Almond Industry Headline Environmental News

Edited by Mark Looker   

• Valley almond harvest underway - - In Fresno County alone, this industry is worth $1/2 billion a year. But some growers are skeptical of predictions this will be a record year. A strong jolt doesn't bother these Madera almond trees. During harvest, shakers take hold of a tree trunk and just like that the almonds drop to the orchard floor which has been cleared of weeds and bugs. <more> Aug. 24, 2010 KFSN-TV
   

• Raw almond producers fight fed rules -- Glenn Anderson decided to make a change when he followed in his father's footsteps by growing almonds near the Central Valley town of Hilmar -- he stopped using pesticides and pasteurizing the nuts.  He said it's paid off in happy customers and sold-out harvests, but Anderson, 76, said he fears federal regulations could ruin his business selling raw, organic almonds. He's hopeful an effort by a dozen California almond growers and retailers to challenge the U.S. Department of Agriculture over its rules will succeed.  The USDA adopted the regulations requiring that nuts be steamed or treated with a chemical in response to salmonella outbreaks in 2001 and 2004 blamed on raw almonds that left some sickened. <more> Aug. 13, 2010 AP 
   

• Blue Diamond is the almond heavyweight in California - - How many ways can a person eat an almond? Blue Diamond Growers aims to find out. Having sliced, slivered, blanched and flavored the almond in Sacramento for the past century, it is still trying to push the frontier of the brown nut. Statewide, production of almonds is nearing 2 billion pounds a year. To find a home for them, Blue Diamond needs to keep persuading Americans – and everyone else on the planet – to eat more almonds. The grower-owned farming cooperative – marking its 100th anniversary this year – sees the rising middle classes of China and India as critical to its future. Overseas demand could help stabilize almond prices, which have dropped as land devoted to the crop has doubled over the past 25 years. <more> Aug. 2, 2010 Sacramento Bee   
   

• Survey examines the adoption of perceived best management practices for almond nutrition - - Fertilizer use in California agriculture has been under recent scrutiny regarding its impacts on air, surface water and groundwater quality. In June 2007, we surveyed almond growers to assess their plant nutrition practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and target research and extension needs. The majority of respondents, particularly those with large almond acreages, used fertigation to apply nitrogen; applied nitrogen coincident with periods of maximal plant demand; and collected annual tissue samples for analysis. While the survey results suggested broad compliance with the best-available management practices and are likely to indicate good nutrient-use efficiency, they also suggested that growers are uncertain about current practices to monitor orchard nutrient status and would value additional information to enable greater precision in fertilization rates and timing. <more> July 27, 2010 CA Ag 
   

• Almond industry praised for food safety efforts - - More than 200 California almond growers, handlers, and allied industry members were urged to continue their diligence in practicing food safety at the Almond Board of California’s 12th annual Food Quality and Safety Symposium in Modesto, Calif., earlier this month. “One of the themes we heard from the guest speakers was that food safety is not proprietary, and that everyone in the food industry must continue to think proactively about improving processes and safety measures,” said Tim Birmingham, associate director, quality assurance and industry services for the Almond Board. “That aligns with the California almond industry’s commitment to food safety and it’s why we continue to invest in new research, technologies, and educational initiatives to provide consumers with a reliable supply of safe, high-quality almonds.” <more> July 15, 2010 Western Farm Press
   

• Huge crop of almonds predicted - -California almond growers are expected to produce another bumper crop this year, despite wet weather, high winds and a disruption in pollination. A government forecast released Thursday estimates that California will produce 1.65 billion pounds of almonds, an increase of 17 percent from last year. Those nuts end up in snack bags, baked goods, breakfast cereals and many other products bought and sold around the world. As the nation's leading almond grower, California is poised to churn out a billion-plus pound crop for the fifth year in a row. The state produces about 80 percent of the world's almonds, and they are its No. 1 farm export. <more> July 12, 2010 Modesto Bee
   

• California closer to approving methyl iodide - - Officials of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation are being asked to appear before a state Senate committee Thursday to explain why approval for agricultural use of the chemical methyl iodide appears certain. The pesticide would replace methyl bromide, which is suspected of harming the ozone layer. But critics of the replacement say it will harm farm workers and those who live near the strawberry fields where it would be used. <more> June 17, 2010 Central Valley Business Times
   

• Environmental tour highlights almond strategies - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Associate Director of Environmental Affairs, Almond Board of California - - The Almond Environmental Stewardship Tour provides an opportunity for almond growers, regulators and industry leaders to come together and demonstrate what the California almond industry is doing to be a good environmental steward and to promote good almond growing practices. Local, state and federal regulators toured the Nickels Soil Lab in Arbuckle and a nearby family farming operation in mid-May to learn how research and technology are helping almond growers make the most of irrigation water and other limited resources. <more> June 2, 2010 Western Farm Press     
   

• Industry weighs in on proposed fumigant - - California pesticide regulators plan to approve a new soil fumigant - powerful enough essentially to sterilize dirt - to replace a traditional material being phased out because it damages the Earth's protective ozone layer. It's a move welcomed by many farmers, who say soil fumigants are vital tools to protect crops such as strawberries, nursery plants, and new plantings of orchards and vineyards. Dave Phippen, a principal of Travaille & Phippen, an almond grower and processor in Ripon, hopes to see the chemical quickly registered for use. "I can't start a new almond orchard without fumigating," he said Wednesday. <more> May 31, 2010 Stockton Record
   

• Agriculture's methyl bromide loss - - Efforts to chip away at methyl bromide use on agriculture exports could have a serious impact on trade. At a workshop in Tulare, California commodity group representatives, researchers and regulators looked at quarantine pre-shipment use of methyl bromide and actions taken by Montreal Protocol subcommittees to limit its use. “QPS (Quality Pre-Shipment) uses are in jeopardy,” said Jim Cranney, California Citrus Quality Council. “Some countries feel methyl bromide should not be out there.” QPS is one of the uses still allowed for methyl bromide, a fumigant being phased out under an international treaty that calls for phaseout of the ozone depleting fumigant. <more> May 20, 2010 Western Farm Press  
   

• Florez fumes at air district for exempt ag burns - - Valley air officials want to allow some agricultural waste burning beyond the June 1 deadline for permanently ending the practice. Alternatives are too expensive for some farmers, air leaders say. But state Sen. Dean Florez, who wrote the 2003 law phasing out farm burning, says the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is inflating the costs and giving some farmers a free pass. Florez said he will ask the district board today to delay the exemptions -- which are allowed under the law -- so he can schedule a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the district's analysis. <more> May 20, 2010 Fresno Bee   
   

• 2010 almond crop measures up - - The cold, wet spring was a double-edged sword. It may have precluded giving the industry what it wanted; a record crop to meet record demand. However, the uncertainty over the crop due to the poor weather bolstered crop prices. Nonpareil almonds are already quoted at more than $3 per pound. California varieties are about $2.20 per pound. The limbs on Gary Coleman’s six-year-old Nonpareil almond trees were already sagging in late April under the surprising weight of their 2010 crop. He is also wondering if double tying his Carmels’ scaffolding would be enough to keep them from breaking under the weight of the rapidly maturing nuts. <more> May 3, 2010 Western Farm Press
   

• Methyl iodide is on course for approval by state regulators - - A potent farm chemical that has stirred fierce debate about its possible health effects is on course for approval in California under a proposal that the state Department of Pesticide Regulation announced Friday. Methyl iodide is a fumigant used to eradicate weeds, pests and diseases in soil. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency already has registered it for use as a replacement for methyl bromide, a chemical that has been phased out for agricultural use in the U.S. because it damages the Earth's ozone layer. California would take a stricter approach toward methyl iodide than the 47 other states that have approved it, said Mary-Ann Warmerdam, director of the state pesticide department. <more> May 1, 2010 Fresno Bee  
   

• Committee slows pesticide-buffer bill -- Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, D-Oakland, is hitting a roadblock trying to get a pesticide-control bill through the Assembly agriculture committee. Swanson's AB1721, titled the Healthy and Safe School Zone Act, sought to keep pesticide applications for commercial ag and state pest-control programs at least a quarter-mile from schoolyards. Swanson further sought to extend that buffer to a half-mile for chemicals that the state restricts. But when Swanson saw his bill lacked the necessary votes from the ag committee, he promised amendments. The bill would now restrict only aerial applications that are "likely to cause off-site movement of pesticides," and sets a uniform buffer at a quarter mile. <more> April 23, 2010 Capital Press
   

• Proposed NPDES permit due soon - - The federal Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit process next month for pesticides used in and around water. It will impact 5.6 million annual pesticide applications by 365,000 applicators using 500 different active ingredients. The proposed permit “will have profound implications for American farmers,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack wrote EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson last month as the agency drew up the proposed permits. Failure to comply with the new EPA permitting process will result in a fine of $32,000 per day. <more> April 20, 2010 Western Farm Press
   

• Hilltop Ranch in Ballico harnesses sun's energy - - For 30 years, Dave and Christine Long have been processing almonds at their Hilltop Ranch in Ballico. Now the Longs have invested in a system that will do more than just help their ag business. It will bring money back to them in the future.  It's solar energy. Dave Long said he and his wife spent the past three years deciding what to do to make their ranch more sustainable and green. They decided solar would be the way. <more> April 19, 2010 Merced Sun-Star  
   

• EPA targets pesticide spray drift - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Director of Regulatory/Technical Affairs, Almond Board of California - - California growers are under increasing pressure to control off-site movement of applied pesticides from their farming operations. A number of new or draft state and federal regulations are targeting crop protection products and spray drift, particularly if they are applied near surface waterways or schools and other sensitive sites. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released new draft language for spray drift on pesticide labels, marking the third time in the last decade that EPA has tried to change label language related to spray drift. <more> April 13, 2010 Western Farm Press   
   

• Chowchilla almond grower branches out - - For 50 years, the Zinke family in Chowchilla has been growing almonds. Now the family is known for more than just tasty nuts. They have turned part of their orchards to organic, and are producing a rival to peanut butter. "Almond butter can be used just like peanut butter," said John Zinke, grandson of the original owner, Henoch Zinke. John Zinke, along with his father, Harvey Zinke, grow almonds on more than 500 acres. More than 50 of those acres are organic. <more> April 12, 2010 Merced Sun Star   
   

• Calif. bill would expand pesticide safety program - - A bill moving through the state Assembly would require laboratories that test for pesticide poisoning to report their data to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Currently, labs only report test results to patients' physicians, not to any state agency.  The bill would allow health officials in the nation's largest agricultural state to more accurately track pesticide exposure and implement safety precautions, said Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, who wrote the bill.  AB 1963 by Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara) is set for hearing April 6 in the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee.  "California would be the first state to collect this data on such a large scale, coordinating multiple labs," said Margaret Reeves, senior scientist at the Pesticide Action Network North America, which is a sponsor of Nava's bill. "California should be a model in setting the path for national monitoring of pesticide illness." <more> April 2, 2010 Capital Press
   

• Solar power paying off for almond farmers - - Gary Martin is among only a handful of farmers who can look at an electricity meter and smile. He does it almost every day. The other four are Martin’s family members at the D.T. Locke Ranch near Mendota, Calif. They smile because the electricity meters on the family’s farm shop and main residence have not moved in seven years. Well, that is not exactly true. They’ve moved backward more than they have forward. “I look at them just about every day. They are reading basically the same from when they were put in along with the solar system,” said Martin. He explained that there was a whole number programmed into them initially and the number moves higher or lower based on electricity generated and electricity used. “You don’t show a negative for net metering.” Today, they are showing little change, although seven years of incoming and outgoing electrical use has flowed through them. Solar powered electricity is what is making the meters stand still.  Martin’s family makes up the Locke Ranch, a 1,575-acre farm near Mendota that grows 125 acres of almonds, 700 acres of alfalfa, and 750 acres of cotton. <more> March 16, 2010 Western Farm Press
   

