July 2019

2019 Yolo County Fair

Buyer’s Luncheon, Livestock & Ag Mechanics Auction Saturday August 17, 2019 See back page for more information PARAQUAT NEW CERTIFIED APPLICATOR TRAINING Newly labelled paraquat-containing products are expected to be available in 2019. Due to cases of accidental ingestion (some fatal) as well as eye and dermal exposure, USEPA requires certified applicators using these newly labeled products to complete USEPAapproved training every three years. Training is available online and is expected to take about 45 minutes. https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-worker-safety/ paraquat-dichloride-training-certified-applicators After completing the above online training, you and/or your employees then get an Applicator License from the Yolo County Ag Department by attending their 1 hour class and passing a test.

Continuing Education class units are required to keep this license active.

July 2019

In This Issue 2019 Yolo County Fair 2019 Paraquat Licensing Regulations YCFB Board Member Attendance YCFB Welcomes New Members

President’s Message Report Cannabis Issues YCFB Sponsors Issues April 9, 2019 Board of Directors Minutes YCFB Writes Letters YC Request for Donations for State Fair Exhibit YCFB Business Members Outstanding 4-H Club Members June 28, 2019 Produce Safety Workshop 2019 Yolo County Fair Information 2019 Irrigators Lose Overtime Exemption Bicycle Race Information Prevent Work-Related Accidents & Injuries 2019 Yolo County Fair FFA Livestock Auction

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Board of Directors Attendance

West District Brooks, Guinda, Rumsey, Esparto, Madison Fred Manas

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Central District Woodland Anna Fricke

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Southwest District Winters Chris Turkovich

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Northeast District Yolo/Knights Landing Nancy Lea E

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At-Large Freeman Barsotti E Dominic Bruno E P Garrett Driver P Chuck Dudley Robert Falconer P P Mike Hall P Mike Howard E Stan Lester P Bret Leishman P Joe F. Martinez P Jeff Merwin Eric Paulsen E E Robert Ramming Justin Rominger E P Casey Stone P Don Tompkins E Paul Underhill

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Southeast District Clarksburg, West Sacramento Karen Chesnut

North District Dunnigan/Zamora Scott Rominger South District Davis John Chiles

YF&R Board Member P P P Miranda Driver

Eric Wallker

Advisory Committee Dr. Jim Barrett

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Volume 39 Issue 7

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President - Joe F. Martinez 1st Vice President Garrett Driver 2nd Vice President Mike Hall Past President Nancy Lea

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Farm Bureau Information Executive Officers Joe F. Martinez, President You may contact Joe directly at: president@yolofarmbureau.org

Garrett Driver, 1st Vice President Mike Hall, 2nd Vice President

New Members Agricultural Teal Ridge Farms LLC Associate Collegiate

Thomas Payne

Business

Denise Sagara, Secretary-Treasurer

Staff

Meetings Board of Directors Meeting

Denise Sagara

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

Amy Merwin

The Board of Directors meets the second Tuesday of each month, except September and December Members are invited to attend

Executive Director

Ag Education Coordinator

Elizabeth Carvalho

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Assistant to Ag Education/ Accounting

Young Farmers & Ranchers Meeting

Katerina Kronauge

July 9, 2019 Please call for information

Irrigated Lands Program Coordinator

Carly Sims

Assistant to Irrigated Lands Program Coordinator

Jasmine Hernandez

YF&R meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month.

Anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 with an interest in serving the community, addressing current agricultural issues and socializing is welcome to attend. Dinner is always served.

Office Manager

Thank You AgriNews, Yolo County Farm Bureau Office: 530-662-6316 Fax: 530-662-8611 Newsletter is published monthly for YCFB members by Yolo County Farm Bureau 69 West Kentucky Avenue Woodland, CA 95695 Third class postage POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Yolo County Farm Bureau News P. O. Box 1556, Woodland CA 95776

July 2019

Purpose Yolo County Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, non-profit, voluntary membership, advocacy group whose purpose is to protect and promote agricultural interests throughout Yolo County and to find solutions to the problems facing agricultural businesses and the rural community.

Farm Bureau strives to protect and improve the ability of farmers and ranchers engaged in production agriculture to provide a safe, reliable supply of food and fiber through responsible stewardship of the county’s resources.

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President Martinez’s Message It finally stopped raining! Just when I start getting caught up it rains again.

The rain Gods are having fun with farmers this year.

Please see the Issues pages (7-8) which gives a short description of the issues we are working on.

Air Resources Board - Growers are receiving letters of non-compliance regarding mileage reporting violations or registration violations of their larger vehicles. If you receive a letter be sure to either immediately contact them, or call our office and we will help you respond.

Rice Hulls - Be advised... if you have rice hulls delivered to your property, you must properly contain the hulls if the wind blows or you can be cited and fined. The best thing to do is to immediately incorporate them into the soil.

Cannabis - Growers have reported they are required to have a buffer area if a cannabis crop is grown next to them, including restrictions on pesticides that can be applied, adding to the difficulty of farming next to cannabis grows.

We have received numerous calls that cannabis growers complain about dust from our farming activities drifting to their plants. The cannabis growers have threatened to sue the neighboring grower. This caused at least one grower to shut down for the day due to a breeze.

In Santa Barbara the Oxnard pest-control companies that spray avocados in the Carpinteria Valley will no longer service the area that has cannabis grows. A proposed agreement to not sue the commercial sprayers during the weeks they normally spray in the spring fell apart.

Farm Bureau believes cannabis is not compatible with conventional agriculture.

YCFB is advocating that all cannabis grows be required to be located in a fully enclosed and unvented interior space, preferably in an industrial area of the county. And the vents should blow air out of the building, not suck it in. Charcoal filters should be required to eliminate (or greatly reduce) the smell. Please see our letter on page 10.

