Farm News - Sept. 22

September 2022 | Volume 115, Number 9

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Merced County Farm News

By: MCFB

ugust 31, 2022 Merced County Farm Bureau (MCFB) met with candidates vying to represent Merced County for Senate District 4, Assembly District 22 and Assembly District 27 during the August Board of Directors Meeting.

Senate District 4 Following an interview style discussion with Marie Alvarado-Gil, the MCFB Board of Directors elected to endorse Alvarado-Gil for the Senate District 4 seat. Mrs. Alvarado-Gil is prepared to represent the large district

Merced County Farm Bureau endorses candidates for Senate District 4, Assembly District 22 and Assembly District 27 encompassing as far north as Placer County and as south as Inyo County.

Within the valley, she would represent Stanislaus and parts of Madera and Merced Counties. When asked how all needs of her constituents would be met, she indicated that she plans to have seven district offices maintained by local staff while she will rotate regularly to each.

Mrs. Alvarado-Gil studied animal science at UC Davis and later returned to education to obtain both a bachelor and master’s degrees in public administration. She has also raised three children as a single parent. In addition to fighting for local agriculture, AlvaradoGil stated she is a proponent that is tough on crime, is endorsed by her county’s district attorney and sheriff and would encourage a repeal on Proposition 47.

When informed of the endorsement, Alvarado-Gil responded by stating, “I am humbled by the support of Merced County Farm Bureau. As your Senator, I aim to provide vision, leadership and aggressive advocacy to secure a more drought prepared, sustainable and renewable water supply for our farmers. I consider water security to be the most important long-term issue facing California’s prosperity and a fundamental challenge to its cultural heritage.”

endorse Alanis following extensive discussion.

Alanis understands the need to ensure agriculture can remain in the valley and

Assembly District 22 The newly formed Assembly District will cover parts of Stanislaus and Merced counties. Snelling, Ballico, Hilmar, Stevinson and Gustine are included in Assembly District 22.

MCFB felt the best candidate for this role was Juan Alanis, a Stanislaus County Sheriff Sergeant, electing to

INSIDE:

Latest Attack on 10 Proposed Sites Reservoir 12 – Not Enough Water

the importance of water availability and reliability. When alerted of the See 'Endorsements' Page 2

MERCED COUNTY FARM BUREAU

2022 GENERAL ELECTION ENDORSEMENT The Merced County Farm Bureau proudly endorses: Senator Brian Dahle for Governor of California Maria Alvarado-Gil for Senate District 4 Juan Alanis for Assembly District 22 Mark Pazin for Assembly District 27

MCFB RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SUPPORT, OPPOSE, OR STAY NEUTRAL ON CANDIDATES, BALLOT MEASURES, OR POLICIES DURING ANY ELECTION THAT MAY IMPACT MCFB MEMBERS

Ironic Timing: NPPC, AFBF File Reply Brief on Prop 12, CDFA Finalizes Rules

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TID moves closer to voluntary agreement with state water board

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Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

from the

Director's Desk

has allowed for automakers to include plug-in hybrids, full battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in these counts. For automakers, no more than 20% of their overall ZEV sales can be from plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and must carry an all-electric range of at least 50 miles under real world conditions.

Battery-electric and fuel cell vehicles must ensure a minimum range of 150 miles.

CARB additionally adopted language as it relates to warranties and ZEV durability. Purchased vehicles have to be considered quality that will not pollute, is a full replacement for a gaspowered vehicle and holds their market value. Under warranty, ZEVs must maintain 80% of range for 10 years or 150,000 miles by 2030. In 2031, individual vehicle battery packs must

maintain 75% of energy for eight years or 100,000 miles. This information was found through the CARB website at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov.

In addition to our golden state adopting these goals, other states that move in this direction could be Washington, New York and Oregon.

Those that may have a cold shoulder for this include Colorado, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Virginia. It seems as though this could become another state-by-state issue unless the federal government moves to make their own overlapping policies.

The bigger side to this is if we can achieve this by the mandates adopted.

Within a number of days, Governor Newsom signed SB 846 (Senator Bill Dodd , D-Napa) to extend the life of Diablo Canyon, a PG&E nuclear

power plant in San Luis Obispo.

According to reports from the California Energy Commission, Diablo Canyon is responsible for 9% of California’s energy production. The plant was scheduled to close by 2025, but the extension will provide for 5 more years of use. Following this came the highest heat warnings California has received, including record temperatures that have triggered Cal OES warnings encouraging a reduction of energy. A portion of this advertisement was to avoid charging their electric vehicles during this period which seems to be a strikingly odd suggestion given the growing proposals being adopted at a record pace. Timing of these announcements could not have been worse but I guess that is the struggle we have in California. Stay cool everyone!

commander, acting police chief and a SWAT team member. In addition to being endorsed by numerous law enforcement organizations, his list also includes first responders, elected officials and educators.

Pazin recognizes the regulatory burden for businesses to operate in California is far too high. In addition, he understands the need to invest in long overdue infrastructure to ensure a stable water supply.

When informed of the endorsement, Pazin responded, “Thank you to Merced County Farm Bureau President and Board of Directors for your endorsement and confidence in me, to not only represent agriculture interests, but the entire district.” Pazin continued, “For years we have only witnessed legislative meetings and empty promises to increase water storage, yet not one project started even though financing

is available. It will take someone with determination and focus to ensure a handful of people do not continually stop these important water storage projects and I am that person.”

Following the endorsements, MCFB President Joe Sansoni was satisfied with the direction taken by the board. Sansoni stated, “In reviewing each of the candidates’ backgrounds and platforms, we found these candidates aligned the most with the needs of Merced County agriculture.” Sansoni followed with, “We look forward in continuing discussions with them on issues relevant to our membership through the November election.”

Breanne Vandenberg

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ecently the California Air Resources Board (CARB) took what some call bold and progressive action to adopt a mandate for all new passenger vehicles sold in state to be zero emissions by 2035.

Titled the Advanced Clean Cars II, zero emissions vehicles (ZEV) will include cars, pickups and trucks, with the idea to “deliver cleaner air and massive reductions in climate-warming pollution.” Among other nations and states adopting and/or considering adoption of ZEV mandates, California is by far the most aggressive in the matter.

To do this, CARB plans to have sales increase each year. Automakers are to begin increasing the amount of ZEV sales by 2026 models. The ramp up in time is 35% in 2026, 68% in 2030 and achieving 100% by year 2035. CARB

Endorsements continued from page 1

endorsement, he stated, “I am honored to have the support of local farmers and will fight to bring more reliable water supplies to the Valley.”

Along with water issues, he would like to aid in developing an agricultural workforce and ease burdens on local businesses. Sergeant Alanis also understands the issues related to crime that farmers and ranchers have had to endure as he has served in several capacities including patrol watch

Assembly District 27 Former Merced County Sheriff Mark Pazin received the board’s endorsement for Assembly District 27. This newly formed district will represent the majority of Merced County and parts of Madera and Fresno counties. Following his time as sheriff, Pazin was appointed as chief law enforcement for California Office of Emergency Services.

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

from the

get burned out too if they are stressed too long between irrigations due to harvest delays. Every year I see a certain amount of water stress on orchards here and there, usually due to equipment breakdowns or over-committed harvest contractors running behind schedule. But this year it seems to be just about every orchard, every grower, everywhere, to one degree or another. I’ve seen some orchards where the poor trees were so ravaged by water and heat stress, in some cases coupled with a flare-up of late season spider mite pressure, that they were literally turning yellow and defoliating.

Sometimes this is caused by poor management, however in a harvest year like this, just 2-3 days of untimely delays can be all the difference.

I can’t help but cringe inside and silently send hopeful thoughts to those who have those extreme problems. In our operation, I have worked hard to keep our men, machines, and orchards on nipand-tuck harvest/irrigation schedules, and even with optimal timing in between phases I have noticed quicker tree stress as well as lower than normal moisture levels in the delivered crop compared to most “normal” years.

Is this extreme September heat another result or indicator of climate change? Is it going to be an ongoing trend or “a new normal” from now on? I certainly hope not at least to this degree anyway. Climate change is certainly something that is happening. We can all pretty much agree on that. Where that often turns into the source of arguments is in attempting to determine and define exactly what are the root causes of the climate changes. Many of the extreme environmentalists (as individuals as well as groups) have pointed the finger at agriculture as heavy contributors to “the problem.” The list of complaints includes but is certainly not limited to: We burn too much diesel. We pump

President's Corner

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Joe Sansoni

s I write this month’s column, I am looking at a gut-wrenching weather forecast calling for record high temps for the first few days of September. I know that it is common for the hot days of summer to spill into early September by a few days here in the Valley, but 110-115 is insane! As an almond grower, I am partial to warm (and especially) dry weather at harvest time, as almond harvest is pretty much a dry weather operation. The more we can get done earlier versus later in the season makes for ideal drying of the crop and ideal harvest field conditions.

However, extreme temps like 110-115 degrees become dangerous for workers as well as machinery, and coming on the heels of an already very consistently hot July through August, has pushed the almond harvest along at a quite fast and furious pace.

