of nitrogen oxides (NOx), 34 tons of re-active organic gases, and 18 tons of par-ticulate matter 10 micrometers or less in diameter, or PM 10, he says. Over the course of the project life, the 600 trac-tors would reduce 3,680 tons of NOx, 335 tons of ROG, and 179 tons of PM 10, Clegern adds.

CDFA fundingThe "climate smart" initiative is one

of several segments of the revised ledger for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that could affect agriculture. The budget of-fers nearly $99 million from the general fund to the Department of Food and Agriculture, down from $107 million in 2017-18 but a little more than the $96.7 million for the agency in 2016-17. The department's $479.35 million in total proposed funding includes all sources, such as federal grants and fees paid for services. The money would pay for 1,696.7 full-time-equivalent positions, up slightly from last year's 1,658.2.

The total would include $31 million in one-time water and parks funding

that would provide $18.4 million for fi-nancial incentives for water efficiency, $9.1 million for a program to increase carbon levels in California's agricultural soils and $3.6 for deferred maintenance at local fairgrounds.

Climate-related measures can be seen throughout the fiscal blueprint, includ-ing a "forest carbon plan" that, among other things, uses $2.3 million in tim-ber regulation receipts for multiple pro-grams aimed at encouraging markets for wood products. These would include establishing a Joint Institute for Wood Products Innovation, financial sup-port for mass timber and wood product manufacturing, and grants for cities and counties to showcase the architec-tural design of mass timber buildings, according to the budget summary. Mass timber is a type of laminated wood framing that can be used in buildings and other structures.

The plan also directs an additional $26.8 million to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for forest fuels reduction through prescribed fire and thinning projects. The plan follows an executive order that Brown issued

May 10 to combat tree mortality and improve forest management. The order's key elements include doubling the land actively managed through vegetation thinning, controlled fires and refores-tation from 250,000 acres to 500,000 acres and supporting the innovative use of forest products by the building indus-try, according to a news release.

Levee repairsThe budget would also devote $295

million from the general fund to flood control infrastructure, including $100 million on a one-time basis for mainte-nance projects on levees, giving priority to those weakened or damaged by last year's winter storms. The budget also foresees an increase of $25 million from the general fund for ongoing levee op-erations and maintenance, according to the budget summary.

In all, the ledger identifies about $1.8 billion from various sources to be used to repair or upgrade state-owned facili-ties, including $143.5 million for com-munity colleges, $100 million apiece for the California State University and University of California systems, $10 million for fairs and $4 million for the CDFA. The May revision maintains the 3 percent increase in funding for higher education proposed in January while continuing to keep tuition levels unchanged at both the UC and CSU systems.

It is still unclear how much of the added money would find its way to the UC Cooperative Extension, but the university's Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources hopes to determine the amount next week, spokeswoman Pamela Kan-Rice says.

The governor's budget must be ap-proved by simple majorities in the Leg-islature. To view the proposal, (sic) visit http://www.ebudget.ca.gov/. ■

Photo Contributed

California Gov. Jerry Brown, seen at the World Ag Expo in Tulare, unveiled his revised 2018-19 budget on May 11.

2167

05FOR SALE ‘04 New Holland TS100A 1700 hrs., excellent condition, owner operated $22,000 OBO

Call Travis@ (559) 779-4909

interested in advertising? contact:Debra Leak miD-VaLLey pubLisHing

(559) 638-2244


By Joanna Smith Ag AlertMay 16, 2018

In a time of fake news and false head-lines, it's absolutely necessary to have agricultural experts online, informing shoppers and advocating for farm and ranch issues. Social media provides an opportunity to tell stories in brand new ways. We can now reach people who are looking for information and businesses they can trust.

Who better to share these stories and advocate for agriculture than farmers and ranchers, farm families and every-one involved in agricultural production right here in California? You don't have to be an expert to make a difference on social media, and it takes less time than you think.

Here are a few suggestions on how to make social media work for you.

Quality over quantity: Find the social platform you're most comfortable with and start there. You don't have to be on all of them, and you shouldn't. It is better to do one really well than a few of them "just OK." These are the three most-popular platforms:

Facebook recently reported 2.2 bil-lion monthly users. You can link your personal profile to your business page, making it easy to start building a fol-lower base. Video tends to perform best here.

Use Twitter to reach 330 million monthly active users. Tweets con-tain 280 characters or fewer. Using a hashtag, or the pound sign, before

a word or phrase turns it into search-able content and helps users discover your posts. If you include links in your tweets, use a free link shortener such as www.bitly.com to maximize your char-acter count.

Instagram's 800 million monthly ac-tive users are there for the visuals. Share photos and videos from your mobile de-vice to your account. These stay on your profile unless you delete them. You may also post to "your story," which disap-pears after 24 hours. For both, use short captions and relevant hashtags.

Tell your story and help others grow: Photos, videos and other original con-tent are excellent to share on social me-dia. You may also harvest great content from others in your market and work it into your shares.

Interaction is key: Social media in-volves talking and listening. It's all about conversation. Interacting with your followers is as important as post-ing new content.

When thinking about your content, find ways to encourage your followers to comment. Consider using guess-ing games or trivia, and ask for input. Whenever possible, include a call to ac-tion in your posts. What do you want your audience to do with this informa-tion? What is the "so what?"

We all have pests: If users get heat-ed, keep the conversation professional. When users leave negative comments, educate when you can but remember, it is OK not to engage. Most accounts deal with this type of user but unlike

other "invasive pests," it's often best to ignore them. Use direct messages and chats whenever possible to handle more serious discussions or customer service issues privately. In this digital age, ev-erything posted online should be con-sidered permanent.