• Methyl Iodide decision delayed - - A spokeswoman for California's Department of Pesticide Regulation says it could be several more weeks until the state decides whether to register methyl iodide.  The chemical is being considered by state officials to replace methyl bromide, which has been phased out under an international agreement to reduce ozone-depleting substances. DPR had said a decision would be made by February's end. Agency head Mary-Ann Warmerdam is "looking at everything," said DPR spokeswoman Lea Brooks. <more> March 12, 2010 Capital Press
   

• Growers await chemical decision - - Mary-Ann Warmerdam, chief farm chemical regulator in a state that grows nearly 90 percent of U.S. strawberries, will decide in weeks whether growers can use a soil fumigant known as methyl iodide. That's the controversial new substitute for methyl bromide, an effective but notorious soil sterilizer being phased out across the globe for depleting the ozone layer. Long employed by California strawberry growers to rid soil of insects and pests, the use of methyl bromide has dwindled to less than half the state's 37,000 strawberry acres, and none in the capital region, industry sources say. But strawberry and nursery stock growers are hankering for a replacement, and what's being proposed – methyl iodide – may be just as bad or worse, environmentalists and some scientists now contend. They say methyl iodide will potentially contaminate groundwater even as it removes a threat to Earth's ozone layer. <more> March 7, 2010 Sacramento Bee
   

• Pesticide regs clean valley's air - - By Mary-Ann Warmerdam, Director, DPR - - Pesticide emissions that contribute to smog in California dropped significantly in 2008, the first year restrictions on agricultural fumigant applications specifically targeting air quality were in effect. In fact, the volatile organic compound pesticide emissions declined by an impressive 30 percent from 1990 levels in the San Joaquin Valley areas that do not meet federal air quality standards — all of Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties and part of Kern. <more> Feb. 26, 2010 Modesto Bee  
   

• EPA will create rules for spraying near water by April 2011 - - The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a legal dispute over regulating pesticides as pollutants under the Clean Water Act, potentially exposing thousands of farmers to environmental litigation, critics say. Agricultural and pesticide groups had challenged a previous court ruling that held that pesticides applied over or near waterways should be subject to Clean Water Act regulations. Pesticides were already subject to environmental restrictions under another statute -- the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act -- before the 2009 decision by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The American Farm Bureau Federation and CropLife America claimed the ruling will drastically expand the Clean Water Act's scope and unnecessarily saddle farmers and pesticide manufacturers with a burdensome new layer of regulations. <more> Feb. 25, 2010 Capital Press
   

• Bees, Rain Touchy Elements For Almonds - -  The bees are buzzing now that the rain has stopped and the sun is peeking through the clouds. But if it's too cold or wet, the bees won't go to work. They're essential to pollinating the blossoms to produce almonds -- and there's only about a three-week period for the bees to get the job done -- but right now is the best time. <more> Feb. 25, 2010 KCRA-TV   
   

• Bees leave Modesto-area almond growers buzzing - - Pollination by honeybees from mid-February to mid-March is a crucial step in growing almonds. If not for the insects spreading the pollen that fertilizes the flowers, the trees would not produce the nuts that end up in snack bags, cereal boxes and baked goods. Two things this year worry beekeepers and the almond growers who rent their colonies. One is the weather. Bees don't like to fly when it's raining, but that's the forecast for much of this week. The second is the reduction in bee numbers in the past few years because of what scientists call colony collapse disorder. For reasons still unknown, many of the nation's beekeepers have seen some or most of their bees die over the past few winters. <more> Feb. 23, 2010 Modesto Bee   
   

• Supreme Court won't review pesticide case - - The National Cotton Council vs. EPA case out of the U.S. Sixth Circuit of Appeals centers on whether or not federally licensed pesticide applications need a Clean Water Act permit if sprayed on, over or near water. Ag groups have asked for a Supreme Court hearing on the case, but today found out that the highest court would not review the case. The George W. Bush Administration put a regulatory patch in place to address the issue. Modern agriculture was upset because it came up short of defining where National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits should and shouldn't be required. Don Parrish, senior directory of regulatory relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation, said a broad interpretation of the ruling could require as many as 5 million new pesticide applications. <more> Feb. 22, 2010 Feedstuffs   
   

• Scientists point to California pesticide danger - - A scientific panel has raised serious concerns about the use of methyl iodide on California farmland, saying the highly potent chemical poses significant health risks to workers and the general population. The report from the state-appointed group of experts comes as a blow to farmers and the makers of the fumigant -- the Tokyo-based Arysta LifeScience Corp. -- who have been fighting for more than a year to get the chemical approved in California. At stake for farmers is the loss of a potential replacement for methyl bromide, which was phased out by the federal government in 2005 because it damages the Earth's protective ozone layer. <more> Feb. 22, 2010 Fresno Bee  
   

• Panel rejects methyl iodide - - A scientific review panel says methyl iodide poses significant human-health risks and would be difficult to control in farm applications.  The report could impact the chemical's status as a federally registered pesticide. Methyl iodide is being considered by state officials as a soil fumigant to replace methyl bromide, which has been phased out under international agreement due to its ozone-depleting properties. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation released a final report by the review panel on Feb. 11. In an accompanying letter, the panel decried a lack of sufficient data on the chemical's possible health and environmental impacts. <more> Feb. 18, 2010 Capital Press
   

• California Almond Sustainability Program: A Role for Handlers - - Have buyers asked you questions relating to the sustainable production of the almonds you are selling? Have you been frustrated at how the media or certain groups depict almonds or U.S. agriculture? The Environmental Committee at ABC has initiated the California Almond Sustainability Program to provide credible information to respond.  <more> Feb. 12, 2010  The Handle
   

• Almond industry poised for growth - - The California almond industry is expanding global efforts to increase the demand and sales of the state’s top nut by volume while minimizing the long-term impact of the world’s economic recession. “We learned that accelerating through a downturn, not braking through the curves, places one in an even stronger position as one hits the straightaway; distancing our industry even further from the competition,” said Richard Waycott, president and chief executive officer of the Almond Board of California (ABC). <more> Feb. 12, 2010 Western Farm Press   
   

• State says methyl iodide decision imminent - - An official with California's Department of Pesticide Regulation told a Senate panel that the state could decide whether to approve a new soil fumigant by the end of February.  Methyl iodide is being considered by state officials to replace methyl bromide, which has been phased out under international agreement due to its ozone-depleting properties.  A hearing on Monday, Feb. 8, of the Senate agriculture committee was billed as an examination of alternatives to chemical fumigants. But chairman Dean Florez, D-Shafter, spent much of the time discussing methyl iodide's risks -- ground that has been covered in recent months in legislative hearings as well as the state's review. <more> Feb. 9, 2010 Capital Press 
   

• EPA faces lawsuit over pesticide use - - An environmental group's attempt to force the Environmental Protection Agency to further evaluate how pesticides affect endangered species could have major implications for Kings County agriculture. The Arizona-based Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter last week announcing that it will sue EPA unless the agency corrects the alleged violations within 60 days. The center claims that nearly 400 pesticides may be harming as many as 887 species, including the California condor and the coho salmon. The center also claims that the pesticides get into water, drift over long distances and may harm human health -- although the threatened lawsuit doesn't cover human health issues. <more> Feb. 4, 2010 Hanford Sentinel  
   

• Central Valley nut sheller turns on solar power - - Almond hulling and shelling service company Pohl & Holmes of Hughson has flipped the switch to start getting a lower of its electrical power from the sun. It says its 504 kilowatt solar photovoltaic power system was recently commissioned. The system was designed, engineered and installed by Cenergy Power, a division of BAP Power Corp. of Santa Ana. Cenergy has an office in Merced in the Central Valley. <more> Jan. 13,  2010 Central Valley Business Times   
   

• Winning Numbers. Almond industry begins to collect data to back sustainability claims - - When almond grower Brian Ramos was asked to fill out a self-assessment questionnaire about his irrigation and fertilization practices this fall, he admits he hemmed and hawed. After all, the Turlock, Calif., grower says, he had a lot more-pressing matters to take care of that day. And besides, Ramos reviews his operation annually, always looking for ways to improve.  But after answering the questions on the 30-page document, he says he has a different view. “What I like about this program is it tells people about what we’re doing,” Ramos says. “It’s nothing but win-win. <more> Jan. 12, 2010 Grower Magazine
   

• Almond pest management challenges - - Times were much simpler three and four decades ago. People were thrilled to get their first (black-and-white) television set. Homes had a single, wired telephone. The family sedan was filled with 20 cent-per-gallon gas at the nearby full-service station. Veteran pest control advisers (PCAs) fondly remember simpler times on and off the farm when job duties were just as important but less complex. PCAs today are armed with an arsenal of knowledge on numerous pests and diseases, a broad range of crop protection materials with various active ingredients, and ever-changing, more complicated regulations. “PCAs must consider environmental issues and how pest control technology can impact air and water quality, endangered species, international markets, maximum residue levels, bees and pollinators, and production costs,” said Gabriele Ludwig, associate director of environmental affairs for the Almond Board of California (ABC), Modesto, Calif. Ludwig discussed hot-button pest management issues faced by California’s almond industry during the 2009 California Association of Pest Control Advisers annual meeting in Sparks, Nev., in October. <more> Jan. 12, 2010 Western Farm Press  
   

• Pesticide use declines in California - - Pesticide use declined in California for a third consecutive year in 2008, says Department of Pesticide Regulation Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. Approximately 162 million pounds of reported pesticides were applied statewide, a decrease of nearly 10 million pounds -- or 6 percent -- from 2007. Pesticide use in production agriculture fell by 9.6 million pounds and in most other categories as well, including structural pest control and landscape maintenance, the annual report issued Thursday says. Reports are mandatory for agricultural and pest control business applications, while most home, industrial and institutional uses are exempt. <more> Jan. 7, 2010 Central Valley Business Times
   

• DPR Reports Pesticide Use Declined Again in 2008 - - Pesticide use declined in California for a third consecutive year in 2008, Department of Pesticide Regulation Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam announced today. Approximately 162 million pounds of reported pesticides were applied statewide, a decrease of nearly 10 million pounds - or 6 percent - from 2007. Pesticide use in production agriculture fell by 9.6 million pounds and in most other categories as well, including structural pest control and landscape maintenance. Reports are mandatory for agricultural and pest control business applications, while most home, industrial and institutional uses are exempt.<more> Jan. 7, 2010 DPR Press Release   
   

• Coalition wants job of keeping runoff clean - - Agricultural water users in California are pulling for regional control of a process to maintain the quality of surface and ground water in the Central Valley. The long-term Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program will replace the current conditional waivers that allow irrigators to discharge water from farms. Perry Klassen, executive director of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition, says his group recently recorded dramatic drops in chemical discharges on three problem waterways.  “The argument we're trying to make is that the coalition approach can work to solve water-quality problems," Klassen said. <more> Jan. 7, 2010 Capital Press
   

• Protesters denounce methyl iodide -- Farm workers and activists rallied in Sacramento on Monday, Dec. 14, against California's pending registration of the fumigant methyl iodide. Methyl iodide is being considered by state officials to replace methyl bromide, which has been phased out since the early 1990s under international agreement due to its ozone-depleting properties. "It is not good science, and it's not good agriculture, to replace one bad actor with another bad actor," said state Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel, who held an August hearing on methyl iodide in the Assembly labor and employment committee, which he chairs. <more> Dec. 15, 2009 Capital Press    
   