This year we began shaking some of the later varieties in late August, when we typically would be shaking them closer to the second week of September.

From the standpoint of getting fields harvested and “in the barn” so to speak, it has been great! But from the standpoint of trying to maintain a pace that doesn’t burn us all out, it has been a challenge. The trees themselves can

Page 3 too much water. We use too many chemicals. We are mining the nutrients out of the ground and not replacing enough of them.

For the sake of this article I’m going to focus on the water issue. We are often accused of using too much water or “wasting” water through our farming efforts. The powers that be in our state – and those in positions of influence who have them wrapped around their political fingers – actually think that the answer to not only our water shortages during dry years but also to combatting climate change is to force us to farm less. Less acres in production. Millions of acres less. Less acres irrigated. That, folks, doesn’t mean those acres get re-purposed to other uses. A few might be, of course, but certainly not millions or even hundreds of thousands. What it means is that most of those acres pulled out of active ag production are going to sit fallow. This is what “they” want and think is an acceptable answer to a plethora of environmental concerns.

“They” are woefully misinformed and misled by skewed science.

What happens when you are out driving in the countryside with your window down on a sultry summer evening, and you happen to be driving past farmland where a fallowed, unirrigated field ends and a field being irrigated begins? That’s right…the temperature goes down! Not just a little but a lot! Sometimes 10-12 degrees.

These people don’t understand that

irrigated farmland basically acts like a gigantic evaporative cooler for our environment in addition to the other benefits such as food, fiber, sequestered carbon and cleaner air. Conversely, fallowed, dry, sun-baked land stays hot and reflects the majority of the sun’s rays back into the atmosphere as heat.

So, my philosophy is that MORE, not less, agriculture could be one of the legitimate answers to reversing climbing average temperatures in our region.

The only way to be able to do that of course is to build more water storage.

Much more. And very soon. As Steven Greenhut states right on the cover of his fantastic book Winning the Water Wars (2020), “California can meet its water needs by promoting abundance rather than managing scarcity.”

I highly recommend this book. It’s available on Amazon for about $30.

The author gives a very comprehensive history of water policy and management in CA along with very frank and realistic interpretations of data and outlooks moving forward.

I believe it’s time for our elected officials and state leaders to tell the extreme enviros who have been thwarting progress in our state far too long where to go step off. I know I sound like a broken record every month, but it’s time for common sense to make a comeback in this state. I hope that those currently seeking election to public office get this message!

Stay cool and happy harvesting!!

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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 industry agriculture for future generations and the security of our nation.

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Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

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

Mariposa County Farm Bureau Staff Danette Toso Executive Director

Breanne Vandenberg Executive Director Lorraine Passadori Program Director Board of Directors Denelle Flake Farm News Editor/Project Specialist Pres: Kelly Williams................ 376-2408 1st VP: Elnora George............ 376-2419 Alexxis Rudich Project Assistant/ESJ Grower Relations 2nd VP: Carla Kelly.................742-6862 Directors Abel Lopez...............................376-2208 Board of Directors Pres: Joe Sansoni...................761-9284 James Palmer......................... 374-3470 1st VP: Alan Sano.......... 559-905-1240 Walter Palmer Jr...................... 374-3470 2nd VP: David Barroso...........652-6437 Trevor Lee Smith.....................769-9969 Sec/Treas: Tim Lohman........ 988-3545 Danette Toso...........................376-2304 Past Pres: Eric Harcksen....... 620-1953 Tony Toso.................................376-2304 District 1 Sean Davis..............................769-1804 Joe Maiorino............................564-6791 District 2 Bob Vandenberg.................... 704-5568 District 3 Mike Martin.............................675-1907 Chad Perry............................... 675-4474 District 4 Jean Okuye..............................756-2421 Galen Miyamoto......................761-5366 District 5 Brent Chipponeri.....................652-3473 John Van Ruler........................648-3877 District 6 Dante Migliazzo......................769-9525 Bill Arnold................................761-0542 District 7 GIno Pedretti III.......................756-1612 Tom Roduner...........................769-9353 District 8 Julie Giampaoli...................... 201-8434 Joe Scoto.................................761-0489 Directors at Large Jim Johnston...........................564-7551 Jeff Marchini........................... 769-9116 Bob Giampaoli........................769-4973 Dan Dewees........................... 658-4343 Louie Bandoni.........................761-0625 Michael Serrano.................... 485-1935

Jay Mahil CFBF Director - District 9 Andrew Genasci CFBF Field Representative Kim Mesa Merced County YF&R Chair

Sarah Baskins YF&R State Committee - District 9

Stay Connected with MCFB Follow us on instagram @merced_farm_bureau Like us on Facebook Merced County Farm Bureau Join our mailing list by emailing info@mercedfarmbureau.org

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

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Carl J. Kruppa

June 9, 1947 - August 18, 2022 Published by Merced Sun Star on Aug. 26, 2022.

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inton, California Carl J. Kruppa, 75, passed away unexpectedly on August 18, 2022, with his dear wife Nannette Plett-Kruppa and their beloved dog Ebony.

Carl was blessed with a large and loving family.

He and his wife Nan adventured together through life beginning in 2008. They loved visiting and spending time with their combined 8 children and 16 grandchildren. Carl was a loving Husband, Father, and Papa that meant the world to his family.

He always made them a priority.

Carl was involved with the Future Farmers of

America, 4H, Flying Samaritans, and the Westside Trapshooting League. Carl was an adventurous soul who worked hard and had the ambition to put in the extra time and effort to excel. He was passionate about helping others and always had time to answer a question or solve a problem. He gave his time and love generously, and provided encouragement and fatherly advice. He will be missed dearly by his beloved family and friends.

Carl passed with his wife Nannette.

He was preceded in death by his parents Chester and Eudora Kruppa, and wife

Ilene Kruppa. He is survived by his children, Stephanie Valsted (Paul), Christiana Laughlin (Dana), Elijah Kruppa, and Jedidiah Kruppa (Jessica); and his grandchildren, Arin Valsted, Brenna Valsted, Arik Valsted, Jaden Laughlin, Jax Laughlin, and Emerson Carl Kruppa.

A memorial service was held at Crossroads Church in Turlock on Saturday, August 27th, 2022, at 2:00 pm. Memorials may be made in Carl's honor to the Atwater Future Farmers of America, PO Box 835, Atwater, CA 95301.

Gloria Marie Ferreria

November 17, 1929 - August 11, 2022 Published by Merced Sun Star on Aug. 26, 2022.

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erced, California - On August 11, 2022, Gloria Marie Ferreria, 92, beloved wife, mother, grandmother and loyal Dodger fan passed away at Mercy hospital. She was a hard working, devoted family

woman who is now cheering for her beloved Dodgers from Heaven above.

Gloria was born to Alfred and Stella Nunes on Nov. 17, 1929. Her family moved to Fremont, Ca where Alfred was a ranch foreman. Gloria learned the apricot and cherry business, and was driving a work truck before attending high school. A skill she would later use to drive school bus for Winton School

District.

Gloria met her future husband Edward Ferreria, while visiting relatives in Atwater and were married and started a family and farm in Winton. Gloria and Eddie had 2 boys, Mark and Gary .

Gloria was a devoted grandmother and one of her greatest joys was watching her grandsons play baseball, football and other activities.

Gloria is preceded in death by her husband Eddie and sister Doris Allen (Fremont). She is survived by her sons, Mark and Gary, grandsons Austin,Tyler and Skippy and great granddaughters Brynn and Blair Ferreria, and sister Margaret Dahl (Fremont) Gloria will be laid to rest at Santa Nella Veterans Cemetary alongside her husband Eddie.

Raymond Artadi Talbott April 20, 1938 - August 11, 2022

Published by Los Banos Enterprise

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ay passed away at home in Los Banos surrounded by family on August 11th, 2022. He was 84 years old. Born in Los Banos, California in 1938 to Ramon and Elena Talbott, he was the youngest of their two boys. Ray attended Los Banos Elementary followed by Los Banos High School. After losing his father his senior year, Ray attended the University of California Davis for two years, before returning to Los Banos to work alongside his mother and brother James (Jim) to run Talbott Sheep Co. Ray was a sheepman all his life. He served on the board of many industry associations and was typically the quietest man in the room, but when he did speak, everyone paid attention.

Ray met Teresa Iribarren at the Reno

Basque Picnic in 1959. The two were married in 1965. Together they had two girls, Michelle and Andrée. He was so proud of the strong women that they are. Ray and Terry ran Talbott Sheep Co. together for many years. He often clarified that they wouldn’t still have the business if it wasn’t for Terry.

Ray and Terry have four grandchildren. He truly loved to watch each of them grow up and was very proud to see the successful young adults they’ve all become. He was a friend to many, and quick to listen to your story and step into your shoes. Ray was very proud of his family history and Basque Culture. He was heavily impacted by the stories of his parents’ upbringing and their dedication to working hard and creating a family and life they were proud of. He carried that drive, grace and wisdom with him all his life.

