California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Ag Legislation

  • 100+ Water Ag Organizations Urge Congress to Address Western Water Challenges

    Over 100 organizations representing water and agricultural interests in the Western U.S. urged Congress today to use any infrastructure package under consideration to help address severe hydrological conditions in the West.

    “As a nation we must continually invest in the Western water infrastructure necessary to meet current and future demands,” the groups stated in a letter sent to key congressional committees and Western senators. “Our existing water infrastructure in the West is aging and in need of rehabilitation and improvement.”

    President Trump has said infrastructure might be one area that both political parties in the 116th Congress can agree upon. The Democratic Party’s to-do list also includes an ambitious infrastructure program. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OREGON) – one of the recipients of the letter – now chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he intends to lead efforts to produce a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure bill to fund transportation and water projects.

    “As water flows down from the Colorado Rockies – not unlike the water wheels of days gone by – it still drives the economies of thousands of communities on its way to the ocean,” said Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association President Robert Sakata. “As we ask more of this precious resource, we can’t ignore the creaks and groans from outdated infrastructure, as well as the offerings of new technologies to improve water use efficiency.”

     

    “The recent wet weather notwithstanding, we know that persistent drought conditions in the western United States are the new normal,” said Western Growers President and CEO Tom Nassif . “For this reason, our nation must invest, in earnest, in the long-term security of our water supplies in the West.”

    The letter underscores that water conservation, water recycling, watershed management, conveyance, desalination, water transfers, groundwater storage, and surface storage are all needed in a diversified management portfolio.

    “We need you to ensure that Western water users have every tool available to survive and recover from years of drought and to prepare for the hard, dry years the future may hold,” the letter states. “We call upon each of you to push forward on infrastructure and in so doing you must use any infrastructure package to not only address our nation’s chronic needs surrounding roads and bridges, but to also include water infrastructure needs for storage and conveyance.”

  • California Fresh Fruit Association Hosts 83rd Annual Meeting

    (Santa Barbara, CA) – The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) kicked off their new fiscal year
    yesterday during the Annual Membership Meeting at their 83rd Annual Meeting in Santa Barbara,
    California. The event featured the election of the Board of Directors and Chairman, as well as industry and
    committee updates.

    Santa Barbara Meeting

    The Board of Directors is made up of 44 men and women from operations located from as far south as Coachella Valley to as far north as Lake County. Randy Giumarra (Giumarra Vineyards) was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the 2019/20 fiscal year. The organization’s officers are nominated to serve for a one-year period and are selected by a committee of past Board Chairs. The full slate of officers includes:

    CHAIR: Randy Giumarra (Giumarra Vineyards) – Bakersfield-based fresh grape and tree fruit shipper

    FIRST VICE CHAIR: Kevin Herman (The Specialty Crop Company) – Madera-based fresh fig,
    pomegranate, and persimmon shipper

    SECOND VICE CHAIR: Wayde Kirschenman (Kirschenman Enterprises) – Kern County-based diversified
    farming operation

    SECRETARY/TREASURER: Louis Pandol (Pandol Bros., Inc.) – Delano-based fresh grape shipper
    The Association honored Kent Stephens, CFO of Marko Zaninovich, Inc., with the prestigious Mentor’s
    Award, which is bestowed to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional dedication to the fresh grape,
    berry and tree fruit communities through their leadership in the industry. Stephens, through his work in both
    the table grape industry and water advocacy, has made an immensely positive impact on California
    agriculture over his forty year career. The Mentor’s Award was first awarded in 1966 to Mr. Martin
    Zaninovich of Jasmine Vineyards, Inc. An awardee is selected by the Association’s Mentors’ Committee
    and a recipient is selected based on the following criteria: a trusted counselor or guide; a wise, loyal advisor;
    a tutor, coach, teacher; and a person who, through effort, discovery, innovation, dedication, and/or perseverance, has influenced the industry in a positive way.Santa Barbara Meeting

    Prior to the Annual Membership Meeting, the Annual Industry Workshop featured key note speakers Mr.
    Ruben Navarrette and Mr. John Manzella. Both speakers delivered passionate messages about the issues
    of immigration and trade wars, as well as many other issues that are impacting the future of California agriculture and what our industry must do to be prepared.