• Specialty crop grants benefit almonds - - The California Almond industry will collaborate in four research projects that were recently awarded nearly $1.5 million in matching grant funds under the USDA's 2009 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The three-year projects include: implementing an almond sustainability initiative for integrated water and nutrient management; establishing best management practices to ensure long-term sustainability of managed bee colonies; developing rootstocks with improved resistance to soil pathogens; and creating nut tree phenology models to better understand crop development and the potential impacts on nut crops of global warming. <more> Nov. 19, 2009 Western Farm Press
   

• Water board fines grower $405K - - A Stanislaus County landowner faces a $405,000 fine because he let too much sediment spill into the Tuolumne River, say water quality regulators. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board issued a complaint last week against Mike Kooyman, who owns a 1,000-acre almond orchard on the southeastern edge of Stanislaus County, just west of Snelling in Merced County. The water board says Kooyman failed to control erosion on his land and allowed soil to build up in Peaslee Creek and the Tuolumne River. The six-figure penalty comes after a year of warnings from the water board. It could be the largest fine ever issued for irrigated agricultural land, said Joe Karkoski, acting assistant executive officer of the water board. <more> Nov. 18, 2009 Modesto Bee    
   

• New restrictions on pesticides - - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in September announced new rules on the use of three organophosphate pesticides — chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), diazinon and malathion — to protect endangered salmon and steelhead in Western states. Among the new rules is a 100- to 1000-foot buffer zone for applications near irrigation ditches, canals and tributaries that might lead to waterways where endangered salmon species are known to exist. The size of the buffer zone depends on the rate of application, the droplet size, and the size and type of the body of water.  <more> Nov. 18, 2009 Western Farm Press   
   

• Get a closer look at state's ground-water bill - - California for the first time will require water users to disclose ground-water levels as a result of legislation recently approved by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers. Ground-water monitoring has long been sought by Democrats and environmentalists, but opposed by Republicans and farm groups, who fear an invasion of property. But the parties last week struck a compromise as part of a larger water deal, which includes new conservation rules and an $11 billion water bond voters will consider in a year to pay for dams and other projects. <more> Nov. 11, 2009 Fresno Bee  

• Climate change law heats up - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Director of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Health care has dominated the national debate in recent months, but as a resolution appears near, climate change is likely to again take center stage. The Obama administration is pressing Congress to develop a national greenhouse gas reduction strategy ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. The House has already passed a bill requiring a 17 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels within the next decade. A recently introduced draft Senate bill would raise those reduction requirements to 20 percent. Targeted greenhouse gasses include carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane, along with a number of other compounds. <more> Nov. 11, 2009 Western Farm Press     
   

• Finding Solutions for Pesticide Drift - - Every year, California farmers spray more than 150 million pounds of pesticides to keep insects from ravaging crops like almonds, oranges and grapes. But when those chemicals drift onto farmworkers and nearby communities, they sicken hundreds of people each year. State lawmakers tried to address the problem five years ago, but new laws don't appear to have made much of a difference. Reporter: Sasha Khokha Audio report Nov. 6, 2009 KQED Radio   
   

• PG&E to give $588K solar energy rebate to Hilltop Ranch - - Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) said Hilltop Ranch, Inc. will receive a $588,000 incentive rebate through the California Solar Initiative (CSI) program for a 574-kilowatt solar project at its headquarters in Merced County. The goal of the CSI program is to substantially lower the cost and increase the use of customer-owned solar energy throughout the state, the company said in a news release. PG&E said it is committed to incentives that will help bring the benefit of carbon-free power to residential and business customers. <more> Nov. 3, 2009 Merced Sun Star  
   

• Focusing on NOW management - - By Bob Curtis, Associate Director, Agricultural Affairs, Almond Board of California - - A five-year navel orangeworm (NOW) research project funded by USDA-ARS and established last year is already offering key insights to NOW management in almonds, such as efficacy of mating disruption, refining winter sanitation and harvest guidelines, and reinforcing the link between NOW and aflatoxin. The Area-wide Pest Management Project for Navel Orangeworm in Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios is a comprehensive and truly integrated program that involves personnel with a wide breadth of expertise: USDA-ARS and UC research and Extension personnel, and researchers at Paramount Farming. <more> Oct. 21, 2009 Western Farm Press  
   

• EPA considers pesticide disclosure - - The Environmental Protection Agency said Sept. 30 it is moving forward with a plan to require the disclosure of the identities of all inert ingredients in pesticides, including those that are potentially hazardous, and it anticipates publishing a proposed rule in the Federal Register “within the next few months.” EPA issued the announcement the same day that it responded to petitions, both dated Aug. 1, 2006, from the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides and the attorneys general of 14 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands calling for disclosure on pesticide labels of more than 350 inert ingredients they claim are hazardous. Those ingredients include napthalene, ethylbenzene, allyl alcohol, and chloroacetic acid, according to the petitions. <more> Oct. 2, 2009 Western Farm Press
   

• Farmers, worker advocates clash over air quality - - While farmworker advocates persuade California to further restrict pesticide use under the federal Clean Air Act, farmers hope to limit those restrictions until new options are available. "If we put agriculture under the gun too far, we might get some unintended consequences," said Paul Wenger, first vice president of the California Farm Bureau Federation, at a listening session held by the Department of Pesticide Regulation and the Air Resources Board here on Monday, Sept. 28. To keep up with the effort to comply with the federal Clean Air Act, regulators are working on future amendments to California's required state implementation plan. Meanwhile, state and federal programs are helping farmers develop technologies and practices. <more> Oct. 2, 2009 Capital Press
   

• Behind the scenes of the Almond Harvest - - Almond farmer Scott Hunter gives a behind-the-scenes view of the harvest happening right now in fields around Merced County. Click here to view video Sept. 21, 2009
   

• Study shows urban insecticide use lead to Delta fish decline - - A researcher at the University of California-Berkeley has traced the vast majority of pyrethroids in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to urban sources. Pyrethroids are found in off-the-shelf insecticides. They have replaced organophosphate-based products in recent years due to human health concerns. Their expanded use has roughly coincided with the decline of various fish species in the Delta - referred to by researchers as "POD," pelagic organism decline.  That circumstance spurred the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to commission a study by Berkeley professor Donald Weston. <more> July 16, 2009 Capital Press
   

• Controversial fumigant fuels safety debate - - Whether science or politics will prevail in a decision to approve a controversial soil fumigant for use in California is the question. Growers of crops such as strawberries, roses and carrots have been waiting for two years to learn if methyl iodide, a soil fumigant sold under the trademark name of Midas, will be their alternative to methyl bromide, a standard fumigant for decades, but one that is being phased out due to concerns with ozone depletion. California approval of methyl iodide isn't likely this year in spite of industry pressure to speed up the process. Pressure is also being applied to the state by environmental groups to deny its use. The Pesticide Action Network North America opposes registration because it says the product can't be applied safely and it endangers farmworkers and those who live near the fields. <more> July 16, 2009 Capital Press  
   

• Almond Producers Vote to Continue the Federal Marketing Order for California Almonds - - Almond producers have voted to continue the federal marketing order that regulates the handling of almonds grown in California. The vote was taken in a referendum conducted by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) April 6 through 24, 2009, to determine whether eligible producers favor continuance of their federal marketing order. In the referendum, 95 percent of producers voting -- representing 96 percent of total almond volume -- favored continuance of the order. Those eligible to participate in the referendum were current almond producers who were also engaged in the production of almonds during the period from Aug. 1, 2007, through July 31, 2008.<more> July 1, 2009 USDA Press Release
   

• Tree owners could reap climate bill windfall- - For years, landowners have gotten paid for not farming. Now they may get paid for not cutting down trees. While U.S. families could see their annual energy bills rise hundreds of dollars under a massive climate bill that President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats are trying to push through the House, owners of large swaths of forestland - timber companies, large farms, even foreign countries - could reap billions of dollars. The bill is aimed at curbing the gases, largely carbon dioxide from power plants and vehicles, blamed for global warming. But it would allow polluters to buy credits from owners of forestland as an alternative to switching to fuels other than coal and gas or installing expensive equipment to capture the greenhouse gases. The land owners would get the credits because trees suck up greenhouse gases, preventing them from reaching the atmosphere and acting like a blanket to warm the Earth. The premise is that at some point, the sources of greenhouse gases will find it cheaper to switch to other fuels or install pollution controls than to keep paying for the credits. <more> June 26, 2009 AP  
   

• Almond growers scrape bottom of the methyl bromide barrel - - Almond and walnut growers expecting to replant orchards could find the fumigants methyl bromide and Telone in short supply. The methyl bromide phase-out is continuing as outlined in the Montreal Protocol. State restrictions on applications plus high costs may remove that tool from growers' toolboxes. Telone, an alternative fumigant, has had manufacturing challenges. It is a byproduct of car paint production, and the cuts in auto sales and manufacturing mean fewer cars being built, which mean less Telone is being manufactured, too. To help growers and pest control advisors determine the emissions associated with a specific pesticide application or formulation, DPR has developed an online volatile organic compound calculator that should be available on its website this summer. <more> June 4, 2009 Capital Press
    

• Still no viable alternatives for methyl bromide - - Four years have passed since methyl bromide was phased out nationally, but farmers say there still is no economically viable alternative for use on California strawberries.  Methyl bromide is a highly effective, but toxic, pest and herbicide applied to California strawberry fields. In 2005 it was nationally phased out by the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty for eliminating ozone-depleting chemicals. Research and government agencies have poured millions of dollars into finding alternatives, but nothing works quite as well for mass-produced strawberries, according to many farmers. Thus, year after year, California berry growers receive exemptions to the protocol and continue using methyl bromide. <more> June 2, 2009 Santa Cruz Sentinel
   

• EPA requires fumigant buffers - - Fumigant users will need to establish buffer zones around treated fields beginning in 2011 under new safety measures for soil fumigants released Wednesday, May 27, by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The new regulations come several months after the agency unveiled plans to establish the buffers. The buffers were roundly opposed by agricultural producers fearful their use of fumigants would be restricted. "With new restrictions, we're allowing the continued use of fumigant pesticides without risking human health and the environment," EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said in a prepared statement. "Full transparency and the best science shaped a plan to protect the economic interests of agricultural communities and the public health of farmworkers and consumers." Fumigant labels will contain buffer requirements ranging from 25 feet to more than one-quarter mile by 2011. <more> May 29, 2009 Capital Press   
   

• Maybe a Surplus? Almond growers uneasy over big estimate - - The state's almond crop looks as if it will be smaller than last year's, the federal government reported Friday, but it still might leave the industry with a surplus of nuts. The orchards will yield about 1.45 billion pounds of almonds, the National Agriculture Statistics Service said in the first of two projections before the harvest starts in August. That would be 10 percent less than last year's record 1.61 billion pounds from California, which produces more than 80 percent of the world supply. People in the industry said they had expected a smaller crop, which would help sustain the recent uptick in prices for growers. <more> May 9, 2009 Modesto Bee  
   

• Rule focuses on aerial applicators. EPA clarifies meaning; new general permits may be possible - - Upcoming changes to the Environmental Protection Agency pesticide application permit will affect aerial applicators more than farmers, an agency lawyer says. In January, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated an EPA rule that exempted some pesticide applications from a requirement for Clean Water Act pollution discharge permits. Currently, the rule is still in effect due to legal issues, said Boise-based agency assistant regional counsel Mark Ryan. "If you're an applicator and you want to apply pesticides according to the rule, you're fine," he said. Ryan said it is likely the EPA will issue a new general permit to pesticide applicators for discharges to, in, on or near waters of the United States. Ryan said there is a common misconception that the change will affect all pesticides. Any agricultural storm water runoff and return agriculture flow is allowed under the point-source exemption of the Clean Water Act, he said. "That's always been the law, that still is the law and that always will be the law, unless Congress somehow amends the act, which there's no talk of that," he said. "This decision has no effect whatsoever on normal farming practices, with some exceptions." <more> May 7, 2009 Capital Press
   