Ray was preceded in death by his

mother and father, Elena Celayeta Talbott and Ramon Artadi Talbott; and his brother, James Artadi Talbott. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Teresa (Terry) Irribarren Talbott; his daughters, Michelle Artadi (Darrell) DiGiovanni and Andrée Artadi Soares; his four grandchildren, Mia and Gianna Artadi Digiovanni and Bianca Artadi and Tristan Talbott Soares; and many nieces and nephews.

Ray’s family would like to thank its team of caregivers for their compassionate care for Ray and Terry over the last couple years. Memorial contributions can be made to The Los Banos Basque Club, P.O. Box 123 Los Banos, CA 93635; Our Lady of Fatima School Memorial Fund, 1625 Center Ave, Los Banos, CA 93635; or California Wool Growers Association Memorial Fund 25 Cadillac Drive, Suite 214, Sacramento, CA 95825.

Visitation was from 5-7 pm on Tuesday, August 16 at Whitehurst Funeral Chapel, 1840 S. Center Avenue, Los Banos, CA 93635 followed by recitation of the Rosary at 7 p.m.

Funeral Mass was conducted at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church,1621 Center Avenue, Los Banos, CA 93635.

Interment will follow at Los Banos Cemetery.

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Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Keeping the Land Untouchable Myers Brothers Follow Their Grandfather’s Stewardship Lead did not come so naturally. Being two generations removed from the farm, Wes and his brother had little familiarity to agriculture and grew up with limited involvement besides the typical rough and tumble of riding Photo credits: Adriana Toste, California Farmland Trust horses and dirt bikes throughout the By: Adriana Toste, California Farmland ranch. However, that all changed when Trust the brothers unexpectedly inherited the property. eep in the hills of eastern “It was a surprise inheritance,” Myers Merced County, you’ll find explained. “My grandfather passed away miles of grasslands nestled in 2008, and by the time everything was between the Sierra Nevada mountains, cleared, we took it over in 2011. We’ve cattle grazing among the lush meadows, been slowly building it up, changing and and unique ecosystems rich with vernal reconfiguring since.” pools, native grasses, and endangered LEARNING THE LAY OF THE species; some say the scenery is straight LAND out of a storybook.

Once they assumed ownership, the For over 60 years, more than 24 Myers brothers discovered much of square miles of this very land has been the land on the ranch still remarkably farmed and cared for by the Myers resembles how it did centuries ago. The family under Myers Irrevocable Flying grasslands are still plentiful with vernal M Ranch Trust. The family proudly pools and provide habitat and harbor for calls it their “little slice of heaven,” wildlife and rare, endangered species. and now 253 acres of this paradise will This discovery was no coincidence, forever remain untouchable, thanks to being that conservation was one of the an agricultural conservation easement hallmarks their grandfather valued most.

(ACE) that protects the land forever.

Since the early 1980s, approximately The Myers Irrevocable Flying M 5,900 acres of grazing land on their Ranch Trust was established in 1959, ranch has been preserved through other when John and Lucia Myers began conservation organizations due to the purchasing land in Merced County, efforts of their grandfather. said Wes Myers, the couple’s grandson “My grandfather really believed and Flying M Ranch Trust co-trustee. in preserving the land,” Myers said.

As a tribute to John’s biggest passions, “He put conservation easements on the aviation and cattle ranching, the couple grazing land for wetlands, endangered labeled the property Flying M Ranch species, and grassland conservation.” and started running a cattle operation The same idea of keeping the land and growing various crops, including a “untouchable” spoke volumes to the small citrus grove.

Myers brothers too - so much so that “Originally, this was all a cattle they felt compelled to take a stronger ranch with irrigated pasture, but my initiative towards stewarding the health grandmother loved citrus trees and of their working landscapes. the smell of citrus, so my grandfather In 2015, the remaining trees of their planted citrus trees,” Myers explained grandmother’s prized citrus grove were looking out over the newly protected removed. To pursue farming more land. aggressively in part with their cattle John’s passion for aviation was operation, the brothers replanted the 253 effortlessly passed onto his son and acres with Nonpareil, Wood Colony, grandsons, but farming and ranching and Aldrich almond trees, of which are

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farmed, harvested, and processed by Woolf Farming & Processing.

“If you have water in California, you have to have to have more intensive agriculture,” he said. “We chose almonds because there’s a competitive advantage for them right now.”

This parcel was not already under a conservation easement, so they decided to protect the property with California Farmland Trust (CFT), which closed just after the new year. Funds for this project were provided through the Agricultural Land Mitigation Program (ALMP), which is administered by Department of Conservation (DOC) on behalf of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

This property adds to CFT’s extensive portfolio in Merced County, where 11,669 acres have been protected.

While there is a growing greenbelt forming directly east of Merced, a property just one mile west of Flying M Ranch was subdivided into smaller ranchette-style parcels, with intentions of being developed one day.

This scenario could have easily happened to Flying M Ranch, so the hope is that adding this parcel to the block of protected land in the area will discourage community and city expansion into prime farmland.

“It's nice working with CFT because this is my first introduction to conservation on the farming side,” Myers said. “We’ve been involved in the ranching business a little longer, but we’re newer farmers. Hopefully land trusts like CFT will start being recognized as having positive conservation effects to development.”

Most of the 253 acres is comprised of almonds, however uniquely, about seven acres is specifically dedicated to an irrigated pollinator habitat that provides extended bloom, shelter from pesticides and little to no tillage to protect ground nesting bees.

The brothers are also fortunate that Woolf Farming is constantly figuring out how to be a more resourceful and biodynamic farming operation. Through effective tracking and technologies, they have drastically reduced the amount of tractor time needed to farm, resulting in higher soil quality and a carbon offset of nearly 300,000 tons annually, which is the equivalent of taking 53,000 cars off the road.

Chelsea Slaton, conservation

director at CFT who oversaw much of the transaction added, “The growth pressure from the City of Merced and even surrounding communities like Planada, in combination with the Myers desire to be conservationists, are all contributing factors that make this farm a quality project. The Myers are also in the process of putting another 474 acres under an ACE, which is a true testament to their commitment to conservation.”

"ONCE IT'S SPLIT UP, IT DOESN'T GO BACK TOGETHER..."

The Myers unwavering commitment to conservation is a clear indication of their appreciation for open space and belief in the importance of valuing our natural resources.

“I love the idea of looking out with it being pristine and having open space,” Myers exclaimed.

Yet, conservation isn’t the only reason the Myers decided to pursue an ACE. The brothers also realize that in order to ensure the ranch’s long-term viability, risk management needs to be a priority. Thus, protecting the property in perpetuity not only sustains it for future generations, but has also provided the Myers family with cash flow from the transaction process, giving them the revenue stream to invest in other business ventures.

“The plan is to entirely have our whole property maintained under one ownership, contiguous, and an operational property that can sustain itself economically, but also have enough exposure to other asset classes,” Myers said.

For the Myers, the idea of their ranch helping create a buffer to offset development in the grasslands of Merced County is the ultimate goal because “once it’s split up, it doesn’t go back together.” When asked, what the future of Flying M Ranch looks like, Myers proudly said “It’s farming.

It’s conservation. It’s both farming and conservation.”

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

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Membership in National FFA Organization Reaches All-Time High By: Atwater FFA

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s the importance of agriculture continues to be a focus throughout the world, students around the country understand the vital role it plays in everyday life. No more is this more evident than in the growth of membership in the National FFA Organization.

Today, the National FFA Organization announced a record-high student membership number of 850,823, an increase of 15% from last year. In addition, chapter numbers increased by 178, resulting in 8,995 chapters in the

United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Interest in FFA and agricultural education continues to grow as membership and the number of chapters increase. The top five student membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.

This year, the organization has more than 132,700 Latino members, more than 47,000 Black members and more than 13,000 American Indian and Alaska Native members. Forty-three percent of the membership is female, and 50% is male, with .5% reporting as nonbinary, 4.7% undisclosed, and 1.2% unreported.

“Our FFA members are the future

generation of leaders who make a difference in their communities as well as agriculture and other industries,” said National FFA CEO Scott Stump. “As we continue to grow, we see the enthusiasm for agricultural education and FFA reflected in our membership.”

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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

Atwater High School FFA is one of the largest FFA chapters in the nation with over 1100 student members representing a diverse and culturally dynamic group of future leaders. Pictures are students who competed at the FFA State CDE Finals at Cal Poly, SLO last May.

Hilmar FFA Officer Retreat By: Nathan Sequeira, Hilmar FFA Reporter

O (L to R) Alyssa Siebler (2nd Vice President), Evan Lopes (Historian), Nathan Sequeira (Reporter), Gianna Gonzalez (Vice President), Taylor Lockett (President), Joseph Oliveira (Sentinel), Jacob Ahlem (Treasurer), Sophia Vieira (Secretary), Sophia Vieira (Not Pictured)

n August 20th, the Hilmar FFA officer team traveled to Bass Lake for their annual officer leadership

retreat. With the help of the advisors, the officer team planned out the 20222023 FFA events and meetings for the school year. Together their goals are to bring Hilmar FFA back to normality and provide members with fun opportunities to inspire them to get involved. During this retreat the team participated in team building and leadership activities.

