California Fresh Fruit - 09 SEP 2011

Growing support Eat Local, Buy California Grown Day

A look at 2012 farm bill prioritiesWhat California farmers are saying and the chance to share your ideas

This month's cover was taken on a table grape vineyard in the southern San Joaquin Valley and provided by the California Table Grape Commission.

W W W . M Y F R E S H F R U I T . C O M

Peaches see a marginally beter year » page 14

New Center for Produce Safety chairman has vision for food safety » page 11

H.R. 2584 blocks EPA from stifling economic growth » page 10

Small busi-ness owners optimistic on hiring, profits and capital spending » page 5

V O L U M E T W E N T Y – S E V E N N U M B E R N I N E S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1

T H E G R O W E R ’ S S O U R C E F O R N E W S , I D E A S , I N N O V A T I O N A N D T E C H N O L O G Y

The best time to nutritionally impact next years almond crop is Hull Split or Post Harvest application timing. Post harvest foliar applications, while leaves are in good condition, is best. Many almond growers with late varieties or early leaf drop and/or who rely on custom spray application often find post harvest applications difficult logistically. Now growers have new nutritional tools to make the Hull Split application almost as effective as the post harvest.

Highly penetrating, systemically transported Sysstem-ZN® applied at hull split with other early season peak demand nutrients needed to build bud strength (potassium, phosphate, boron, magnesium) make it possible to get these critical nutrients into next year’s buds so they are available when the tree breaks dormancy in the spring. Building nutrient levels in the buds this year, leads to more uniform bud break, faster early growth with larger leaves that have more photosynthetic capability and stronger flower buds for better set. The end result… higher yields, larger and heavier nuts in 2012.

Building nutrient levels this year sends trees and buds into winter with more strength and energy reserves that will be available to the tree next spring at bud break when soil nutrient availability is limited. Applying Sysstem-ZN with P, Mg, B & K at hull split or post harvest will ensure the tree has zinc and these other critical early nutrients ahead of spring peak demand timing to support leaf and root development. By beginning to manage next year’s nutrient needs at hull split or post harvest, Sysstem-ZN helps prepare your trees for the race to higher yields – with larger, higher quality nuts, while also minimizing alternate bearing issues.

Sysstem-ZN is compatible with most pesticides and foliar nutrient tank mixes.

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News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the goHow to reduce your Ex Mod— Fundamentals

A Discussion on the CA Workers Compensation Experience Rating System

If you need a fundamental knowl-edge of the workers’ compensation experience rating system, plan to attend this seminar. “How to Reduce your Ex Mod... Fundamentals” provides a foundation for understanding how your Ex Mod is calculated. !e WCRIB has made changes to the way they calculate your 2011 and 2012 Ex Mods. You need to know the new rules because it’s now tougher to get your Ex Mod down!

Limited time o"er:# FREE: Registration for the $rst 35 participants. $35 !ereafter. FREE: Important New WCRIB

Resources and Handouts will be presented to all Participants. FREE: Calendar of Health Care Reform Laws for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 will be presented to all Participants.

For more information or a sched-ule of the seminar, visit www.ccisinsur-ance.com or call 1-800-997-3499.

Fresh Persimmon imports from South Africa authorized

According to a notice from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA, a recent decision authorized the importation of fresh persimmon from the republic of

South Africa. “We are advising the public of our decision to authorize the importation into the continental United States of fresh persimmon fruit from the Republic of South Africa. Based on the $ndings of a pest risk analysis, which we made available to the public for review and comment through a previous notice, we believe that the application of one or more designated phytosani-tary measures will be su%cient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of fresh persimmon fruit from South Africa.” !e full notice is available at www.myfreshfruit.com.

– !e Register

Lemons ride a roller coaster

After several years of &uctuating supplies and prices, lemon growers say they’re looking forward to a better year. Crop forecasters say California farms should produce 8 percent more lemons than a year ago. Farmers are currently packing lemons, and say harvest conditions have improved after a slow start. Most lemons are sold to restaurants and other food service businesses, and California supplies nearly 90 percent of lemons grown in the U-S.

– California Farm Bureau Federation

Large orange crop awaits harvest

Another large crop of navel oranges is awaiting harvest in the Central Valley. Enough oranges to fill 85 million cartons are hanging on trees in the valley, according to U-S Agriculture Department esti-mates. That would be slightly fewer navel oranges than harvested last season but, if realized, would still be the third-largest crop in the past 25 years. More than 96 percent of California’s navel oranges are grown in the Central Valley.

Light Brown Apple Moth quarantine removed

According to a federal order released on July 25, the Light Brown Apple Moth quarantine was updat-ed to include the following:

1) By removing Santa Barbara County from the quarantined area (in A.a.);

2) By adding Opuntia spp. (fruit and pad), green hay, and dormant frozen strawberry nursery stock grown by State certi$ed pro-ducers to the exempted host list (in C.1.); and

By removing trapping require-ments for producers of regulated arti-cles (in D.(1)e.).

Visit www.myfreshfruit.com for more information. !

News on the go4 N E W S O N T H E G O S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1


Published monthly for the grape, citrus and deciduous fruit industries in California and sent by controlled mailing to 10,000 addresses monthly.

'()*+,-./: John Van Nortwick 1975-2010

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[email protected],,24+31. .0+12/:

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8.) ,+1.: www.myfreshfruit.com

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Fresh Fruit & Raisin News is published

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News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the go News on the goA few complaints, accompanied by a few great ideas to get us out of this messWhat do cutting regulations, flushing the train, investing in water infrastructure and harnessing solar power have in common? They could fix what ails us.

As an industry we are way too quiet on the water issues that

still face the state of California. Yes, we realize everyone is focused four-square on the work of the harvest, but we cannot a"ord to wait until the snow reports in January through April to see how Agriculture and the whole state will fare from the winter’s storms.

We will continue to bring for-ward the need for stronger and more dedicated leadership from every industry in the state, espe-cially from our governor and leg-islative branches. We all have an

overwhelming responsibility to devise and implement plans that will rebuild our broken state. We must $nd and properly utilize the needed revenues to not only revital-ize the economy of the once Golden State,# but to literally rebuild its infrastructure. From roads to water; from business environment to gov-ernment regulations.

We, again make the call to stop the madness that is the drive to build a high-speed rail system in this state. It is fool hardy for a fam-ily who is being evicted from their home to arrange the needed $nanc-

ing for a luxury eight passenger Lear Jet so they travel faster to their desired destinations.

Why don’t the governor and the state legislators stop what will surely be one of the most costly boondoggles in the state’s history? Why don’t we taxpayers understand the foolishness of this plan? What a joke that we start in the least popu-lated part of the state to acquire and build the $rst phases.

Don’t you get that the acquisi-tion is easer here than anywhere? Wouldn’t you wait until you had all the property bought and secured;

a route established? Financing secure, operation cost covered, with a knowledge of what it is going to cost before we spend another dollar?

President Obama will be out of o%ce in 18 months. What do you suppose is going to happen to those monies when that occurs? Fiscally, intelligent people are going to stop any and all $nancing for this disas-ter and we will be left holding an empty plate with egg on our face.

But complain only, we will not. We o"er this plan as a means

continued on page 9

C A L I F O R N I A F R E S H F R U I T P U B L I S H E R ' S P E R S P E C T I V E 5


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Union Bank’s annual Small Business Economic Survey shows small business owners optimistic on hiring, profits and capital spendingSmall Business Jobs Act motivated just six percent of owners to apply for a loan; 96 percent of business owners surveyed do not expect layoffs in 2011

After experiencing increased sales and fewer layoffs in 2010,

more California small business owners report an improved out-look on profits, hiring and capital expenditures in 2011. However, business owners are balancing their increased optimism with conser-vative measures to protect their business, according to Union Bank’s 11th Annual Small Business Economic Survey released today.

!e survey - the largest to date with nearly 3,000 participants statewide - found that a full 60 percent of small business owners believe 2011 will be a better year in terms of pro$tability, a nine percent increase from last year and a 26 percent increase from 2009. !is is the most optimistic owners have been since 2007, when 67 per-cent of owners statewide anticipated improved pro$tability.