Some cannabis growers have not been taking care of the part of the parcel not planted to cannabis. This is causing problems for neighboring crops. Please see page 11.

We are advocating that all cannabis grows be required to be in a fully enclosed and unvented interior space, preferably in an industrial area of the County.

This crop is not compatible with conventional agriculture.

If you have a complaint about a cannabis grow or cannabis grower you need to call the Ag Department and your county supervisors.

On another note - we have received requests for more information about Farm Bureau advocacy.

We would be delighted to share information with you. We receive numerous reports with updates about current issues.

Many are included in the Weekly Email, but there are many more that don’t because of space or the information becomes outdated.

Please send an email to info@yolofarmbureau.org, or call our office at 530.662.6316 to let us know you’d like to receive copies. If you don’t have an email, we can save information for you to stop by and pick up at your convenience. I assure you we are extremely busy working hard to keep up with current issues.

July 2019

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2019 Farm Bureau Sponsors - Thank You! RUBY SPONSORS

EMERALD SPONSORS

PEARL SPONSORS

SAPPHIRE SPONSORS

Workshops & Seminars FSMA Workshop Nut Harvest Safety Nut Harvest Safety

06/28/2019 English 07/11/2019 English 07/11/2019 Spanish

Register at www.yolofarmbureau.org or call the office at (530) 662-6316 If you find that you need a training workshop please let us know.

July 2019

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July 2019

Primary Sponsor of Yolo County Farm Bureau

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Issues

CURRENT ISSUES City of Woodland New Flood Control Proposal The City of Woodland continues to work on their flood control plan. We met with the City Manager and Water Manager to discuss their proposed plan. An offer was made to do a site visit and discuss modifications to their proposal.

City of Davis Mace Blvd between I-80 and El Macero - Reduced from 4 traffic lanes to 2 lanes Mace Blvd Modifications Update – (email update) On May 14, the Davis City Council unanimously voted to authorize installation of a multi-way stop at the intersection of Mace Boulevard and San Marino Drive. This work will entail moving the stop limit line on San Marino out closer to Mace Boulevard and placing a new stop sign and stop limit line. The existing stop on San Marino will be converted to a Yield and stop signs will be placed on the bicycle track in both the north and southbound directions. Stop signs will also be placed in the north and southbound directions on Mace Boulevard at San Marino. Stop ahead signs will be placed in the north and southbound directions for awareness of the new stop signs. To add additional safety to the intersection, the “Hawk” signal will be placed in permanent flashing red. This work will be installed as soon as the weather pattern clears, likely the week of May 20.

City staff has been evaluating turn radii options for the Mace Blvd & Cowell Blvd intersection to better accommodate vehicleturning movements. The city will be modifying raised medians that inhibit right-turn movements. This work will be started after school breaks for summer.

City staff are working with several transportation design firms to develop concepts to facilitate City Council direction including number of lanes, intersection turn movements, landscaping, safety features for bicyclists and pedestrians, and wheelchair-accessible paths of travel. These concepts will be shared at a community meeting. The goal is to have the community meeting in July.

Due to unforeseen weather conditions, the vehicle and bicycle traffic counts will now occur May 29-31. The City will continue to communicate progress and construction dates via email and social media. Project information is also available on the project website: http://cityofdavis.org/maceblvd FSMA - Food Safety Modernization Act – June 28, 2019 Farm Employers Labor Service - English Flyers were mailed to Agricultural Members. There is a limit of 60 people for the class. Please call if you have questions or didn’t receive a flyer. 530.662.6316. You must enroll directly with the companies. All classes are offered at the reduced rates.

California Air Board Air Quality The Carl Moyer Program would allow for truck trade-ups under a bill being carried by Senator Cathleen Galgiani, SB 216. The bill would allow fleets that are using Carl Moyer funds to replace relatively new trucks to trade those newer trucks with fleets that have older heavy-duty vehicles. Instead of scrapping the newer trucks, those would be provided to another owner with older vehicles and the older vehicle would be scrapped. This is similar to the tractor trade-up program that is available in the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Farm Bureau is supporting

July 2019

SB 216, which passed off of the Senate floor on consent with a vote of 38-0. SB 216 now goes to the Assembly.

The Air Resources Board (ARB) recently released revised regulations that will require annual emissions reporting of criteria pollutants and toxic air contaminants for many facilities, including farms and agricultural processing businesses. These new reporting requirements are due to the passage of AB 617 (C. Garcia) last year. ARB released the proposal last year and Farm Bureau provided comments. In March, ARB released revisions to the proposed regulations that vastly expanded the scope of facilities that would be required to report.

ARB released formal revisions to the regulations to slightly narrow the scope of facilities subject to the new reporting requirements, for example by specifically excluding stationary agricultural engines from being subject to the new reporting requirements. However, the proposed regulations will still require any permitted facility (other than those permitted only for their agricultural engines) that emits more than 4 tons per year of a criteria pollutant to report their emissions annually. Confined livestock facilities and agricultural processing facilities are the most likely to be impacted by the proposed regulations.

Farm Bureau has commented, participated in workshops, and met with ARB staff to express our concerns and potential improvements that would limit impacts to agricultural facilities.

Comments on the most recent version of the regulations are due to ARB by June 7th.

Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency Sustainable Groundwater Act Plan At the April meeting there was a review of the requirements, what is currently being done and future planned activities. There are currently 400 wells monitored in spring and fall to record groundwater levels and Yolo County has been conducting subsidence monitoring and will update the readings every 3 – 5 years. Goals include sharing information with agencies to reduce duplication of work to reduce costs. There are currently 40+ entities monitoring groundwater quality in Yolo County; Public water supplies (200+ wells); CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation (61 wells); and State Water Resources Control Board/GAMA program monitors 108 wells in the Sacramento Valley. In addition the Irrigated Lands Program, CV-Salts Program, UC Davis and Yolo Water Resources Association have completed various studies. www.yologroundwater.org Union Pacific (UP) Railroad Request For Yolo County To Close Road 32A At Co. Rd 103 GOAL: Keep Crossing Available For Ag Traffic The groups are working to secure funds and develop a workable plan for this. Progress is being made and work continues on this project. Ag equipment continues to use the existing CR 32A RR crossing and will continue until a new crossing is in place.

YOLO COUNTY ISSUES Cannabis in Yolo County GOAL: To Share Cannabis Information with Members If you have concerns or problems about cannabis or a grow near you, it’s very important that you contact Taro Echiburu and each of the Yolo County Supervisors.

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Issues Continued don.saylor@yolocounty.org gary.sandy@yolocounty.org duane.chamberlain@yolocounty.org jim.provenza@yolocounty.org oscar.villegas@yolocounty.org taro.echiburu@yolocounty.org It is important to make your concerns known, otherwise the County will assume there are no problems. For more information you can also go online at the link below.

The County is continuing to work on its land use ordinance for Cannabis grows. We have been advised that the Preferred alternative project does not require that grows be indoors and it states that there is no significant impact from allowing outdoor grows on typical conventional or organic agriculture. We know that there are significant impacts and the communication that we request above, and comments when the draft EIR is released for comment, are critical. http://www.yolocounty.org/community-services/cannabis-3398 Industrial Hemp - Yolo County currently has a moratorium on planting hemp The Department of Food and Agriculture has posted a notice of proposed emergency regulations to detail the sampling and testing protocols for the cultivation of industrial hemp in California. The emergency regulations detail a grower’s obligation to submit a pre-harvest report to the County Agricultural Commissioner, designating the sampling date, specifying what portions of a plant are necessary for sampling (top, lateral and lower 18 inches of each cultivar), approved laboratory tests (gas and liquid chromatography) and reporting procedures, retesting, and abatement and enforcement on non-compliant hemp crops.

Upon providing public notice of these emergency regulations (as of Thursday, 23rd), they will be submitted to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) on Friday, May 31st. At that point, OAL will have 10 calendar days to review, 5 of which will include a public comment period time. Following those 10 calendar days (tentatively Monday, June 10th), the regulations will become effective immediately and active for 180 days. The Department will be working on formal rulemaking packages during those processes and in the future. Farm Bureau is reviewing these proposed regulations for potential comment. Is the growing of industrial hemp going to create negative impacts on typical Yolo County conventional and organic crops similar to what we are seeing with cannabis?

Yolo County Salmonid Project The Yolo Bypass Salmonid Project is proposed by the Bureau of Reclamation and the CA Department of Water Resources. It will construct a gate in the Fremont Weir to increase inundation in the Yolo Bypass for juvenile salmon, with an end date of March 15th. The County works hard on behalf of ag to get the March 15th date after the agencies originally proposed flooding until May – which would wipe out ag. March 15th isn’t ideal, but it’s better than May.

sion of the plan that took much less land out of production (to be used for habitat and construction).

Delta Protection Plan Proposed Changes GOAL: Respond to proposed changes to the Delta Protection Land Use and Resource Management Plan Language in the current plan (last updated in 2010) was the result of many hours of hard work at the time and resulted in what we consider to be a good plan with a strong focus on protection of Delta agriculture and private property. The Farm Bureau Delta Caucus committee recently met with Melinda Terry and Justin Fredrickson of the California Farm Bureau Federation to discuss the Delta Protection Commission staff proposal to make extensive changes to the Delta Protection Plan (DPC). Proposed changes include wholesale deletions of the existing plan’s “Land Use” policies, and of the entirety of the existing “Water” chapter, in addition to major proposed changes to the “Agriculture” chapter. The Farm Bureau Five County Delta Caucus is working on a response to proposed plan amendments. Additional information on the proposed plan changes can be found at http:// delta.ca.gov/land_use/land_use_plan/. Interested persons may submit comments to the DPC at submit@delta.ca.gov. http://delta.ca.gov/ ISSUES - NO CHANGE IN STATUS Biomass GOAL: Keep Biomass An Option For Yolo County Orchardists There has been some limited access to biomass for orchard waste. Contact your orchard removal contractor to check on availability.

Central Valley Flood Protection Plan - Proposed Expansion of the Yolo Bypass The State of California is in the process of obtaining title of properties so the bypass can be expanded. Plans include moving the Bryte landfill, with a June 2020 construction start date. The plan includes taking topsoil to make the new levee, and then farming the area. We do not believe this will work. We supported a ver-

July 2019

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April 9, 2019 Board of Directors Minutes President Joe Martinez called the meeting to order at 7:11 PM. It was held at the Farm Bureau Board Room, 69 West Kentucky Avenue, Woodland.

Guests in attendance were Char Henwood, the Davis High School Issues Team, FFA Advisor Alex Hess, and Outstanding Student Evelyn Mandujano with family members Haydee Morales, Manuel Mandujano, Sarah Mandujano and David Mandujano.

Cannabis – Willow Oak area There was discussion regarding a walnut orchard purchased to plant cannabis, who then abandoned the walnut orchard which is causing pest problems for adjacent walnut orchards. It was suggested a letter be written about the problem, to include wording about “nuisance and abatement”. Nancy Lea volunteered to draft a letter. Board members were reminded to report any nuisance or problems from cannabis grows that affect them.

Adoption of Consent Agenda President Martinez presented to the Board the Consent Agenda.