It's just a number: Don't focus on fol-lower numbers or likes. Metrics matter, but social media is about building rela-tionships. It is far better to have a small and loyal following who are genuinely interested in your message.

Try it out: As social networks intro-duce new features, such as stories and live video, they prioritize that content to reach users first. Use it if you can. Sto-ries are a great way to post content on the go. You can snap a photo or short video clip "from the field" and share it immediately. Use stories to update your followers on what's happening, when it's happening.

Put hashtags to work: Though hashtags aren't necessary on Facebook, they are integral to making your content discoverable on Instagram and Twitter. #Agvocate is a popular tag among ag-ricultural accounts. Look and see what hashtags others in your niche are using and test them on your content.

Photojournalist Annie Griffiths said, "When you humanize a culture or an issue, people are very capable of getting it."

We use social media to give agricul-tural issues that human element, to put a face to the farm. We want people to listen. We need them to understand

why it's important to protect our farm and ranch families. When agricultural professionals tell personal stories on so-cial media, people listen.

Kern County almond grower Jenny Bertagna Holtermann, known as "Al-mond Girl Jenny" online, writes an ag-riculture blog and "agvocates" on social media.

"Agvocating gives me a means to share my love and passion for agricul-ture," Holtermann said. "It is a chance to share my story. If I don't share my story, someone else will—and then it won't be right. If I just sit back and let others talk, my message won't be told; their message will be."

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, one farmer fed 19 people in 1940. Today, one farmer feeds 155. Advocating for agriculture online helps ensure people understand the magnitude of that number. Without public support, how many people can farmers and ranchers feed in the future?

When we humanize the process—from planting to harvest, packing and shipping—people can better under-stand what "farm to fork" really means. Use social media to build a team of ag-ricultural advocates, a team of #agvo-cates, starting right here in California.

(Joanna Smith, a graphic artist for the California Farm Bureau Federation, works on social media for California Bountiful and CFBF. She may be con-tacted at [email protected]. ■

6131



COMMENTARYYou can help build a team of California #agvocates


Attention persons employed in an agricultural operation who drive a vehicle which:

*Does not require a commercial license & is controlled by a farmer *Will be transporting agricultural products/machinery to or from a farm

Effective 01/01/18 the requirements to obtain a Hazardous Agricultural Materials

(HAM) certificate have changed.

TRAINING MUST BE DONE AT LEAST ONCE EVERY 3 YEARS.

7:30a.m.- 9:30a.m.-English Session 9:30a.m.– 12:00p.m.-Spanish Session

Cost to attend: $20.00 Farm Bureau member, $40.00 Non-member

To register please visit www.maderafb.com or call the Madera County Farm Bureau office at 559-674-8871.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018 Agriland Training Center

23500 Road 24 Chowchilla, CA 93610

This training is offered by the Madera County Farm Bureau & Nationwide Insurance. The class is for persons 21 years or older who have a current class C driver’s license. Students will receive a DL-267 certificate that will enable them to legally transport hazardous agricultural materials on public roadways,

(within a 50 mile radius) without a commercial driver’s license.

Brought to you by:

CDFA to fund study of methane emissions at dairies

CV-SALTS water quality regulation just around the corner

California Department of Food and Agriculture Western Farm PressMay 14, 2018

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded a $213,349 research grant to the California Dairy Research Foundation in collaboration with University of California scientists to study methane emissions at Califor-nia dairies. The project is titled, “Small Dairy Climate Change Research: An economic evaluation of strategies for methane emission reduction effective-ness and appropriateness in small and large California dairies.”

Supported by a $250,000 appropria-

tion from the Budget Act of 2017, the research will focus on understanding the differences in methane emissions from large and small dairies. Research-ers will also examine cost-saving tech-niques, evaluate emerging technologies, and investigate the economic impacts of methane regulations on California dairies.

The research will contribute to the Small Dairy Climate Action Plan which is required as part of the 2017-18 Budget Act (Item 8570-101-3228 (1) (b)). For more details on the awarded project, please visit www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/research/. ■

Almond Board of CaliforniaOutlook vol. 3, Issue 19

Sweeping changes in Central Valley water quality regulations are scheduled for adoption in May — part of a long-term plan to assure safe drinking water for the Valley’s residents, while protect-ing Valley agriculture from an increas-ing trend of salt buildup in soils and groundwater.

For almond growers and other Val-ley farmers, cities and business, the pro-posed regulatory changes — commonly known as the “CV-SALTS” plan — would bring a mix of benefits and costs.

Costs would include supporting col-laborative efforts to improve communi-ty drinking water supplies and planning for improved salinity management.

Promised benefits include improved drinking and agricultural water supplies over time, more flexible permitting and reduced enforcement liability for those

who cooperate in the group efforts to manage and improve water quality.

More than 10 years in the making, the proposed regulatory changes are joint recommendations of a large stake-holder group, known as CV-SALTS (www.cvsalinity.org), which includes agricultural representatives, food pro-cessors, cities and other water users.

The CV-SALTS recommendations are now captured in a package of pro-posed amendments to the Central Val-ley Water Quality Control Board’s Water Quality Control Plan. (More information at www.waterboards.ca.gov/centra lva l ley/water_issues/salinity/#dsr2018.)

One major goal of the plan is to slow, stop and eventually reverse the build-up of salinity in the valley’s soils and groundwater tables — a problem so se-rious for farmers that it has historically led to the end of civilizations. A 2009

See CV-SALTS; Page 9

Photo Contributed

The California Department of Food and Agriculture has awarded a $213,349 research grant to the California Dairy Research Foundation in collaboration with University of California scientists to study methane emissions at California dairies.