• USDA offers cost-share program for air quality practices - - Farmers and ranchers interested in reducing air quality emissions from off-road mobile or stationary  agricultural sources are invited to apply between for funds made available under a new air quality provision of the 2008 federal Farm Bill. Applications will be taken until June 26 for $10.9 million in funding. "The primary goal of this new portion of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is to help farmers and ranchers attain the standards set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Producers in the 36 California counties that are currently not in compliance with one or more of these standards can apply for this program to improve California's air quality," said Lincoln "Ed" Burton, California State Conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. Burton added that producers in all California counties will continue to be encouraged to do air quality conservation, working through the Agency's technical assistance and regular EQIP allocation. NRCS and agricultural producers in California have spent over $73 million on air quality projects funded through EQIP since 1998.  <more> May 1, 2009 NRCS Press Release  
   

• High-tech almond approach to environmental challenges - - Almond grower Sharon Naraghi is taking a high-tech approach to meeting environmental challenges and regulations in the family’s 1,000-acre orchard operation. Naraghi hosted more than two dozen local, state and federal regulators at her Quinn River Ranch in March during the Almond Board of California’s annual Environmental Stewardship Tour to illustrate how new technologies are helping address environmental issues related to soil, air and water quality. Quinn River farm managers Nick and Joe Bavaro, of Bavaro Farm Management in Escalon, said site-specific fertilization and state-of-the-art soil moisture monitoring have helped Quinn River more efficiently apply inputs to control off-site and downward movement of applied water, pesticides and fertilizers. And softer insecticides have eliminated winter applications of broad-spectrum insecticides, such as organophosphates and pyrethroids. Managing inputs to reduce applications and off-site movement is especially important for Quinn River, which is located in an area of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition targeted for past exceedances of pesticides and sediments in the nearby watershed. <more> April 27, 2009 Western Farm Press   
   

• State pesticide rules relaxed. In a victory for farmers, more emissions from fumigants to be allowed -- State regulators this week finalized looser pesticide rules that environmentalists say will slow efforts to clean the Valley's smoggy air. The Department of Pesticide Regulation will allow more emissions from "fumigants" -- pesticides that are injected into soil to kill pests and disease. The ruling is a victory for farmers, who feared that stricter limits would force some growers to stop using pesticides in years when the region approaches the limit. Pesticides contribute to about 6% of the smog problem in the Valley, according to state figures. Fumigants are just one type of pesticide. <more> April 23, 2009 Fresno Bee   
   

• Aid to almond growers - - Almond growers have until May 8 to take advantage of a new USDA program that pays a higher-than-normal 75 percent cost-share for certain management practices to keep trees alive under extreme drought conditions. Of interest to almond growers are practices to improve irrigation water management and pruning to keep trees alive. The USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in California will take applications for $2 million available for these and other practices, which are designed to protect soil and air quality in areas of fallowed fields and to protect natural resources on ranch and pasture land. <more> April 20, 2009 Red Bluff Daily News   
   

• Drought help for almond growers - -California almond growers have until May 8 to take advantage of a new USDA program that pays a higher-than-normal 75 percent cost-share for certain management practices to keep trees alive under extreme drought conditions. Of interest to almond growers are practices to improve irrigation water management and pruning to keep trees alive. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in California will take applications for $2 million available for these and other practices, which are designed to protect soil and air quality in areas of fallowed fields and to protect natural resources on ranch and pasture land. “With many almond growers feeling the impact created by a lack of water availability, it appears that this special cost-share program may be of assistance in funding certain drought mitigation management practices,” said Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager, global technical and regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California. <more> April 20, 2009 Western Farm Press   
   

• Almond growers embrace technology for water management  - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California  - - New technologies, along with Almond Board-supported environmental research and industry partnerships, are positioning almond growers to deal with new water quality regulations for groundwater that are on the horizon. Controlling off-site and downward movement of applied water, pesticides and fertilizers will be particularly important in the coming years as regulators turn their sights to improving surface waters with identified problems and addressing ground-water quality. While concepts are still being developed about how ground water will be regulated, officials say ground water protections are certain to be part of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s permanent Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program now under development. <more> April 6, 2009 Western Farm Press   
   

• Update on court’s ruling that may require NPDES permits to apply pesticides - - The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) reports that NAWG joined a large group of agricultural organizations in a meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water this week to discuss EPA’s response in the Sixth Circuit National Cotton Council case. The opinion of the Court in this case, issued on Jan. 7, included an interpretation that many believe will lead to a need for producers to obtain National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for applications of pesticides. EPA said they have three options in responding to the 6th Circuit decision: ask for a rehearing by the entire panel of judges; ask for more time to propose an answer; or do nothing and agree with the decision. The agricultural groups communicated a consensus in favor of rehearing in hopes of setting aside the more troublesome aspects of the January decision. <more> April 6, 2009 National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG)  
   

• Environmental stewardship tour highlights efficiency - - More than 25 regulators and media members were among the nearly 100 invited guests who attended the Almond Board’s annual Environmental Stewardship Spring Tour on a beautiful bloom day in March to learn the steps almond growers are taking to address environmental issues in their farming operations. The spring tour at Quinn River Ranch in Waterford highlighted several new and emerging technologies grower Sharon Naraghi and farm manager Bavaro Farming Co. are utilizing to ensure that inputs are applied judiciously and with minimal impact on air, soil and water quality. <more>  April 2009 California Almonds Newsletter  
   

• Weed Society asks EPA to contest ruling defining pesticides as water pollutants - - The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) is asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to request a rehearing of the recent Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals decision defining pesticides as pollutants and requiring Clean Water Act permits before they can be applied in or near water sources. The Court’s ruling overrides existing government regulations for pesticides that are based on extensive scientific analysis. Currently the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) requires all pesticides marketed in the U.S. to be assessed for potential risks to both people and the environment. These scientific risk analyses determine which products are registered for use and how registered products are to be applied. No one may sell, distribute or use a pesticide unless it is registered by the EPA under FIFRA. The Clean Water Act permitting process mandated by the Court of Appeals, however, would in effect supersede FIFRA analyses. <more> March 31, 2009 Western Farm Press   
   

• Crop dusters: Bill doesn't fly. Aviators say misconceptions about aerial applications abound - - Crop dusters say a bill in the legislature proposing aerial-spraying buffer zones would wipe out their industry. AB622, by Assemblyman Sandré Swanson, would establish a 3.3-mile "safety zone" between target fields and residential areas or other "sensitive sites," a category that includes schools and hospitals. "Basically, that bill would shut down aerial applications in California," said Terry Gage, president of the California Agricultural Aircraft Association. "In California, there's a house within 3.3 miles of any field. We have quite a few cities and towns." "There's a lot of misunderstanding about aerial application," Gage said. "We've stepped so far away from the farm." <more> March 27, 2009 Capital Press  
   

• Sixth Circuit Court Ruling Impedes Agricultural Sprays - -Recently, a federal appeals court overturned an EPA rule on spraying of pesticides on waterways and nearby fields. The previous ruling protected farmers and applicators as long as they applied pesticides in compliance with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The court ruling, in the case of the National Cotton Council vs. the EPA, finds that agricultural pesticides are considered a “pollutant,” and thereby subject to the Clean Water Act (CWA). This means that potentially thousands of farmers would need to obtain CWA permits to make important pesticide applications. In a petition for a rehearing on the decision, Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack has sent Lisa Jackson, EPA’s administrator, an urgent letter on the far-reaching impact the court ruling could have on American agriculture. <more> March 27, 2009 GrowingProduce.com

   

• CURES names Ludwig new board chair - - Gabriele Ludwig, senior environmental manager of global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California (ABC), is the new board chair for Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES). She has been a CURES board member since 2006. “Gabriele’s commitment to building relationships with a wide range of coalitions in agriculture, industry, academia and government makes her capable leader for our organization,” says CURES Executive Director Parry Klassen. Prior to joining the ABC, Ludwig was a consultant with the firm, Schramm, Williams & Associates, in Washington D.C., where she worked on federal regulatory issues facing California agriculture. She received her doctorate from the University of California-Davis in plant physiology. CURES was founded in 1997 to support educational efforts for agricultural and urban communities focusing on the proper and judicious use of pest control products. CURES’ implement educational programs, coordinate research and provide information and professional expertise to users and applicators of crop protection chemicals and pest control products to enhance and protect the environment, as well as public and worker health and safety. March 27, 2009 Capital Press
   

• Court: Dust in the wind not pollution - - The U.S. Court of Appeals has dismissed an environmentalist group's argument that farm dust kicked up by the wind should be regulated as pollution. The March 20 decision upheld an 2007 Environmental Protection Agency rule that created a regulatory exemption for certain types of emissions - including those from farms and mines - caused by "exceptional events." In a previous ruling last month, the same court opened the way for dust generated by farm practices to be regulated as a form of pollution under the Clean Air Act.  However, the court rejected the complaint by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which claimed that dust from farms and mines shouldn't be exempt from regulation even if it has been aggravated by strong winds. <more> March 26, 2009 Capital Press  
   

• Bee troubles add to almond growers' woes. Drought could leave 30,000 to 40,000 acres of almonds with no water at all- - Shannon Wooten has a close vantage point from which to gauge the plight of California's almond industry. For the past few weeks, the Palo Cedro beekeeper has been placing hives in almond orchards throughout the north state, and what he's found is cause for some alarm. While the recent cold and rainy weather has been great for reservoirs and snowpack levels, it's left precious little time for pollination, he said. Add to that the lingering effects of colony collapse disorder, the use of cheaper bees in many orchards and the effects of the drought, and Wooten won't be surprised if the 2009 almond crop is half of what it was last year, when the state had a record crop for the third year in a row. "We got quite a bit of rain ... but as far as replenishing the water in the ground, it hasn't been near enough," said Wooten, owner of Wooten's Golden Queens and district director of the Shasta County Farm Bureau. "I think 50 percent is really, really stretching it," he said. "Part of it is drought and part of it is too much bad weather during bloom time." <more> March 19 ,2009 Capital Press  
   

• Cold nips almond crop; prices could benefit - - This year's almond crop may be lighter by at least 50 million pounds after a surprise cold snap damaged nuts throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Dave Baker, director of member relations at Sacramento-based Blue Diamond Growers, said the losses were scattered from San Joaquin to Kern counties and in areas where temperatures dropped to the upper 20s for several hours March 10.Young fruit, nuts and new plantings are highly susceptible to frost damage. <more> March 17, 2009 Fresno Bee  
   

• Postcard from Hughson - - The white boxes parked in California's almond orchards this time of year are easy to spot. Stacked in sets of four or six, they squat between dead-straight rows of trees awash in blossoms. (A walk through an almond orchard in early March is not unlike a stroll past a department-store perfume counter.) From afar, the boxes look as if they might provide a weary farmer a place to sit or store his tools. But get close enough under the right conditions--dry, above 55°, no more than a light breeze--and you can hear and see one of the most vital relationships in modern American agriculture: the droning dance of honey bees feasting on almond pollen. Almonds are a huge business in California's Central Valley; the state's 660,000 nut-producing acres are responsible for some 90% of the world's crop. Every almond we eat is the result of multiple acts of pollination; without a massive number of bees to flit among the blossoms, growers say, almond trees would produce scarcely a tenth as many nuts. That's why, every February, more than a million beehives--with a total of some 20 billion bees--are shipped in on flatbed trucks from all over the country. (Video: TIME visits the buzzing almond orchards of northern California)   <more> March 16, 2009 Time Magazine  
   

