May 2024

By: Denelle Flake, Farm News Editor

On April 19th, excited, studious local fourth & fifth grade students traveled to Mainzer Theater to compete in Merced County Farm Bureau’s third annual Agribee. The program, developed by Butte County Farm Bureau, is a spelling bee contest focused on the spelling and defining of agriculturally related words. We had 38 students particpate this year! We are thrilled to see this program continue to grow each year and are so proud of the students effort put into studying for the contest. The

Merced County Farm Bureau Hosts 3rd Annual Agribee

participating elementary schools were Ballico, Plainsburg, El Nido, McSwain, Ada Givens and Washington. For the beginning rounds, the students had to either define or spell the word correctly to move on to the next round. After multiple competitive rounds we determined our top two students: Mikel Moreno; Ballico 5th grader and Arjun Bains; Plainsburg 5th grader. These two students had to now both define and spell two words correctly to win the contest. After a tough final round, Mikel Moreno won the contest by accurately spelling and defining “entomology” and “hemisphere”. Second place was

awarded to Arjun Bains. First place received an iPad and second place received a $100 gift card to Barnes & Noble.

The program offers a fun opportunity for students to learn about agriculture and its vast components as they prepare for the contest by studying over 450 words. MCFB would like to thank the following sponsors for their support: American AgCredit, Fluetsch & Busby Insurance, Clendenin Orchards, Hilmar Cheese Company, Mainzer, El Capitan Hotel, Chance Land & Cattle, Ed & Nancy Silva, Cabezut Cattle Co., Chipponeri Electric, Double G Farms,

Joe Lagrutta, Live Oak Farms, Pat & Mike Palazzo, Roger & Chi Chi Woods and SS Blue. We would also like to thank our two judges for the event: Stephanie Dietz and Nita Pedrozo, plus our host Sean Runyon, Merced County Ag Commissioner. Lastly, a very special thank you to the Mainzer Theatre, Kassie Nguyen and her team for the use of the Mainzer facilities and aid in the coordination of the event.

Again, we are so honored to have growing participation in Agribee and we hope to see it expand to more school districts in the coming years!

Mikel Moreno, 1st place, Ballico

from the Director's Desk

Breanne Vandenberg

MCFB has been very busy the last few months. Taking it back to our Annual Meeting in March, Agriculture Members voted on a set of bylaw amendments put before them. As mentioned in previous columns, this bylaw amendment adjusted our district boundaries and amended the number of directors per district. It did not decrease our board members in total. The amendments passed well over the threshold required. These amendments will take effect during the 2025-2026 year.

Last week, MCFB participated in the Merced County Spring Fair by hosting a beer booth during the five-day event. We had just come off electing to discontinue our wine booth at the Merced Fair when the Spring Fair General Manager Guy Gary asked us to take on a beer booth. I remember laughing at him and asking to see the numbers before we jumped off that cliff again. At that time, none of us knew how the next year would change. We were thrilled with the turnout of individuals, and I more than once thanked Guy for giving us the

opportunity to fill the space. Guy was vastly missed by many during the fair and his presence was felt during the Guy Gary Champion Drive and the Junior Livestock Auction.

We have been watchful of the ongoings within the county in relation to emergency services. At the May 7 Board of Supervisors, the county acted on the consolidation and/or closure of various Cal Fire Stations. The following actions took place:

• Consolidation of Station 92 (Ballico) and Station 64 (Cressey) into a single unified station in Ballico. Station 64 will be operated as a volunteer only station. Action is effective October 1, 2024, redirecting existing staff to alternate locations.

• Remove all Cal Fire staffing at Station 96 (Livingston) effective October 1, 2024 redirecting staff to alternate locations. Station 92 (Ballico), Station 91 (Delhi) and Station 95 (Hilmar) will cover the service area.

• Close Station 85 (McKee) in Merced effective October 1, 2024 and redirect staff to alternate locations. Station 81 (Merced) and Station 86 (Planada) will cover the service area.

• Directed staff to facilitate changes to the Cal Fire agreement effective July 1, 2024 following the board action taken on the items above and program corresponding Net County Cost requirements. Staff to return to the board should

• Consolidation of Station 76 (Dos Palos) with Station 75 (Dos Palos WYE) into a single unified station in Dos Palos WYE. Action is effective October 1, 2024, redirecting existing staff to alternate locations.

the SAFER Grant or any additional cost-sharing options currently being discussed with cities materialize to consider any adjustment to the board actions listed above.

The above bulleted points are taken from the presentation presented during the board meeting. It is my understanding that Station 76 in Dos Palos will result in a volunteer station if the last item does not develop. We provided comments at both meetings on April 9th and May 7th indicating our concerns for said actions. We understand budget constraints and want to ensure firefighter safety, yet we are concerned with response times, increase in insurance rates, etc. We will continue to have conversations on this topic as the effective dates loom closer.

Please contact our office if the need arises. Our office is always happy to tackle your issues and needs.

Merced County Farm Bureau’s Mission Statement

Merced County Farm Bureau is an independent, nongovernmental, grassroots organization that advocates for the men and women who provide food, fiber, and nursery products for our community, state, and nation.

Merced County Farm Bureau exists for the purpose of improving the ability of individuals engaged in production

agriculture to utilize California resources to produce food and fiber in the most profitable, efficient and responsible manner possible, guaranteeing our nation a domestic food supply.

Merced County Farm Bureau supports policies and legislation that promote and protect our Country’s number one industryagriculture for future generations and the security of our nation.

from the President's Corner

Dave Barroso

Another month has passed and a new Farm News is out. As I look back at my first month as Merced County Farm Bureau President it is finally starting to settle in as to what a great honor it is to lead this great organization. As we have been busy with our own operations, your Farm Bureau has also been very busy. Since my last article your Farm Buruea has been busy with hosting our annual Agribee, participating in the Los Banos Fair Junior Livestock Auction and operating a beer booth at the May Day Fair, just to name a few activities.