“After years of belt-tightening, careful spending and trying to hold the line on sta%ng levels, small business owners are growing weary of just ‘hanging on,’ and they’re ready to return to pro$tability,” said Executive Vice President Todd Hollander, head of Union Bank’s Business Banking group. “!e prof-itability point is the most positive development from our survey, and it proves again why small busi-nesses are truly the backbone of the U.S. economy – and the speci$c insight and feedback we’ve gained from this comprehensive survey has national implications as California small business owners are a catalyst for the nation’s economic recovery.”

Improving Outlook!e improving pro$t expecta-

tions follow a year of increased sales for business owners, with 42 percent of respondents reporting greater sales in 2010 compared with 2009, up 14 percent from last year’s survey. !e survey data also show that fewer owners (17 percent) incurred layo"s in 2010 than 2009 (24 percent) and 96 percent of own-ers do not anticipate layo"s in 2011.

Planned increases in hiring and capital spending add to the optimism. Twenty-four percent of owners expect to increase staffing levels this year, up three percent from last year and up nine per-cent from 2009—when anticipa-tion for job growth was at its lowest level (15 percent) in the survey’s history. Twenty-seven per-cent of owners plan to increase their capital expenditures this year, up six percent from last year and up 10 percent from 2009. Still, most owners show restrained opti-mism with 70 percent expecting to maintain the same staffing lev-els, 63 percent expecting to keep capital expenditures similar to last year, and 40 percent anticipating continued vendor negotiations for lower costs.

“After weathering substantial challenges during the economic downturn of the last few years, it’s understandable that while small business owners are increasingly hopeful, most remain conservative in their planned expenditures,” said Hollander. “!e good news is that optimism continues to edge up in

terms of pro$tability, hiring and capital expenditures. Many small business owners are waiting to see what 2011 brings before concen-trating on growth.”

While the majority of busi-ness owners (57 percent) believe that their business or industry will have experienced a recovery by the end of 2011, one in four business owners believe they have already experienced an economic recovery, an eight percent increase from last year. Forty-three percent anticipate a recovery in 2012 and beyond.

Government AssistanceWith 54 percent of owners

cutting their operating costs last year, 41 percent reducing their debt and 46 percent negotiating

with vendors for lower costs, busi-ness owners are seeking govern-ment assistance in the same areas as the previous year. Sixty-one percent of owners would like to see the government focus more on tax cuts for small businesses, 37 per-cent favor temporary tax incentives to encourage small businesses to invest in jobs and 33 percent would like lower health care costs to ease the burden for small businesses.

Despite the passage of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010—legislation providing small banks with $30 billion to encourage lend-ing to small businesses, $12 billion in tax incentives, and expanded Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs—only six percent of owners were strongly

Annual Small Business Economic Survey

California economy

State and local business taxes

State and local regulations

0% 15% 30% 45% 60%

25%

30%

55%

26%

38%

60%

29%

37%

44%

201120102009

Top Challenges in Running a Business

Source: Union Bank research January 2011

Thursday, September 1, 2011Top challenges in running a business

6 B U S I N E S S M A N A G E M E N T S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1


motivated to apply for these loans or credit.

“For many small business own-ers who have struggled with debt over the past few years or who think that banks aren’t lending, it will take some time to return to a mindset of applying for loans,” said Senior Vice President Heather Endresen, man-ager of Union Bank’s SBA govern-ment lending. “At Union Bank, we have credit available for quali$ed candidates, continuing our nearly 150-year legacy of lending to small businesses. We’re proud to be one of the most active small business lend-ers in the western U.S.”

According to the survey results, the Jobs Act also had little impact on owners’ plans for hiring. Eighty-nine percent of owners planning to add sta" this year said their planned increases have nothing to do with the legislation. Only four percent said their hiring plans are directly attributed to the legislation. Most small business owners, while remaining somewhat cautious, are tenacious and want to return to hiring and growing their business-es, according to Aida Alvarez, the former head of the Small Business Administration during the Clinton Administration and a member of UnionBanCal Corporation’s board of directors.

Biggest ChallengesSince 2008, California small

business owners have continued to identify the state’s economy as the top challenge in running a business in California. Forty-four percent of owners list this factor as their primary concern, down 16 percent from last year. !is re&ects another part of the survey which found that the majority of business owners (55 percent) feel that the state’s budget crisis had a moderate or signi$cant impact on their business.

For the second consecutive year, state and local business taxes remain the second biggest chal-lenge for California business own-ers. This is the primary concern for 37 percent of owners. State and local business regulations are the third biggest challenge as the primary challenge for 29 percent of owners.

This is the first year since 2004 that workers’ compensation costs did not rank among the top three challenges. Concern about work-ers’ compensation costs dropped from 29 percent last year to 27 percent this year, ranking it as the fifth biggest challenge to doing business statewide. The majority of business owners (69 percent) reported no change in their 2010 workers’ compensation insurance

premium from the previous year. As in last year’s survey, 26 percent of owners reported an increase in their premium. On average, their premium increased 13 percent.

Other Survey Highlights23 percent of business own-ers applied for a business loan or access to credit in 2010. Of these business owners, 37 percent were denied a loan or access to credit. Of those denied, 74 percent were unable to find alternate financing.43 percent do not have a busi-ness line of credit, up eight per-cent from last year.44 percent reported no change in their pricing of products or services in 2010. Twenty-$ve percent raised some prices and lowered others in 2010.41 percent offer health care cov-

erage to their employees, down four percent from the previous year. Apart from a slight rise in 2009, the number of business owners offering health care cov-erage has slowly declined since 2003 .10 percent said social networking Web sites signi$cantly changed their communication with cus-tomers or the way they promoted their business.10 percent plan to make changes in their ownership structure. Of these, 21 percent plan to take on a partner and another 21 percent plan on transferring all or part of the ownership.48 percent o"er paid vacation bene$ts, down 14 percent since 2008.42 percent are communicating more with employees and 30 percent are o"ering more &ex

time and part-time schedules to keep employees motivated during these tough $nancial times.

About the SurveyUnion Bank surveyed 2,892

small business owners throughout California from January 10-28, 2011. The businesses, defined for the survey as having $5 million or less in annual sales, included a mix of bank customers and non-customers. Business owners sur-veyed employed an average of 13 people and have been in business an average of 16 years. Based on the sampling size, survey results ref lect a +/- 2 percent margin of error 95 percent of the time.

To view results of the survey, or to listen to a podcast with the Head of Business Banking for Union Bank, visit www.myfreshfruit.com. !

C A L I F O R N I A F R E S H F R U I T B U S I N E S S M A N A G E M E N T 7


USDA expands export opportunities for American cherry producersCherries first U.S. Fresh Fruit to gain access to Western Australia market

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that after

10 years of negotiations, U.S. cher-ries can now be exported to Western Australia, making cherries the $rst U.S. fresh fruit to gain access to that market. !e market opening positions Australia as the seventh most valuable export market for U.S. cherries.

“!e market opening in Western Australia is great news for American sweet cherry producers of the Northwest and even better news for American agricultural exports, which are fore-cast to set records this year and next thanks to the dedication of American producers,” said Michael Scuse, Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign

Agricultural Services. “In fact, U.S. horticultural exports are expected to surge going into 2012 thanks to the high-quality of American-grown fruits and vegetables.”

U.S. cherries from California have had access to the eastern states of Australia since the late 1990s and Washington and Oregon have been permitted to export to the eastern Australian states since 2001. Since that time, negotiations have been ongoing between Biosecurity Australia and USDA to gain access for U.S. cherries to Western Australia, which maintains its own regulations. A $nal push by importers in Western Australia resulted in the $rst cherry import into that Australian State last month, and Washington State Fruit Commission/Northwest Cherry Growers used USDA Market Access Program funds to showcase the prod-ucts as they arrived in Perth, in Western Australia.

!e Australian market is a rap-idly growing market for U.S. cher-ries. In 2009, a record 2,334 metric tons of cherries valued at $15.6 million were shipped to the Australian market, compared with $1.4 million in 1999 when the market $rst opened. Over the years, USDA and the California and Paci$c Northwest cherry industries have worked together to develop the scienti$c research needed to support the phytosanitary negotiations between USDA and Biosecurity Australia. !ese e"orts, along with strong industry mar-ket development, have nurtured and maintained exports to this market.