When the team stepped away from planning, they took walks, played board games, and went swimming in the lake!

The Hilmar High School Agriculture

Education Department and FFA strives to fulfill the mission of the National FFA Organization which is as follows: “To make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through Agricultural Education.”

For more information on the Hilmar High School Agriculture Department and Hilmar FFA, please log on the website www.hilmarffa.com or follow us on social media.

Local FFA Member, Philip Miller, selected to perform with National FFA Band at 2022 National FFA Convention & Expo

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By: El Capitan FFA

NDIANAPOLIS (2022 /National FFA Organization) – Philip Miller, a member of the EL CAPITANMERCED FFA chapter in Merced, CA, will be on stage and in the spotlight Oct. 26-29 during the 2022 National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.

Miller, a Senior and the son of Philip and Amy Miller, has been selected to

play percussion in the National FFA Band.

Miller submitted an audition tape and was selected to help bring full instrumental balance to the band from a pool of applicants nationwide. He was one of only three students selected from California.

The National FFA Band will perform several times during the national convention and expo. Miller will join

fellow band members in Indianapolis for rehearsals three days before the convention and expo begins.

Corteva Agriscience™ sponsors the National FFA Band.

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 735,000 student members as part of 8,817 local FFA chapters in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Philip Miller, El Capitan FFA

Page 8

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Page 9

Hilmar Cheese Company Offers Free Field Trips By: Denise Skidmore, Director, Education & Public Relations

H Smell the Feeds activity at Hilmar Cheese

ilmar, CA. August 25, 2022. Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center is offering FREE Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) field trips for schools associated with a school district from grades transitional kindergarten-high

school. The field trips are offered in late October through early November and then January through May. Time slots for tours are at 9:30 am, 11:00 am and 12:30 pm or later.

“We are excited to see students fully back in school this year and able to take field trips,” explained Kody Stevens, Hilmar Cheese Company Tours and Communication Specialist. “We encourage teachers to sign-up as soon as possible, especially for spring dates as our morning times fill up fast.”

All school tours are free for students.

Students will watch a cheesy MOOvie, explore the hands-on exhibits and sample cheese. Transitional kindergarten through 3rd grade can do a fun science

experiment of turning a liquid into a solid to make and eat ice cream. Cheese making is offered to grades 4th through high school and is a great hands on science experiment and teamwork activity. The duration of the tour is about 80 minutes.

To book a field trip with Hilmar Cheese Company fill out the tour request form on the Hilmar Cheese webpage: https://www.hilmarcheese.com/visitor_ center/tour/tour_request_form/ Follow Hilmar Cheese Company on social media to stay up-to-date with specials and activities. Hilmar Cheese Company Visitor Center is open Monday – Friday 7 am to 6 pm. Call 209.656.1196 with any questions

Page 10

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Latest Attack on Proposed Sites Reservoir – Not Enough Water By: Edward Ring, California Globe

S

eptember 4, 2022 When it comes to attacking anything that will make so much as a scratch in the earth, California’s environmentalists never run out of arguments, and their litigators never run out of money.

So it goes with the proposed Sites Reservoir, which is enduring a withering new bombardment from environmentalists in the wake of Governor Newsom’s recently announced Water Supply Strategy in which the governor endorsed the Sites Project and even had the temerity to suggest environmentalist obstruction is stopping as many good projects as bad ones.

As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle earlier this week, and dutifully highlighted in Maven’s Notebook, “California’s largest reservoir in nearly 50 years may be derailed by water shortages.” Apparently there isn’t enough water flowing down the Sacramento River to fill the 1.5 million acre foot reservoir. But that entirely depends on who you ask.

Shown below, courtesy of the US Dept. of Geological Survey, is flow data for the Sacramento River, upstream at Colusa, which is near to where the planned diversions into the Sites Reservoir will be made. The data is expressed in “CFS,” which stands for cubic feet per second.

What is immediately evident from this chart is how it vividly depicts the volume of surplus water that hit Northern California even during what has been described as the driest winter in decades. If during the on-and-off wet months from October 1 to April 30 just 20 percent of the Sacramento River’s flow had been diverted into the Sites Reservoir, nearly 550,000 acre feet could have been stored, more than a third of its capacity. And since the pumps in one of the original designs for the Sites Reservoir had a capacity of 5,900 CFS, which is equivalent to 11,700 acre feet per day, during the peak runoff events from October through December, at least another 100,000 acre feet might have been stored.

Put another way, if one-fifth of the Sacramento River’s flow upstream at

Colusa had been diverted, and only during the seven mostly dry months from October 2021 through April 2022, the massive 1.5 million acre foot Sites Reservoir could have been filled nearly half way to capacity. In just one season, during a drought.

And why not? Drawing 1.0 million acre feet or more from the Sacramento River to fill the Sites Reservoir during wet years, and over a half-million acre feet even in dry years, would not significantly reduce the flow of fresh water into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Sacramento River at Colusa is upstream from the Feather River, which adds its powerful flow 40 miles further south, as well as the American River, which joins the Sacramento River another 20 miles south. Other major tributaries that join the Sacramento River south of Colusa include the Butte River and the Yuba River. In addition, flowing into the Delta from the South is the San Joaquin River with its many tributaries.

An authoritative 2017 study by the Public Policy Research Institute describes so-called “uncaptured water,” which is the surplus runoff, often causing flooding, that occurs every time an atmospheric river hits the state. Quoting from the study, “benefits provided by uncaptured water are above and beyond those required by environmental regulations for system and ecosystem water.” The study goes on to claim that uncaptured water flows through California’s Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta “averaged 11.3 million acre-feet [per year] over the 1980–2016 period.”

When the average “uncaptured” water flowing through the Delta, “above and beyond those required by regulations for system and ecosystem water,” is 11.3 million acre-feet per year, suggesting there won’t be enough water to fill the Sites Reservoir is an argument resting on thin foundations.

Environmentalists can’t have it both ways. Either we’re going to have massive atmospheric storms that will require massive systems to capture storm runoff, or we’re going to enter a period of chronic droughts where there isn’t enough water no matter what we do. Even the New York Times, just last month, in an article entitled “Why the

‘Big One’ Could Be Something Other Than an Earthquake,” admonished Californians to prepare for a “monthlong superstorm” of rainfall. What better way to prepare than to build off-stream reservoirs? If anything, Sites is too small.

In the February 2021 document “Sites Reservoir Project – Preliminary Project Description,” the introductory section describes how back in 1995 the CALFED Bay-Delta Program “identified 52 potential surface storage locations and retained 12 reservoir locations statewide for further study.”

All twelve were off-stream reservoirs.

They then narrowed the candidates to four: “Red Bank (Dippingvat and Schoenfield Reservoirs), Newville Reservoir, Colusa Reservoir, and Sites Reservoir.” Sites was chosen as the most feasible project. But why isn’t this study being dusted off and revisited? What about these other potential locations for more surface storage?

Governor Newsom, when he introduced his California Water Supply Strategy on August 11, also said this: “We did some analysis of those big flows that came in November and December of last year, and if we had the conveyance and the tools to capture that storm water, it’s the equivalent of those seven projects that I just noted that take decades to build in terms of stored capacity… Mother Nature is still bountiful, but she’s not operating like she did 50 years ago, heck, she’s not

operating the way she did 10 years ago, and we have to reconcile that. We had a vision in the 50s and 60s to do just that, and we want to reinvigorate that capacity in California.”

“Reinvigorating that capacity,” governor, means you are going to have to start firing some of the people staffing the commissions and agencies that have been complicit in the environmentalist assault that has stopped every major water project in its tracks for the last 50 years.

If you want to be taken seriously in California, so the conventional wisdom goes, you have to play nice with environmentalists. To survive in polite company, to retain professional credibility, one must ignore the sad fact that much of environmentalism today has morphed into a nihilistic, anti-human, extremist movement. But to ensure that California’s dazzling civilization, 40 million strong, survives and thrives into the next century, maybe it’s time to stop being quite so nice with environmentalists. At the very least, begin to challenge the notion that every scientific argument must invariably tilt in favor of their agenda. Scientific assessments of infinitely complex aquatic ecosystems are rarely beyond scientific debate.

To restore a more humanitarian and progressive balance to California politics, it’s time to tell our state’s allpowerful environmentalist lobby that they cannot always get their way.

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Page 11

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Page 12

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Ironic Timing: NPPC, AFBF File Reply Brief on Prop 12, CDFA Finalizes Rules

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eptember 8, 2022 - On the same day the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) filed a reply brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on California's Proposition 12 animal welfare law, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced it has completed the Proposition 12 implementation rules.

NPPC and AFBF will present their case why the appeals court judgment upholding Proposition 12 should be reversed before the Supreme Court on Oct. 11.

"Today's filing of our reply brief to petitioners brings the National Pork Producers Council and the American

Farm Bureau Federation one step closer to the Supreme Court hearing our case on how California Proposition 12 violates the U. S. Constitution," says Terry Wolters, NPPC president and owner of Stoney Creek Farms in Pipestone, Minn. "We look forward to presenting our case before the Supreme Court on October 11 to defend the livelihoods of America's pork producers."