We are well into spring and very busy on our own operations. It is always an exciting time of year to get back in the fields and start harvesting winter grown crops, planting the variety of bountiful crops that we are blessed to be able to grow in our great valley, or working on our permanent crops and livestock. It always brings new hope when a new growing season begins. This looks to be a challenging year but watching the new growth just shows that we are the forever hopeful optimist.

Merced County Farm Bureau hosted our annual Agribee at the Mainzer theater in Merced on April 19th. Agribee is an agriculture focused spelling bee for Merced County 4th and 5th graders where participants not only need to spell the word but also provide a definition. Over 38 participants from 6 schools attended. Congratulation to Mikel Moreno from Ballico-Cressey and Arjun Bains from Plainsburg for their

first and second place finishes. A big thank you to all those that participated and helped put on a fun event.

Thank you to Pierce Hanning for representing Merced County Farm Bureau at the Merced Conty Spring Fair in Los Banos Junior Livestock Auction. It is because of your support of this organization that we are able to support hard working junior livestock exhibitors.

Congratulations to all the fair participants in Los Banos and Chowchilla Fairs.

Merced County Farm Bureau had the opportunity to operate a beer booth at this years Spring Fair. Although final numbers are not yet in, it looks like this may turn out to be a worthwhile fundraising endeavor. A large banner with MCFB logo and sponsors was prominently displayed and acted as a conversation starter. We had the opportunity to explain the efforts that we as a Farm Bureau make each year. A huge thank you to staff, sponsors, and members of both our County Farm Bureau and YF&R that volunteered to help.

California Farm Bureau is placing efforts behind the Taxpayer Protection Act and MCFB will be discussing this item at our next board meeting. This is a very important proposition that will give the voters a say in any future tax increases. As we get closer to November look for more information

in your Farm News on how this will affect you and what you can do to help. Congratulations to our newest Merced County Supervisor, Jim Pacheco, who will be representing District 1. We are living in some interesting times, and are probably in for some more. As we see what is going on in other parts of this country, I am reminded how much all those people need us. It is the availability of a diverse, healthy, safe and affordable food supply that allows people to not have to worry where their next meal will come from. Unfortunately, this is something many in this country take for granted, and many across the world wish they had. As George Washington stated, “Farming is the most healthy, the most useful, and the most noble employment of man.” It is our responsibility to stay engaged and involved. If we can be of any help, please do not hesitate to reach out to the office or any of your board of directors. Until next month!

Atwater High School FFA Wins Another State Championship

By: Atwater FFA

The Atwater High School Vegetable Evaluation team won the 2024 FFA state championship at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on May 4th. Over 1800 California high school agriculture students representing over 150 high schools throughout the state competed in twenty skillbased agriculture-related state Career Development (CDE) contests. Atwater FFA sent eight individual agriculture CDE teams to Cal Poly, SLO with 6 of the 8 teams placing in the “Top 10” in California. “When you combine great kids and dedicated teachers with the tremendous support of one’s school, district, community, and local agriculture industry, you get positive results and tremendous success as demonstrated at the state finals competitions,” said FFA advisor Dave Gossman.

The Atwater FFA Vegetable Evaluation team earned the state championship with a team comprised of Sebastian Parra (2nd overall in the state), Oscar Prado, Nathalie Vasquez, and Nicole Deleon. The Vegetable Evaluation contest is designed to create interest and promote understanding in the vegetable crop industry by providing opportunities for recognition through the demonstration of skills and proficiencies. Nearly 30 high schools throughout California competed in the vegetable Evaluation championship.

The Atwater FFA Farm Business Management team placed 3rd overall in the state with a team comprised of Owen Reed (3rd overall), Marissa Vargas, Alany Guzman and Iker Chargoy. The Farm Business Management CDE helps students learn business skills and apply economic principles to agricultural businesses. Contest focus areas include business record keeping, depreciable property, and tax management.

The Atwater FFA Ag Mechanics team placed 5th overall in the state with Atwater High School senior Caden Hultgren placing 2nd overall along with Nic Presto, Trevor Struble and Marcos Padilla. The Agriculture Mechanics contest involves hands on application skills in shield metal arc welding, electrical, plumbing, electrical motors and controls, tool identification, and a written exam on all aspects of

agriculture mechanics.

The Atwater FFA Poultry team earned a 5th place finish overall in the state led by Viviana Roach, Brianna Duran, Yahaira Carrillo, and Rebekah Villalobos. Participants in the Poultry contest select live meat-type chickens for broiler breeding, evaluate and place live egg-type hens, and rate the finished product by evaluating and grading ready-to-cook carcasses and parts of chickens.

The Atwater Veterinary Science team placed 7th overall in the state with a team comprised of Maricela Perez, Zoe Jolly, Sarah Conn, and Nayelli Garcia. The state contest has students working in teams and demonstrating their technical competency with small and large animals by completing a written exam, critical-thinking scenario questions, identifications and hands-on practicums.

The Atwater FFA Milks Quality and Dairy Foods team placed 9th overall in the state with a team comprised of Sophia Lomeli, Fatima Soto, and Gannon Gossman. The contest tests students in their knowledge and skills in milk quality (tasting), cheese identification, dairy vs non-dairy foods, a written exam on the dairy industry, and a team presentation pertaining to industry required milk tests and data.

The Atwater FFA Nursery and Landscape team placed 11th overall in the state with the team comprised of students Jacqueline Velazquez, Johnna Quezada, Rodrigo Ramirez, and Violet Lial. Students demonstrated knowledge and skills in their plant identification, plant selection & evaluation, transplanting, and written exam on all aspects of horticulture and the horticulture industry.