Photo Contributed

University of California Davis study — “The Economic Impacts of Central Valley Salinity” — suggested that cur-rent salinity problems will cost the state up to $8.7 billion in economic output by 2030, mostly in losses related to agri-cultural production, with the problem only getting worse over time. The re-port further suggests that investments in improving the Central Valley salt balance such as investing in a brine line to remove some salts to the ocean, while strategically treating some groundwater aquifers would be costly, but would re-sult in a net benefit over time, by avoid-ing further damage to California’s agri-cultural economy.

It is generally acknowledged that it will take decades of expensive planning efforts, followed by billions of dollars in infrastructure investment, to turn the salinity tide and reach a goal of salt bal-ance, allowing a robust agriculture sec-tor to continue in the Central Valley.

Another clear goal of the process — and one that the Regional Board has prioritized for much quicker action — is ensuring action to provide safe drink-ing water to all Valley residents. The Regional Board proposes doing this by calling for formation of local Man-agement Zones in areas where nitrates from fertilizers and other sources have impacted groundwater.

Management Zones would be re-sponsible for coming up with, then carrying out, plans for providing safe drinking water to all residents in their respective areas. Management Zones are expected to come up with a cost that would be shared among all their resi-dents and businesses, including farm-ers. While Management Zones would be governed locally and responsible for deciding how to provide drinking wa-ter and distribute costs, proposed state legislation known as Senate Bill 623, if passed, would create the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, ex-pected to provide as much as $140 mil-

lion in funding to offset these costs, via a combination of taxes that would cover everyone from residential and business water users to farmers purchasing fer-tilizer. An increased “mill” tax would result in an additional $6 paid for each $1,000 of fertilizer purchased.

Despite the costs that farmers would incur, agricultural coalitions and others have supported the CV-SALTS regula-tory reforms because it is expected to lead to a future with more predictability and less liability than if no reforms were adopted. The measures are scheduled to be adopted by the Central Valley Re-gional Water Quality Control Board at the end of May, with final adoption by the State Water Resources Con-trol Board scheduled for late this year.

Management zones for “high priority areas” (areas with the worst groundwa-ter nitrate problems) could be in place by 2020.

Almond farmers are encouraged to follow this developing process. One good strategy for doing so is to pay at-tention to bulletins and information from grower coalitions under the Irri-gated Lands Regulatory Program, who will likely play a role as Management Zones begin to form. Farmers, especial-ly in high-priority nitrate areas (such as in the east side of the San Joaquin Val-ley and Tulare Lake Basin) should pay close attention to their local process and become engaged as Management Zones begin to form in 2019 and 2020 ■CV-saLTs

Continued from Page 8

contact Debra Leak to advertise in tHemaDera COunTy farm bureau(559) 638-2244 For more i n fo rmat ion o r to RSVP

con tac t the Madera County Farm Bureau a t (559) 674-887 1 o r Merced County Farm Bureau a t ( 209) 723 -3 001

Grow Together

CORNAGGIA FARMS BARN, 13677 AVENUE 21, CHOWCHILLA 93610 FRIDAY, JUNE 22, 2018 | 6:00 P.M.- 8:00 P.M.

Come and enjoy an evening with fellow Farm Bureau members to discuss current

topics impacting California Agriculture

Meet & Greet with the California Farm Bureau Federation,

Madera County Farm Bureau & Merced County Farm Bureau

This is a free event open to all Farm Bureau members Light appetizers and drinks will be provided


MADERA COUNTY FARM BUREAU PRESENTS TREE & VINE HARVEST SAFETY

WHEN WHERE June 28, 2018 Madera County Fairgrounds 7:45 am - 11:30 am 1850 Cleveland Avenue, English Madera, CA 12:45 pm –4:30 pm Spanish LEAD SPONSORS:

COST (MEMBERS) $50 Tree & Vine Harvest $27 Tree OR Vine Harvest

COST (NON-MEMBERS) $75 Tree & Vine Harvest $40 Tree OR Vine Harvest

SCHEDULE English 7:45 a.m. Registration 8:00 a.m. General Safety 9:00 a.m. (Two Groups) Tree & Vine Harvest 10:00 a.m. Two Groups Tree & Vine Harvest (switched) Spanish 12:45 p.m. Registration 1:00 p.m. General Safety 2:00 p.m. (Two Groups) Tree & Vine Harvest 3:00 p.m. Two Groups Tree & Vine Harvest (switched)

PRESENTED BY

WWW.MADERAFB.COM OR CALL (559)674-8871 FOR MORE INFO

WHAT The first hour will contain general safety training including: good agricultural practices, night work, electrical lines, slips, trips, lifting, back, tractor, hitching/towing implement/PTO safety, lockout/tagout and heat illness. The second hour will consist of two breakout sessions (1 tree, 1 vine) who will then switch for those that need both trainings. Tree Harvest Safety will include: equipment operation and safety (shaker, sweep-er, harvester, field elevator) and hand raking Vine Harvest will include: equipment operation and safety (grape harvester and gondola)

EVENT SPONSORS: D&D Ag Services , Central Valley Farmland Trust, Pegasus Orchards, Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc.

ICE Planning Massive Increase in Worksite Audits

Upcoming Weed Science Extension

and Education EventsBy FELS

Immigration and Customs Enforce-ment (ICE) is making plans for mas-sive increases in worksite enforcement in 2018.

The Associated Press reported yes-terday that ICE opened nearly 2300 employer audits between Oct. 1, 2017 (the beginning of the federal govern-ment's 2018 fiscal year) and May 4, compared with 1360 audits in Fiscal Year 2017.