It was duly moved, seconded and carried: RESOLVED: to approve the consent agenda of the April 9, 2019 Board of Directors meeting.

2019 WOTUS Rule – Postcard to members CFBF requested members send a letter supporting the 2019 WOTUS rule. YCFB will send a postcard to our members urging them to send a letter. After discussion it was duly moved, seconded and carried: RESOLVED: to send a postcard to each of our members urging them to send a letter supporting the 2019 WOTUS rule, and YCFB will also send a letter in support.

Presentation The Davis High School Issues Team presented information about the WIIN Act. President Martinez presented Evelyn Mandujano with the Outstanding 4-H Member award for Willow Oak 4-H. Char Henwood gave an update on the construction on Mace Boulevard in Davis and presented a petition requesting that Mace Blvd be fixed to include two lanes on both sides of the road.

There will be a community meeting to discuss improvements at the firehouse on Mace Blvd.

Reports • Mike Howard reported the final Ag Roundtable meeting included speakers from the Rural Crime Task Force and STARS volunteer group. The committee is now looking for ideas for the next round of Ag Roundtable meetings.

• Garrett Driver reported the Membership Committee is looking for new members and will meet quarterly to keep up to date on calling expired members. The committee will also be looking for ways to get Yolo County Farm Bureau’s presence known out in the community.

• Eric Willson reported that YF&R has received the final receipts from a successful Spring Fling. New committee chairs have been chosen: Justin Rominger Chair; Eric Willson, Vice Chair, Eleanor Harlan, Secretary; David Lester, Treasurer; Kurt Anderson, Events Coordinator; Courtney Champlin, Community Outreach and Jade Willson, Historian.

• Gary Sack submitted a short report.

Request to Donate to 2019 Hoes Down Harvest Festival The Hoes Down Festival was not held last year, but is starting up again in 2019. Farm Bureau has been making an annual donation of $250 to the event. Don Tompkins moved to donate $300 to the Hoes Down Festival. It was duly moved, seconded and carried: RESOLVED: YCFB will donate $300 to the 2019 Hoes Down Festival.

SGMA Update At a recent SGMA meeting the Stockholm Group showed they have completed modeling to show Yolo County’s groundwater has been sustainable through most of the area in the past. There are parts of the county with subsidence issues that will have to be addressed. Tim O’Halloran reported well levels are rising, Clearlake is full and Indian Valley Reservoir is almost full.

Discussion: • Conaway Ranch growers donated $2 per acre to the Yolo Food Bank which was matched by Conaway Ranch to purchase rice.

• Yolo County has plans to replace a bridge on County Road 29.

• YCFB will host a FSMA Produce Safety Rule class on June 28th at the Farm Bureau office. Members need to register directly through AgSafe/FELS. • Amy Merwin asked for volunteers to help at Farm Connection Day and the Spring Show Buyer’s Luncheon. Volunteers were also asked to help with a booth at the Honey Festival on May 4th.

• The State of California is purchasing land in preparation to expand the Yolo Bypass. CFBF has participated in meetings on this program.

As there was no other business it was duly moved, seconded and carried: RESOLVED: to adjourn the meeting at 8:21 PM. Respectfully submitted, Denise Sagara Secretary

Request from Pioneer High School FFA to Sponsor Restoration of 1700 Ford Tractor After the initial call was received asking for support for a restoration project Mrs. Sagara has not been able to get more information. She will contact the advisor for more information.

July 2019

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Yolo County Farm Bureau Writes Letters June 11, 2019 Yolo County Board of Supervisors 625 Court Street Woodland, CA 95695 RE: General Cannabis in ag zoned areas letter.

Principle 1 in our Yolo County General Plan states that the success of our County depends on the success of our agriculture.

Another goal in the current County “Strategic Plan" is “Flourishing Agriculture". When these Principles and Goals are measured against the increasingly evident impacts of a cannabis operation on its ag neighbors, these fundamental County objectives can be best met by requiring cannabis grows and related activities to be located indoors, in unvented space and preferably in industrially zoned areas.

It is important to emphasize that the only similarity between cannabis and conventional crops is that all are grown in soil: the critical difference is that soil for cannabis is typically in pots. Unlike most conventional crops, these pots can be placed and the crop cultivated in a fully enclosed and unvented interior space.

There is absolutely no reason to have cannabis grows out in the Country. Understandably, the cannabis grower may prefer rural acreage because the cost of the land is certainly less: ag zoned land prices are substantially less than industrial land whether in the County or one of the Yolo County cities. However, the siting of cannabis grows and/or related activities in the County rural ag areas marginalizes the very purpose of zoning land for agriculture because that cannabis siting damages the ability of neighboring farmers to raise food and fiber here in Yolo County.

We first discuss the reality that the smell of cannabis negatively impacts the quality of life of rural neighbors. This is exacerbated when grows are located in areas with smaller acreages and rural residents. The cannabis odor can be offensive miles away from grows under certain weather conditions. Outdoor cannabis grows, or enclosed grows that are vented to the outside, create odor issues that these rural residents should not have to endure. In order to eliminate this issue, all cannabis grows must be completely enclosed with no air exchange to the outside.

An additional reason rural residents choose country living is the advantage of a “dark sky”. Thus, cannabis greenhouses must be shielded so any lighting directed to the interior is not visible from the outside. And, any outdoor lighting must be shielded and directed down.

A major issue for ag which would be ameliorated by requiring all grows to be indoors is abuse of the “Right to Farm” ordinance.