The Atwater High School FFA Floral team comprised of Ella Boyenga, Abigail Rogers, Giszelle Avila, and Callie Sanders competed at the state finals. The contest involves plant identification, arrangements, and floral skills. Teams and individuals are judged on their ability to perform an assignment similar to one routinely performed in the floriculture industry. Additionally, individual members are called up to contribute to the team’s effort by completing events such as a general floriculture examination and an identification of plant materials and

equipment.

There are nearly 100,000 high school agriculture students in California representing over 375 high school agriculture programs, and the success of the Atwater FFA agriculture program can be attributed to the agriculture pathway sequence of courses at Atwater High School, the increased student involvement/participation outside of the classroom, and the tremendous support from the school/district, community, and agriculture industry.

“We will say it time and time again,” says FFA advisor Jose Vargas, “We are

seeing a positive return on everyone’s investment with our students, and we all should take tremendous pride in their accomplishments.”

Atwater High School FFA will now focus on fundraising $12,000 to send the Atwater FFA Vegetable Evaluation team to the FFA Leadership Experience in Washington DC in October joining thousands of other FFA members throughout the nation.

For more information on the Atwater High School Agriculture Department and Atwater FFA, please log on the website www.AtwaterFFA.org .

Atwater High School agriculture students and FFA members Sebastian Parra, Oscar Prado, Nicole Deleon, Nathalie Vasquez and (coach) Jose Vargas celebrate winning the 2024 California FFA State Vegetable Evaluation championship at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo among over 1800 competing California agriculture students.

Atwater High School's FFA sent eight agriculture industry skill-based teams to Cal Poly, San Luis Obiospo to complete at the 2024 FFA State Finals competition with six of the eight teams placing in the "Top 10" overall in the state.

Merced County Farm News

Published monhtly by Merced County Farm Bureau

Phone (209) 723-3001

Fax (209) 722-3814

646 S. Hwy 59, Merced CA 95341

Email: dflake@mercedfarmbureau.org (USPS 339-500)

Entered as Second Class matter, Jan. 20, 1948 at the US Post Office in Merced, CA. Subscription is included in membership. Singles issues are 50 cents. Merced County Farm News is printed by Wesco Graphics, 410 E. Grant Line Road, Suite B, Tracy, CA 95376

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Merced County Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 1232, Merced, CA 95341; telephone (209) 723-3001; FAX (209) 722-3814. Merced County Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers or for products advertised in Merced County Farm News, nor does Farm Bureau assume responsibility for statements or expressions of opinion other than in editorials or in articles showing authorship by an officer, director or employee of the Merced County Farm Bureau or its affiliates.

Merced County Farm Bureau Staff

Breanne Vandenberg

Executive Director Lorraine Passadori Program Director Denelle Flake

Farm News Editor/Project Specialist Alexxis Rudich

Project Assistant/ESJ Grower Relations Board of Directors

Pres: David Barroso 652-6437

1st VP: Tim Lohman 988-3545

2nd VP: Dante Migliazzo 769-9525

Sect/Treas: Matt Jasso 270-1981

Past Pres: Joe Sansoni 761-9284

District 1

Tony Neves ............................. 587-1682

Joe Maiorino 564-6791

District 2

Mike Davis 387-4151

Bob Vandenberg 704-5568

District 3

Chad Perry 675-4474

Jesse Penick 678-8887

District 4

Jean Okuye 756-2421

Galen Miyamoto 761-5366

District 5

Brent Chipponeri 652-3473

John Van Ruler .......................648-3877

District 6

John Johnston 489-8462

Bill Arnold. 761-0542

District 7

Gino Pedretti III 756-1612

Tom Roduner 769-9353

District 8

Julie S. Giampaoli 201-8434

Joe Scoto 761-0489

Directors at Large

Bob Giampaoli 769-4973

Eric Harcksen 620-1953

Michael Serrano 485-1935

Tom Murphy 353-2700

Nic Marchini 769-1883

Alan Sano 559-905-1240

Scott Dias 617-9216

Mariposa County Farm Bureau Staff

Danette Toso Executive Director

Board of Directors

Pres: Kelly Williams 376-2408

1st VP: Elnora George 376-2419

2nd VP: Carla Kelly 742-6862

Directors

Abel Lopez 376-2208

James Palmer 374-3470

Walter Palmer Jr 374-3470

Trevor Lee Smith 769-9969

Danette Toso 376-2304

Tony Toso 376-2304

Jordan Cory .................... 765-401-4078

Jay Mahil CFBF Director - District 9

David Macedo CFBF Field Representative

Young Orchard Irrigation and Nutrient Management Workshop

DESCRIPTION

The workshop will feature presentations by various experts and researchers focusing on best irrigation and nutrient management practices tailored specifically for young orchards in the San Joaquin Valley. Attendees will gain insights into the irrigation and nutrient needs of young orchards that are different from those applicable to mature orchards and learn strategies for adjusting these practices as orchards mature. This knowledge aims to ensure healthier tree development, better resource utilization, and more resilient orchards in the face of climate change. Growers, CCAs, and other agricultural professionals are encouraged to attend. Workshop attendees can request one-on-one assistance from a farm advisor

AGENDA

SIGN UP TODAY!