U.S. cherries are sold in Australia at a competitive price close to that of

Australian product, as the Australian dollar has strengthened considerably in the last two years, making imports more a"ordable. Since U.S. cherries are counter-seasonal to the Australian crop, the products do not compete directly in the marketplace.

USDA recently forecast $scal year 2011 and 2012 exports will reach a record $137 billion, $22 billion higher than the previous record set in 2008 and $28 billion above 2010. Strong agricultural exports contribute to the positive U.S. trade balance, cre-ate jobs, boost economic growth and support President Obama’s National Export Initiative goal of doubling all U.S. exports by the end of 2014. !

Fresh Bing cherries. Photo by Peggy Greb

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for Governor Brown to immedi-ately stimulate the economy of California.

Put the Obama stimulus money to work in this state by utilizing it as it should be utilized. By mak-ing something happen that actually stimulates the core economy of this state, while reducing its overhead the tax liabilities that will be placed on the voters if you move ahead with the high-speed rail $asco.

Immediately implement a fast-track review process for each and every state regulation currently imposed on the businesses in this state. Delete, under executive order as many unnecessary regulations as possible. In studies done as recently as 2009, California’s business regu-lations burden every small business in this state as much as $14,000 per year. Enough money for each busi-ness in the state to hire one more person. As many as 4 million new jobs could be created short-term.

!en use that same fast-track review process to determine if we need the bureaucracy that support-ed and tracked all of those regula-tions. It’s not the services we pro-vide that are killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. It’s the cost of delivering those services. “Can we get by with less or fewer,” needs to be the battle cry.

Next take the funds that you would &ush down the drain on the train and divide those funds into two parts. One to improve and grow the water infrastructure of the state, with emphasis on water stor-age, transportation and utilization.

!e other half is to be invested in solar power with the goal of $rst eliminating the monthly cost of electricity for the tax payers of California, the power used to power the buildings and operations of the state of California. With the secondary goal of taking half of the savings, investing in more solar power production at the business and residential levels of our state so as to eventually reduce reliance on other forms of power by 70 percent. !e sun is truly free. We need to utilize it better than ever before.

Two huge bene$ts are derived. First, you send all the right signals. A signal to agriculture, a positive signal to all business that you are serious about $xing what is wrong and that California is the place to come, to stay and to invest. When you show long-term support for developing the means to capture and distribute one of our great-est natural resources and provide a predictable means of long-term sustainability for growing food and

$ber as well as the needs of a thirsty populous, then the business cli-mate changes. Businesses like pre-dictability. !ey like leadership. It won’t always be peaches and cream, but if they can have and count on predictability then that changes everything.

The side benefit of securing long-term sustainability for farm-ing in this state is that it will gener-ate unmatched wealth for the state, because it utilizes the benefits of Raw Material Economics. Nothing

government can do will do more than if you give the producers of this state who are engaged in Raw Material Economics the green light to produce and grow. Their efforts and wealth is multiplied seven times their own contribu-tion, a stimulus that could easily reach $3.5 trillion per year if it were implemented not only state-wide buy nationwide.

!e second and most compel-ling bene$t is when we invest in solar with the initial goal of cutting

costs, and reinvesting the savings you do what government has never done before. Use common sense to accomplish what could not be done otherwise. How would the state government feel about being paid money to solve the most severe eco-nomic crisis in its history? !at is what these good and right decisions would do for our state.

Do we have the guts to make the call? I hope so. !e solutions are here. We just need to get up o" the &oor and get started. !

continued from page 5

C A L I F O R N I A F R E S H F R U I T P U B L I S H E R ' S P E R S P E C T I V E 9


We supportour local farmers!

H.R. 2584 blocks EPA from stifling economic growthIn his address on !e Ag Minute,

Chairman Frank Lucas recent-ly discussessed H.R. 2584, the Interior, Environment and Related Appropriations Act of $scal year 2012. !ere are provisions in the bill that would block the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from exceeding its authority and sti&ing economic growth with unnecessary and costly regulations.

Read the transcript below, and visit at www.myfreshfruit.com to review a copy of the bill.

“Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are committed to getting our economy back on track.

“Speci$cally, the Agriculture Committee has been working with other Congressional Committees to expose regulatory actions that threat-en the economic viability of produc-tion agriculture and rural economies.

“An example of these e"orts is H.R. 2584, which the House is con-sidering this week.

“!is bill contains critical amend-ments to rein in the aggressive e"orts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expand its authority over American agriculture.

“H.R. 2584 blocks the EPA from imposing tighter farm dust standards and from imposing what amounts

to a cow tax on livestock producers. !ese are unnecessary regulations that could drive agricultural produc-ers out of business.

“Additionally, H.R. 2584 would eliminate a double permitting require-ment for pesticide applications that

are already regulated. Without a leg-islative $x, this requirement threatens the livelihood of every farmer.

“My Republican colleagues and I understand that our economy needs more jobs, not more regulations. HR. 2584 blocks the EPA from exceeding

its authority and sti&ing economic growth along the way.”

!e Ag Minute is Chairman Lucas’s weekly radio address that is released from the House Agriculture Committee. To view H.R. 2584, visit www.myfreshfruit.com. !

Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, Frank Lucas

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New Center for Produce Safety chairman has vision for food safety

As Steve Patricio assumes his respon-sibilities as the new chairman of the

Center for Produce Safety and takes the reins of this groundbreaking e"ort to provide research the produce industry can use to prevent foodborne illnesses, he wants to assure everyone of one thing – this is not his $rst rodeo.

Patricio is President and CEO of Westside Produce, a major shipper of fresh California and Arizona melons. He has served as Chairman of the Food Safety Committee of the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board since its inception in 1990. During his tenure, Patricio weathered one of the produce industry’s earliest known foodborne ill-ness outbreaks. Although, the outbreak was eventually linked to cantaloupes produced in Mexico, for several weeks in the middle of Central California’s major production period for melons, sales of all cantaloupes stopped dead in their tracks.

“It was my job to send 800 seasonal melon workers home because of an event that had happened two months prior in another country,” said Patricio. “We quickly came to the realization that it didn’t matter if we were responsible for making people sick – we needed to do something about it. We needed to assure consumers our product was safe; we needed to better understand the science behind our product and these patho-gens. More importantly, we needed to fund science-based research into how this incident happened in the $rst place and to make sure it never happened on our farms.”

With that thought in mind, Patricio became the leader of the melon industry’s $rst mandatory food safety program.

“Our Central California canta-loupe industry was the $rst to imple-ment mandatory trace-back on every carton shipped from our district, way ahead of any government or customer mandate,” explains Patricio. “We are proud of what we do and how we do

it. Our families, our workers and their families rely on the assurance that we are producing a safe product.”

Today Patricio is still leading the charge for cantaloupes and with his new duties as chairman of CPS, that role will now expand well beyond the melon $elds of California.

“Like most of us in the produce industry, the product we grow and ship has never been associated with a food-borne illness outbreak,” said Patricio. “But we know $rsthand the damage an outbreak can cause to the many people who make a living bringing that healthy product to market, as well as to the repu-tation and sales of an entire commodity.”

As its new chairman, Patricio’s overarching goal for CPS is to foster wide collaboration among all produce groups in all production areas.

“Science based research is the key to solving food safety problems for produce and it doesn’t matter what fruits or veg-etables you grow – this is something we all need to pay attention to,” said Patricio. “!e only way we can truly prevent foodborne illness in produce from ever happening is to work together to fund research and then share this knowledge with anyone and everyone who farms, ships, handles or consumes produce.”

For Patricio this is not just lip service, it’s something he is putting into practice at home. Since the 1990s, the California melon industry has utilized industry assessment dollars to fund a great deal of food safety research. Most recently, the California Cantaloupe Board completed a couple of impor-tant research projects by renowned food safety scientist Dr. Trevor Suslow of the University of California, Davis. Suslow conducted a series of tests both in com-mercial melon $eld settings as well as in greenhouses to analyze how pathogens, particularly Salmonella, could poten-tially $nd their way into packed melons.