• Almond Stewardship Tour: Environment, profits go together - - For farm-equipment makers, talk of environmental benefits and of boosting the bottom line go together these days. While crop markets stall, regulations intensify and water supplies become precarious, makers of farm technology talk of the boost in efficiency and production a farm can achieve with more environmentally balanced cultural practices. At this point, that means spending an extra $200-300 per acre. But it also means up to an extra 1,000 pounds of almonds harvested per acre, says Mike Grohl, a crop adviser and branch manager with crop-technology firm Wilbur-Ellis in Hughson. "A 2,000-pound crop used to be a pretty good crop," Grohl said. "Now our sights are set on the 4,000-pound crop." On March 5, the Almond Board of California held its annual orchard tour at Quinn River Ranch. As usual, the board hosted a group of government regulators and agency officials. It calls the event its Environmental Stewardship Tour, but the talk focuses as much on the bottom line as it does on environmental concerns. <more> March 12, 2009 Capital Press  
   

• Drought survival strategies for California almond producers - - By Bob Curtis, Senior Manager, Production Research, Almond Board of California - - UC research funded by the Almond Board of California has helped and will continue to help the industry cope with water shortages and drought. Employing regulated deficit irrigation strategies, growers facing restricted water supplies last year were able to produce a crop with no loss in yields. These strategies are summarized in the UC Drought Management Web site: http://www.ucmanagedrought.ucdavis.edu/  . Specific almond information is under the links – crop irrigation strategies – almonds: http://www.ucmanagedrought.ucdavis.edu/Almonds.cfm.   Last year many growers were able to successfully employ a “moderate water stress” strategy outlined in this Web site during the period their water supplies were most restricted, which was June, July and August. This moderate deficit strategy employs deficit irrigation amounting to 50 percent of normal from mid-June to harvest, and meeting normal demand before and after this period. This strategy results in an overall water savings of about 30 percent compared to meeting full season-long evapo-transpiration (ET) demand. Furthermore, this strategy does not have an appreciable impact on current or subsequent yield. Another variation covered in the drought management Web site is simply to apply a uniform deficit rate of 70 percent of full crop water use across the growing season. <more> March 11, 2009 Western Farm Press   
   

• New fungicide coming for almonds - - A new fungicide is scheduled to be registered this year in California that will provide not only control of at least eight almond diseases, but will add to the all important resistance management toolbox. According to University of California, Riverside, plant pathologist Jim Adaskaveg, Quash fungicide from Valent is a “robust” fungicide in the Sterol Biosynthesis Inhibitors (SBI) class. Adaskaveg told pest control advisers (PCAs) at a Valent-sponsored meeting last fall that Quash is one of the most active fungicides in its class and rotating with it will ward off disease resistance in almonds. Alternaria leaf spot is a growing problem in California almonds, compounded by recent verified resistance to strobilurn fungicides in the Butte County area, said the UC plant pathologist. Registration of Quash, which is expected this year in California, according to Adaskaveg, will combat this Alternaria resistance. It is already federally registered. <more> March 6, 2009 Western Farm Press  
   

• Almond growers jittery about future - - Rain dampening the annual almond bloom may be the least of California growers' concerns. For decades, they've found markets for ever-larger harvests, but after a record fall harvest combined with last fall's global economic crunch, demand has flattened and nut prices fallen. And the ongoing drought may curtail production on up to 200,000 acres of the state's orchards. Ripon almond grower Kevin Fondse, anticipating forecasts of several days of rain, said farmers have to deal with whatever Mother Nature may deal out. But less-than-ideal weather might actually be a blessing, he suggested. "An average crop would be fine," he said. "It might help the market." <more> March 3, 2009 Stockton Record   
   

• California almond industry feeling the squeeze - - Back in the 1970s, California's almond industry worried that they would have trouble selling an annual crop that totaled 100 million pounds. The harvest for 2008-09 will come in at 1.6 billion pounds. As you might expect, the industry is still worried. While there have been record almond crops for the past three years, and new markets have always materialized, California's largest agricultural export is facing an unprecedented array of challenges. Among them: A severe drought, a court order that restricts water pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to 220,000 acres of almond trees on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley, recession, falling prices for nuts, and the death of honeybees required for pollination. It all adds up to trouble. <more> March 2, 2009 SF Chronicle 
   

• A tiny town in the Central Valley prepares for 'Armageddon' - -Shawn Coburn is barreling down a country road in his white Ford F-150 pickup, talking about how California's water crisis darkly reminds him of a scene from a movie aptly named "Armageddon." "Billy Bob Thornton tells Bruce Willis that a huge asteroid is approaching Earth,'' says Coburn, 40. ”Willis asks Thornton who will get hurt, and Thornton tells him that he just doesn't get it — that everyone will be dead, that the game is over.'' The disaster coming this spring and summer is no movie, and nothing menacing is falling from the sky. It's about what's not falling from the sky — rain. After three years of below-average rain and snowfall, coupled with new pumping restrictions to protect endangered fish, California's farmers are running out of water. The devastating impact has trickled down to dozens of small Central Valley farming communities. This is the story about one of those towns: Firebaugh. <more> March 2, 2009 San Jose Mercury News  
   

• Chico almond grower and beekeeper offers 2009 outlook - - Have contracts in place, maintain good relations with growers, and hope for rain: that is the advice for 2009 to beekeepers from an authority on both California almonds and honey bees. Dan Cummings, a grower and beekeeper in Chico and a former board member of the Almond Board of California (ABC), offered his analysis of this year’s almond pollination season during the board’s 36th Annual Almond Industry Conference in Modesto. In sketching the issues, Cummings said almond prices, which peaked at $3 a pound in 2005, are headed downward, possibly to $1.50 or less for the 2008 crop, due to the industry’s rapid ascent in production to an estimated, record 1.5 billion pounds. <more> Feb. 27, 2009 Western Farm Press  
   

• Federal court upholds EPA's rural dust rule - - A federal appeals court yesterday denied an industry request to order U.S. EPA to reconsider its decision to regulate dust in rural areas, a move that agricultural groups say could stifle farmers unnecessarily. In its response to a host of legal challenges brought against the Bush administration's 2006 standards for airborne soot and dust, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia refused to exempt the regulation of farm dust. The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council challenged EPA in 2006 over its decision to regulate coarse particulate matter -- or dust -- in rural areas, arguing that the agency had failed to show any negative health effects associated with the dust. EPA had considered exempting farming and mining operations, but the agency ultimately decided it could not exclude particular industries.<more> Feb. 26, 2009 NY Times  
   

• Water group shapes rules. Irrigation runoff management one of ag’s ‘most important issues’ - - Members of a state-organized workgroup met in Rancho Cordova Tuesday to begin hashing out permanent rules for the monitoring, restriction and enforcement of the discharge of irrigation water. The group - the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program Stakeholder Advisory Workgroup - is advising the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board on the shaping of a long-term plan. The board falls under the state Environmental Protection Agency. The meeting brought the group's first discussions of program proposals. A handful were offered, mostly in generalized form. The next step involves fleshing out their details sufficiently to withstand a California Environmental Quality Act review. A common theme involved maintaining separate programs for ground and surface water. Another involved the notion that localities should be assigned tailored requirements based on their respective water-quality levels and challenges. <more> Feb. 20, 2009 Capital Press  
   

• After diesel trucks, Air Board turns attention to tractors, farm equipment - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Now that the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has passed new rules designed to reduce air quality emissions for on-road heavy-duty diesel trucks, it is turning its attention to farm equipment vehicles, including tractors, harvesters and other machinery. The new truck rules, passed in December, are designed to reduce air quality emissions from on-road heavy-duty diesel trucks to help bring California in line with Clean Air Act requirements for air pollutants including diesel particulate matter and NOx. The rule, in a nutshell, requires all trucks and buses operated within California with a gross vehicle weight ratio of more than 14,000 pounds to comply with 2010 engine standards for PM10 and NOx emissions within the next 14 years. The on-road diesel truck rules require that, beginning in 2011, pre-1994 engine model year trucks must be retrofitted with a Verified Diesel Emission Control System or soot filter. Rules will be phased in annually according to engine year models until all trucks have been retrofitted or contain a soot filter by Jan. 1, 2014. <more> Feb. 12, 2009 Western Farm Press    
   

• Nut glut leaves growers blue- - This year, a can a week won't be enough. With the bad global economy choking off exports and warehouses full with a record harvest, California's almond business is swimming in nuts – and the industry's long boom has finally run out of steam. Almond prices dropped more than 30 percent from August to December. The market for orchard real estate, which doubled in price from 2003 to 2007, has gone cold. And the industry expects to be left with a record-shattering surplus – at least 300 million pounds – when the 2009 harvest begins in August. Drought is likely to make matters worse for many almond farmers. At the same time, though, a weak harvest might help the industry dig out of the glut. <more> Feb. 8, 2009 Sacramento Bee   
   

• Challenges face almond farmers and beekeepers - - A reduction in almond prices, limited water availability, increased production costs and the declining health of bees may all influence what happens during this year's almond bloom, impacting both almond growers and beekeepers. Speaking at the Almond Board of California annual meeting last month, board member Dan Cummings warned his audience that this spring could be "dicey" for almond growers and beekeepers alike. "Bees are competing for almond growers' money the same as water, fertilizer, fuel and all of our other inputs, at a time when the price of almonds has dropped. So we will be rationalizing where we go with our bees," said Cummings, who farms almonds in Chico and is co-owner of a full-service beekeeping operation. "We will be fallowing some other crops to direct water to almonds and perhaps abandoning almond orchards." <more> Jan. 28, 2009 Ag Alert    

   

• Almond Board of California unveils new marketing strategies - - The Almond Board of California (ABC) has plans to make almonds a ‘must-have’ essential for both the state’s agricultural economy and consumers around the world. Strategies to accomplish those goals — and sustainable success — in domestic and foreign markets were unveiled at the Board’s recent annual conference in Modesto by Richard Waycott, president and chief executive officer, and other ABC officials. Waycott said the conference theme, “Shaping Our Destiny,” recognizes the position which the almond industry has evolved in the past 10 years. The Board, a Federal Marketing Order, is now promoting the forecasted, record 1.5-million-pound 2008 crop, up 8 percent over the 2007 crop. Faced with the severe global economic downturn and volatility in currency exchange and commodity pricing, the industry has been affected at many levels, Waycott said. <more> Jan. 21, 2009 Western Farm Press

    

• Diverse Group Releases First-of-its-Kind Report Measuring Agriculture Sustainability - - A first-of-its-kind report released today creates a framework for measuring agriculture sustainability. Developed to inform long-term continuous improvements in agriculture production, the initial findings indicate crop production is already making progress toward reducing its environmental footprint. The Environmental Resource Indicators report was released at the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting by Field to Market, the Keystone Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture.  Field to Market is a diverse alliance representing the many links in the food chain, including grower organizations, agribusinesses, food companies and conservation organizations. As demand continues to rise and pressures on natural resources increase, the Alliance views the report as the first step in a long-term effort to quantify and improve the environmental, socio-economic and health impacts of agriculture production. The report evaluated national-scale metrics over the past two decades for land use, water use, energy use, soil loss, and climate impact in corn, soy, cotton and wheat production. In 2007, these crops comprised nearly 70 percent of the 305 million acres of U.S. cropland. <more> Jan. 13, 2009 Beef Magazine
   