In the reply brief filed Sept. 7, the groups allege Proposition 12 is unconstitutional extra-territorial regulation. California imports 99.9% of the pork consumed in the state.

"Proposition 12 requires structural changes to an industry that plays 'a significant role in the economy of the U.S.,' and that those changes

will increase sow mortality, decrease herd size, interfere with entirely out-ofstate contracts, and result in consumers nationwide paying for California’s preferred out-of-state farming practices," the brief stated.

Wolters says it's ironic that CDFA announced it's completion of the implementation rules on the same day the reply brief was filed with the Supreme Court - more than three years after the original statutory deadline.

The animal confinement regulations are effective Sept. 1, 2022.

"This delay unnecessarily exacerbated pork supply chain disruptions and now creates significant concerns for farmers that these arbitrary regulations put the nation's pig herd at risk of disease. Any farmers raising

pigs that provide pork products to the California market must register and will be required to have California agents inspect their farms, which will create serious biosecurity threats across the country," Wolters says.

Liz Cox, DVM, oversees the Animal Care Program within California Department of Food and Ag (CDFA) that's in charge of implementing and enforcing Proposition 12. During a recent conference, Cox shared an update and clarification of the proposed rules that are now finalized.

On the CDFA website, Cox shares lessons learned about Proposition 12 from her visits to 10 sow farms across the U.S., including operations in California, Iowa, Texas, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

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Page 13

State lawmakers reject bill to curb farms’ water pumping By: Rachel Becker, CalMatters

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eptember 4, 2022 California lawmakers punted on a proposal to rein in agricultural groundwater pumping as drought continues to grip California and more than a thousand domestic wells have run dry.

A bill by Assemblyman Steve Bennett, D-Santa Barbara, would have added hurdles to obtain a permit to drill an agricultural well. Though the bill cleared the Senate on Monday, Bennett elected to not bring it up for a final vote in the Assembly before the Legislative session timed out Wednesday night. He said California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office told him the bill was no longer viable because of changes made.

During one of the driest years in recent history, California legislators did not pass any new laws that would boost the water supply or protect groundwater from overpumping, although funds were included in the budget for groundwater management and programs like water recycling.

The bill would have been the biggest change to California’s groundwater management since the state’s landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was enacted in 2014, during the height of the last drought, said Roger Dickinson, a former Democratic assemblyman from Sacramento and one of the authors.

Over the past five years — well after passage of the act — more than 6,750 new irrigation wells have been drilled.

“We cannot succeed in reaching sustainability unless we are judicious about continuing to allow well drilling,” said Dickinson, now policy director for CivicWell, a nonprofit group promoting sustainable local policies.

If Bennett’s proposal had been approved, local groundwater management agencies, largely in the Central Valley, would have been required to weigh in on whether a new, enlarged or reactivated well would harm the local aquifer before a local government can grant a permit. The

applicant also would have had to submit a study by an engineer or geologist confirming that the well is unlikely to interfere with nearby wells.

The bill is aimed at agricultural wells. Household wells pumping less than two acre-feet a year and public water system wells are excluded.

The bill received little public discussion on the Senate floor before passing on Monday. But it underwent a heated discussion in the Assembly months before, with members from the Central Valley speaking in opposition.

“Continuing to go forward with this kind of heavy-handed approach is simply bringing the day closer when those million acres of agriculture are fallowed, and literally thousands upon thousands of farm workers will be unemployed,” Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, said in May. “The death knell of agriculture is but a few more votes like this away.”

Assemblyman Adam Gray, D-Merced, said the bill would have “turned the process upside down and imposed a sweeping proclamation from Sacramento with zero consideration for local conditions.”

“Once again we saw a bill written and advocated for by people who aren’t from the Valley who think know what’s best for us,” he said in a statement Thursday.

Business and agricultural groups, including the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Farm Bureau Federation, opposed the bill, saying it would interfere with landowners’ rights to use groundwater and spur lawsuits over permitting decisions.

Daniel Merkley, water resources director with the California Farm Bureau Federation, called the bill “premature” and “an overreach.”

He said it could interfere with “what we’re trying to accomplish with our groundwater over the next number of years” and that it failed to address the diversity of California’s groundwater basins.

“Some (basins) are in critical overdraft, some are being managed

sustainably already. This bill created a uniform envelope over all of them,” he said.

Bennett said agriculture and business groups had rallied hard against the bill.

But he attributed its ultimate death to amendments inserted by the Senate appropriations committee that weakened its provisions compared to an executive order that Newsom issued earlier this year.

The amendments cut a requirement for permit applicants to show their wells would not increase land subsidence.

Appropriations chair Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Glendale, did not respond to a request for comment.

Newsom’s order — issued after a record-dry start to the year — temporarily bars local governments from issuing permits for wells deemed potentially harmful to nearby wells or that could cause subsidence that damages structures.

“If that wouldn’t have happened, if we would have kept it as strong as the executive order, I’m confident the bill would be sitting on the governor’s desk and he would be signing it,” Bennett said. “But instead, we have to start all over again next year.”

Alex Stack, a spokesperson for Newsom, did not answer a question about what the governor’s office told Bennett about the bill.

“The (executive order) is important for conservation and sustainability purposes during this period of extreme and extended drought, and we will work with the Legislature and state agencies on any changes in law that might be helpful to putting the state on a path to navigating our hotter, drier future,” Stack said.

More than 97 percent of the state is experiencing severe drought, and nearly 1,040 wells have run dry so far this year.

The last time drought parched the state, lawmakers passed the groundwater law as agricultural overpumping spurred a rash of well outages in local communities.

Local groundwater agencies in critically overdrafted basins, mostly in the San Joaquin Valley, the Central

Coast and desert regions, are required to dial back the depletion and stop the consequences from worsening by 2040.

Those in less depleted basins have until 2042.

But groundwater levels are still declining, land subsidence continues and more wells were drilled in the 2021 water year than in any of the previous five years, a state report said.

Bennett’s bill aimed to address a major groundwater disconnect between the local governments that grant drilling permits, and the local groundwater agencies tasked with managing aquifers.

According to a bill analysis by an Assembly consultant, granting a well permit is often considered a “ministerial action” with “little or no personal judgment by the public official as to the wisdom or manner of carrying out the project.”

Dickinson said he had hoped when drafting the 2014 law that groundwater agencies and local governments would coordinate. “What we still see is both a failure because of, to a certain extent, the natural inertia of government on the one hand, and the grudging implementation of (the Act), on the other hand,” Dickinson said.

Environmental and environmental justice groups supported the bill, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club California and Community Water Center because groundwater depletion threatens drinking water supplies.

Bennett said he expects a run on permit applications if Newsom’s executive order expires before a bill is in place.

“I’m really disappointed. And I’m very concerned that if something happens to the executive order, we will have a land rush on well permits,” he said. “But I’m not discouraged. We learned and we’re going to redouble our efforts.”

Editor’s Note: As of May 1, 2022 Merced County’s well permit process has changed and we encourage you to speak with your local GSA for well consistency determinations.

Page 14

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Potato Joe from page 1 TIDSweet moves closer to voluntary agreement with state water board

the former Florence Cardoza of known as the “Voice of Livingsand booster for over fifty years.

Merced in 1942. ton.” From 1946 to 1996, he anThis led to his being appointed After the war, and during his nounced all the Livingston High the third Area Commissioner life as a sweet potato farmer, he School football games, lending of Baseball. All of these years Gray, of D-Merced.

River’s water rights. voice to the communiBy: Joe Cortez, Journalof the Caliserved Turlock as President his strong being involved in baseball “I’ve been a supporter of the in the The 5-0 vote gives TID general fornia Sweet Potato Council, and ty by also announcing everything in Livingston culminated manager Michelle Reimers and staff the Voluntary Agreements for the entire 10 US Sweet Potato Council, where in Livingston from parades to community baseball field being green light to sign a memorandum of years I’ve been in the state legislature,” eptember 6, 2022 - Turlock he was a Director for over 20 radio which programs.

He served renamed “Joe F.for Alvernaz said Gray, who the is running the 13th understanding, very likely will on the Irrigation District’s board of years.

He was the first CaliforLivingston Elementary School Baseball Field,” something lead to the voluntary agreement with the District’s congressional seat this fallhe directors voted unanimously nia farmer attend the National Board and theControl MercedBoard.

County against was so proud of.

Hughson businessman John state’s Water Resources Tuesday to move toward to a voluntary Duarte. Joe "I’vewas worked closely with TID, “The goal of negotiating a successful Sweet Potato Convention, among Recreation Commission for many predeceased by his agreement that would supersede flow VA is to avoid the implementation of the MID, and Merced Irrigation District, requirementsother withinindustry the Bay-Delta firsts. Joe seryears. Joe’s acting skills even parents, Joe and Mabel Alvernaz, to bring this to fruition.