“What Dr. Suslow learned is very

good news,” said Patricio. “!e research con$rms there is no internalization of pathogens into cantaloupes via root uptake and, in fact, it appears that can-taloupes may have some natural capac-ity to ward o" salmonella systemically.”

Patricio explained that Dr. Suslow is now further examining this phenome-non as part of a CPS-funded project that will look at other commodities besides melons. Further, Patricio noted that other California melon industry-funded research by Suslow has provided addi-tional $ndings about certain growing practices in California that minimize contamination of product in the $eld.

“Our intention now is to share this research with producers in other melon growing regions who have recently expe-rienced issues with contaminated prod-uct,” said Patricio. “We have learned the hard way that the best case scenario is for all melons to be safe. !is is what melon producers want and what is best for con-sumers of melons around the world.”

Patricio explains that Dr. Suslow’s research $ndings, as well as all of the other funded research projects of the California melon industry, are avail-able and posted on the website of the California Melon Research Board at www.cmrb.org . He urges all melon pro-ducers to contact the California Melon Research Board to gain access to the

research database and to see other food safety information concerning melons so it can be put to use on their own farms. He also noted that the most recent U.S. Food and Drug Agency Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards for Melons is also available on the CMRB website.

Patricio believes the current U.S. food safety policy environment, new leg-islation and pending food safety regula-tions are even more reason for producers to band together.

“It is of the utmost importance that we have commodity-speci$c food safety guidelines that are applicable for all growing areas and that they really work to protect public health,” he said. “!at means more and greater collaboration. I am very happy to be a part of the industry-wide CPS organization at this unique time.”

Patricio concluded by saying, “!ose who know me understand I am an out-spoken advocate on issues that are impor-tant to producers. I hope people recognize they can come to me with their concerns and know I’ll listen and try to help. “

In the meantime, Patricio urges all members of the produce industry to support the Center for Produce Safety.

For more information, visit myfreshfruit.com. !

photo by Scott Bauer, courtesy of the Agricultural Research Service

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California farmers discuss farm bill priorities for 2012by Christine Souza

With less funding likely to be available for agricultural pro-

grams in the next federal farm bill, California farmers and farm orga-nizations emphasized the need to maintain research, pest exclusion and market development programs dur-ing California Department of Food and Agriculture listening sessions.

State Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross said the ses-sions would help her better advo-cate California farm bill priorities at the national level. !e current farm bill will expire in 2012, necessitating action by Congress.

“!e most important thing that we can do if we want to make a dif-ference in Washington is to have a strong, uni$ed, California voice around our themes that really illus-trate for Congress that what’s good in California is very helpful to the future of America,” Ross said.

During a listening session in Sacramento, California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger said he realizes those drafting the 2012 Farm Bill have a tough job ahead.

“We know we are facing chal-lenging times, but just like on our farms and ranches when we are chal-lenged $nancially, as we sit back and prioritize, we really can make the decisions that will help us build for a great future,” Wenger said.

He emphasized the importance of continued support for research through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service and the University of California.

“Cooperative Extension through our land grant universities is so criti-cal to where we have come as a country agriculturally that sometimes we overlook that it is also extreme-ly important to our urban areas,” Wenger said. “As we think about food safety, food handling and nutrition issues, we need to be really look-

ing at how we can be supportive of Cooperative Extension.”

Dean Neal Van Alfen of the University of California, Davis, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences said the nation “has not been supporting agricultural research the way it has many other areas of research ... and this is not going to help us solve our needs for the future.”

Many speakers emphasized the need to retain adequate funding for plant, pest and disease programs.

At a listening session in Fresno, Tulare County Farm Bureau Executive Director Tricia Stever Blattler referred to the pest and dis-ease control and exclusion programs as “an important and critical tool in protecting our agricultural produc-tion industry.”

She noted that the region’s citrus farms face the threat of disease car-ried by the Asian citrus psyllid.

“It is not a question of if this bug will threaten the Central Valley, but when. We must maintain vigilance about keeping pest eradication and early detection programs funded and in place,” Stever Blattler said.

Several speakers supported maintaining an appropriate safety net for program crops such as corn, cotton, rice, wheat and dairy.

Eric Erba of milk processor California Dairies Inc. cited the coop-erative’s recommendations for reducing the volatility of the dairy business.

“!e basic theme for dairy pro-ducers since 2009 has been one of survivability,” he said.

Erba said he would like to see pro-grams for dairy farmers that help with risk management and enhancing inter-national markets for dairy products.

Other speakers sought contin-ued support for market development programs such as the Market Access Program.

In the 2008 Farm Bill, specialty crops such as fruits, vegetables and nuts earned their own section for the $rst

time. Chris Valadez of the California Grape and Tree Fruit League noted that his organization was one of 120 groups that formed a national coalition known as the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance. Valadez praised the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops program and advocated for a stronger emphasis on the Specialty Crop Block Grant program.

Claudia Reid, policy direc-tor for California Certi$ed Organic Farmers, asked that the new farm bill retain programs and funding for organic agriculture that were added to the 2008 Farm Bill.

Speakers highlighted the ben-e$ts of farm bill conservation pro-grams such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Nita Vail of the California Rangeland Trust described conservation pro-grams as critical for California.

“We know that conservation programs are regularly oversub-scribed, that there are more farm-ers and ranchers who would like to get into the programs than funding allows,” she said.

Wenger noted that nutrition programs in the farm bill can bene$t both farmers and consumers.

“We encourage focusing on

programs that build demand for California’s diversity of fruits, nuts and vegetables and get these prod-ucts into the hands of all consum-ers,” he said.

Still to be seen is the impact that federal de$cit-reduction e"orts will have on the farm bill debate. In October, the House and Senate agriculture commit-tees will submit recommendations to the 12-member congressional de$cit reduction committee.

As the de$cit-reduction debate continues, Wenger said Farm Bureau and other farm organizations “will be looking at the programs important to California farmers and seeing which ones we can’t a"ord to lose and seeing where changes could be made.”

To submit comments to CDFA on the 2012 Farm Bill, email to [email protected] or write to California Department of Food and Agriculture, 1220 N St., Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814.

!anks to the California Farm Bureau Federation for granting per-mission to reprint this item.

Editor’s note: What are your prior-ities? Visit our Facebook page and share your comments about what belongs in the next farm bill. !

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Farm Leader Calls for Balanced Energy PolicySmart energy policy must bal-

ance renewable and conventional sources of energy, stress self-su%-ciency and avoid diluting science with politics, according to California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger.

Wenger discussed energy policy during a speech hosted by the Consumer Energy Alliance, in conjunction with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners summer meeting in Los Angeles.

“We are making progress in renewable energy but there is still a gap in the science and the a"ord-ability of some renewable sources,” Wenger said. “Policy makers need to make an honest assessment of the potential for renewable energy sources before imposing standards that may be impractical or impos-sible to meet. At the same time, we must pursue safe development of available domestic sources, includ-ing o"shore oil supplies and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.”

Wenger noted that nearly 2,000 California farmers have installed solar panels, wind tur-bines or other forms of renew-able energy production, making California the No. 1 state for

on-farm energy generation. But he warned that renewable-energy policies have also placed some farmland under threat.

“!ere’s a new land rush that’s been touched o" by pressure to max-imize solar energy development,” he said. “Solar developers look for &at land with good solar exposure, and that often means farmland. Government policy should conserve productive farmland and limit solar development to marginally produc-

tive lands.”Wenger said smart energy policy

should also place more emphasis on hydroelectricity.

“Hydroelectric energy is an important, renewable resource, with multipurpose benefits that include f lood control, water sup-ply and recreation. But only hydro facilities smaller than 30 mega-watts count toward the state’s renewable mandate,” he said. “This is a case where politics

gets in the way of sound energy decisions, because reservoir con-struction has fallen out of favor. We must broaden our thinking in order to assure a safe and reliable domestic energy supply.”

!e California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect fam-ily farms and ranches on behalf of approximately 76,500 members state-wide and as part of a nationwide network of nearly 6.3 million Farm Bureau members. !