REGISTRATION: FREE REGISTER HERE

HTTPS://UCANR.EDU/ORCHARSMERCED 3.5 CEU Credits approved

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

UCCE Merced County, 2145 Wardrobe Avenue Merced, CA 95341

CONTACT Cameron Zuber cazuber@ucanr.edu; 209-385-7403

8:00 - 8:15 AM Registration. Welcome & Introduction, Moneim Mohamed

8:15 - 8:45 AM Irrigation Management Practices and Methods in Orchards, Andre Daccache

8:45 - 9:15 AM Principles of Nutrient Management in Orchards, Mae Culumber

9:15 - 9:45 AM Non-Bearing Almonds Water and Nutrient Management, Cameron Zuber

9:45 - 10:15 AM Irrigation Management of Young Pistachios, Tobias Oker

10:15 - 10:30 AM Young Pistachios Nutrient Management, Mae Culumber

10:30 -10:45 AM Break

10:45 - 11:15 AM Water and Nutrient Management in Non-Bearing Walnuts, Moneim Mohamed

11:15 - 11:45 AM Management of Water and Nutrients for Young and Mature Olive Trees, Giulia Marino

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM Young Citrus Water and Nutrient Management, Charles Hillyer & Shawn Ashkan

12:15 - 12:30 PM Q & A

12:30 Lunch

Stanislaus Farm Supply Press Release

By: Stanislaus Farm Supply

May 1, 2024

MODESTO, California

Stanislaus Farm Supply (SFS) announces today, that in an effort to better serve its member-owners and to position them for success well into the future, their Board of Directors has voted unanimously to execute a Letter of Intent (LOI) to pursue a cooperative merger with Valley Wide Coop of Nampa, ID.

Nick Biscay, CEO of Stanislaus Farm Supply said, "This merger delivers on years of hard work in growing and developing the farmerowned cooperative system. This merger creates the opportunity for combined economic participation and cooperative ownership for patrons in six Western States - California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. This type of merger is a strategic advantage for

the cooperative model. The combined businesses lead by Dave Holtom as CEO, will carry the name(s) Valley Wide Coop and Valley Agronomics and will deliver $1 BILLION in annual revenues with diversified earnings across Agribusiness, Energy and Retail. This creates significant leverage, scale, and resources delivering the largest cooperative farm supply organization in the West. Joining forces creates tremendous diversification in revenue, agricultural crops, weather and general risk across a broad geography. It also provides additional buying power and/ or leverage for the larger cooperative enterprise and creates greater access to resources which are needed to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive industry. This merger IS NOT a "buy-out" or "take-over" which maintains that existing & future cooperative members own and govern the business, all while accelerating

Merced CWA Update

By: Maria Azevedo, CWA Merced County President

We are working on our next events and would love your help!

Fairbooth and Scholarship Committee Meeting

Join us May 14th at 5:30 p.m. at The Orchard Bar & Grill, 1435 E Robertson, Chowchilla

Fairbooth Help Wanted:

We are planning our award winning exhibit booth. The Fair theme is Barnyard Mardi Gras. We chose to be in the Livestock Division and will focus on Dairy. We will include the theme of Barnyard Mardi Gras throughout the booth. We are looking for dairy supplies, volunteers to help put the booth together. We want to create an informative booth, sharing the sustainable and environmentally responsible aspects of dairy with our Merced County residents.

If you cannot attend the meeting, that's okay! Can you help us with a few requests: Portable milking machine, straw bales, dairy equipment or feed supplies, information, etc. We don't have a schedule yet, but are looking to set up on Friday, May 31 through Monday, June 3, times TBD. We are also looking for some strong individuals with power tools to help us put up the backdrop and

the funding of past equity revolving funds for legacy members of Stanislaus Farm Supply. This combination will also deliver future strategic run-rate earnings and benefits by leveraging the sale of proprietary manufactured crop nutrition products across the reach of all western agronomy locations and the geographic expansion of the existing energy business into California, one of the largest markets in the United States. Our employees, owner-patrons and communities have a great deal to gain from this merger which gives everyone something to be excited about!"

Both cooperatives will continue the robust due diligence process in the proposed merger. Each cooperative will call a meeting of the members to vote on the proposed merger in the summer of 2024. Prior to the vote, eligible Stanislaus Farm Supply members will receive a merger disclosure packet outlining the plan of merger as well as financial and other information which impact members.

Stanislaus Farm Supply serves 4,300 patron members owners and over 9,000 active customers located in the agriculturally rich, Central Valley of California and Central Nevada. Stanislaus Farm Supply is a diversified Farm Supply Cooperative serving growers with agronomy, retail stores and supplies since 1949. The cooperative has a strong history of community engagement which it is proud to continue.

Valley Wide Cooperative, also a locally owned farm supply cooperative, has experienced growth and success through several mergers over the past 25 years. It operates by the cooperative principle that more can be accomplished working together than as individuals. They pride themselves on the level of service they offer, top-rated facilities and high-quality employees that make up the Valley Wide team. Valley Wide serves its patrons through +50 locations and the efforts of over 1,300 employees.

barn at the fairgrounds. We are thinking of putting it up sometime between 8-5 on May 29 or 30th.

Contact Christine Kinsley, 2nd Vice President, Fair Booth Exhibit Chair (209) 631-4049 or via email christine. kinsley@yahoo.com.

Scholarship Committee is meeting to review, select and award scholarships. We are also looking for next year's committee chair. This would be a great time to check out what is involved to run this activity for our chapter. We are proud to offer these scholarships to deserving college and vocational students.

Contact Stefani Dias, Secretary and Scholarship Chair at (209) 658-7198 stefanid7@gmail.com.