  • Challenges and Successes for the California Citrus Industry

    With all the regulatory and economic challenges facing our agricultural industries, California growers understandably have a lot to grunt and complain about; however, if growers see these challenges as opportunities and work together to overcome them, so much more can be accomplished, as has been done in the California citrus industry.  Check out this brief video interview with former President of the California Citrus Mutual, Joel Nelsen, as he explains. Read more about it in the coming issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine.  Don’t currently receive the publication?  Subscribe for free at https://malcolmmedia.com/california-fresh-fruit-subscriptions/.

  • International Trade Dispute Impacts CA Citrus Shipments

    The ongoing international trade dispute has disrupted many California agricultural industries which rely heavily on foreign exports, including California citrus.  Watch this brief interview with former President of the California Citrus Mutual Joel Nelsen as he shares how this is impacting citrus shipments.  Read more about the outgoing President of California Citrus Mutual and his outlook for the industry in the coming issue of California Fresh Fruit Magazine.  Don’t currently receive the publication?  Subscribe for free at https://malcolmmedia.com/california-fresh-fruit-subscriptions/.

  • The Recent Romaine Recall and the LGMA

    Although the Center for Disease Control announced on January 9, 2019 that the recent e-coli outbreak is over, there is another part of the story that doesn’t seem to be getting allot of traction. During the investigation the FDA made the comment that based on the spread of the traceback it’s highly unlikely that it originated from a single farm. I don’t have any first-hand knowledge that hasn’t already been publicly disclosed, but I do understand how the produce supply chain works. A single source could be a possible scenario when you think through how one farm can go to multiple processors and terminal markets. There are two troubling allegations floating around about this outbreak that need put to rest.

    First, that the only grower/shipper implicated so far was not a member of the California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA). The LGMA recently sent out a statement confirming that is accurate so that’s not up for further debate. Since it was formed in 2006 the backbone of the LGMA has been that members voluntarily subject themselves to minimum food safety standards verified through unannounced inspections conducted by California Department of Public Health (CDPH) inspectors. The LGMA was never intended to stop all recalls but that through a HACCP type approach to continuously reduce risk starting at the field. Since the marketing agreement was voluntary the failsafe were the commitments made by some of the largest retailers and food service distributors at the time that their buy side would support LGMA members for West Coast sourced leafy greens.

    Being a member of the LGMA is not cheap. One recent study suggested that the incremental cost per acre since 2006 to abide by all of the minimum food safety standards and inspections that come with LGMA is close to $180 per acre. A non-LGMA farm can have the most stringent standards in the industry on paper. However, without incurring the incremental costs associated with maintaining “trust but verify” standards, supported by unannounced site audits they would have a substantial cost advantage over LGMA members.

    The second issue is how a non-LGMA member can get their leafy greens into the retail and food service channels. Just prior to the outbreak the romaine supply was extremely tight in many areas which was reflected in the USDA Mostly Market reports for romaine. Maybe it’s just coincidence, or maybe there is a hole in the process that the buy side needs to step up and address, especially when the industry is short. This is the second recall situation I am aware of in the past three years where the trace back implicated a California shipper/handler that was not an LGMA member.

    I’m not suggesting that somehow LGMA members have a safer product than anyone else. I am suggesting that we owe it to ourselves as an industry and to consumers to ensure that everyone is at least working from the same floor. How high someone wants to go above that floor is an individual business decision. The LGMA may not be the perfect solution to maintaining minimum standards on an industry wide basis, but right now it’s the only solution.