C A L I F O R N I A F R E S H F R U I T R E N E W A B L E E N E R G Y 1 3


Peach farmers see a ‘marginally better’ yearBy Christine Souza

California’s scaled-down freestone peach business shows a hint of

promise this season, farmers say, fol-lowing the closure of more than a dozen longtime grower-packer-ship-pers in recent years and a decision by growers this year not to fund the federal marketing order for the crop.

“A lot of people in the industry are somewhat &ying blind and trying to gauge where we are overall, but to generalize, peaches are having a mar-ginally better year than the last few at this point,” said Barry Bedwell, presi-dent of the California Grape & Tree Fruit League. “We still have a long way to go, but I think the mild summer has produced apparently good yields and the quality and taste of the fruit is very good. So that is clearly a positive.”

!at’s hopeful news for peach farmers, especially after 2009, when about a dozen medium and large growers-packers-shippers of California stone fruit were forced to close their doors. Rising produc-tion costs, lower returns, a slumping national economy and competition from other commodities were cited as reasons for the shutdown of the longtime businesses.

Merced County farmer Jimmy Johnston grows 300 acres of freestone peaches that he sells to Dole Packaged Foods in Atwater for the fresh-frozen market. Although he also grows a few cling peaches that are canned by Seneca Foods Corp. in Modesto, he said he has found a good market for his fresh peaches.

“I’ve packed a few boxes for the fresh market now and then, but

my peaches mostly go to Dole, who freezes them,” Johnston said. “Once harvested, we put the peaches in bins,

and Dole comes out and picks them up from the $eld and takes them back to their facility in Atwater. !ere, they will wash, pit and process the fruit, which could then be packaged as halves, sliced or diced.”

!e labor cost involved in pro-ducing a peach crop, Johnston said, is one reason why many of his fellow farmers have decided to get out of the peach business.

“Growers are just plain getting out of peaches and planting almonds, which require a lot less labor,” Johnston said. “Almonds are almost completely mechanized now, whereas with peaches, we’re still doing prun-ing by hand, thinning by hand and harvesting by hand.”

Johnston was raised in a peach-farming family that operated a pro-cessing facility in Atwater. !e family sold the facility to Dole about $ve years ago.

His sister Dena Cipponeri also grows freestone peaches for the fresh-frozen market. She and her husband operate Cipponeri Family Farms, a produce stand outside of Turlock, and sell produce at 20 farmers markets in the Bay Area and the Central Valley.

“People still love peaches. You can them, make pies, ice cream—they are so versatile—so peaches do well with our customers at our pro-duce stand and at the farmers mar-kets,” Cipponeri said.

One plus for fresh peaches this year is a later season caused by cooler-than-normal spring temperatures and rains. !is change in timing, Bedwell said, has resulted in fewer competing commodities on store shelves.

“!ere’s been less competition to this point from things like grapes and cherries. So when you look at some of these other competing products’ movement, the sales of peaches have been very good,” Bedwell said.

!e balance of supply and demand for freestone peaches may be improving after the consolidation of

1 4 I N D U S T R Y N E W S S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1


grower-packers, Bedwell said, but the $nal word on that won’t be known until the end of the season. !e U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service fore-cast for July o"ered a crop produc-tion forecast for the state’s 2011 free-stone peach crop at 385,000 tons, unchanged from 2010.

“People are hoping that by the end of the year they’ll be able to say, ‘We were maybe pro$table on most of our varieties for the $rst time,’” Bedwell said. “We’ll try to gather as much information as we can at the end and also listen to the industry about what potential tools they need to help them in future years.”

Fresh peach grower Jim Montross, a $eld manager at Wawona Frozen Foods in Clovis that processes freestone peaches for the fresh-frozen market, said he sees only a gradual recovery.

“I believe the market is still low in the pro$t zone. All of the factors have to collect to get these guys some returns, and it is just not quite there yet,” Montross said. “For an acre of tree fruit, you throw $5,000 to $6,000 at it to get a crop and walk away with not much. It just doesn’t make any sense. !e margin has to be there or else the bank will laugh you out of the o%ce.”

!e fresh peach business is also adjusting to the end of the federal marketing order for California fresh peaches and nectarines, the California Tree Fruit Agreement. Farmers voted in April to dissolve the marketing order that o"ered production and marketing research, quality control and market development.

“!e small grower, he’s probably thinking more about keeping the 20 cents a box that was being assessed on him and for the big guy, they think that they can promote it themselves; they don’t need the industry e"ort,” Montross said. “What we will miss about CTFA are the research proj-ects they did with the University of California as well as its weekly tabula-tion of all of the boxes packed. We always had an idea of how much fruit

was getting shipped and obviously what not to pack.”

Montross said the quality of this year’s peaches should spur demand.

“I pulled some Elegant Ladies o" of the trees and let me tell you, it is a &avorful year and that’s what sells tree fruit. It is better than candy,” he said.

Thanks to the California Farm Bureau Federation for granting per-mission to print this item. !

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Support Grows for “Eat Local, Buy California Grown Day”The move to get Californians to eat more

California-grown foods has come to the Central Valley. A resolution that calls for Californians to choose meals made exclusively from California-grown ingredients at least one day a week was passed by the Fresno county board of supervisors and other valley counties are being encouraged to pass similar measures.

“We are pleased to see the support grow for this effort,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. “Fresno County is the third largest producer of table grapes in the state, so support from its board of supervisors shows the importance

the county places on agriculture. We look for-ward to seeing other counties pass resolutions in support of the Eat Local, Buy California Grown Day.”

According to Fresno County’s 2010 Annual Crop and Livestock Report, farmers and ranch-ers in Fresno County produced a record $5.9 billion in crops and commodities in 2010, more than any county in the nation. Grapes (wine, table, raisin), for the ninth year in a row, were the top valued crop in the county. Nearly all (99 percent) of the table grapes commercially grown in the U.S. are from California.

“Consumers all over the world recognize

California for the quality of its agriculture,” said Nave. “Valley shoppers have the opportunity to support their local economy and enjoy some of the best food in the world at the same time.”

California consumers can show support by signing a pledge to dedicate a day to eating local on the Eat Local, Buy California Grown Day Facebook page: www.facebook.com/eatlocalbuy-californiagrown.

The California Table Grape Commission was created by the California legislature in 1967 to increase worldwide demand for fresh California grapes through a variety of research and promo-tional programs. !

We are excited to announce that California Fresh Fruit has gone live with the mobile version of our website! You can access the site by typing www.myfreshfruit.com into your browser. If you have any complications or feedback, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected] or sharing your comments on our Facebook page. We hope you can benefit from this convenient new feature and look forward to getting more information into your hands.

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White House announces first ever oil savings standards for heavy duty trucks, busesSaving $50 billion in fuel costs and over 500 million barrels of oil

President Obama met with indus-try o%cials on Aug. 9 to discuss

the $rst of their kind fuel e%ciency and greenhouse gas pollution stan-dards for work trucks, buses, and other heavy duty vehicles and to thank them for their leadership in $naliz-ing a successful national program for these vehicles. !is meeting marks the Administration’s announcement of the standards, which will save American

businesses who operate and own these commercial vehicles approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the program. !e U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the standards in close coordination with the companies that met with the President as well as other stakeholders, following requests from companies to develop this program.

!e cost savings for American busi-nesses are on top of the $1.7 trillion that American families will save at the pump from the historic fuel-e%ciency standards announced by the Obama Administrations for cars and light duty trucks, including the model year 2017-2025 agreement announced by the President last month.

“While we were working to improve the e%ciency of cars and

light-duty trucks, something inter-esting happened,” said President Obama. “We started getting letters asking that we do the same for medi-um and heavy-duty trucks. !ey were from the people who build, buy, and drive these trucks. And today, I’m proud to have the support of these companies as we announce the $rst-ever national policy to increase fuel e%ciency and decrease greenhouse gas pollution from medium-and heavy-duty trucks.”

“Thanks to the Obama Administration, for the $rst time in our history we have a common goal for increasing the fuel e%ciency of the trucks that deliver our products, the vehicles we use at work, and the buses our children ride to school,” said Secretary LaHood. “!ese new stan-dards will reduce fuel costs for busi-nesses, encourage innovation in the manufacturing sector, and promote energy independence for America.”