The Yolo County Farm Bureau has already seen instances where abuse of this ordinance has occurred: cannabis growers threaten to seek damages from conventional growers for “damage” to their grow caused by normal Yolo County farming practices. A cannabis grower is apparently entitled to the protections of the Right to Farm ordinance after 3 years. This poses a huge risk to a neighboring farmer in the event of outdoor grows: for instance, a cannabis grower may contend that dust on his cannabis crop generated by a neighbor doing field cultivation caused damage in the many thousands of dollars. These possibilities can pose financial risks that the conventional farmer cannot be expected to assume and may well not be able to insure against at reasonable

July 2019

cost. Abuse of the Right to Farm ordinance is another compelling justification for requiring all grows to be in non-vented indoor space. We note that this space does not need to be in the rural part of the county: there is no reason why all cannabis activities cannot be located in industrially zoned areas.

Cannabis operators are frequently concerned about the security of their operation and retain guards, etc. to attempt to protect their grow and themselves. The focus of these security details is misplaced: the cannabis operation is a “high risk” operation, which has been injected into a rural area and attracts a certain criminal element. The emphasis of the security should be on the safety and security of the neighbors rather than the cannabis operation. These neighbors have to contend with a use that brings them no benefit and puts them at increased risk. Any cannabis operation should have to develop a security plan and supporting budget funded by that operation with the goal of protecting the neighborhood from the consequences of the cannabis operation. This plan and budget should be provided to the Yolo County Sheriff, and approved by the Office of the Sheriff, before any cannabis operations are allowed to commence on site.

Neighboring farmers have legitimate concerns when cannabis operations are located nearby. As noted above, cannabis attracts a criminal element and farmers are already victimized by fuel theft, etc. However, a more fundamental agricultural issue is the prospect of uncared for orchards or other plantings adjacent to or near plantings, owned by others, of the same species that are under cultivation with the normal Yolo County goal of earning a profit. The failure of the cannabis activity owners to properly maintain their more typical crop is of great concern. Saying it will be done does not make it so, and the damage that can be caused to orchards re: crop quality by neighboring orchards that are not maintained can be significant. Obviously, requiring all grows and cannabis activities to be indoors will ameliorate damage done to neighboring crops and permanent plantings.

These are issues that must be part of the analysis of any Cannabis regulatory or Land Use ordinance. They must be addressed by any cannabis operation that is located in a county ag zoned area, and certainly any operation seeking an Early Implementation Development Agreement. They must be solved to the satisfaction of neighboring residents and landowners.

The resolution of these issues must be consistent with the Yolo County Principles and Goals we cite in our opening paragraph.

In closing, it is readily apparent that all of these siting incompatibilities can be completely remedied by requiring that all cannabis grows and operations be enclosed, not vented to the outside and located on industrially zoned properties.

Very truly yours, Joe F. Martinez President Cc:

Yolo County Ag Department, John Young Yolo County CEO, Patrick Blacklock Yolo County Community Services, Taro Echiburu Yolo County Supervisors Yolo County Planning Commissioners California Farm Bureau Federation

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Yolo County Farm Bureau Writes Letters June 11, 2019

Thus, we request that Yolo County, through the authority it has under existing law, proceed to abate the nuisance walnut orchard created by this cannabis grow.

Yolo County Board of Supervisors 625 Court Street Woodland, CA 95695

Very truly yours,

RE:

ABATEMENT LETTER:

A fundamental agricultural incompatibility issue that is presented by some cannabis operations is the prospect of uncared for orchards or other permanent plantings on the cannabis parcel that are adjacent to or near plantings of the same species, owned by others, that are cultivated by those we describe as more typical Yolo County farmers. Yolo County orchardists and vineyard operators put substantial investment of land, development funds and years in order to bring their new permanent crop into production. Analyses as to the outcome of the investment are made based on assumptions that neighboring farmers are equally committed to farming clean and pest free crops, orchards, vineyards and fields. However, cannabis grows coming into an intensively farmed area have demonstrated that this assumption fails: the cannabis operation can increase costs to neighboring farming operations thus marginalizing the farmer’s financial investment, and land/time commitment.

This is evident in the conduct of the cannabis growers, “Yolo Gardens”, who farm APN 025-130-027. The cannabis operators’ conduct has belied the statements made in their “Project Statement” in which they affirm that they will maintain and actively farm the old walnut orchard which is located onsite. There have been no signs of active “farming” of this parcel other than occasional mowing. Failure to maintain this walnut orchard endangers the investment into three different walnut orchards in the immediate area: west, northwest and northeast. Vertebrate pests have multiplied and are coming onto these adjacent parcels.

Our web search discloses that the owner purchased this property in January, 2017. The walnut orchard would have been dormant. Reasonably, if the owners had planned to farm any portion of that orchard they would have retained a PCA, joined the subwatershed coalition for reporting purposes, cultivated and otherwise cared for their orchard eliminating weeds and other pests and marketed a crop in the fall of 2017. The same sequence of events would have occurred in 2018.

Yolo County officials and planners need to understand that if a walnut crop is not Class 1 (less than 5% insect damage) there is no economic value to harvest it. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled pests on a neighboring orchard will certainly negatively impact the quality of a neighbor’s crop and cause increased pesticide costs. PCA’s have advised growers who neighbor the Yolo Gardens cannabis grow that their orchards are increasingly at risk of Naval Orange Worm and Coddling Moth infestations, both of which will require added effort and chemicals to control because of the neighboring orchard’s lack of maintenance. The ability to market Class 1 walnuts, which is essential in order to clear costs, is impaired by the lack of consideration for Yolo County agriculture in general, and surrounding farmed properties specifically, that these neighboring property owners have demonstrated.