2024 Merced County Fair

900 Martin Luther King Jr. Way Merced, CA

Held June 5 - 9

It's going to be a Barnyard Mardi Gras at the 2024 Merced County Fair! Save the Date - Chapter Meeting May 21 at 5:30 at Tioga-Sequoia Tap House, 1707 N Street, Merced, CA 95340

Have any upcoming ag events? FFA's to support? ag issues to be concerned about? Contact our president Maria Azevedo at (209) 613-9706 or via email at margaze@sbcglobal.net

Merced County Fair Brings New Makers Marketplace Exclusively For Local Vendors

By: Merced County Fair

MERCED, CALIFORNIA, April 5, 2024…The Merced County Fair is thrilled to announce a new addition to the Merced County Fair, the Makers Marketplace that will exclusively feature Central Valley vendors! This storefront-like marketplace provides a venue for local vendors to showcase their handcrafted products (everything from food, jewelry, art and more!) to over 75,000 Fairgoers at the 2024 Merced County Fair, which is June 5 – 9. Interested vendors are encouraged to apply today, as space is limited. “We’re thrilled to bring this new attraction to the Merced County Fair to showcase our amazing local vendors!” said Teresa Burrola, CEO, Merced County Fair. “The Makers Marketplace is an incredible opportunity for those in our community to build

awareness and sell their products at the Fair in an affordable way without having to staff a booth the entire run of the Fair, which can be hard for some small companies. We’re so excited to see what vendors apply and the variety of locally handcrafted products they’ll bring!” The Makers Marketplace will be located in the San Joaquin Hall. Vendor fee to participate is $200 per business and 10% on all product sales. The Fair will provide the staff to run the building for the five days of the Fair and provide vendors with daily sales reports. The first round of selected applicants will be notified after April 15th. Applications will remain open until building space is filled, which is estimated at 40 vendors dependent upon products showcased. Applications can be found online at www.MercedCountyFair.com/ makersmarketplace

California reports the first increase in groundwater supplies in 4 years

By: The Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)

— After massive downpours flooded California’s rivers and packed mountains with snow, the state reported Monday the first increase in groundwater supplies in four years.

The state saw 4.1 million acre-feet of managed groundwater recharge in the water year ending in September, and an 8.7 million acre-feet increase in groundwater storage, California’s Department of Water Resources said. Groundwater supplies are critical to growing much of the country’s fresh produce.

The semiannual report came after water officials stepped up efforts during last year’s rains to capture water

flows from melting snowpack in the mountains and encouraged farmers to flood fields to replenish groundwater basins.

“The impressive recharge numbers in 2023 are the result of hard work by the local agencies combined with dedicated efforts from the state, but we must do more to be prepared to capture and store water when the wet years come,” Paul Gosselin, deputy director of sustainable water management for the agency, said in a statement.

California has been seeking to step up groundwater recharge with ever-drier years expected from climate change.

Much of the state’s population counts on groundwater for drinking water in their homes, and farmers that grow much of the country’s food rely on the precious

resource for crops ranging from carrots and almonds to berries and leafy greens.

For many years, Californians pumped groundwater from wells without measuring how much they were taking. But as some wells ran dry and land began sinking, the state enacted a law requiring local communities to start measuring and regulating groundwater pumping to ensure the basins would be sustainable for years to come.

In Monday’s report, California water officials noted that some areas where land had been sinking saw a rebound as users pumped less groundwater since more surface water was available following the rains. Overall, the state extracted 9.5 million acre-feet of groundwater during the last water year, down from 17 million a year before, the report said.

Some farmers in California have reported seeing a recovery in their wells this year, prompting them to question how much the state needs to cut groundwater pumping. Joaquin Contente, a dairy farmer in the crop-rich San Joaquin Valley, said he has seen recovery in his wells, with one returning to 19 feet (5.8 meters) deep from more than 30 feet (9.1 meters) deep two years ago.

“They’ve already come back to almost a normal level,” he said.

California water officials welcomed the recharge but said it would take five rainy years like last year to boost groundwater storage to levels needed after so many years of overpumping.

Fresno State offers new minor focused on water

By: Jessica Harrington, ABC30

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State students can now learn more about one of California's most precious resources - water.

There's a new educational offering at Fresno State.

The interdisciplinary program is designed to teach students all about water systems in California.

Political Science Professor Thomas Holyoke says it's different than other minors.

"This would require students to take a variety of classes from different areas of the university," Holyoke said.

That includes classes in geology, geography, agriculture, political science and beyond.

Interim Director of the California Water Institute at Fresno State Laura Ramos says this is like a dream come true.

"We don't want to say that we have an ag water problem, an environmental water problem, a disadvantage

community water problem. We have a water problem," Ramos said.

She says allowing students to learn about water through multiple lenses will help create a better understanding of water industries and, hopefully, more solutions to water issues.

Ramos adds students may be hesitant to join if they can't see how water impacts their line of work, but there's always a connection.

"Water is such an integral part of the Valley that is going to affect all of them, and every discipline is going to benefit from the knowledge of it," Ramos said.

Professor Holyoke says it's likely that students who minor in water will also have an advantage when it comes to future careers.

"Anybody that comes out of Fresno State with an education in water is going to be competitive in a number of different job areas," Holyoke said.

Officials say some students have already declared it as a minor.

It is available now to any Fresno State student to enroll.

Stockyards size impact of bird flu testing

By: Ching Lee, AgAlert

Efforts to better understand and curb the spread of H5N1 avian influenza in dairy cows have livestock auction yards in a scramble as new federal testing requirements took effect last week.

Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture rule, all lactating dairy cows must test negative for the flu virus before they’re allowed to cross state borders. Businesses that market livestock say they’re trying to adapt to the mandate, which has impacted sellers and buyers of milking cows.

Tyson Howze, a representative of Overland Stockyard in Hanford, said the company conducts a lot of dispersal sales for dairies across the West and Southwest. The auctions are held live and online, with buyers from as far as a thousand miles away bidding. He estimated more than 25% of the dairy cows from a typical California dispersal sale goes to out-of-state buyers.