I’m AlBay-Deltabenefited Water Quality Control Plan Water Qualityved Control Plan. of the Merced as President the Livingston Little to try brothers, Arthur and John pleased that they’ve Phase I, which, you know, where is absolutely That plan County was firstFarm adopted in 2018, Bureau, and was Theater Group, he star- extraordinarily vernaz, and sister, Mary Geyer. devastating to our region,” Reimers said taken a step forward.” but the flow requirements never have on the Board of Directors of the red in several productions, most He was also predeceased by his Peter Drekmeier, policy director during Tuesday’s special meeting at been implemented. But since then, the Nisei Farmers League.

He fornotably as Elwood P. Dowd in son, River Joey Alvernaz, Tuolumne Trust, was in not plan has been the flashpoint for a debate TID headquarters. “Last week, we came for theoldest thethink California “Harvey”.

1980byand by his outcome, wife of 64 years, surprised Tuesday’s and to a consensus on the major issues that — in simplestmed terms, of it as Sweet fish Potato Growers Co-op in Livingston, love of the baseball an not Florence, supportin it. 2007. we’ve beenHis facing with state.”began at does vs. farms — that pits the environmental “We do not support Details of the accord will not become groups, such along as the Tuolumne River with several other local early age and became a life-long He is survivedthe byVoluntary five children, public a finalthat agreement is reached, Agreements as they’ve been (Colette) Trust, againstgrowers, public utilities, as whichsuch is celebrating its until interest manifested itself into Judy Blevins, James saidand Drekmeier.

“The last not only hadsport the full the Turlock Irrigation District, Modesto 50th anniversary this year. but the decision a devotion to the for over configured,” Alvernaz, Benjamin (Debbie) iteration of VA negotiations lasted four endorsement of Reimers and the board Irrigation District the Sanand Francisco Hisand interests community eighty years. He organized the Alvernaz of Livingston; Cecelia years and the Bay-Delta plan stalled.

— as well as Modesto’s board later in Public Utilities Commission. Those involvement were very diversehardball team in Mer-Now, (James) Simon of San Diego, and the day —first but kid’s of Assemblyman Adam the process is starting over. three agencies share the Tuolumne from serving as a founding ced County in the early 50’s. He Susan (Randall) Wilson MaMeanwhile, the fish desperately of need member of the Livingston Mewas particularly fond of Ameriposa, a sister, Cecelia Luker of dical Group, to past-President rican Legion Baseball, serving Atwater, 17 grandchildren and 13 of Livingston Rotary, to being as a coach, sponsor, announcer

S

great grandchildren.

His light on earth has dimmed, but heaven is brighter as he has joined Florence, the true love of more his water life. and we see this as another delay Sotactic.” long to our Dad, coach, TID board president Michael Frantz neighbor and everyone’s friend. stressed that the finish line remains He will be deeply and painfully uncrossed. missed, celebrated,forhonored “Lots ofyet opportunities things to nevercautioned forgotten. goand wrong,” Frantz. “We’re dealing withofa very complex issue, In lieu flowers, the family lots of agencies and lots of interested requests that donations may be parties, a lot ofNursing people who are in very made and to Grace Home passionate about issue…

Livingston or this to the Joe F.I feel Al- like we’re at a better place than we have vernaz Memorial Fund to benefit been ever, so I’m optimistic.” youth baseball in Livingston.

On average, about 20 percent of the Sweet Potato Joe was theeach Tuolumne’s water flows remain Farm from year afterBureau Turlock,President Modesto and San Francisco take their share.

1983-1986 and hired long-time Under the current Bay-Delta Water staff member Lorraine PassaQuality Control Plan, that number would dori when she showed up in her double — pleasing to environmentalists, clown costume for the interview. but not to farmers, who say that would Agriculture strong leave them withlost too alittle wateradvocome cate that will truly be missed. We irrigation season. will continue to keep his family in our thoughts and prayers.

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Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Page 15

Newsom feels the heat on farm labor measure

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By: Dan Walters, CalMatters

eptember 7, 2022 Gov. Gavin Newsom will soon write a new chapter in California’s decades-long conflict over the unionization of workers in the state’s huge agricultural industry — and what he does could affect his obvious quest to become a national political figure.

Assembly Bill 2183, a measure that would make it easier for the muchtroubled United Farm Workers Union to organize farmers’ employees is sitting on his desk, passed by overwhelming margins by Newsom’s fellow Democrats in the Legislature.

The union’s drive for using a card check process or mailed ballots took on urgency when the U.S. Supreme Court declared in 2020 that it had no right to enter farmers’ property to talk with their workers, exacerbating the UFW’s chronic inability to make significant organizational inroads.

That failure, union leaders say, is due to farmers’ undermining organizational elections, which now are conducted by

secret ballot. However, the UFW has also suffered from its own organization shortcomings as journalist Miriam Pawel chronicled in her authoritative book, “The Union of Their Dreams.”

Newsom vetoed an earlier version of the bill last year, saying, it “contains various inconsistencies and procedural issues related to the collection and review of ballot cards,” and adding, “Significant changes to California’s well-defined agricultural labor laws must be carefully crafted to ensure that both agricultural workers’ intent to be represented and the right to collectively bargain is protected, and the state can faithfully enforce those fundamental rights.”

This year’s version contained some changes that the UFW and its allies hoped would placate Newsom, but just before final votes last month, Newsom once again indicated his opposition.

“We cannot support an untested mailin election process that lacks critical provisions to protect the integrity of the election,” Newsom spokesperson Erin

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Mellon said.

Newsom’s unusual preemptive declaration may have been an indirect request that the Legislature not send him a second measure, but it didn’t deter legislators from acting with 55 votes in the Assembly and 26 in the Senate.

If anything, it spurred the UFW to redouble its public campaign, including a highly publicized week-long march to the Capitol from Delano, site of a 1965 grape worker strike that led to formation of the UFW and in 1975 to passage of the state’s Agricultural Labor Relations Act. The UFW also formally joined the California Labor Federation after former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez took the umbrella organization’s helm and obtained expressions of support from national political figures such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and, this week, President Joe Biden.

“In the state with the largest population of farmworkers, the least we owe them is an easier path to make a free and fair choice to organize a union,”

Biden said on Labor Day. All of this puts Newsom in a political pickle.

If he signs the bill, he will not only be reversing himself on a highprofile issue — never good optics for an ambitious politician — but could be providing critics with ammunition should he someday be seeking presidential votes in agricultural states that are critical in White House contests, such as Iowa, Ohio and Florida.

However, if he vetoes the measure, it could make it much more difficult for him to gain support in the Democratic Party’s progressive/activist wing, to which unionization of workers in agriculture and other low-wage industries is a holy grail. Delores Huerta, the UFW’s most revered figure, has predicted that Newsom would sign the bill because he’ll want union support for a presidential campaign.

A veto would also mean that he would probably see another UFW bill next year and every other year of his governorship.

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Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

2023 MERCED COUNTY FARM BUREAU SCHOLARSHIPS

NOW AVAILABLE The Merced County Farm Bureau is a proud supporter of the future of agriculture.

In 2022 Merced County Farm Bureau Scholarship Committee awarded $25,700 through scholarships to local seniors from agricultural programs in the county.

Apply online by visiting mercedfarmbureau.org/scholarships

Deadline to apply is December 16, 2022

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Page 17

2023 Farm Bill debate underway By: Bradley D. Lubben, Western FarmPress

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eptember 9, 2022 - Initial discussions on what is due to be the 2023 Farm Bill have already begun at field hearings and producer meetings across the country.

The discussion to date has focused on programs and stakeholder priorities for the next farm bill. We have yet to see significant legislative proposals or debate.

That will change after this fall’s elections and the beginning of a new session of Congress in January. Whether Democrats retain control of Congress or Republicans gain control of one or both chambers will affect the committee leadership positions, and control of the committee timeline and agenda.

Regardless, the process should pick up quickly in the new year, and several underlying issues will help drive the debate.

Frame the debate Historically, it is convenient to frame the farm bill debate as being shaped by the economic, budget, trade and political setting during each cycle. Each driver affects the timing and type of discussion that occurs, as well as the available options for potential policy changes.

While each could again affect the shape of the next farm bill, the budget setting presents an interesting observation and challenge for the coming debate.

When the last farm bill was developed in 2018, it was written under a tight budget constraint with no additional funding available beyond the existing budget baseline, or projected spending levels needed to simply maintain authorized programs over the next 10 years (a 10-year baseline is used even though farm bills typically run for five years).

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is the official arbiter of the cost of legislation, and its 2018 budget baseline established a total cost of $867 billion for existing farm bill programs.

While debate ensued about potential changes to policy, ultimately any changes in programs that cost additional dollars had to be offset by changes elsewhere to save spending.

In the end, the budget constraint effectively led to the development of a largely status quo 2018 Farm Bill that mostly maintained existing programs and was projected to cost the same $867 billion that was in the 10-year baseline

to start.

Out of that spending, more than 75% of the total was allocated to the nutrition title of the farm bill, and more specifically to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the primary food assistance program in the country, and makes up nearly all of the funding within the nutrition title. It is also a critical component of the rural-urban coalition that has been instrumental in getting farm legislation through Congress for several decades.