July 2019

Joe F Martinez President Cc:

Yolo County Ag Department, John Young Yolo County CEO, Patrick Blacklock Yolo County Community Services, Taro Echiburu Yolo County Supervisors Yolo County Planning Commissioners California Farm Bureau Federation

Request for Donations for State Fair Exhibit Yolo County is participating in the State Fair County Exhibits again. In the past Farm Bureau members have contributed to our display. We are hoping you would like to continue this tradition and also hoping for the same kind of donations you have made in the past: • Bags of rice • Almonds and Walnuts • Nut products • Olive oil • Anything else you feel would be

representative of Yolo County This year the theme is “Picture Yourself In”. Our booth will highlight Yolo County locations and landmarks. Our past award winning booths are only made possible with the participation of local companies. We’d be happy to pick up and return (or donate) items from you.

In addition to displaying your products/ brochures at the State Fair, your business will be listed as a donor at the exhibit.

Please feel free to contact me at Margaret.

Raley@Yolocounty.org. I can also be reached at 530-666-8426.

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Yolo County Farm Bureau Business Members Please support these companies and tell them you are a Farm Bureau member Accounting Tax Services

Agricultural Services

40th District Agricultural Carbahal & Company, AAC Association 530.758.8111 530.402.2222 Crippen & Associates, CPAs A I M Company 530.458.2148 530.666.2446 Johnston, Martin & Agrichem Services Inc Montgomery CPA’s 530.753.4178 530.662.3911 Alsco Geyer Irrigation Inc. Perry, Bunch and 530.476.2253 Johnston, Inc. David Geer Transportation 530.662.3251 530.682.3210 Ullrich Delevati, CPAs Durham Pump Irrigation 530.666.6671 530.662.8654 Erdman Warehouse 530.437.2243 Agricultural Consulting Garton Tractor FJS Consulting 209.948.5401 530.304.1158 Harding Flying Service 916.744.1467 Koebel, Doug Trucking Agricultural Seed 530.662.5408 Adams Grain Company Marrone Bio Innovations 530.668.2000 530.750.2800 Ag Seeds Unlimited Martinez Ag Services 530.666.3361 530.681.8322 California Oils Nutrien Ag Solutions Corporation 707.320.8828 530.476.2928 Pacific Coast Producers Corteva 209.367.8800 530.666.1182 Pacific Gas & Electric Farmers Grain Elevator 800.743.5000 530.662.9626 Petrik Labs, Inc. HM Clause 530.666.1157 530.747.3200 Radial Tire Center Limagrain Sunflowers, Inc. 916.371.5066 530.661.6995 Reliable Tire Service Nunhems USA, Inc. 916.372.6675 530.787.1948 Sustainable Technologies Seedtec 510.523.1122 530.666.7871 Turner Ag Research Syngenta Seeds, Inc. 530.601.0879 530.666.0986 Valley Clean Energy TS&L Seed 855.699.8232 530.666.1239

July 2019

Agricultural Supplies

B.E. Giovannetti & Sons 530.662.1727 Canevari Brothers 530.662.0228 GrowWest 530.662.5442 Growers Air Service 530.753.2819 Holt Ag Solutions 530.666.1944 Irrigation Supply Co. 530.666.5925 Pacific Laser, Inc. 530.661.3223 Sterling May Equipment Co., Inc. 530.662.6637 Valley Tire Center 530.666.9601 Valley Truck and Tractor 530.662.4637 Wilbur Ellis Company 530.662.4182 Wilkinson International Inc. 530.662.7373

Bees

Bullfrog Bees & Pure All Natural 530.681.2971 BZBee Pollination 530.787.3044 Tauzer Apiaries Sola Bee Farm 530.758.0363

Diamond D General Engineer, Inc. 530.662.2042 Duncan Built (construction) 530.666.6835

Business Retail

Davis Chamber of Commerce 530.756.5160

Business Services

Air Evac EMS, Inc. 916.342.3221 Allied Computer Solutions 530.681.5141 BJ Heating & AC 530.662.8601

Dental Services

Henry E. Bennett, DDS, Oral Surgery 530.758.2350

Engineering Services

Blankinship & Associates 530.757.0941 Davids Engineering Inc. 530.757.6107 x 102

Building, Construction & Hardware Cranston Steel Structures, Inc. 530.662.0966

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Yolo County Farm Bureau Business Members Please support these companies and tell them you are a Farm Bureau member Financial Services

Farm Credit West 530.666.3333 First Northern Bank 530.661.6000 Main Street Wealth Group 530.666.2128 River City Bank 530.666.6681 Tri-Counties Bank 530.668.5800 Valley Ag Loans Peter M. Holmes Agricultural Loans 530.661.6479

Food Products

Capay Ranch 1680 Inc 415.509.6199 Capay Valley Vineyards 530.796.4110 Casey Flat Ranch 415.435.2225 Everglade Farms 530.662.6571 Farm Fresh To You 530.219.0433 Holland Ranch 916.955.6496 Lea Ranch Manas Custom Meats, Inc. 530.787.1740 Merwin Vineyards, Inc. 916.201.1513 Muller Ranch LLC 530.666.1806 McAravy Brothers 530.724.3434 Panorama Meats 530.668.8920 Rominger Brothers Farms Inc 530.668.1558 Sage Ag LLC 530.383.5922 Schreiner Farms 530.662.3728

Tandy Farm 530.662.8302 Windmill Vineyards LLC 530.662.6892 Woodland Farmer’s Market 530.666.2626 Woodland Roots 530.666.8214 Yolo Almond Ranch 916.761.7064 Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation 530.796.3400

Insurance

Agro Crop Insurance Agency 916.372.2566 Armstrong & Associates Insurance Agency 530.668.2777 InterWest Insurance Services, Inc. 530.661.1300 Jack Cramer Insurance Agency 530.662.1076 Eric Roberson & Sons Insurance Services Inc. 530.365.1009 Wraith, Scarlett & Randolph Insurance Services, Inc. 530.662.9181