    If the buy side isn’t going to step up and support LGMA for leafy greens sourced from the West Coast, especially when supplies are tight, then maybe it’s time to rethink it. When everyone is allowed to revert back to their own standards, then we really have no standards which is where we were in 2006.

  • 2018 Election Losses for CA Ag & Where to Go from Here

    There were some successes, but a lot of disappointments in California’s 2018 elections. So where do we go from here? What’s a farmer to do in an askew state like California? Check out this brief interview with Emily Rooney, President of the Ag Council of California as she shares her insights from the election and some considerations moving forward.

  • New Proposal for Immigration Reform Backed by Champion Boxers & Farmers

    Immigration reform seems to be an ongoing issue our legislature cannot seem to resolve on their own. That is why farmers have allied with champion boxers and other world-renown athletes in presenting a new solution known as EARNED. Watch this interview with Nisei Farmers League President Manuel Cunha who briefly explains the program and how it will benefit undocumented farm employees and the Agricultural industry as a whole.

  • What to do When ICE or OSHA Shows Up

    California farmers have become quite the target for Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Cal/OSHA visits. Whether these visits are warranted or come by surprise, farmers should be prepared for them, based on the following suggestions offered by labor law attorney Stacy Henderson at the recent Almond Alliance Convention, presented in this video. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • New Produce Safety Laws Not New to California Cantaloupe Farmers

    On January 26, 2018 fruit, nut and vegetable farmers throughout the country began being required to follow specific food safety practices under a new federal regulation known as the Produce Safety Rule.

    For now, the new regulation applies only to large farms, defined as those with annual produce sales of $500,000 or more. These are exactly the kinds of farms who supply most of the produce to your local grocery store. Smaller farms will be phased in over the next few years.

    The new rule is part of a sweeping new law called the Food Safety Modernization Act, which was enacted under the Obama Administration but is just now taking effect across the nation. The law represents the first time that food safety practices have been mandatory on farms to prevent foodborne illnesses.

    However, for California cantaloupe the requirements outlined in this law are nothing new. Under a unique mandatory food safety program established in 2012, California cantaloupe farmers have been required to follow set of science-based food safety practices on their farms and in their packing and cooling facilities. For the past six years, California cantaloupe farms have been inspected regularly by government auditors to ensure the practices are being followed. This program is enforced through the California Department of Food and Agriculture. You can read more about the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board’s mandatory food safety program here.

    The California Cantaloupe Board is working now to ensure its required food safety practices match what is required under the new Produce Safety Rule. In many cases, the required practices for California cantaloupe farmers exceed what is required under the new federal rules.

    The practices are similar to what is required of restaurants or to the precautions you might take in your own kitchen to keep food safe. They are activities designed to ensure produce is properly handed by workers who are trained to use good hygiene; to make sure farm equipment is sanitary; to ensure soils where produce is grown is safe and that measures are in place to prevent contamination of produce by wildlife or nearby domesticated animals. Additionally, farmers are required to keep written records to document their farming practices.

    The goal of all these rules and laws is, of course, to make sure that produce is safe. Farmers are committed to producing safe food, but it can be challenging since most produce is grown outside and is often eaten raw. For many years, cantaloupe farmers have funded research to help them farm in the safest manner possible and, though some outbreaks associated with cantaloupe have occurred in the past, none of these outbreaks have involved cantaloupe from California.

    Consumers have a role too in making sure their food is safe and proper handling in your own kitchen is important. The California Cantaloupe Advisory Board has produced a series of videos on safe handling. Please take some time to watch these so you and your family can enjoy delicious, sweet cantaloupe from California with confidence.

  • New Pesticide Laws & Regs Now Taking Effect in California

    If you missed the Annual Tree & Vine Expo, Marline Azevedo with the Stanislaus County Ag Commissioner’s office provided an update on changes in laws and regulations for growers moving into 2018. Watch her brief interview as she describes two key changes in Chlorpyrifos permit conditions & pesticide use around school sites.