Derek Benner, head of investiga-tions for ICE, also told AP that a wave of audits planned for this summer will result in a totalof "well over" 5000 au-

dits by the end of Fiscal Year 2018 on Sept. 30, 2018.

AP also noted that ICE enforce-ment since Oct. 2017 has resulted in criminal arrests of 594 employers just in the first half of Fiscal 2017, com-pared with 172 arrests in the prior fis-cal year.

FELS offers registered website us-ers extensive I-9 and immigration re-quirements compliance tools to help you be ready if ICE turns audits you.

If you have questions or comments, please call 800-753-9073 or email us at [email protected] ■

The University of California Weed Science team is sponsoring two upcom-ing educational events: the 62nd annual Weed Day (Thursday, July 12) and the Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms short course (Tuesday-Wednesday, July 10-11).

UC Weed Day:Come to the 62nd annual Weed Day

even to learn about the latest research from scientists and extension personnel at the University of California (UC). The event will be held on the 12th of July at the Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center (530 Alumni Lane, Davis, CA). The event begins with a morning field tour of the UC Davis weed science re-search plots. Buses will depart prompt-ly at 8:15 AM. In the afternoon, UC faculty, staff, and students will present information on projects that are not in-season for viewing or research located off-campus.

Pest control advisors, pesticide appli-cators, growers, farm advisors, chemical company cooperators, college faculty and students, and regulatory officials should not miss this event. This course is in the process of being approved for PCA, QAC, QAL, private applicator, and CA CCA continuing education units.

Registration is online at the UC Weed Research and Information Cen-ter http://wric.ucdavis.edu/events/weed_day_2018.html

The cost of the event ranges from $100-$130 for non-students and $50-$60 for students (must provide proof of current student status when register-ing). Registration fee includes handout material, light refreshments and lunch. Space is limited, so early enrollment is

recommended.Diagnosing Herbicide SymptomsThe Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms

short course is an intensive 1.5-day pro-gram focusing on how herbicide injury situations can arise, the types of infor-mation that can be used to diagnose herbicide problems during field inves-tigations, and what tools are available to you. The course provides a rare op-portunity for professionals to efficiently update their understanding of herbicide symptoms and injuries and interact with experts in this field. Specific topics to be covered include: herbicide modes of action, how symptoms develop, rela-tionships between symptomology and economic damage, biotic and abiotic symptoms that resemble herbicide in-jury, and herbicide symptomology tools.

The Diagnosing Herbicide Symptoms course is designed for pest control ad-visers, sales representatives for chemi-cal companies, field investigators, and insurance adjusters. This course is in the process of being approved for PCA, QAC, QAL, private applicator, and CA CCA continuing education units.

Registration is online at the UC Weed Research and Information Cen-ter http://wric.ucdavis.edu/events/di-agnosing_herbicide_symptoms_2018.htm

The cost of the event ranges from $465-$525. Registration includes a comprehensive course notebook, lunch, and light refreshments. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged. ■




Steven Barsotti Jared Schoettler

It’s great how farming brings people together.We o�er Nationwide farm and ranch insurance and would welcome the chance to discuss it with you.

Nationwide and the Nationwide N and Eagle are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2017 Nationwide GPO-0292AO (06/16) 5691372

Foster & Parker Insurance0551757(559) 674-8536(800) [email protected] 15

013

Rural Road SafetyThe following information is provided by Nationwide, the #1 farm and ranch insurer in the U.S.

Most states allow leeway regarding the use of implements of husbandry on public roadways. For the most part, regulations for size and type of equip-ment don’t apply to those that operate agricultural equipment on the road. But drivers need to be aware of bridge and road embargos to help prevent serious injury and damage to roadways and equipment.

The increase in size of agricultural equipment makes it almost certain that portions will extend “left of center” when operated on public roads. Courts have generally upheld the right of equip-ment operators to use public roads, but that doesn’t give immunity from liabili-ty should you have an accident when the

size of your equipment is in direct violation.

Accidents are more prevalent at certain times of the day. Op-erating in the morning presents an increased risk as people head off to work and school. Drivers are usually in a hurry and often lack the patience to follow a slow-moving vehicle. The same is true during afternoons and early evenings as schools let out and people are returning home from work.

When operating in the dark, be sure to:

• Turnonlights• Usereflectorsorconspicuitytape• DisplaySMVsign• Useanescortvehicle(ifyoudon’t

have the proper lighting on the rear of the equipment)

Never use inexperienced or untrained drivers. Regulations require drivers to

be trained on how to operate the specific equipment they are assigned to use and to how to navigate the equipment in the envi-ronment they’re oper-ating in.

On contoured rural roads, it’s easy for a car traveling at higher speeds to be surprised by a larger, slow-mov-

ing vehicle, especially around a sharp bend or after the crest of a hill. It’s diffi-cult for drivers of faster, smaller vehicles to judge the speed and gap distance of a larger piece of equipment. Stay vigi-

lant and keep a lookout for areas of high traffic or activity. Rural bridges, passing cars, left-turn collisions and rear-end collisions are common hazards that can lead to an accident or loss scenario.

To learn more, visit nationwide.com/cfbf.

Products underwritten by Nationwide Agribusiness Insurance Company, Farm-land Mutual Insurance Company, Allied Property and Casualty Insurance Com-pany and AMCO Insurance Company. Products and discounts not available to all persons in all states. Nationwide, the Na-tionwide N and Eagle and Nationwide is on your side are service marks of Nation-wide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2018 Nationwide.