“!is Administration is commit-ted to protecting the air we breathe and cutting carbon pollution – and programs like these ensure that we can serve those priorities while also reducing our dependence on import-ed oil and saving money for driv-ers,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “More e%cient trucks on our highways and less pollution from the buses in our neighborhoods will allow us to breathe cleaner air and use less oil, providing a wide range of bene$ts to our health, our environ-ment and our economy.”

Under the comprehensive new national program, trucks and buses built in 2014 through 2018 will reduce oil consumption by a projected 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by approximately 270 million met-ric tons. Like the Administration’s historic car standards, this program – which relies heavily on o"-the-shelf technologies – was developed in coordination with truck and engine manufacturers, &eet owners, the State of California, environmental groups and other stakeholders.

!e joint DOT/EPA program will include a range of targets which are speci$c to the diverse vehicle types and purposes. Vehicles are divided into three major categories: combina-tion tractors (semi-trucks), heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, and vocational vehicles (like transit buses and refuse trucks). Within each of those catego-ries, even more speci$c targets are laid out based on the design and purpose

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of the vehicle. !is &exible structure allows serious but achievable fuel e%-ciency improvement goals charted for each year and for each vehicle category and type.

!e standards are expected to yield an estimated $50 billion in net bene$ts over the life of model year 2014 to 2018 vehicles, and to result in sig-ni$cant long-terms savings for vehicle owners and operators. A semi-truck operator could pay for the technology upgrades in under a year and realize net savings of $73,000 through reduced fuel costs over the truck’s useful life. !ese cost saving standards will also reduce emissions of harmful air pol-lutants like particulate matter, which can lead to asthma, heart attacks and premature death.

By the 2018 model year, the

program is expected to achieve sig-ni$cant savings relative to current levels, across vehicle types. Certain combination tractors – commonly

known as big-rigs or semi-trucks – will be required to achieve up to approximately 20 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018, saving up to 4 gallons of fuel for every 100 miles traveled.

For heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, separate standards are required for gasoline-powered and diesel trucks. !ese vehicles will be required to achieve up to approx-imately 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by model year 2018. Under the $nalized standards a typical gasoline or diesel powered heavy-duty pickup truck or van could save one gallon of fuel for

every 100 miles traveled.Vocational vehicles – including

delivery trucks, buses, and garbage trucks – will be required to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 10 percent by model year 2018. !ese trucks could save an average of one gallon of fuel for every 100 miles traveled.

Beyond the direct bene$ts to businesses that own and operate these vehicles, the program will also bene$t consumers and businesses by reduc-ing costs for transporting goods, and spur growth in the clean energy sector by fostering innovative technologies and providing regulatory certainty for manufacturers. !

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California’s rural traffic fatality rate is fifth highest in nationState’s rural roads and bridges are deteriorated and may not support economic growth and mobility demands.

America’s rural heartland is home to approximately 50 mil-

lion people and its natural resourc-es provide the primary source of the energy, food and fiber that supports the nation’s economy and way of life. But, according to a new report, the roads and bridges that serve and connect the nation’s rural areas face a number of significant challenges, including inadequate capacity to handle the growing levels of traff ic and commerce, limited connectivity, the inability to accommodate growing freight travel, deteriorated road and bridge conditions, a lack of desirable safe-ty features, and a traffic fatal-ity rate far higher than all other

roads and highways. The report, “Rural Connections: Challenges and Opportunities in America’s Heartland,” was released by TRIP, a national non-profit transpor-tation research group based in Washington, D.C. It defines Rural America as all places outside of urban areas of 5,000 or more.

Despite a recent decrease in the overall fatality rate on America’s roads, traffic crashes and fatalities on California’s rural roads remain disproportionately high, occurring at a rate more than four times higher than on all other roads. California ranks second in the nation in the number of fatalities on the state’s rural, non-Interstate

roads and fifth in the nation in the traffic fatality rate on its rural, non-Interstate roads. In 2009,

California’s non-Interstate rural roads had a traffic fatality rate of 2.86 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles of travel, compared to a fatality rate on all other roads of 0.68 deaths per 100 million vehi-cle miles of travel. Of the 3,081 traffic fatalities that occurred in California in 2009, 1,164 were on rural, non-Interstate roads. Inadequate roadway safety design, longer emergency vehicle response times and the higher speeds trav-eled on rural roads are factors in the higher traffic fatality rate.

According to the TRIP report, California has the fifteenth highest percentage of major rural pave-ments in poor condition. In 2008, 18 percent of the state’s major rural roads were rated in poor condi-tion and another 52 percent were rated in mediocre or fair condition. California also ranks nineteenth in the nation in the percentage of rural bridges that are structur-ally deficient. In 2010, 14 percent of California’s rural bridges were rated as structurally deficient and

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13 percent were functionally obso-lete.

“Californians deserve to get where we’re going safely, whether driving to shopping areas, trying to connect to an Interstate, visiting a state park or national forest, or going to the wine country or ski-ing,” said Bert Sandman, chairman of Transportation California. The TRIP report shows that inade-quate roadway safety design, longer emergency vehicle response times and the higher speeds traveled on rural roads are factors in the high-er traffic fatality rate, particularly on two-lane roads. “Many vital connector routes between towns and cities and between the major north-south freeways are hazardous two-lane roads,” Sandman said. “If the funding is provided, these roads can be modernized and made safer,” he said.

“The safety and quality of life in America’s small communities and rural areas and the health of the nation’s economy ride on our rural transportation system.# This backbone of the heartland allows mobility and connectivity for millions of rural Americans and provides crucial links from farm to market, moves manufac-tured and energy products, and provides access to countless tour-ist and recreational destinations,” said Will Wilkins, executive direc-tor of TRIP.# “But, with long-term federal transportation legisla-tion stuck in political gridlock in Washington, America’s rural com-munities and economies could face even higher unemployment and decline.# Funding the moderniza-tion of our rural transportation system will create jobs and help ensure long-term economic devel-opment and quality of life in rural America.”

According to the TRIP report, America must adopt transportation policies that will improve rural transportation connectivity, safe-ty and conditions to provide the nation’s small communities and rural areas with the level of safe and efficient access that will sup-port quality of life and enhance economic productivity. This can be done, in part, by modernizing and extending key routes to accom-modate personal and commercial travel, improving public transit access to rural areas, implementing needed roadway safety improve-ments, improving emergency response times, and adequately funding state and local transporta-tion programs to insure sufficient preservation and maintenance of rural transportation assets. !

C A L I F O R N I A F R E S H F R U I T R U R A L N E W S 2 1


CONTACT: CARLOS PEREZ 831!902!5525 OR FRANK KENDRICK 559!217!0048CONTACT: CARLOS PEREZ 831!902!5525 OR FRANK KENDRICK 559!217!0048

SureHarvest Awarded “Game Changer” of the Year

Honored as One of California’s Most Innovative Businesses

SureHarvest has been selected as “California’s 2011 Leaders In Agriculture Innovation” by Grow-

California for its cutting-edge approach to business, which has a positive impact on California’s agri-cultural industry and economy.

!e award was presented by California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross, and USDA Rural Development State Director, Dr.

Glenda Humiston, at a special cer-emony during the inaugural California Agriculture innovation conference on the campus of U.C. Davis on July 21st.

“!e SureHarvest team has been working hard to mainstream sus-tainability as a core business strat-egy in California’s agrifood sector by adapting continuous improve-ment approaches common in manu-facturing to the demanding condi-tions found on the farm and inside food processing and winery facili-ties. California agriculture is a global leader in operational e%ciency, qual-ity, and most recently sustainabil-ity. I’m thrilled SureHarvest’s con-tributions to California agriculture is being recognized through the“Game Changer” award”, announced Je" Dlott, SureHarvest CEO.

“SureHarvest is a true game changer in its innovative approach,” said Jon Gregory, president and CEO of Grow California. He added, “It is a business that has caught the interest of numerous investors, bankers and economic development organizations who consulted with us to identify California agricultur-al companies who were impressed by their focus on innovation.”

Koch Agronomic Services reaches agreement to acquire assets of Agrotain International

AGROTAIN International announced today that it has signed a

de$nitive agreement to sell its assets to Koch Agronomic Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Koch Fertilizer, LLC. !e transaction is subject to regula-tory approval and certain other clos-ing conditions. !e deal is expected to close in the third quarter.