The stockyard has been preparing for a dispersal sale next week of milking cows and dry cows from a Fresno County dairy. During such sales, Howze said there’s usually “quite a bit of commerce” between California, neighboring states such as Arizona and other major dairy states such as Texas. But with this upcoming sale, he said he does not anticipate moving any lactating cows out of state due to the new testing requirements, as buyers in other states will be reluctant to bid. That will hurt the dairy selling the cows, he said.

“It’s going to have to be that way until everybody gets a handle on how the testing goes,” Howze said.

So far, there have been no confirmed cases of avian influenza in California dairy cows. But the testing mandate puts dairy farmers in a difficult position. Howze said farmers and stockyards want to follow the rules and cooperate with officials, “but nobody wants to be the first to test positive either.”

A positive test would trigger more testing and animal traceback. Even false-positive test results could bring disruptions to the dairy, he said, including restrictions on shipping animals out of state for 30 days.

“Nobody wants everybody coming into their dairy to start testing things if they don’t have a problem,” Howze said.

Impacts of avian influenza come at a time when dairy farmers are already

hurting from lower milk prices and rising production costs, said Stanislaus County dairy farmer Pete Verburg. Those who carry a lot debt are most vulnerable as interest rates on loans remain high. He lamented the growing number of dairies selling their cows and going out of business—and how impacts of avian influenza and the testing requirements could make the process more difficult.

With the nation’s short supply of beef cattle, more dairies are also crossbreeding their cows to beef genetics and selling them at higher prices to earn additional income. Now some of those dairies are looking to replenish their herds, and they’re buying not just replacement heifers but lactating milk cows, Verburg said.

A typical dairy replaces 30% of its cows annually, Howze said. Dairy farmers in states whose herds have been affected by avian influenza need immediate replacements and are buying milking cows “to fill in the holes.”

In affected herds, about 10% to 20% of cows become sick. Though most cows recover, some may not return to full milk production.

But the burden of testing could discourage out-of-state participation, potentially bringing lower prices to sellers. The testing requirements could also impact dairies that move their milking cows to feedlots in other states, Howze said.

Dairies most often move young stock, said Anja Raudabaugh, CEO of Western United Dairies, “but occasionally lactating animals do get moved.” It happens more frequently on the North Coast, she noted, where dairies may ship their cattle to Oregon or Washington.

“It also happens on dairy farms that have ownership out of state,” she said. “Those farmers may move those animals between dairies in California and New Mexico, for example.”

The testing requirements—which exclude dairy heifers, dry cows, bull calves and culled cows going to slaughter—took effect April 29.

With a video sale to prepare for later that week, Jake Bettencourt, owner of Turlock Livestock Auction Yard in Stanislaus County, said it was “all hands on deck here trying to continue our commerce while under the new federal order.”

Even though last week’s video sale

involved mostly young stock that do not require testing, there were also lactating cows being sold. One concern is with the seven-day window given to ship an animal from when the test was taken. Even in a perfect world, Bettencourt said, it would take at least four days to send a sample to the lab, run the test and get results back.

“Now you have three days to coordinate trucking and logistics to ship however many cattle are in that transaction,” he said. “That’s incredibly challenging. It’s definitely going to impede commerce.”

When USDA first announced the rule late last month, Forrest Mangan, western region executive officer for Kansasbased Livestock Marketing Association, said “there was a lot of confusion throughout the day about exactly how it’s going to affect the auction markets.” Though auction yards have been “planning accordingly,” he said, they also have “some definite concerns” about the tests and the “super tight” timeline allowed to ship the animals.

“It’s definitely changed the way we do things a little bit,” he said.

Lactating dairy cows account for a small percentage of what’s sold at California auction yards, which market mostly culled cows, Mangan said. That’s why it was significant that the testing mandate excluded culled cows going straight to slaughter, even those that are shipped to packing plants in another state, he said.

With no dairy sales on his immediate calendar, Richard Martella, co-owner of A&M Livestock Auction in Hanford, said the new testing requirements

haven’t yet affected his business. Though he hasn’t studied the rule in detail, he said the order appears “very cut and dry.”

“You do what the state and federal government asks you to do,” Martella said. “If you don’t want to comply, you don’t move your herd.”

With no known positive cases in California, Mangan said auction yards have not had to implement any biosecurity measures. Culled cows typically arrive at the sale in the morning, go through the ring and are shipped out the same night, he noted.

Dairy farmer Verburg said he also has not done anything differently in his operation other than require people coming to the farm to “make darn sure that everything you are wearing or using is clean.”

“But can they guarantee it? No, they cannot,” he said.

USDA said last week it remains confident the meat supply is safe, noting that 30 ground beef samples it tested from retail outlets in states with H5N1-positive dairy herds all came back negative for the virus. Results are still forthcoming on beef muscle samples taken at federally inspected slaughter facilities of culled dairy cows that had been condemned for systemic pathologies, USDA reported.

Government researchers also are conducting a cooking study using a virus surrogate in ground beef to determine how much of the pathogen is eliminated at different temperatures. Those results will be posted as soon as they become available, USDA said.

From small farms to large commercial operations, the INSURICA Agriculture Experts have grown up in agricultural communities.

Merced County Leaders Vote to Close Two Fire Stations: ‘We’re Moving into Hard Times’

By: The Merced Focus, GV Wire

The Merced County Board of Supervisors took a series of actions Tuesday that will cut the number of full-time Cal Fire stations from 19 down to 15.

The board voted 4-1 to close Station 96 in the City of Livingston, with District 1 Supervisor Rodrigo Espinosa giving the sole vote in opposition. Espinosa’s district includes Livingston. Station 85 off McKee Road in north Merced will also be completely shuttered. The board voted 3-2 for the closure, with District 2 Supervisor Josh Pedrozo and Espinosa voting in opposition. Pedrozo’s district includes the McKee station.