The Madera County Farm Bureau and Madera County Sheriff’s Office have contracted SmartWater CSI to assist in combating

rural crime in Madera County. SmartWater CSI technology allows owners to mark their property with a “coded” solution. If

the marked property is stolen and recovered the item can be traced back to the correct owner using SmartWater CSI.

On July 18th, SmartWater CSI representatives will show how their products are used to mark items such as farm equipment

and tools to other personal possessions. Representatives of Farm Bureau will be on hand to assist Madera County Farm Bureau

members in registering for the SmartWater CSI program. There is NO COST to Farm Bureau members for the services provided by SmartWater CSI. The program is being offered free of charge by

Madera County Farm Bureau to agricultural members.

Hosted by Madera County Farm Bureau &

Madera County Sheriff

Wednesday, July 18, 2018 12 p.m. Lunch

1 p.m. Program

Agriland Training Center 23500 Road 24

Chowchilla, CA 93610

Please RSVP to MCFB at (559) 674-8871, by Friday, July 13th


1300 S. Gateway DriveP.O. Box 1263Madera, CA 93639

• Fuels• Lubricants• Propane

(559) 673-3597(800) 421-3370(559) 673-6608 fax

IRRIGATING THE VALLEY SINCE1967

DESIGN THROUGH INSTALLATION559-673-4261559-674-4078

19170 HWY 99MADERA, CA 93637

Valley Feed

Tree & Vine Supplies

121 N. Gateway DriveMadera, CA 93637

Ph: (559) 674-6735 • Fax: (559) 661-7200

1100 South Madera Ave (Hwy 145), Madera

(559) 674-5661

For all your Service, Parts & Sales Needs

BUSINESS DIRECTORY at your Service

Raisin industry: ‘Best money in a long time’By Dennis Pollock Western Farm PressMay 9, 2018

Karl Lund, left, University of Califor-nia viticulture farm advisor in Madera and Mariposa counties, and Greg Ma-gill, with Magill Brokerage.

“Farm for success, farm for color, and I would almost guarantee you will have a lot more interest in your product, and get premiums — or if nothing else, you’ll keep extensions on those con-tracts when they come up. You’re not going to be the one they want to dump; you’ll be the one they want to keep.”

California’s white concentrate market continues to shrink, while the state’s raisin industry is starting to fare better than it has in recent years.

“The number of gallons of grapes crushed for white concentrate last year was under 10 million,” says Greg Ma-gill, president of Magill Brokerage. “In 2003 and 2004, we were at least at 35 million gallons. That’s quite a difference — and a lot of that is related to non-sustainability of raisin-type varietals that were going green.”

Much of that acreage has been tak-en out, with some of it giving way to nut crops, most notably almonds. The Thompson Seedless grape, a staple for concentrate and raisin production, was particularly vulnerable to removal.

At the same time, Magill says, the concentrate market in California has stabilized itself, “while the rest of the

world was in chaos. Spain’s crop was off 40 percent, and they’re a key player in this market. Then you drop down to Argentina, and it was off 25 percent last year, and they are down to four or five processors, compared to 15 about ten years ago.”

A BOON TO RAISINSThe shrinkage has been a boon to the

raisin industry, which is seeing “the best money in a long time —and I don’t see demand diminishing.” The 2017 raisin crop price was set at $1,800 per ton, well above the 2016 price of $1,100, which was blamed on a 20 percent up-tick in world production.

Leaders of the Fresno-based Raisin Bargaining Association have predicted this year’s crop could command a price that will top the previous record of $1,900 per ton set in 2012.

Magill doesn’t foresee a glut of raisins, given that acreage for that crop is down to 150,000, which would result in likely production of 300,000 tons, a manage-able marketing level “unless Turkey or Spain have big crops.”

President Trump’s stance on tariffs and weakening of the U.S. dollar work in favor of farmers getting a fair price for raisins next year, he says.

There is increased use of table grape strippings, or “”off grapes” such as Co-lombard or Chenin Blanc, for produc-tion of white concentrate, “even some excess Chardonnay. They’ve got the

Photo Contributed

Karl Lund, left, University of California viticulture farm advisor in Madera and Mariposa counties, and Greg Magill, with Magill Brokerage.

See RAISIN INDUSTRY; Page 13


raisin inDusTryContinued from Page 12

ability to adjust the acids and use new technology.”

OUTLOOK FOR CONCEN-TRATE

Magill declined to speculate on what the price would be for green grapes to be crushed into concentrate, saying it will only “be in relation to what the raisin price is.” This year, he says, the outlook for grapes for concentrate appears better in Spain because of rains, and a more normal crop is coming off in Argentina.

One of the success stories in the con-centrate picture is a continued appetite for Rubired, which is also used to add color to wines. “Rubired is uniquely California,” Magill says, but sounds a caution that, in recent years, some Ru-bired has lost color, meaning more of the grapes are needed to get the desired color, increasing the cost to the end user.

“I don’t know if the cause of that is climatic, or if it’s due to over-cropping,” he says, “but you have to grow for color, not just tonnage.”

The San Joaquin Valley has long

placed an emphasis on production for wines and concentrate, but in recent years has begun to step up efforts to im-prove quality.

FARM FOR SUCCESS“You are in charge of your crop,”

Magill says. “Farm for success, farm for color, and I would almost guaran-tee you will have a lot more interest in your product, and get premiums — or if nothing else, you’ll keep extensions on those contracts when they come up. You’re not going to be the one they want to dump; you’ll be the one they want to

keep.”The nation has been benefitted, he

says, from the Food Safety Modern-ization Act, which gives the Food and Drug Administration authority to reg-ulate the way foods are grown, harvest-ed, and processed.