Fast-forward to this summer, and the latest budget estimates from CBO project the same programs will cost $1.3 trillion over the next 10 years, with nearly all of the increase coming from SNAP. Increased food assistance needs during the pandemic, increased participation and increased benefits to cover food price increases all contribute to the higher SNAP costs, making the nutrition tile now nearly 85% of the total projected farm bill spending.

While the increase of more than $400 billion in the budget baseline suggests more resources to allocate during the farm bill, lawmakers could again be challenged with the reality of a tight budget that needs every dollar of the estimated increase just to maintain the status quo. Unless new funding is made available through separate budget action in Congress, any new proposals or policy reforms that cost money could be forced to fight for money from cuts elsewhere in the bill.

Budget priorities The discussion above suggests a potential tight budget scenario that would constrain the policy choices made during the upcoming farm bill debate. Yet, the federal government has spent billions and even trillions on recent legislation and assistance to the point that questions about the budget constraint and about program spending could seem trivial. Consider the following: Commodities. Commodity program spending for the Agricultural Risk Coverage, Price Loss Coverage and Dairy Margin Coverage programs, among other safety net and permanent disaster assistance programs, was projected in the 2018 baseline to cost a little over $6 billion per year, but over the first four years of 2018 Farm Bill implementation (2019-22) has been estimated or projected to cost substantially less at something over $3 billion per year.

At the same time, supplemental and ad hoc spending first for trade assistance and then for the COVID-19 pandemic and related relief has averaged more than $19 billion per year, dwarfing the underlying budget for commodity program support.

Conservation. Conservation programs were also projected to cost nearly $6 billion per year over the 10year baseline. However, the legislative debate over what was called the Build Back Better bill and what eventually was passed in August as the Inflation Reduction Act has promised nearly $20 billion in new spending authority for climate-focused conservation practices over the next four years, with actual spending expected to stretch out over the next 10 years.

Even at a $2 billion-per-year estimate, the funding would represent more than a 30% increase in conservation spending for existing farm bill programs.

Rural development. Rural development is an important part of the farm bill, but typically a small part of the budget discussion. The rural development title under the 2018 Farm Bill actually carried a negative cost estimate due to policy changes in how rural infrastructure loans were managed and repaid, but typically the title amounts to just a few million dollars of spending annually for infrastructure, business development and some programs targeting rural broadband.

In sharp contrast, the infrastructure bill passed in 2021 committed about $60 billion to broadband, including $2 billion administered through USDA. Energy. Like the rural development title, the energy title in the farm bill has been a relatively small budget item at about $70 million per year for various incentives, bio-based products and renewable energy. But, like conservation, renewable energy was a major part of the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act, with more than $13 billion committed to

farm bill energy programs, including renewable electric generation and biofuel infrastructure.

The development and debate on a farm bill can be complicated enough under normal circumstances, but taking account of recent ad hoc spending makes the path to a new farm bill even more complicated. While the ad hoc spending over the past few years has provided substantial funding for farm support and other farm bill priorities, it doesn’t add to the budget baseline in terms of long-term or permanent authority.

Whether the budget baseline matters in an era of trillion-dollar-plus ad hoc spending proposals is debatable, but the trillion-dollar-plus farm bill won’t have additional funding to work with unless there are new dollars added to the baseline in the annual budget process next year.

What it means The recent ad hoc spending could alleviate part of the budget challenge by satisfying several farm bill priorities to the extent that existing budget dollars could be reallocated elsewhere. Or it could stress it even more as supporters of the new ad hoc spending push for new a baseline to maintain the higher support for their favored programs going forward.

As noted at the beginning, there are several drivers of the farm bill debate that will affect the final product, but it is hard to even start contemplating the options until the budget picture comes into more focus. Stay tuned as the process is just getting underway.

Page 18

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Virtual FARM2U Program Merced County Farm Bureau invites you to educate your youth about agriculture through our Virtual FARM2U program.

Each topic covered includes YouTube videos, Google Slides with trivia and activities.

Scan the QR code and find topics varying from honey bees to white tortilla corn. www.mercedfarmbureau.org Want to receive an email when a new lesson is posted?

Send an email to info@mercedfarmbureau.org to be added to the email list

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Page 19

YOUNG AGRICU L TURIST SPEAKER SERIES Join Us

Merced County Farm Bureau is hosting four sessions for local youth (high school and college) focused on topics including: Careers and Community Tuesday, September 6, 5:30pm Shannon Douglass, California Farm Bureau 1st Vice President and founder of CalAgJobs Politics Tuesday, October 4, 5:30pm Megan Belair, Local Political Consultant Finance Tuesday, October 25, 5:30pm Barbara Stowell, IWM Partners, LPL Financial Advisor Impacts to Agriculture Tuesday, November 8, 5:30pm David Barroso, Merced County Farm Bureau 2nd Vice President, Farmer/Dairyman- Joe & Renee Barroso & Sons Dairy

Sponsored by

Location

Agri-Valley Consulting American AgCredit Arnold Farms, LP Bowles Farming Company, LLC Cortez Growers Association Scott & Denise Skidmore Los Banos Abattoir Shannon Pump Company Yosemite Farm Credit

In Person at MCFB Office 646 S Highway 59 Merced or on Zoom

Sign Up Scan for Google Form Contact Alexxis Rudich with questions arudich@mercedfarmbureau.org

Page 20

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

A Blazing Success

from the

Mariposa CFB

M

Danette Toso

ariposa County has had its fair share of blazing hot weather this summer, as well as wild

fires blazing out of control. The Oak Fire decimated over 19,000 acres and destroyed 124 homes.

Residents have been in shock, and are mourning the loss of their homes, animals, memories, and family heirlooms. With the tragic losses, our Mariposa residents are some of the most giving, compassionate people I’ve ever known. So many people willing to jump in, pitch in and help their fellow man any way they can. We are Mariposa Strong, and I’m proud to be a part of this resilient county. We would like to thank everyone from our neighboring counties that generously donated to this disaster, it’s quite humbling indeed.

With the tragedy of the fire, there was a bright spot as the Mariposa County Fair opened Labor Day weekend to great

success. The extreme temperatures did not slow down eager fair goers, anxious for a distraction, if even for a while.

I was so proud of the 4-H and FFA members, they took excellent care of their animals and powered through the heat like champions. I still remember how hot those blue jackets were in the barn while showing my animals as a kid, (No cracks about how long ago that was.) Every year, I’m impressed by Brian Bullis and his team, they make it look so easy putting the fair together. I hope they are all taking a well-deserved break from this monumental task.

Thank you to everyone involved, well done!

Speaking of Brian Bullis, the Mariposa County Farm Bureau is honoring him as our “Friend of Agriculture” this year at our annual fundraiser dinner. Please join us

Saturday, October 15th at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds for a prime rib dinner. There will be dessert, silent and live auctions, something for everyone.

Our corporate sponsors this year are Yosemite Farm Credit and Stanislaus Farm Supply. Tickets are $550.00 for a table of 8 and $75.00 for single tickets.

For more information, or if you would like to donate to the auctions, please call Danette Toso at (209) 604-1423, mcfarmbureau@sti.net, dwtccr@aol. com.

We look forward to honoring Brian and raising funds for the youth in our county. 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.

Farm and Ranch Tour Historic Coulterville and the North County will be highlighted for the 18 th Farm and Ranch Tour, a project of the Mariposa AgriNature Association. You are invited to visit 4 locations plus the Northern Mariposa History Center. Each location offers you the opportunity to learn more about agricultural practices and resource preservation from the property owners and experts. The locations will not only showcase their own unique agricultural operations, but vendors and artists will be sharing their crafts as well. It will be a family-friendly fun day in the country, with activities for all ages.

History will be a special emphasis on this year's tour.

Cost: free of charge.

Date: Saturday October 15, 2022 Time: 10 to 5 Locations: More information including maps, directions, workshops, presentations, artists, agricultural and nature based crafts, kids activities, and good old family fun is available on the website MariposaFarmsAndRanches.com and Face Book facebook.com/MariposaFarmsAndRanches.

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Page 21

Mariposa County Farm Bureau Annual Fundraiser Dinner Saturday, October 15, 2022 Location: Mariposa County Fairgrounds, Building A Social Hour 5:00 ~ Hosted Bar Prime Rib Dinner 6:30

Table of Eight $550.00 Individual Tickets $75.00

Live, Silent & Dessert Auctions “Friends of Agriculture Honoree” Brian Bullis Contact Danette Toso: (209) 742-5875, (209) 604-1423, mcfarmbureau@sti.net

Mariposa County Business Member Directory Businesses Supporting the Farm Bureau

To be included in the directory, join Mariposa County Farm Bureau as a business member by calling 742-5875.