“!e AGROTAIN business has experienced great success and such rapid growth that additional resourc-es are needed to meet demand,” said Mike Stegmann, president of AGROTAIN International. “As Koch has a strong presence in the fertilizer business, they approached us about possibly working together. We saw how their resources could help bolster our position as a market leader in the enhanced e%ciency fertilizer business and it evolved into an o"er to purchase.”

“AGROTAIN International is an outstanding company with a long history of providing value-added products and a dedicated, customer-focused workforce,” said Steve Packebush, president of Koch Fertilizer. “!e organization truly has an entrepreneurial spirit that lends itself well to take advantage of signi$cant growth opportunities within the enhanced e%ciency fer-tilizer market.

Farm Aid President Willie Nelson to be inducted into the Agricultural Hall of Fame

Farm Aid and the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame announced that Farm Aid founder and president Willie Nelson will be inducted into the Agricultural Hall of Fame. #

Nelson was honored in a cer-emony that took place the morn-ing before Farm Aid’s 2011 concert at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan last month.

“We want to recognize Mr. Nelson for his long commitment to America’s family farmers,” said Cathi Hahner, executive director of the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame. “To this day, he con-tinues the work that he started back

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in 1985 when he, along with John Mellencamp and Neil Young, orga-nized the $rst Farm Aid concert, rais-ing millions of dollars and drawing enormous attention to the devastat-ing economic problems faced by this country’s family farmers and their communities.”

As Farm Aid’s founder and presi-dent, Nelson has been a champion in the work to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Over the past 26 years, Farm Aid has raised more than $39 mil-lion to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture that ensures farmers a fair living, strength-ens our communities, protects our natural resources and delivers good food for all.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to join the company of the 38 prominent inductees already in the Agricultural Hall of Fame,” said Nelson. “I have long said that family farmers are the backbone of our coun-try. I never thought Farm Aid would need to be around as long as it has been, but we know our country needs family farmers, and Farm Aid will be here as long as family farmers need us. It’s up to all of us to work together to keep family farmers growing.”

!e Agricultural Hall of Fame’s inductees include George Washington Carver, John Deere, Louise Stanley and !omas Je"erson. !e National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame was issued a rare federal charter by the act of the 86th Congress to serve as the national museum of agriculture and to honor the American farmer. Today, it sits on a 164 acre complex in the Kansas City, Kan., metro area that includes the Agricultural Hall of Fame, Museum of Farming, Farm Town USA, Poultry Museum and the National Farmers Memorial, which stands as the nation’s only national monument honoring the American farmer — past, present and future.

Musco Family Olive Co. Awarded “Game Changer of the Year”

Family-Owned, Leading Olive Supplier Recognized at California Agriculture Innovation Conference in Energy E%ciency and Renewable Energy Category

Family-owned, Musco Family Olive Co., the nation’s leading supplier of table olives, was hon-ored as a “California 2011 Leader in Innovation in Energy and Agriculture” by Grow-California for its cutting-edge approach to busi-ness which has a positive impact on California’s agricultural industry and economy. Musco received the “Game Changer of the Year” Award in the

category of Innovation in Energy and Agriculture and earned the recogni-tion speci$cally for its most recent initiative – the Renewable Energy and Wastewater System (RENEWS).

According to Felix Musco, CEO of Musco Family Olive Co., more than 15 tons of olive pits, previously considered waste, are converted to carbon-neutral heat energy each day through RENEWS. Energy from the pits is used to evaporate wastewater and to drive the largest industrial steam engine in the United States, at Musco’s Tracy, California head-quarters. RENEWS was invented and patented by leading specialist, Frank Schubert, CEO and founder of Combined Solar Technologies,#on-site at Musco’s facilities. More than half of the facility’s electrical needs will be supplied by the system.

“Receiving the ‘Game Changer of the Year’ Award underscores Musco’s commitment to environ-mental stewardship and to providing

for future generations,” said Musco, representing the third generation of the Musco family legacy. “Our goal is a 100 percent renewable practice, where every olive processed within the facility is also helping our planet.”

Musco’s environmental steward-ship extends to multiple innovations, including recycling more than 90 per-cent of all its water through a closed-loop system and extensive diversion from land$lls, either through ben-e$cial reuse on-site or via o"-site institutional recycling. Musco is the $rst food processor in the United States to utilize NyPa crop forage to address soil salinity. !e company is also dedicated to innovative transport and packaging processes.

“Musco Family Olive Co. is a true game changer in its innovative approach,” said Jon Gregory, presi-dent and CEO of Grow California. “RENEWS caught the interest of numerous investors, bankers and economic development organiza-

tions who consulted with us to identify California agricultural companies with an impressive focus on innovation.”

“We are proud of our hard-earned legacy as being the leading olive producer in the nation, but we are even more proud of our dedica-tion and investment to doing busi-ness in a way that is healthy for our environment and community,” said Musco. “It doesn’t matter the size of your business. We are proof that innovative environmental solutions are attainable.”

!e award was presented by California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross, and USDA Rural Development State Director, Dr. Glenda Humiston, at a special cer-emony today during the inaugural California Agriculture Innovation con-ference on the campus of U.C. Davis. Winners were selected because of their focus on innovation and contributions to California’s economic growth. !

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WANTEDVINEYARDS & ORCHARDS FOR 2011-2012 SEASON

Call: 559-470-7599 And let’s talk!

Road is bumpy one for farm equipmentBy Don Curlee

While farming in California is among the state’s few econom-

ic bright spots, those who supply heavy equipment to farmers are busy steering away from ruts in the road.

It takes an optimistic outlook for a farmer to invest $300,000 in a large combine, super sized tractor, other harvesting or specialized equipment. And when equipment dealers explain that it might be 10 months or more before his order can be delivered the farmer’s optimism must be long term.

Delayed delivery is not the only obstacle that farm equipment dealers are encountering in behalf of their

customers. !e price of new equipment is a bar-rier in itself. Worse, fab-rication of some units is delayed or diverted for lack of parts. Some hiccups in the Japanese economy have inter-fered with traditionally prompt delivery of parts and replacement items.

!e cost of delivery has increased as shippers are faced with higher prices for gasoline and delays and increased costs for parts to maintain their trucks.

!e cost and inconvenience of

regulations, most of them imposed by the state, cause farm equipment dealers to invest extra time and money to meet and maintain them, record their compliance and report it when asked to. Regulations, espe-cially those with ques-tionable goals, are

more than inconvenient. Complying takes a dealer’s time away from other pro$t centered activities.

Bill Garton, one of the state’s largest farm equipment dealers

with outlets in Modesto, Newman, Stockton, Tulare, Turlock, Santa Rosa and Ukiah underscores the bumps in the road enumerated above, but says the farm equipment business is good. “If agriculture does well we do well.’ he said. “I am glad to be in agriculture.”

Steven Koste, Executive Vice President of the Far West Equipment Dealers Ass’n,, agreed with Garton’s view of the global in&uences on avail-ability and cost of farm equipment.

Koste also drew the contrast between California agriculture and typical Midwest farm production of only a few crops. He noted that most segments of Western agriculture are doing well, but emphasized the strug-gles of the dairy industry as it faces increasing costs of feed and other essential inputs.

!e association he manages includes dealers in seven western states, providing him with a regional overview. He, like Garton, pinpointed costly regulatory restrictions that cause dealers and farmers to invest heavily to comply. Most of the regulations are state imposed, but some originate at the national level.

Koste said dealers are trying to “partner” with their custom-ers in planning ahead, anticipat-ing equipment deliveries three to 12 months down the road. “Lead time for deliveries definitely has increased,” he said.

He noted that the availability of water for irrigation is a major factor wherever he goes. “Water is the com-mon denominator,” he said.

For a banker’s point of view we contacted Vernon Crowder, a $nancial analyst specializing in agriculture for Rabobank, and located in the bank’s Fresno headquarters.. His full analysis of the farm equipment sector is pend-ing, but he sees strong buying power among many farmers. He said data collected by the U. S. Department of Agriculture show the farm equipment industry to be doing well.