The act includes requirements for traceability from the farm to the shelf, which cannot be matched by some competitors.“Eighty percent of Argen-tina doesn’t have the capability of trace-ability to a specific field, date, and time of production,” Magill says. ■

By Ching Lee Ag AlertJune 6, 2018

The European Union, Canada and Mexico—key export markets for Cali-fornia agricultural products—promised they would strike back with billions of dollars' worth of tariffs on a wide range of U.S. exports, including some agri-cultural products, in retaliation for new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum im-ports.

The U.S. announced the metal tar-iffs in March, but it granted temporary exemptions to the three allies in hope of negotiating new trade terms. Those exemptions expired on June 1, with the Trump administration saying trade talks with the EU, Canada and Mexico had not made enough progress to war-rant any further exemptions.

The U.S. has been trying to renego-tiate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico.

The EU told the World Trade Orga-nization last month it planned to enact tariffs on more than $3 billion worth of U.S. goods, including agricultural products such as rice, corn, dry kidney beans, cranberries, tobacco and orange juice.

If approved by its 28 member coun-tries, the additional 25 percent import duties would become effective as soon as June 20.

Canada said it plans to impose tariffs on about $12.8 billion worth of U.S.

products starting on July 1.As with the proposed EU tariffs,

Canada's list largely spared fresh pro-duce, except for cucumbers, but in-cludes foods such as ketchup and other tomato sauces, yogurt, strawberry jam, nut purees and pastes, berry and other fruit purees, orange juice, pickles, maple syrup, and prepared bovine meat and meal. Those items would be hit with a 10 percent duty.

Mexico did not immediately release an official list, but said it plans to levy duties on U.S. goods such as grapes, ap-ples, blueberries, various cheeses, pork legs and shoulders, and sausages and other prepared foods.

Since April, Chinese tariffs on 128 U.S. products worth $3 billion—in-cluding nuts, fruit and wine—have al-ready been in effect related to the steel and aluminum import tariffs the U.S. has placed on China.

Earlier this week, China renewed its promise to impose import duties on an additional $50 billion worth of U.S. goods, including more agricultural products, if the U.S. pushes forward with potential tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods.

In the current trade dispute with the EU, Canada and Mexico, the impact to California agriculture is not fully known, but table grapes and rice could have the most at stake.

Mexico represents a top export mar-ket for California table grapes, with

a value of $95 million in 2017-18, ac-cording to the California Table Grape Commission.

It's unclear when any tariffs would take effect and at what rate, commission President Kathleen Nave said, adding that "nothing is official and we hope it remains that way."

She noted the majority of table-grape exports to Mexico are shipped from October to December, with small vol-umes shipped beginning in August.

California exported $35 million worth of rice to the EU in 2016. That's about 5 percent of the state's total rice exports. Rice ranks eighth among the top California farm exports to the EU. The new tariffs cover semi-milled and wholly milled medium- and long-grain rice, and broken rice.

About 40 percent of the state's pro-cessing-tomato exports go to Canada, although it's unclear how much of that is ketchup and tomato sauce, items that are specifically targeted for the retalia-tory tariffs. Processing-tomato exports to Canada were valued at $295.6 mil-lion in 2016. They are the state's second biggest agricultural export to the North American trading partner.

That the United States is sparring with the state's top trading partners is worrisome, said Josh Rolph, federal policy manager for the California Farm Bureau Federation.

California farmers, he said, face a host of pressures and "trade has been

the bright spot," noting that in 2016, the state exported nearly half of what it produced in farm-gate value.

The EU was the No. 1 export des-tination for the state's farm products in 2016, followed by Canada, China/Hong Kong, Japan and Mexico.

"Of our top five exporting destina-tions for California agriculture, four are at immediate risk," Rolph said.

Now that the tariff exemptions for Mexico and Canada have expired, it could accelerate trade talks among the NAFTA partners to finalize an agree-ment more quickly, he said, but it could also further sour relations with the na-tion's closest neighbors.

"It's either going to help us or hurt us in the long term, but right now it's too early to say which direction it's going to go," Rolph said.

Brian Kuehl, executive director for Farmers for Free Trade, said the new tariffs from the EU, Canada and Mex-ico could "take many American farm operations to the breaking point."

"Already, farmers are grappling with the impact of previous tariffs, which have caused falling commodity futures, higher equipment prices, and the mar-kets they've fought to get into for de-cades to vanish overnight," he said.

"The addition of new retaliatory tar-iffs on everything from bourbon, to rice, to orange juice and cranberries will only widen the pain to additional farm-ers across the country," Kuehl said. ■

Exporters gauge potential impact of trade dispute


Am I eligible?The contest is open to any amateur

photographer (one who does not regu-larly receive income from photography) who is a member of a county Farm Bu-reau in California, a contributing mem-ber of California Bountiful Foundation, or the child (up to 25 years old) or ward of either such member.

Employees (and their immediate fam-ily members) of California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF), its affiliated com-panies or county Farm Bureaus may not participate.

Young photographers are encouraged

to enter in the Budding Artists cat-egory, presented by California Founda-tion for Agriculture in the Classroom. An entrant as a Budding Artist must be 13 years old or younger as of Septem-ber 30, 2018, and a child or ward of a county Farm Bureau member or Cali-fornia Bountiful Foundation contribut-ing member. See below.

What is the subject matter?Photos should showcase California

agriculture, depicting subjects such as fresh food, farm products being grown or harvested, animals on the farm, fam-

ily farm life, people working on the farm or ranch, rural scenery, urban food production, or plated food.