• A long-term commitment to pollination and honey bee research - - By Bob Curtis, Senior Manager, Production Research, Almond Board of California and Chris Heintz, Liaison to the Almond Board, of California Bee Task Force, Executive Director, Project Apis m. - - The Almond Board of California (ABC) has contributed to pollination and honey bee research for over 30 years; since 1976 it has supported one of the largest sustained funding efforts of any non-government organization. Early work led by Dr. Robbin Thorp (UC Davis, retired) and Gerald Loper (USDA Carl Hayden Lab, Tucson, retired) refined guidelines for the strength and number of hives needed for sufficient almond pollination. Over time, threats to honey bee health, including the Varroa mite and more recently factors associated with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), have emerged and the almond industry-funded program has responded. <more> Jan. 13, 2009 Western Farm Press  
   

• Senate ag committee revamped, to be chaired by Sen. Florez - - The state Senate Agroculture Committee will undergo a dramatic change, according to a press released issued by Sen. Den Florez (D-Shafter) and Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento). The newly revamped Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture was announced at a Tuesday press conference held at the Capitol. According to the press release, the committee “looks more broadly at critical issues of sustainability and safety, as well as animal welfare reforms called for under voter-approved Proposition 2 and the security of our state’s food supply.” A website was launched in conjunction with the announcement to provide information on the change and encourage public input in policy discussions at http://www.californiasafefood.com.  “The pending reorganization will move forward a committee that was traditionally too narrowly focused on production, with a new vision that recognizes the need to protect finite resources while feeding an ever-growing population, the role that agriculture plays in supporting healthy lives and healthy communities, and the importance of transparency and consumer education in advancing best practices among producers.” To read the complete press release and see the list of organizations that appeared at the Tuesday press conference in support of the new committee, please click here. Jan. 13, 2009
   

• USDA opposes new limits on common soil fumigants - - The USDA believes new restrictions on common soil fumigants proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency are overly burdensome for farmers. The EPA should change its proposed rules for metam sodium, methyl bromide, dazomet and chloropicrin, USDA Secretary Ed Shafer said in a letter to the agency. Buffer zones for fumigant applications and other mitigation measures proposed in the EPA rule are flawed because they disregard on-the-ground circumstances, according to the letter, which was made public Dec. 22. "They may or may not actually achieve the desirable level of performance; they may be redundant, overprotective or underprotective; and they provide no incentive for the regulated community to improve the technology so that it is more protective and cost-effective," Shafer wrote. <more> Jan. 8, 2009 Capital Press   
   

• Beekeepers hope dry weather won't dampen almond pollination - - Beekeepers attending an industry conference in Fresno said Wednesday that they hope that the region's uncertain water supply doesn't affect almond pollination, which starts next month. "If they get less water, they [farmers] may not pollinate some groves," said Ken Haff, a North Dakota beekeeper. Reduced pollination could be damaging for beekeepers who rely on the almond crop to start their season. Worries of a third year of drought in California have been stoked recently by reports of a La Niña starting to appear on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. The vast stretch of cool water alters global storm patterns, and meteorologists say the phenomenon helped create a record dry spell last March and April. Haff was among the more than 300 beekeepers and industry representatives from across the nation gathering at the Radisson Hotel this week for the American Honey Producers Association's 40th annual convention. <more> Jan. 8, 2009 Fresno Bee
   

• Central Valley almond growers feel price squeeze - - Almonds grow on trees but money doesn't. That's what local almond farmers have learned this year.  Average prices for the popular nut have gone from about $2 a pound last year to a little more than $1 a pound, according to Livingston almond grower Wil Hunter. At that price, farmers will find it hard to make a profit.  "At 90 cents or a dollar, it's pretty tough to make it," said Turlock almond grower Ron Macedo. "A lot of us aren't going to be making any money in 2008, 2009. It's a guessing game." Almonds were a $936 million crop in 2007 in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, with almost half that number generated in Stanislaus County, where almonds are the second-ranked cash crop, behind milk. <more> Jan. 3, 2009 Modesto Bee
   

• Farmers provide definition of ‘sustainability’ - - Ask 10 people to define sustainability and you get 10 different answers. The fact that others are choosing to define sustainability in agriculture is a growing concern for family farmers and ranchers. A group comprised mostly of non-producers is meeting to establish sustainability standards. Meanwhile retailers, restaurant chains and other food buyers are proposing standards often as a marketing strategy. “There have been a great many differences of opinion as to what sustainability is or what it should be. Who should call the shots? How can it be farm driven? Should it have a basis in economics or is it someone else’s wish list?” said California Farm Bureau Federation National Affairs Manager Jack King. “That national debate is playing out.” Addressing concerns and defining sustainability became a top issue at the CFBF Annual Meeting, as delegates discussed and further amended the organization’s new policy related to sustainable agriculture. <more> Jan. 2, 2009 Ag Alert   
   

• State's pesticide use drops. Crop changes, rising fumigant usage affect amount applied - - Total pounds of pesticides used on California crops declined for the second straight year in 2007 amid changes in cropping patterns, cultural practices and substitutions for "softer" chemicals. Statewide, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation reported that about 172 million pounds of pesticides were applied, a decrease of nearly 16 million pounds, or 8.4 percent from 2006, according to the state's report. Organophosphate use in almonds, is trending downward, said Gabriele Ludwig, technical director for The Almond Board of California. "The message is sinking in that one does not need a dormant OP spray every winter to control primarily peach twig borer and San Jose scale," Ludwig said. The DPR- and ABC-funded programs developed some good threshold targets in almonds that allow growers to determine when an OP dormant spray is really needed. The program also showed that a dormant oil spray alone was sufficient to achieve control, she said. Diazinon, an organophosphate product used on almonds, has been decreasing in use according to the DPR report. Ludwig said there has been a general decline in use since 2000. Total organophosphate use declined by 1.1 million pounds and 756,000 acres in 2007. <more> Dec. 31, 2008 Capital Press
   

• What is sustainable agriculture? - - By Gail Feenstra, Community Food Systems/Nutrition, University of California - - Agriculture has changed dramatically, especially since the end of World War II. Although these changes have had many positive effects and reduced many risks in farming, there have also been significant costs. The movement for sustainable agriculture is garnering increasing support and acceptance within mainstream agriculture. Not only does sustainable agriculture address many environmental and social concerns, but it offers innovative and economically viable opportunities for growers, laborers, consumers, policy makers and many others in the entire food system. This article is an effort to identify the ideas, practices and policies that constitute our concept of sustainable agriculture. <more> Dec. 31, 2008 Progressive Dairyman 
   

• Price dive hits almond growers. Economic weakness, potential product glut shakes local farmers - - Almond growers are powerless to react immediately to the peaks and valleys of prices. “It’s not like a row crop,” said Richard Jelmini of R&M Jelmini Farms. “They’re trees. You can’t change them from year to year.” That said, more than a few growers are sweating over a recent dip in the price of almonds, which had previously risen enough to fuel explosive growth in plantings. Almonds were Kern County’s fourth largest agricultural commodity last year, according to the Kern County Agricultural Crop Report. <more> Dec. 27, 2008 Bakersfield Californian   
   

• Annual almond conference abuzz with talk about bees. Speaker ‘cautiously optimistic’ about availability for the upcoming bloom - - Continuing drought and a crashing economy won't keep almond trees from blooming or bees from buzzing in 2009. Speakers at the annual Almond Industry Conference in Modesto noted new bee health research tactics as well as practical aspects of pollination services. Beekeepers were urged to have contracts and dialogue with almond growers because, as Chico-area almond grower and beekeeper Dan Cummings predicted, "it's going to be a dicey spring." Cummings, who chairs the Almond Board's Bee Task Force, commented on the increased numbers of beekeepers attending the annual conference. He looked at the upcoming bloom season from both viewpoints. "Input costs are up for growers - and the same goes for the beekeepers," said Cummings. "Water is the wild card for this upcoming season, but we still need bees." <more> Dec. 18, 2008 Capital Press
   

• California pesticide use dropped 8.4 percent in 2007 - - Pesticide use in California has dropped for the second consecutive year, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Approximately 172 million pounds of pesticides were applied statewide in 2007, a decrease of nearly 16 million pounds, or 8.4 percent, from 2006. Production agricultural use dropped by more than 11 million pounds, as did almost every other category. Reports are mandatory for agricultural and pest control business applications, while most home, industrial, and institutional uses are exempt. “While pesticide use varies year to year based on weather conditions, economics, types of crops, acreage planted, and other variable factors, the reduction in 2007 reflects DPR’s efforts to promote pest control through a combination of techniques that pose the lowest risk to public health and the environment,” said DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. “I am especially encouraged to see an across-the-board drop in categories of pesticides with the greatest regulatory concern,” Warmerdam said. <more> Dec. 18, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Valley pesticide use has plummeted - - Declining acreage, high production costs and fewer bugs helped reduce pesticide use throughout the central San Joaquin Valley for the second straight year. Fresno County, the state's top agricultural producer and largest user of pesticides, recorded an 18% drop in 2007, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation's annual pesticide-use report released Wednesday. Other Valley counties also saw drops in pesticide use, including Tulare County, down 9.85%; Madera County, down 7.9%; and Kings County, down 10.6%. Pesticide use varies from year to year and the amount often depends on the types of crops being farmed, weather conditions and prevalence of pests or disease. <more> Dec. 18, 2008 Fresno Bee  
   

• Creating a Sustainable Food Future – California Agricultural Vision Framework Released - - The California State Board of Food and Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture  (CDFA) are releasing the California Agricultural Vision framework for public comment. This “Ag Vision” will help craft long term policy priorities for California’s food system that will bring together various stakeholders with the common goal of advancing innovation and the sustainability of California’s agricultural future. This includes perspectives from farmers, ranchers and processors as well as nutrition, conservation, environmental and rural development groups. The Ag Vision’s framework is centered on three policy priorities for a sustainable agri-food system: • Better Health and Well-being: Meeting the nutritional needs of California’s diverse population. • A Healthier Planet: Agricultural stewardship of the natural resources upon which California food production depends. • Thriving Communities: Food production is a driver of sustainable California economic growth. <more> Dec. 15, 2008 CDFA Press Release
   

• Leaders must take bold action to secure safe water supply for all - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Sr. Manager Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California - - An estimated 250,000 acres of almonds, fully one-third of the state’s planted acreage, have been affected by recent lawsuits related to the endangered Delta smelt and winter-run salmon in the Sacramento River. With reservoirs statewide reportedly at only about one-third of capacity and additional demands for urban and environmental surface water allocations on the horizon, even a normal rainfall year in 2009 and beyond will not alleviate the current crisis. The water woes affecting all users in California will only be alleviated by long-term vision and bold action by water officials and politicians in the state. These are near-term issues that require long-term solutions, willing leadership and significant investment to protect both ecological and human uses for water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Three studies released over the past several months have put plenty of ideas on the table for solving the state’s water crisis. All three studies, with their attendant proposals, are sure to play a role in how water policy and infrastructure is developed over the next several years. <more> Dec. 15, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Panel to offer a vision for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - - By New Year's Eve, a panel of state Cabinet secretaries called the Delta Vision Committee will send the governor and Legislature a plan to replumb and restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hub of California's freshwater delivery system. It will be one of the most ambitious infrastructure and habitat restoration projects ever proposed in America. The delta provides drinking water to 25 million Californians and irrigates 3 million acres of farmland via diversion pumps near Tracy. But these diversions have contributed to a broad ecosystem collapse in the delta, including nine fish species in steep decline. As a result, water deliveries to the Bay Area and Southern California have been curtailed. <more> Dec. 14, 2008 Fresno Bee
   

• The Delta debate: Resurrecting the canal - - California as we know it today was built largely on this fantasy: That arid cities in the south could indefinitely satisfy the thirst of a growing population by importing water from the north.  The fantasy endured for a while, buoyed by water diversions from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas, it drains 40 percent of California, transporting vital snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada across the state. Recent events have revealed the truth: California is reaching the limit of its water supplies, and the economy and the environment are suffering for it.  The future offers even harsher realities: Global warming is drying up the snowpack and natural disasters could shatter the Delta. Now, the state's water planners are proposing the most sweeping landscape change in America, resurrecting an audacious notion for re-plumbing this state ¨C a controversial idea that many thought died long ago. <more> Dec. 14, 2008 Sacramento Bee  To view an interactive map, join in a forum on the Delta and see other features from this Bee series on the Delta, please click here.
   