Labor Contractor

D. Campos Inc 530.662.4143 Emiliano Lara Labor Contractor 530.756.1357 J & R Farm Labor, Inc. 916.826.2834 Michel Labor Services 530.669.6906 Sunrise Ag Labor, FLC 530.822.7777

Legal Services

Gardner, Janes, Nakken, Hugo & Nolan, Lawyers 530.662.2859 Mark Pruner Attorney 916.744.1500

Startup Incubator AgStart 530.574.6810

Leveling

John Reyes Land Leveling 530-724-3510 Los Rios Custom Services 530-308-4399 Sagara Farms, Inc. GPS Leveling 530.787.2000

Nurseries

Alexander Grapevine Nursery 530.669.1345

Petroleum & Fuels

Allied Propane Service 707.678.8500 InterState Oil Company 530.662.5481 Sheldon Gas Company 707.425.2951

Real Estate

Cache Creek Realty 530.662.1722 Farm & Ranch Realty 530.666.4638 Morgan, William T Real Estate 530.662.8696 Natural Resources Group, Inc. 916.372.5595 Neal D Peart, NDP Commercial & Ag Realty 530.666.5485

Yolo County Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers or for advertised products in the Yolo County Farm Bureau Newsletter

Yolo County Farm Bureau does not assume responsibility for statements by advertisers or for adver-

July 2019

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Outstanding 4-H Members Donovan Hutchins - Clever Clovers 4-H Club

Evelyn Mandujano of Willow Oak 4-H Club

Yolo County Farm Bureau is pleased to announce that Donovan Hutchins has been awarded the Yolo County Farm Bureau Outstanding Club Member for Clever Clovers 4-H Club. He is the son of Rebecca Hutchins and is a freshman this year at Pioneer High School with a 4.0 GPA. Donovan has participated in many activities including Archery, Thrive, Swine projects, Rabbits, Photography and Small Pet and Animal projects. He is currently participating in Thrive, Swine, Rabbits, Photography, Presentation Day and Presentation Proficiency Achievement.

Donovan has held the offices of President, Vice President, Farm Connection Day Ambassador, 4-H Camp Staff, 4-H Camp Assistant Tribe Leader, and Youth Summit facilitator. He has been a teen leader for Rabbits, Swine, and Photography and a Jr. Leader for Rabbits and Swine.

In Donovan’s free time he participates in FFA and has been chosen as the Highest Achieving Runner on the Boys JV Track and Field team. He works as a busboy and attends classes at Woodland Community College while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Donovan is a part of the Pioneer High School Band and participates in Drum Line. He has volunteered his time to help get Douglass Library ready and currently volunteers his time to help the elderly with yardwork.

Donovan is currently taking classes at Woodland Community College and plans to attend college to become an Architectural Engineer or Agricultural Engineer.

Congratulations, Donovan! _______________________ Bernice Ruvalcaba and Lea Kirby are Donovan’s 4-H Leaders.

Yolo County Farm Bureau is pleased to announce that Evelyn Mandujano has been awarded the Yolo County Farm Bureau Outstanding Club Member for Willow Oak 4-H Club. She is the daughter of Manuel Mandujano and Haydee Morales and is a junior this year at South Sutter Charter School with a 3.86 GPA. Evelyn has participated in many activities. She has been a State 4-H Multicultural & Community Engagement Advisory Committee Member, Junior Leader for Sheep Project, and attended California Focus and State Leadership Conference.

She has held the Club Officer Positions of Secretary, 3rd Vice President, Historian and Council Representative. Her previous projects include Presentations, Thrive, Food Presentation, Butchering, Baking, Sewing, Community Service, Table Setting and Embryology.

Evelyn is currently a Yolo County 4-H All Star, Teen Leader for Cake Decorating Project, Teen Leader for Record Keeping Project and Farm Connection Day Ambassador. She is enrolled in Market Sheep, Record Keeping and Cake Decorating Projects.

In Evelyn’s free time, she both takes and helps teach Ballet classes at the Woodland Opera House. She is a member of the Teen Advisory Board for Woodland Public Library, where she provides homework help, assists in preparing and serving dinners at the Fourth and Hope homeless shelter, serves on the Teen Event Planning and Volunteer Committee and is a Youth Representative for the Teen Advisory Board at Library Council Meetings. She also attends Girls who Code classes at the Woodland Public Library. Evelyn works as an Office Assistant for Sterling May Equipment Company.

She is currently taking classes at Woodland Community College and plans to attend Sacramento State or UC Davis to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree. She is interested in studying education, government, youth organization, emergency response, and systems managing.

Congratulations, Evelyn! _______________________ Tera Paschoal is Evelyn’s 4-H Leader.

July 2019

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Farm Credit West

Financing your future success Farm Credit West supports pioneering innovations with reliable financial solutions for your farm, ranch, or agribusiness.

It’s the foundation of our timeless commitment to the future of agriculture.

WOODLAND 530.666.3333

FarmCreditWest.com

July 2019

Committed. Experienced. Trusted.

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Yolo Page 15

Produced Safety Workshop June 28, 2019 Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training FSMA Produce Safety Training Fri, June 28, 2019, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM PDT Yolo County Farm Bureau

Who Should Attend - Produce growers, buyers, and others interested in learning about: produce safety, the Food Safety

Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The U.S. FDA’s Produce Safety rule requires in § 112.22(c) that for each farm, “At least one supervisor or responsible party for your farm must have successfully completed food safety training at least equivalent to that received under standardized curriculum recognized as adequate by the Food and Drug Administration.” The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy this requirement; it is the only course currently recognized by FDA. What to Expect at the PSA Grower Training Course The trainers will spend approximately seven hours of instruction time covering content contained in these seven modules: • Introduction to Produce Safety • Worker Health, Hygiene, and Training • Soil Amendments • Wildlife, Domesticated Animals, and Land Use • Agricultural Water (Part I: Production Water; Part II: Postharvest Water) • Postharvest Handling and Sanitation • How to Develop a Farm Food Safety Plan Key parts of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements are outlined within each module, in addition to learning about best practices in produce safety. There will be time for questions and discussion, so participants should come prepared to share their experiences and produce safety questions.