AGRICULTURAL SUPPLIES Gallaway Feed and Supply..................374-3331 Mariposa Feed & Supply...................966-3326 Bootjack Equipment Rental & Feed.. 966-3545

ASSOCIATIONS 35-A District Agriculture Assn........... 966-2432 Mariposa Chamber of Commerce..... 966-2456 Mariposa County Farm Advisor......... 966-2417 Mariposa County Farm Bureau......... 742-5875

CONSTRUCTION Bucks Construction............................ 878-3702 Tobey Guenthart Construction.......... 374-3334

FINANCIAL SERVICES Inter-County Title Company................966-3653 Yosemite Bank....................................966-5444

HARDWARE STORES

REAL ESTATE

Coast Hardware.................................. 966-2527 Foster Ace Hardware .........................966-2692

MEDICAL Mariposa Physical Therapy................ 742-7242

MISCELLANEOUS Allison Sierra Inc................................966-4082 Happy Burger Diner ........................... 966-2719 Mariposa Friends of the Fairgrounds Foundation..................... 742-4680 Hugh A. Yamshon Ranch Mariposa Gun Works......................... 742-5444 Miners Roadhouse 14.......................966-2444 Pony Expresso....................................966-5053

Cathey's Valley Real Estate................ 742-2121

SERVICES Chases Foothill Petroleun.................. 966-3314 Edward Lien & Toso Ag Appraisers...634-9484 Palmer Tractor ....................................374-3470 Ranch Fence, Inc................................ 966-5914 Valley Pacific Petroleum..................... 948-9412 Yosemite Glass & Window Inc...........966-3292

WINERIES Mount Bullion Vineyard...................... 377-8450 Rauch Ranch Vineyard & Winery.......742-7162

Support Farm Bureau Member Businesses

Page 22

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

A Tradition in Trust Since 1919 CALIORNIA’S LEADING FARM & RANCH SPECIALISTS

Sales & Service

Vertical turbines Domestic pumps End suction booster pumps Sewage & stormwater pumps Multi-stage pumps prefabricated booster systems for domestic, process & landscape requirements.

Special metallurgy for all types of fluids.

In-house machine shop All popular brands - HazMat 40HR Certified Techs LICENSED, INSURED AND BONDED SERVING THE INDUSTRY FOR OVER 50 YEARS (209) 723-3904

Specializing in: For a free consultation please contact:

JIM WATSON Pearson Realty, Ag Division Over 15 Years Experience & Service

Agricultural Land Transitional Land 1031 Exchanges Cattle Ranches Recreational/Hunting

Office: 209.378.2300 | Mobile: 209.349.2225 | jwatson@pearsonrealty.com est. 1973

Custom Weed Control Enterprises Inc. WEED CONTROL

“We Use Environmentally Safe Proven Methods.”

Since 1986 State of the Art Equipment 80' Truck Scale Maximized Returns Owner Operated Inshell line complete with Satake color sorter High Capacity dryer for bin or bulk loads Peter Verdegaal 209-628-1008

Office 209-356-0210

8016 Winton Way, Winton Serving Stanislaus & Merced Counties

AG Towing

209-445-8503

24/7 Towing Service

Ray's Gardening 209-678-3189

Problem Weed Specialist

RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL Discing & Clean-up - Pre-Asphalt Application Call Us First! 209 723-2161

We carry Bergstrom & RedDot Fully stocked parts department AC Hoses built on site M-MIG CONSTRUCTION INC. Serving Merced & Surrounding Counties Specializing in Dairy Construction Steel Buildings Locally Owned & Operated Matthew Migliazzo - Owner Contractors Lic. #870007 291 Business Park Way, Atwater

COMPLETE AUTO BODY SERVICE Domestic and Foreign COMPLETE UPHOLSTERY SERVICE Vinyl Tops, Convertible Tops, Tonneau Covers

www.mmigconstruction.com 209-724-9488

923 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Merced Leonard Rich - (209) 723-1022

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

Page 23

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 AC King................................................722-3552 Atwater Radiator & Muffler, Inc.........358-2638 Car Plus...............................................722-3552 SS Blue ..............................................722-2583

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS

Allison Sierra, Inc...............................966-4082 Dias Construction, Inc........................634-9601 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 J M Equipment Co Inc ....................... 386-1797 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) Powerhouse Realty Jed Kruppa Team .617-6727 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 Farmers Rice Cooperative....... (916) 923-5100 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 Guerrero Farm Labor.........................492-0408 Horizon Farms, Inc.............................383-5225

J & F Fertilizer.....................................854-6325 La Follette Enterprises, Inc................632-1385 Mass Energy Works..................(530) 710-8545 Machado Feed Company...................658-5943 Maciel & Co........................................ 777-0911 Mid Valley Ag Service......................... 394-7981 Modern Dairy...................................... 722-7452 Modesto Dairy Supply........................669-6200 Silva & Sons Custom Spreading.......667-2566 Stone Family Spreading..................... 756-1491 The Pollination Connection...... (877) 970-BEES (2337)

FOOD PROCESSING

A V Thomas Produce.......................... 394-7514 Dallas Distributing Co........................394-2803 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

Baldes Hay Co.......................... (559) 718-9714 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 Dickey's Pump Service ...................... 394-3112 Irrigation Design & Construction, LLC.387-4500 Pacific Southwest Irrigation...............460-0450 Precision Aqua....................................756-2025 Quality Well Drillers............................ 357-0675 Rain for Rent/Westside Pump.(559) 693-4315 Robal Inc.............................................826-4540 San Luis Pump Company...................383-0464 Shannon Pump Company..................723-3904

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 Cal Farm Service................................358-1554 Kellogs Supply ................................... 722-1501 Livingston True Value.........................394-7949 Hardware & Farm Supplies...............394-7949 Marfab................................................826-6700 Modesto Dairy Supply........................669-6200

Stanislaus Farm Supply..................... 723-0704

ORCHARD REMOVAL Custom Farm Services....................... 358-1759

FUEL SERVICES Amarants Propane Service ............... 358-2257 Hunt & Sons, Inc......................(916) 383-4868 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 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 Grimbleby Coleman CPAs.................. 527-4220 Trans County Title Company .............383-4660 Yosemite Farm Credit ........................ 383-1116

MISCELLANEOUS Berliner Cohen LLP............................ 385-0700 The Hat Source................................... 357-3424 Merced County Fair............................722-1506 P. B. Iyer, M.D......................................854-1120 Razzari Auto Center............................383-3673 Unwired Broadband.................(559) 336-4157

BUSSINESS SUPPORT FARMERS DCB Farming LLC J&J O'Banion Ranch, LLC Jorgensen Ranch Live Oak Farms Migliazzo Farms Nicholas Calf Ranch

Page 24

Merced County Farm News •September 17, 2022

MCFB CE SERIES When: Thursday- September 29, October 6, 13, & 20 Time: 8a-12p Location: Merced County Farm Bureau 646 S State Highway 59, Merced Cost: $40/week or $150 for all 4 meetings

Get your CE Units now!

Sponsors 4 DPR and CCA hours per week

To register scan the QR Code or visit mercedfarmbureau.org/ce For questions please call (209) 723-3001

FALL 2022 SCHEDULE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29

8a-9a School Site Notification System & Restrictions LAWS Colleen Murrary, Merced County Ag Commissioners Office 9a-10a Updates on Soil Fumigant Application Requirements LAWS Rais Akanda, Environmental Specialist, California DPR 10a-11:30a Respiratory Protection, Respiratory Protection* LAWS Gumaro Castellanos, Nationwide 11:30a-12p Management of Arthropod Pests in Cotton Ian Grettenberger, PhD, Assistant Specialist, UC Davis, Via Zoom

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13

8a-9a NOI Reporting LAWS Juan Hernandez, Merced County Ag Commissioners Office 9a-10a Management of BCTV and TSWV in Processing and Fresh Mkt Tomatoes Scott Stoddard, UCCE Merced Vegetable Crops Advisor 10a-11a Fall and Winter Weed Management in Orchard Crops and Wheat Andre Alves, Corteva 11a-12p What's Causing My Rejects?

Trent Voss, Blue Diamond Growers

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 8a-9a Paraquat and Gramoxone: Everything you need to know LAWS Avery Harman, Merced County Ag Commissioners Office 9a-10a Sustainable Pest Management LAWS Taylor Roschen, CA Farm Bureau Federation, Via Zoom 10a-11a Statewide Pesticide Notification Stan. Co. Pilot Project LAWS Judith Arroyo, Stanislaus County Ag Commissioners Office 11a-12p Classical Biocontrol and Filed Biocontrol Projects Ricky Lara, PhD, CDFA Senior Environmental Scientist, Specialist

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20 8a-9a PPE Regulations for Pesticide Applications LAWS Rais Akanda, Environmental Specialist, California DPR 9a-10a Pest Management in Alfalfa Ian Grettenberger, PhD, Assistant Specialist, UC Davis, Via Zoom 10a-11a Meteorological Influence on the Spray Application Process Dan Gudgel, California Agricultural Aircraft Association 11a-12p Resistance Management and Tree Nut Product Selection Ashley Bandoni, Syngenta

*For Respiratory Fit Test on 9/29, each individual must bring in their own respirator along with doctor’s health clearance form.

Hours not marked as LAWS, will receive credit for OTHER.