• California grants will promote environmentally sensitive approaches to IPM - - The U.S. EPA is awarding grants totaling nearly $1 million nationwide to fund five innovative projects that will use integrated pest management approaches aimed at successfully reducing pesticide risk. The California 2008 Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act Partnership Grant recipients are:  California Department of Pesticide Regulation, $159,494 for “Reducing Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Pesticide Use in Nuts and Tree Fruit Orchards in California’s San Joaquin Valley.” This project will reduce surface water runoff and volatile organic compound emissions from pesticide use in almond, peach, and walnut orchards in California’s northern San Joaquin Valley. Almond, walnut, and peach orchards encompass 324,000 acres and contribute $1.1 billion to the agricultural economy. <more> Dec. 4, 2008 EPA Press Release
   

• Proposed rules target fumigants that make smog - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation issued proposed rules Tuesday aimed at reducing fumigant emissions in regions with some of the worst air quality in the state, including the central San Joaquin Valley. State regulators are targeting the smog-making pollutants known as volatile organic compound (VOC) fumigant emissions that contribute to the creation of the potentially harmful ozone gas. "Reducing air emissions from pesticides is complex and requires a comprehensive approach," said Mary-Ann Warmerdam, Department of Pesticide Regulation director. "These revised rules will give us needed flexibility, while fulfilling our commitment to cleaner air for all Californians." In the Valley, where farmers inject fumigants into the soil to kill pests and disease, fumigant gases make up 36% of the total pesticide VOC emissions. <more> Nov. 26, 2008 Fresno Bee
   

• Pesticide linked to disease in valley - - For years, researchers have suspected commercial pesticides put people at risk for Parkinson's disease. Now evidence in the San Joaquin Valley suggests it's true. Researchers have found a strong connection between the debilitating neurological disease and long-term exposure to pesticides, particularly to a fungicide that is sprayed on thousands of acres of almonds, tree fruit and grapes in the valley. The fungicide ziram, the 20th most-used agricultural toxin in California in 2006, emerged as a common factor in a UCLA study of 400 people with Parkinson's in the valley. "People exposed over a 25-year period to ziram have about a threefold increased risk of developing Parkinson's," said Jeff Bronstein, professor of neurology and head of the Movement Disorder Center at UCLA. More than 660,000 pounds of ziram were used on crops in Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, Tulare and Kern counties in 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available. About 1.3 million pounds of the fungicide were used statewide, according to the California Department of Pesticide Control. In Stanislaus County, 48,800 pounds of ziram were applied to crops in 2006, including 41,000 pounds on almonds. The fungicide was used on peaches and apricots, too. More than 52,000 pounds were used on crops in San Joaquin County. <more> Nov. 24, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• Ag Fame for Flory - - Early in the last century, Floyd Flory got one of those newfangled milking machines for his dairy farm near Salida. It was said to be the first such machine in Stanislaus County, and it would not be the last time the Flory family innovated. Flory Industries evolved from dairy farming to custom harvesting, then to the nut farming machines that dominate its business today. Thursday evening, the 150-employee company was inducted into the Stanislaus County Agricultural Hall of Fame. "They are very humble people and very hardworking people," said John Scheuber, president of the Stanislaus Ag Center Foundation. "They have brought a lot of recognition to our area for technology." <more> Nov. 17, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• Almond pest management team honored for reducing pesticide use - - A team of University of California researchers will share an award from the Entomological Society of America for developing a pest management program that significantly reduces pesticide use in almonds. The Almond Pest Management Alliance Integrated Pest Management team developed and implemented a program for almonds that resulted in reduction in the use of organophosphate, said Richard Levine, spokesman for the Entomological Society of America. <more> Nov. 13, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Options for dormant-season pest management in almonds - -  By Bob Curtis, Senior Manager, Production Research, Almond Board of California  - - In an ongoing quest to develop sustainable, economic, reduced-risk options for dormant-season control of peach twig borer (PTB) and other insects and mites, University of California entomologists and farm advisors have developed a substantial body of information related to sampling and treatment thresholds, combinations of products, and application timings and methods to manage these pests in an environmentally sound program. The research, supported since 1998 by the Almond Board of California (ABC), the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and U.S. EPA Region 9, came about primarily because of water quality concerns related to organophosphate pesticides used in dormant sprays. Moreover, this research has led to reduced exposure and risk to wildlife, such as hawks.  Over the years, the findings of this research have been accumulated and made accessible to almond growers through the ABC Almond Industry Conference, the Environmental Committee of the ABC in partnership with the Coalition for Urban and Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES), and the Almond Pest Management Alliance. The findings are summarized both in the “Seasonal Guide to Environmentally Responsible Pest Management Practices in Almonds,” UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Leaflet 21619, and online as the Almond Year-Round IPM Program http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu .  <more> Nov. 6, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• California almond growers shell out another record setting crop - - In February a worried James McFarlane stared at his young Nonpareil almond trees in full bloom and could see the trees behind them; typically not a sign of good yield potential in orchards. “As an almond grower you don’t want to see the tree behind another tree during bloom,” said McFarlane, a third-generation almond grower and general manager, Redbanks Farming Inc., Clovis. “My fertility person and I were crying in our beer a little, but it set a crop. I think it set every last flower we had. Sometimes you can make a decent crop with a less than average bloom.” Despite early season concerns, McFarlane and other almond growers have grins pasted across their faces this fall as they deliver a record California almond crop estimated at 1.5 billion pounds by the National Agricultural Statistics Services. Industry leaders hint the estimate is fairly accurate. The 2008 crop is the third consecutive record crop. Prices to growers are slightly lower than last year. <more> Nov. 4, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Beekeepers, growers keep eyes on hives - -Almond growers, and the beekeepers on whom they rely for pollination of the trees, hope their luck holds for another year. The Central Valley harvests have continued to set records despite a mysterious collapse in commercial bee populations. Experts meeting in Modesto last week cited one key reason -- mild weather in February, when the trees bloom. Bees like to fly when it's dry and not too cold, and they can pollinate a lot of flowers even with their reduced numbers. "We've had really good pollination conditions, really good weather at bloom the last three years," said Dan Cummings, a grower near Chico. The meeting, sponsored by the Almond Board of California, provided an update on colony collapse disorder, as the problem is called. <more> Oct. 27, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• Commentary: Delta Vision report points to need for comprehensive water solution - - By Chris Scheuring, managing counsel of the California Farm Bureau Federation Natural Resources and Environmental Division - - It could be the most complicated, difficult policy decision facing California today: Figure out what to do in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Recommendations on how to attack the delta's environmental problems will have everything to do with the water supplies for thousands of family farmers and ranchers and for millions of California residents. So it's no wonder that the recommendations of the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force made such a splash when they were released last Friday. The task force worked for nearly two years and wrote a detailed, comprehensive plan that can be boiled down to its essence in a few words:  There's no "silver bullet" that will solve all the delta's problems; we have to consider anything and everything. <more> Oct. 24, 2008 Ag Alert
   

• Taking a Crack at Solar Power - - The sunlight that helps walnut trees bear crops has taken on another task for two nut processors. Solar electricity systems have been installed at Quality Nut Co. in Modesto and Grower Direct Nut. Co. near Hughson. The systems produce power to help run the walnut-cracking equipment, the sorting belts and other parts of the operations. "We figured that it was a good and healthy thing to do for our business," said Bruce Beard, manager of the Quality Nut plant on Yosemite Boulevard. Both systems got up and running in time for the hectic autumn harvest of walnuts, one of Stanislaus County's top crops. Quality Nut got a rebate from the Modesto Irrigation District under a state program that requires electrical utilities to promote solar power. <more> Oct. 18, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• A Bull Market That's Just Plain Nuts! - - By Jane Wells, CNBC - - I'm on the hunt for positive business news, and I found it in an almond grove in Northern California. Meet Dan Cummings, who has an Econ degree from Stanford, an MBA from Harvard, and a green thumb for profits. <more> Oct. 15, 2008 CNBC
   

• Ruling may set dangerous precedent - - A California court ruling last week gave a Santa Cruz organic herb farmer $1 million after pesticides from a neighboring conventional farm found their way to the organic fields, ruining his crop. Justice served, right? But wait: State and county regulators found that the conventional farmer and the pesticide applicator had applied his pesticides properly, meaning they were socked with a million-dollar fine for doing nothing wrong. This is disturbing, to say the least. No one would argue that Jacobs Farm Del Cabo shouldn't be entitled to damages if the conventional farmer had violated the rules when he sprayed his fields. After all, the whole point of growing organic crops is to guarantee your customers there will be no pesticides on them, and when one of Jacobs Farm's customers detected pesticide residue, the value of his crop plummeted. Exactly how the residue made it onto the crop remains mysterious, but the implications are clear: At the very least this will make life for neighboring organic and conventional farmers difficult. At worst, it could jeopardize conventional agriculture. <more> Oct. 14, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Citing cost, USDA kills pesticide-testing program - - The Bush administration has abruptly halted a government program that tests the levels of pesticides in fruits, vegetables and field crops, arguing that the $8 million-a-year program is too expensive—a decision critics say could make it harder to protect consumers from toxins in their food. Data from the 18-year-old Agricultural Chemical Usage Program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were collected until this year, and the Environmental Protection Agency used the data to set safe levels of pesticides in food. The program was launched in 1990 to answer congressional concerns over the use of the chemical daminozide, or Alar, on apples. But now USDA contends the program is too expensive. <more> Sept. 30, 2008 Chicago Tribune
   

• Sprayer ordered to pay over tainted organic crops - - A Santa Cruz County judge has ordered a pesticide contractor to pay a farm $1 million after a jury found drifting chemicals contaminated a crop of organic herbs. The ruling stems from a lawsuit alleging that pesticides sprayed by Western Farm Service Inc. of Fresno on a nearby conventional field ruined a crop of dill, sage and rosemary belonging to Jacobs Farm. The farm said the presence of the pesticides prevented the sale of significant portions of its 2006 and 2007 harvests. Both sides agreed that coastal fog was to blame for spreading the chemical residue, but disagreed over whether the defendants should be held responsible. An attorney for Western Farm Service said the company would likely appeal Friday's verdict. Sept. 30,2008 AP
   

• Santa Cruz grower gets $1M award over pesticide contamination - - A Santa Cruz County jury has found that an organic grower's rights were violated by crop contamination caused by pesticides evaporating after application, and awarded $1 million in damages. The ruling was announced Monday in a case filed in May 2007 by Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo against pesticide application company Western Farm Service Inc. The suit claimed that Western Farm Service sprayed the toxic pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon and dimethoate on crops near Jacobs Farm, contaminating its dill, sage, and rosemary. Jacobs Farm sought to stop Western Farm Service from spraying pesticide chemicals near Wilder Ranch State Park, where the grower leases 120 acres. Jacobs Farm also sought compensation for losses that resulted from pesticide contamination. "The landmark ruling sends a clear message to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation that pesticides that evaporate and move to non-target property with wind or fog need to be strictly regulated to prevent future property damage," Jacobs Farm said. Sept. 29, 2008 Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal
   