Benefits of Attending the Course -The course will provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management information, FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and details on how to develop a farm food safety plan. After attending the entire course, participants will be eligible to receive a certificate from the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) that verifies they have completed the training course. To receive an AFDO certificate, a participant must be present for the entire training and submit the appropriate paperwork to their trainer at the end of the course.

In addition to the standard curriculum, Safe Food Alliance will provide additional resources to attendees including: • A decision tree and other materials to help determine how or if the regulation applies to your farm • Templates for creating records required by the training • A calculation tool to aid a small farm in determining if they receive a “qualified exemption” • A list of allowable water treatment compounds provided by the Produce Safety Alliance • Tools to assist in conducting water analysis calculations Registration https://www.eventbrite.com/e/produce-safety-alliance-grower-training-registration-59926674296 Includes: • Course Materials • Coffee and Lunch • Certificate Additional Information For more information about scheduled PSA Grower Training Courses you can reach us at foodsafety@safefoodalliance.com.

More FSMA resources are available at https://safefoodalliance.com/resources/food-safety-resources/what-is-fsma/.

July 2019

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Yolo County Fair August 14th - 18th Ticket Box Office Opens July 8th Monday - Friday 8 am to 5 pm

Presale Carnival POP Days 14th - 16th $20

Gala August 14th $30 21 & over Rodeo August 15th $10 General Admission

Destruction August 16th & 17th $20 Reserved Seating Derby No Lap Seating July 2019

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2019 Wages for Irrigators and All Others

July 2019

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Bicycle Race Information This information is provided so you can plan your work around these events.

Saturday, August 24, 2019 - Cruisin’ Into the Next Chapter 2019 Classic Car and Truck Show Portions of Sacramento St and 2nd St in Yolo are proposed to be closed from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, for the 2019 Cruisin’ Into the Next Chapter Classic Car & Truck Show by the Yolo County Library & Friends of the Yolo Branch Library on Saturday, August 24, 2019.

July 2019

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10 Ways to Prevent Work-Related Accidents & Injuries We should all strive to prevent work-related accidents and injuries. Here are 10 ways you can create a safety-conscious environment for your organization and help protect your employees: 1. Make safety a top priority for your organization – from the top down. Management should communicate safety expectations and lead by example. Establish written safe-work procedures that employees understand and follow.

2. Develop an effective Health and Safety Program. Cover all levels of employee safety and health. Encourage employees to report hazardous practices or behavior. Require and document attendance at safety meetings.

3. Hire only qualified workers. Make sure you place the right candidate in the right position.

4. Educate employees and management. Provide and document training covering all areas of your operations, such as proper use of tools, equipment and machinery, hazards and safety precautions.

5. Investigate all accidents and near-misses to evaluate their causes. Complete an incident report including recommendations to prevent recurrences. Make necessary changes to work procedures, processes or equipment.

6. Provide the proper personal protective equipment (PPE).

Whenever possible, allow employees some choice in the type of PPE they use. Train employees on when PPE is required, how to use it properly and when to replace it. Regularly verify that PPE is being used.

7. Consistently perform necessary maintenance on equipment and machinery. Help keep equipment and machinery in good working order by repairing or replacing items as needed.

Document all maintenance activities.

8. Inspect vehicles and mobile equipment regularly. Train workers to perform daily vehicle checks to help maintain safe operating condition. Be sure they also receive proper driver training.

9. Maintain good housekeeping of your facilities, grounds and equipment. Keep the premises clean and orderly. Assess your work environment daily and address slip-and-trip or fire hazards promptly.

10. Conduct regular safety inspections. Make sure all machinery and equipment safeguards are in place and in good working condition.

Nationwide’s expert risk management consultants can assist in identifying potential exposures to help reduce claims and determine appropriate levels of workers’ compensation insurance. Contact your local Nationwide agent to learn more.

Nationwide is the endorsed insurance and financial services provider for the California Farm Bureau. In 2017, we expanded our relationship offering workers’ compensation coverage for farm and ranch members.

Nationwide is the #1 farm insurer in the U.S.* and a leading provider of insurance and risk management solutions for commercial agribusinesses.

To learn more about Nationwide farm insurance and other commercial coverages: Nationwide.com/agribusiness. To find a local Nationwide agent: FarmAgentFinder.com. Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, OH, is one of the largest diversified insurance and financial services organizations in the U.S.

July 2019

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Support Our Local Businesses

July 2019

Farm Service Agency

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Valley Truck & Tractor

July 2019

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Support Our Local Businesses

July 2019

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Yolo County Farm Bureau P. O. Box 1556 Woodland, CA 95776

Members of the FFA Chapters Of Yolo County Invite you To attend…

The Yolo County Fair FFA Livestock Auction Saturday August 17, 2019 11:30 am “Free Buyers Luncheon”

Sponsored by: Yolo County Farm Bureau and Yolo County Cattlemen’s & Woolgrowers Assoc.

1:00 pm Livestock Auction Sponsored by: Woodland Rotary Underwritten by: Farm Credit West

Immediately Following Ag Mechanics Auction

Sponsored by: Yolo County Fair Heritage Foundation July 2019

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