Additionally, fire stations 92 and 64 in Ballico and Cressey respectively will be merged into a single unified station in Ballico. The Cressey station will be repurposed into a volunteer-only station.

On the county’s Westside, Dos Palos Station 76 and Station 75 at the Dos Palos Wye will merge into a single unified station at the Dos Palos Wye.

All of the changes are scheduled to take effect Oct. 1. The Board of Supervisors made the series of votes because the county has until Nov. 1 to comply with a state minimum requirement of two personnel on duty per station, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Of the 58 counties in California, Merced is the only one with Cal Fire stations falling below that threshold. County in Talks to Fill Coverage Gaps

In light of the impending station closures, county and fire officials have been in talks with the impacted cities to potentially pursue automatic aid agreements.

Most prominently, the Merced City Council voted Monday to continue discussions with the county for a possible automatic aid agreement. Such an agreement could mean Merced Fire Department would be first responders for the area currently served by Cal Fire’s McKee Station, once it closes. Prior to the vote, Supervisor Pedrozo assured the audience at Tuesday’s meeting that county officials will work collaboratively with Merced leaders and others to adequately “make sure that we have something to cover ourselves and

to cover yourselves.”

“Right after this, there are going to be more conversations that are taking place. We’re not going to let this thing go,” Pedrozo said. “This is not an easy decision. But it’s one in order to look at the safety of our public, the safety of our personnel, I think it’s something we’re going to have to do.”

If Merced County kept all 19 Cal Fire stations operational, officials estimate it would cost $6.9 million to hire 27 firefighters and meet the required staffing ratio across the board. But with California likely facing a $73 billion budget shortfall, county officials have warned that tough fiscal times are ahead.

“We’re moving into hard times. We’re already looking at a $75 million shortfall at the county. And that’s a conservative estimate,” said District 3 Supervisor Daron McDaniel.

“And it’s a direct result of the funding that we get from the State of California. I am not one to point fingers. I am trying to do the best that I can with what we have in Merced County. And a lot of decisions made by our governor and our Legislature is affecting us right here.”

Federal Grants Could Make a Difference

Although the county is moving toward cutting fire stations, the number of Cal Fire personnel is actually expected to increase slightly, from 87 to 90, at an associated cost of $760,000, according to Assistant Chief Mark Pimentel.

Merced County has also applied for a federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant that would fund 15 additional fire personnel at a cost of $3.8 million over a period of three years.

Officials should find out by September whether Merced County receives the grant, Pimentel said. Getting the grant would also mean keeping Livingston Station 96 and Dos Palos Station 76 open, while allowing Merced County and the impacted cities time to develop potential cost-sharing agreements.

Residents

Express Disappointment with Plan

Although a small number of residents in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting understood that supervisors were facing

tough decisions, none expressed support for closing any of the fire stations.

One of the board’s most vocal critics on the issue has been former Merced Mayor Mike Murphy, who lives in the area served by the McKee Station.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Murphy said even if the county signs an agreement with the City of Merced to cover the area covered by the McKee Station, there is currently no computer-aided dispatch technology in place to handle that coverage.

In addition, Murphy brought a letter from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office’s Emergency Services Division. The letter, dated Oct. 1, 2023, states that Stanislaus County is limiting mutual aid services to Merced County. Murphy asked the board why that letter had not been previously shared.

During his comments, Pedrozo referenced the letter from Stanislaus County. “This mutual aid letter that is being discussed has nothing to do with fire. It has to do with EMS (Emergency Medical Services),” Pedrozo said.

“I understand you guys are lumping everything into public safety in general. And I understand that. I think that EMS aspect of that whole discussion needs to take place as well. But today we’re just discussing fire.”

Murphy said the letter from Stanislaus County is still relevant to the discussion of closing fire stations in Merced County. “These are all tied together. The fire department responds to fires and they respond to medical calls. And so if you diminish those on both fronts, you’ve got diminished first responder response,” Murphy told The Merced FOCUS.

Nicole Isozaki, another resident who spoke during public comment, said she too is disappointed with the board’s decision.

“There’s a lot of unanswered questions. This auto-aid they are discussing with the City of Merced, it’s literally in the preliminary discussions, so there is nothing in place,” Isozaki said.

Shipping Season is Here

As the old saying goes, ” April showers bring May flowers.”

This spring did not disappoint in Mariposa County as the wide variety of wildflowers were on full display. This is a spectacular time of year in the foothills, but the crowning glory for cattle ranchers is the abundance of feed that we are blessed with for our livestock. There is no

better feeling than to see fat, shiny, thriving cattle this time of year. As all ranchers know, this is an iffy, tricky, fickle nail-biting business. We are at the mercy of Mother Nature all year around, and we go from feed season to fire season way too quickly. For the moment, we are grateful for the feed and the weight it has put on our calves. As we prepare to sell our steers and calves, we hope and pray that the market is in our favor. Being in the cattle business is just like investing in the stock market, you never know how it’s going to go. Even with all the time spent working, researching, and networking, you just never know if your investment will be profitable. If the average consumer knew how much time, effort, blood, sweat and tears it takes to get that beef dinner on their plate, they would be amazed! It’s shipping time at Cotton Creek Ranch and Tony and Dad have been preparing for weeks. It’s crunch time and every little detail makes a big difference. Recently, our family came down with a nasty stomach bug, what

a lousy time to be sick. Luckily the bug has eluded Tony so far, he even took drastic measures to stay healthy. After bringing home supplies to help us heal, he stayed at a hotel until we weren't contagious, desperate not to be infected. There is too much at stake to get sick now, ya gotta do what ya gotta do in this business, let’s hope it all

works out!

Here’s to a safe, smooth, profitable shipping season for one and all. As always, I encourage farmers, ranchers and conservators to invite friends, neighbors and family members to join the collective voice of the Farm Bureau. Together, we can make our organization stronger than ever, one member at a time.