How many photos may I enter?An entrant may submit up to five

photos.

What are the prizes?•OneGrandPrizewinner-$1,000•OneFirstPlacewinner-$500•OneSecondPlacewinner-$250•OneThirdPlacewinner-$100•SixHonorableMentions-$50each

Budding ArtistsThis is a separate category for persons

who are age 13 or younger as of Sep-tember 30, 2018, and are the children or wards of members of county Farm Bureaus in California or of contribut-ing members of California Bountiful Foundation. Prizes are:

•OneFirstPlacewinner-$250•OneSecondPlacewinner-$100• All Budding Artist entrants will

receive a copy of the latest “Imagine this…” book.

Contest Rules• Photos must highlight California

agriculture as described above and have been taken in 2017 or 2018.

•Photosmaynothavebeenorbeen-tered in any other contest.

• Photos must accurately reflect thesubject matter and the scene as it ap-pears. Photos digitally altered beyond standard optimization (overly altered or filtered) will not be chosen. Sepia and black-and-white photos are acceptable.

•Acompletedentryformmustbeat-tached to the back of each printed photo or submitted for each photo entered on-line. Incomplete or illegible entry forms will not be accepted.

•Ifapplicable,themodelreleasepor-tion of the form must also be completed and signed by each identifiable person in the photograph; a parent or guardian must sign for a minor.

Online entrants will be prompted to print the form to be signed and submit-ted by email, fax, or mail.

•AchildenteringasaBuddingArtistmust provide date of birth on the entry form.

•Allphotosbecome thepropertyofCFBF and will not be returned.

• CFBF may, without offering any

consideration to or obtaining the fur-ther permission of its submitter, use any such photo for any purpose, such as publishing it in Ag Alert® newspa-per or California Bountiful® magazine, posting it on CFBF websites or social media, reproducing it for Farm Bureau use, or selling it at a county Farm Bu-reau auction.

•AlldecisionsbyCFBFastothein-terpretation of these rules or the judg-ing of photos are in its sole discretion and final.

Printed Photos (mailed):•Photosmustbeatleast5x7inches

but no larger than 8½ x 11 inches, un-matted and unframed.

•Photosmustbeprintedatthehigh-est-quality printer setting and on pho-tographic paper.

•Turnoff thedate stampoptiononyour camera. Photos with a date stamp or photographer’s name on the photo will be disqualified.

Tips for best print quality:•Takedigitalimagestoacommercial

photo finisher (many retail stores have photo centers) and request a print size from 5 x 7 inches to 8½ x 11 inches.

• When printing photos on an in-home inkjet or laser printer, use “best” quality photo print setting (see your printer’s instruction manual).

Digital Photos (submitted online at cfbf.com/photocontest):

•Allentriesmusthavearesolutionof6 megapixels or greater. For more infor-mation, see

“Image quality” below.•Imagesfrommobiledevicesmaybe

submitted if they adhere to the resolu-tion requirement (see “Image quality” below); otherwise, these images should be printed and submitted as described in “Printed Photos” (above).

•Turnoff thedate stampoptiononyour camera. Photos with a date stamp or photographer’s name on the photo will be disqualified.

• All digital photos must be in .jpgformat.

•Imagesnotmeetingthesespecifica-tions will be ineligible.

Image quality:• Set your camera or mobile device

to the highest image-quality setting.

2018 California Farm Bureau Federation Photo Contest Rules

Deadline: September 30, 2018 (postmarked or entered online)

See CONTEST RULES; Page 15


CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION 2018 PHOTO CONTEST ENTRY FORM (attach to each printed photo) Deadline: September 30, 2018 (postmarked or entered online)

For minor photo subjects: I am a parent or guardian of the below named minor. I consent to the use of the photograph of that minor for submission as an entry in the 2018 California Farm Bureau Federation Photo Contest and to its use for publication, news, advertising, trade or any other lawful use or reproduction.

Minor’s Name _______________________________________________________

Parent/guardian name _______________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________

City _______________________________ Zip ___________________________

Signature ___________________________________________________________

PARTIAL RULESPhotos must highlight California agriculture and have been taken in 2017 or 2018.

All entrants must be a member of a county Farm Bureau or a contributing member of the California Bountiful Foundation. Printed photos:• A completed entry form must be attached to the back of each photo.• Photos must be at least 5x7 inches but no larger than 8-1/2x11 inches.• Photos must be printed at the highest printer setting on

photographic paper.

• Mail entries to: CFBF Photo Contest, 2300 River Plaza Dr., Sacramento, CA 95833.

Online photo entries:• Enter online at www.cfbf.com/photocontest.• Photos must have a resolution of 6 megapixels or greater and be

in .jpg format.

Entrant Name __________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________ Zip ___________________

Daytime Phone ( _______ ) _______________________________________

Email address ___________________________________________________

County Farm Bureau ____________________________________________

Member name (if different from above) ___________________________

Member number ________________________________________________

Budding Artist date of birth (age 13 or younger) ____________________

Location of photo _______________________________________________

Date of photo __________________________________________________

Model Release: I consent to the use of the photograph of me for submission as an entry in the 2018 California Farm Bureau Federation Photo Contest and to its use for publication, news, advertising, trade or any other lawful use or reproduction.

Name __________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________ Zip ___________________

Signature _______________________________________________________

Please see complete rules online at www.cfbf.com/photocontest.