At another level, one manufac-turer of wind machines for frost pro-tection said citrus growers are install-ing his product at a brisk pace. His sales through June were equal to his total performance for the preceding year, and that was a banner year for him and his company.

Some wonder how California’s two major farm equipment shows continue to expand each year, and attract larger numbers of farmers and growers. !e farm equipment industry seems to have the answers: farmers are doing well; they have money to spend, and farm equipment is always one of their favorite places to invest it. !

Don Curlee

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BioFlora® biological solutions take crop yields to the next level—naturally.

Synthetic fertilizers alone can’t create the microbially diverse soils needed to maximize yields and achieve the highest profits. Maximum crop yields always come from fertile, bio-active, carbon-rich soils.

The world’s best soil fertility programs start with BioFlora® biological solutions, which are scientifically formulated to create microbially diverse soils, increase soil humus, and add carbon-rich organic acids. BioFlora® products create bio-active soils that stimulate microbe proliferation — converting soil organic matter into plant-available forms and storing nutrients and moisture for plant use. Highest yields come from this symbiotic relationship between soils and plants.

The reciprocal arrangement between crops and soil resultsin increased crop production, improved synthetic fertilizer conversion, and long-rangesoil fertility.

Contact BioFlora® and create the perfect partnership today.

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BioFlora® nurtures the partnershipbetween crops and soil.

BioFlora® nurtures the partnershipbetween crops and soil.

The delicious secret to a healthy freezer

One of the best ways to get more of nature’s healthiest superfoods

into your daily diet is to “think fro-zen.” Frozen fruits and vegetables retain their nutritional value just as well as fresh. And when it comes to taste, one superfood is a freezer super-star: Wild Blueberries.

!ese delicious little blue pow-erhouses have superior antioxidant capacity compared with other fruits and veggies — and they’re available year-round in your grocer’s freezer. Stock up and turn your own freezer into a daily source of health-pro-moting superfood. Studies show that Wild Blueberries may help combat cancer, heart disease and the e"ects of aging. Brain bene$ts include:

Improving motor skills Reversing short-term memory loss

!ere’s no real secret to eating healthy. Just have a ready supply of Wild Blueberries in your freezer so you can enjoy these delicious recipes any time, in any season. Get more wildly healthy recipes at www.wild-blueberries.com.

Wild Blueberries grow naturally in the $elds and barrens of Maine and Canada, and are fresh frozen at the peak of their antioxidant power. You’ll $nd them in your grocer’s fro-zen food section — they’re easy and a"ordable all year-round.

Wild Blueberries pack a bigger antioxidant punch than their larg-er, cultivated cousins. And because they’re smaller, they also freeze per-fectly, maintaining superior color, texture and sweet and tangy &avor.

Tandoori Chicken Sticks with Wild Blueberry Fig SauceServes 4 as entrée or 12 as an appetizer

Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless

chicken breast 1 package Tandoori Tikka or

Tandoori Chicken marinade 1/2 cup low-fat, plain yogurt 2/3 cup frozen Wild Blueberries 1/2 cup Wild Blueberry jam 1/2 cup chopped fresh $gs (or substi-

tute pears) 1/2 teaspoon orange zest 2/3 cup cooked red lentils 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon powdered coriander 1 tablespoon oil or cooking spray Skewers

DirectionsChop chicken into bite-sized

chunks.Stir together Tandoori Tikka

and yogurt in medium bowl and add chicken. Cover and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

Sauce: Stir together Wild Blueberries and jam in a small sauce-pan. Rinse and chop $gs. Add $gs

and orange zest. Cook sauce stir-ring until it just comes to a simmer. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Add lentils and season with salt, pepper and coriander.

Pre-heat oven to 425°F. Remove chicken from marinade and drain in a colander. Place chicken pieces in an oiled 11 x 13-inch glass baking dish, without allowing them to touch.

Roast 8 to 10 minutes until done. Place chicken on skewers. Serve with the Wild Blueberry dip-ping sauce. Traditionally accompa-nied by rice as an entrée.

Nutritional Information per Serving: 123 calories, 1g fat, 130mg sodium, 14g carbohydrates, 1g $ber, 14g protein, 30mg cholesterol. !

Wild Blueberries


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Index to advertisersA&E Pressure Washers www.aefresno.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Agro-K www.agro-k.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2ALW Enterprises, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9A&P Ag Structures www.aandpag.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Brandt Monterey www.montereyagresources.com . . . . . . . . . . 20Brandt Monterey www.montereyagresources.com . . . . . . . . . . 28CCIS Insurance www.ccisinsurance.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Diamond West Farming, Co., Inc. . . . . . . 23Duarte Nursery www.duartenursery.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Fowler Nurseries www.fowlernurseries.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Fresno Equipment www.fresnoequipment.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Global Organics www.bio"ora.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Golden State Irrigation Systems www.goldenstateirr.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Great Western Sales www.greatwesternsales.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Hansen Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Hard Hitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5hardhitter.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Hedrick’s Chevrolet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

H.F. Hau" www.hfhau#.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Jorgensen Company www.jorgensenco.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Kern County Tractor Parts www.kerncountytractor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Kingsburg Cultivator, Inc. www.kci-mfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Kingsburg Cultivator, Inc. www.kci-mfg.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Kings Canyon Wood Products www.kingscanyonwood.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Lamanuzzi & Pantaleo Dehydrators . . . . . 22Lockwood Seed and Grain . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Lockwood Seed and Grain . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Mana Financial www.mana$nancial.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Mid-Valley Distributors, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . 26Mitchell Insurance Services www.mitchellagins.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Oregon Blueberry Farms www.oreblueberry.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Paci$c Distributing www.orchard-right.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Paci$c Western Container www.paci$cwestern.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Pistacchio Pump Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Sierra Gold Nurseries www.sierragoldtrees.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Strathmore Ladder www.strathmoreladder.com . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Sunnyside www.clubsunnyside.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Superior Soil www.superiorsoil.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Surveillance integration www.survint.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Sustainable Ag Expo www.sustainableagexpo.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Tri-Cal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3United Site Services www.unitedsiteservices.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Valley Agricultural Software . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Vamco www.vamco.biz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Water Changers, Inc. www.waterchangers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Weed Badger www.weedbadger.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4West Hills Gypsum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11YNT Harvesting [email protected]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

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Knowledge, Service, Honesty & Price, This is not just our motto, It’s the Nuts & Bolts of our Company

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Carriers and

Shipping Containers with Inserts

Manufacturer of corrugated containers, displays and specialty agricultural

products since 1973.

Santa Ana, CA 92704

1460 S. Mirage, Lindsay, CA 93247 O! ce: 559-562-5185 Cell: 559-805-3505 Fax: 559-562-5260

Contact Mark A. Veteto, Sr.on the web at www.vamco.biz and email [email protected]







Time To Service Your Wind Machine

Ah, WIND MACHINES YES, it is that time of year again to consider your preven-tative maintenance program. Those machines that are just standing out in the ! eld most of the year are calling for help! You will soon be demanding that your machines perform like new, but you remember that they have not been serviced or run for nearly a year. IT’S TIME TO CALL VAMCO LTD., INC. again. The team at VAMCO have been patiently awaiting your call. You can reach service manager Larry Shaw at (559) 804-7352 right now and schedule your fall service. You’ve heard it before, but again, THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS from your service team and all of the employees at VAMCO.

We have used Vamco for a good many years, we have bought new, and used. Their prompt reply sets them apart from the rest.

Their 24hr ! eld service and parts supply has kept us very satis! ed. They have always had a very adequate supply of new and used equipment. I plan on doing business with them for years to come. I have used others, but Vamco is always our ! rst choice. With Mark and the staff I have no complaints.

Lee & Harvey Bailey with Experience Care

One thing I like is they have been in business in the val-ley for a long time, they know my machines and how to get to them. When I need someone late on a cold winter night, they do what it takes to keep my equip-ment running. I enjoy them being full service, that is a big plus; service, repair, 24 hour availability and knowl-edgeable personnel. Vamco has all I need.

Shawn Stevenson with Harlan Ranch

Monterey AgResources

California Fresh Fruit - 09 SEP 2011

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