CONSTRUCTION

Danette Toso

Merced County Business Member Directory

Businesses Supporting the Farm Bureau

To be included in the directory, join Merced County Farm Bureau as a business member by calling 723-3001.

REPAIRS & SERVICES

Arrowhead Field Repair 658-5250

Cab Air Systems 551-3301

SS Blue 722-2583

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS

Mid Cal Pipeline & Utilities, INC 383-7473

M-Mig Construction, Inc. 724-9488

FARM EQUIPMENT

Garton Tractor, Inc. 726-4600

Holt Ag Solutions ............................... 723-2021

Kirby Manufacturing ......................... 723-0778

Laird Mfg LLC 722-4145

N&S Tractor 383-5888

REAL ESTATE

Flanagan Realty 723-4337 (Merced)

Flanagan Realty (559) 665-1313 (Chowchilla)

Property Team 769-4698

Dick Templeton Property Team 761-4441

Valley Real Estate Sales, Inc. ........... 854-1000

GROUPS & ORGANIZATIONS

Blue Diamond Growers ........... (559) 474-2996

California Farmland Trust ....... (916) 544-2712

California Sweet Potato Council ....... 385-7403

California Women for Agriculture 723-5878

Central CA Irrigation District 826-1421

Cortez Growers Association 632-3118

Dos Palos Co-op Gin 387-4151

Gustine Drainage District ................ 854-6782

Hilltop Ranch Inc. ...............................874-1875

Livingston Farmers Assoc 394-7941

Merced Boosters 761-0815

Merced Irrigation District 722-5761

Merced College Ag Division 384-6250

Turlock Irrigation District 883-8205

UCCE Merced ..................................... 385-7403 Water & Land Solutions .................... 677-4700

FARM SERVICES

A-Bar Ag Enterprises ........................ 826-2636

Agri-Valley Consulting 769-2357

Caddy Shack Rodent Servc.....(559) 363-3315

Cal Ag Safety 351-0321

Cal Corn Growers Inc. (559) 665-5775

Chipponeri Electric 634-4616

Dutch Door Dairy ............................... 648-2166

Farm Management Inc. .................... 667-1011

Farm(x) (559)608-4410

GAR Bennett (559) 480-3029

J & F Fertilizer Custom Spreading & Compost ............................................................495-1964

La Follette Enterprises, Inc. 632-1385

Mass Energy Works. ................ (530) 710-8545

Mid Valley Ag Service 394-7981

Silva & Sons Custom Spreading 667-2566

Stone Family Spreading 756-1491

The Pollination Connection ..... (877) 970-BEES (2337)

WTS McCabe LLC 854-6818

FOOD PROCESSING

A V Thomas Produce ......................... 394-7514

Del Rio Nut Company ........................ 394-7945

The Morning Star Company 826-8000

Minturn Huller Co-op (559) 665-1185

Parreira Almond Processing Co. ....... 826-1262

Sensient Natural Ingredients (800) 558-9892

Yosemite Farms 383-3411

HARVESTING & HAULING

Bertuccio Hay 761-6247

Castillo Brothers Hay......................... 392-3817

Diamond J Farms 564-0870

Minturn Huller Co-op (559) 665-1185

Northern Merced Hulling 667-2308

Wallace & Son ................................... 382-0131

IRRIGATION, WELLS, & SEPTIC

Allison Sierra, Inc. 966-4082

Agri-Valley Irrigation 384-8494

IJ Larsen Pumps ............................... 634-7276

Pacific Southwest Irrigation 460-0450

Precision Aqua 756-2025

Quality Well Drillers 357-0675

Rain for Rent/Westside Pump (559) 693-4315

San Luis Pump Company. 383-0464

Shannon Pump Company 723-3904

SWAN Systems (661) 335-2649

INSECT & WEED CONTROL

Environmental Spraying Service ..... 667-1038

Malm Ag Pest Management 392-6905

Star Creek Land 704-1790

FARM SUPPLIES

Ag Flag .............................................. 357-3424

American River Ag 385-9553

Cal Farm Service 358-1554

Kellogs Supply 722-1501

Livingston True Value ........................ 394-7949

Marfab 826-6700

Pacific Bay Equipment (800) 640-1227

Stanislaus Farm Supply 723-0704

FUEL SERVICES

Amarants Propane Service .............. 358-2257

Hunt & Sons, Inc. .................... (916) 383-4868

Pazin & Myers Inc 725-2050

Western States Petroleum Assoc. (661) 321-0884

Valley Pacific Petroleum 948-9412

Van De Pol Petroleum 667-0236

INSURANCE

Barlocker Insurance 383-0220

Fluetsch & Busby Insurance 722-1541

InterWest Insurance 723-9181

Rico, Pfitzer, Pires and Associates 854-2000 Walter Mortensen Insurance 353-2700

Western Valley Insurance ................ 826-5667

Winton Ireland Insurance ................ 394-7925 FINANCIAL SERVICES

Alice B. Contreras CPA 722-6778

American Ag Credit 384-1050/826-0320

Central Valley Community Bank........725-2820

Farmers & Merchants Bank ............. 626-4100

Grimbleby Coleman CPAs ................. 527-4220

Yosemite Farm Credit ....................... 383-1116

MISCELLANEOUS

The Hat Source .................................. 357-3424

Merced County Fair ........................... 722-1506

Merced County Nut Festival ............. 761-8279 P. B. Iyer, M.D. 854-1120 Sunset Pool Service 286-7665

BUSSINESS SUPPORT FARMERS

DCB Farming LLC

GS Farms

J&J O'Banion Ranch, LLC Live Oak Farms

Migliazzo Farms