CALIFORNIA FARM BUREAU FEDERATION 2018 PHOTO CONTEST ENTRY FORM (attach to each printed photo) Deadline: September 30, 2018 (postmarked or entered online)

For minor photo subjects: I am a parent or guardian of the below named minor. I consent to the use of the photograph of that minor for submission as an entry in the 2018 California Farm Bureau Federation Photo Contest and to its use for publication, news, advertising, trade or any other lawful use or reproduction.

Minor’s Name _______________________________________________________

Parent/guardian name _______________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________

City _______________________________ Zip ___________________________

Signature ___________________________________________________________

PARTIAL RULESPhotos must highlight California agriculture and have been taken in 2017 or 2018.

All entrants must be a member of a county Farm Bureau or a contributing member of the California Bountiful Foundation. Printed photos:• A completed entry form must be attached to the back of each photo.• Photos must be at least 5x7 inches but no larger than 8-1/2x11 inches.• Photos must be printed at the highest printer setting on

photographic paper.

• Mail entries to: CFBF Photo Contest, 2300 River Plaza Dr., Sacramento, CA 95833.

Online photo entries:• Enter online at www.cfbf.com/photocontest.• Photos must have a resolution of 6 megapixels or greater and be

in .jpg format.

Entrant Name __________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________ Zip ___________________

Daytime Phone ( _______ ) _______________________________________

Email address ___________________________________________________

County Farm Bureau ____________________________________________

Member name (if different from above) ___________________________

Member number ________________________________________________

Budding Artist date of birth (age 13 or younger) ____________________

Location of photo _______________________________________________

Date of photo __________________________________________________

Model Release: I consent to the use of the photograph of me for submission as an entry in the 2018 California Farm Bureau Federation Photo Contest and to its use for publication, news, advertising, trade or any other lawful use or reproduction.

Name __________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________

City ____________________________________ Zip ___________________

Signature _______________________________________________________

Please see complete rules online at www.cfbf.com/photocontest.

High-resolution settings may vary de-pending on brand, so check the docu-mentation that came with your device. To ensure print standards and quality, submit images as high-resolution files. If shooting in RAW, export as a high-resolution .jpg (300 dpi) via your image editing software.

• Resolution can be calculated bymultiplying the pixel width of the im-age by the pixel height. For example, a photograph taken with a 6-megapixel camera set for highest resolution and best quality produces images of about 2832 pixels by 2128 pixels, which are acceptable under the rules (2832 x 2128 = 6 million pixels). Digital images must be of sufficient resolution to reproduce well on the printed page.

What is the entry deadline?Entries must be postmarked or en-

tered online by September 30, 2018.

How do I enter?Enter online at cfbf.com/photocon-

test.ORMail your printed photos with a com-

pleted entry form attached to the back of each photo to:

Photo ContestCalifornia Farm Bureau Federation2300 River Plaza DriveSacramento CA 95833

May I request a confirmation of re-ceipt?

If you require confirmation of re-ceipt of your entry, please contact Chico Ochi at 916-561-5550 or [email protected].

Notification of Winners and IRS Tax Form W-9

Winners will be notified by mail, email, or phone. All winners will be re-quired to complete and submit to CFBF an Internal Revenue Service Form W-9, which will be made available before prizes are distributed.

AgreementBy entering this contest, you grant

California Farm Bureau Federation a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to use, publish,

display, distribute, reproduce, edit, adapt, and create derivative works of the submitted photograph, in whole or

in part, in any media now known or hereafter discovered, including in use on websites, in publications and for pro-

motional purposes, without compensa-

See CONTEST RULES; Page 16

COnTesT ruLesContinued from Page 14


†Manufacturer’s estimate of power (ISO) per 97/68/EC.

Fresno • 4288 S. Bagley • 559-486-8020 | Five Points • 21350 S. Lassen Ave • 559-884-2425Visit us at www.fresnoequipment.com

5ML Low-Profile Utility Tractor• 115 hp† PowerTech™ engine

• 16F/16R PowrReverser™ transmission

• Newly designed low-profile hood for improvedvisibility and access

6M Series Utility Tractors • Low-profile design perfect for orchards, nurseries, vineyards and other hard-to-reach areas

• 110 to 130 hp†

5G Series Narrow Specialty TractorThe new 5GV and 5GN Series Tractors are the perfect fit for the narrower rows producers are adopting to conserve water. Plus, they stand their ground when it comes to the toughest jobs out there.

High-performance. Low-profile design. Better for your operation.

2162

15

tion or prior notice to you or your suc-cessors or assigns, or any other person or entity. Entering a submission in this contest constitutes your irrevocable as-signment, conveyance, and transference to CFBF of these rights.

Questions?Contact Chico Ochi at 916-561-5550

or [email protected].

COnTesT ruLesContinued from Page 15

contactDebra Leak

to advertise in tHe

MADERA COUNTY FARM BUREAU

(559) 638-2244funDraiserContinued from Page 1

Valley Almonds, and Simplot Grower Solutions.

Barrel Select Sponsors: Aanonson Sprinklers, Agri-World Cooperative,

Almond Tree Hulling Co. Inc., Baker Peterson Franklin, CPA LLP, Bigelow Farms, Boman & Associates, Double E Trucking & Dust Control, Duarte Nursery, Foster & Parker Insurance, G3 Enterprises, Hostetler Ranches LLC, Lamanuzzi & Pantaleo, Law

Office of John Garcia, Madera Auto Center, Madera Pumps, Pacific State Pipe, Pegasus Orchards, Sagaser Wat-kins & Wieland, Sam Pistoresi, Sny-der Orchards, The Specialty Crop Co., Steve’s Chevrolet of Chowchilla, Syn-genta, and Western Ag & Turf. ■

Documents

Madera County FarM Bureau