• Appellate ruling puts heated VOC emission debate back at square one - - By Richard Cornett, Director of Communications, Western Plant Health Association - - Maybe it’s too early for state farmers to be popping champagne corks, but there’s no doubt that there was a sigh of relief from state officials in August when the California Department of Regulation (DPR) won its appeal involving the federal Clean Air Act. The Western Plant Health Association, along with several other agricultural commodity groups, was an intervener in the case. “We are pleased with the ruling of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that will now allow DPR to move forward with a plan that can be based on science rather than mandates developed by an over-reaching court,” said WPHA President Renee Pinel. “This ruling allows DPR to adopt a more thoughtful, comprehensive approach to reducing pesticide emissions that contribute to smog,” said DPR’s Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam after the appellate court’s decision. “We believe the environmental and economic progress can be achieved through cooperation, rather than litigation and conflict.” <more> Sept. 29, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Valley air labeled healthy for dust, soot - - The San Joaquin Valley's air is now classified as healthy under the federal standard for dust and soot, the dangerous, tiny specks that can trigger lung problems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency made the landmark announcement Thursday following two years of protests from environmentalists who say officials have simply ignored many violations. Environmentalists sued the EPA in March after the agency waived several violations because of high-wind conditions in the Valley. Arguments are supposed to be heard in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court in February. Local air officials say the Valley -- 25,000 square miles from Stockton to Bakersfield -- has not violated the so-called PM-10 standard since 2003. It is the first completed cleanup of a major pollutant here since the 1990s. <more> Sept. 26, 2008 Fresno Bee
   

• U.S. EPA says San Joaquin Valley is meeting standard for PM10 air emissions - – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said today the San Joaquin Valley has reached the standard set for controlling PM10 emissions. In a press release, EPA said it has redesignated the San Joaquin Valley air basin to attainment for the national ambient air quality standard for coarse particulate matter (PM-10) while also approving the PM-10 maintenance plan for the area. In doing so, the EPA first approved the state’s request to change the boundary of the San Joaquin Valley nonattainment area by splitting the area into two separate PM-10 nonattainment areas. Geographically, the area will now be divided into the San Joaquin Valley air basin PM-10 area, and the East Kern PM-10 area.  This change reflects natural geographical and jurisdictional divisions for these two distinct air basins.  With this split, PM-10 now follows the same regulatory boundaries as PM-2.5 and ozone for the SJV air basin. East Kern will continue to be a PM-10 nonattainment area.  The EPA is approving a commitment from the state to install a PM-10 monitor in East Kern that will address Clean Air Act requirements for the area. “The EPA remains committed to the emission controls, enforcement and monitoring requirements currently in place in the San Joaquin Valley,” said Deborah Jordan, Air Division director for the U.S. EPA’s Pacific Southwest region.  “In addition to the current controls, many additional reductions will be needed to attain the more protective PM 2.5 standard and the ozone standard.” The maintenance plan retains all PM-10 controls and monitoring for the SJV air basin, provides a demonstration that the area will continue to attain until 2020, and provides for contingency measures if the area does not continue to attain. Sept. 25, 2008 EPA Press Release
   

• Great shakes for almond growers. Another record year seen as nut harvest hits high gear - - What looks like an ice rink Zamboni with a muscular arm approaches the young almond tree. The arm grips the trunk, the motor revs, and the arm begins shaking the tree like a miniature earthquake. A rain of nuts falls to the orchard floor. Harvest is in full swing. Roughly 6,000 farmers grow almonds in the Central Valley, amounting to nearly 80 percent of the world's production. In a valley full of nuts, fruits and veggies, the almond is king. Only winegrapes and the dairy industry best this $2 billion-a-year crop. And for a third straight year, growers are expecting a record, 1.5-billion pound harvest. <more> Sept. 25, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Almond growers enjoy record harvest - - As a mechanical shaker worked its way along rows of almond trees near Wasco, grabbing each trunk and giving it a violent shake, Barry Braun nodded his head in satisfaction. Each rattle sent thousands of almonds raining to the ground. I think it’ll be a good year,” said Braun, who with brother-in-law Sam Franz grows about 500 acres of almonds on the Roger Franz & Sons orchards. This year the cooperative where they send their nuts for hulling and shelling will produce approximately 50 million tons of nuts, exceeding last year’s take by 10 million, Franz said. For the 2008 season, the 6,000 or so almond growers in California are expected to haul in a record 1.5 billion-pound harvest, according to the USDA. It will be the third consecutive record. <more> Sept. 22, 2008 Bakersfield Californian
   

• Supporters of raw nuts file suit over federal law - - From nuts to milk, the fight for the right to eat raw, unpasteurized food is broadening. This week, a collection of 15 Central Valley almond farmers and brokers sued the federal government in an effort to overturn a year-old pasteurization requirement that has effectively banned the sale of California-grown organic raw almonds in U.S. stores and via the Web. The suit follows the passage two weeks ago of legislation to relax state standards on bacterial counts in raw milk. Dairies and raw-food advocates say the existing standards, passed by the Legislature last year, are unreasonably strict. The bill, which is awaiting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature, would allow raw-milk dairies to instead comply with certain hygienic production practices. Such cases pit farmers who want to serve consumers' demand for raw – if slightly risky – foods against food-industry groups and government agencies that want stringent food disinfection standards with no exceptions for raw products. <more> Sept. 14, 2008 Sacramento Bee
   

• Almond growers must navigate a maze of soil fumigant restrictions - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California - - A web of soil fumigant regulations related to air quality and worker/bystander exposure is casting a cloud of uncertainty over the ability of almond growers to use soil fumigants on new or replanted orchards. Adding to the uncertainty, a federal appeals court in August overturned a ruling by a lower court that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) order farmers to reduce pesticide volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by 20 percent next year. New state rules that went into effect this year to meet the lower court’s ruling are aimed at reducing pesticide VOC emissions in the San Joaquin Valley. These rules severely restrict the application window and methods for most almond soil fumigants. <more> Sept. 12, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Smelt again at center of water conflict. Environmentalists want 3 dozen contracts canceled or reworked- - Environmentalists want the federal government to cancel or renegotiate more than three dozen long-term water contracts in the Central Valley because they say they were drawn up using flawed data. If the request is approved by U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger, agricultural users both north and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta say it would likely mean less water for them. Some say the environmentalists' request has the potential to turn the state's intricately woven water world upside down. That's because some Sacramento River users say that if there's no federal contract, they should be able to reassert their longtime state water rights -- a claim that could devastate the Westlands Water District and even hurt the Friant Water Users Authority and other San Joaquin River water users. <more> Sept. 12, 2008 Fresno Bee
   

• Palin asks Schwarzenegger to veto fees aimed at cutting pollution at California ports - - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican candidate for vice president, has urged Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto a fee on cargo containers going through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, setting off a wave of criticism from California environmentalists. Palin's letter to Schwarzenegger is dated Aug. 28 -- one day before presidential candidate and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) announced that he had picked her as his running mate. The letter argues that both consumers and the economy in California and Alaska would suffer as a result of the fee. Though the issue might otherwise be viewed as a relatively parochial port matter, Palin's newfound status as a national political figure has raised the stakes in what state environmentalists consider to be their most important pollution reduction effort this year. They say Palin has no business getting involved in the California issue. <more> Sept. 12, 2008 LA Times
   

• University research keeps ag productive - - USDA Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics Gale A. Buchanan spoke at the Symposium on Agricultural Research and Extension. A disturbing link between reduced spending on agricultural research and Extension and emerging evidence that the rate of growth in both U.S. and California agricultural productivity is declining was revealed recently in a new study led by UC and University of Minnesota economists. Although almond yields have increased 86 percent over the last two decades, largely resulting from adoption of improved horticulture techniques developed through publicly-funded agricultural research and development and Extension, a recent U.S. productivity slowdown may reflect past slowdown in growth of public research spending. The consequences could be a decline in global competitiveness for California agriculture. <more> Sept. 10, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Cornucopia Institute: Almond Growers and Handlers File Federal Lawsuit to End 'Adulteration' of Raw Nuts -- A group of fifteen American almond growers and wholesale nut handlers filed a lawsuit in the Washington, D.C. federal court on Tuesday, September 9 seeking to repeal a controversial USDA-mandated treatment program for California-grown raw almonds. The almond farmers and handlers contend that their businesses have been seriously damaged and their futures jeopardized by a requirement that raw almonds be treated with propylene oxide (a toxic fumigant recognized as a carcinogen by the EPA) or steam-heated before they can be sold to American consumers. Foreign-grown almonds are exempt from treatment and are rapidly displacing raw domestic nuts in the marketplace. <more> Sept. 10, 2008 Cornucopia Institute Press Release
   

• Farm bill omission is plain nuts - - By David Norris, Jessup, Norris & Trunick Inc., - - It is unfortunate that the five-year, $307 billion farm bill passed in June excludes California-grown almonds, pistachios, walnuts and dried fruits from the school lunch program. Nuts and dried fruits are proven natural source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and they're loaded with antioxidants. Nuts are also a heart-healthy food that lowers cholesterol. And from a convenience standpoint, nuts are hard to beat. They're only semi-perishable, meaning students can safely keep them in a desk or backpack long after the point where most fresh fruits and vegetables go bad. Including nuts and dried fruit in the farm bill's school lunch program, therefore, is important to the health of our kids. But it's also important to the health of the U.S. nut and dried-fruit industries. <more> Sept. 9, 2008 Bakersfield California Op-Ed
   

• Almond growers rely on research and technology to comply with myriad air quality rules - - (Editor's Note: This is the first article in a three-part series on air quality issues affecting the California almond industry that ran in Western Fruit Grower) By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California - - California almond growers farm some of the most fertile, productive ground in the world. Unfortunately, they also farm a region with some of the worst air quality in the nation. Air quality regulations are changing the way almond growers farm, harvest and transport their crops, while adding considerable cost to the bottom line.  These rules, some of them pending and others already on the books, come from federal, state and regional levels and they are sometimes confusing, overlapping and even conflicting.  Air quality regulations focus on three general kinds of air pollution: ozone, dust and greenhouse gasses. <more> Western Fruit Grower
   

• Almond Industry Works to Reduce Dust in Growing and Harvesting Operations - - (Editor's Note: This is the second article in a three-part series on air quality issues affecting the California almond industry that ran in Western Fruit Grower) By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Air quality regulations will continue to impact the way almonds are grown, harvested and transported in the San Joaquin Valley and statewide. New and existing regulations focus on three general sources of air pollution; ozone, particulate matter (dust) and greenhouses gasses. In California, new air quality rules aim to reduce particulate matter and diesel emissions from trucks and agricultural vehicles.  Pending State Air Resources Board rules for on-road heavy-duty diesel trucks will require the retrofit of diesel truck engines with particulate filters beginning Dec. 31, 2010. Starting in 2012, older truck engines must be replaced with lower NOx emitting motors. NOx is a precursor to both ozone and PM2.5. Once on-road truck regulations are finalized in October, ARB turns their attention to similar rules for agricultural equipment, including tractors, almond harvesters and chippers. As part of its effort to reduce diesel emissions, ARB also decided last year to mandate replacement or retrofits of diesel pumps state-wide – emulating a program established for the San Joaquin Valley six years ago. <more> Western Fruit Grower
   

• Greenhouse gases mark the next major frontier in air quality rules for agriculture - - (Editor's Note: This is the third article in a three-part series on air quality issues affecting the California almond industry that ran in Western Fruit Grower) By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs,Almond Board of California - - Greenhouse gas emissions will form the basis of significant new air quality regulations in the next few years, affecting every sector of society. Industry is likely to get the brunt of new rules to curb greenhouse gas emissions, and agriculture will be no exception. Already, the California Air Resources Board in late June released a sweeping plan aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 20 percent within the next decade. The new plan would help the state comply with AB32, a landmark legislation passed in 2006, which obligates the state to reduce greenhouse gases to pre-1990 levels by the year 2020. And experts say a national policy is likely to follow soon. While transportation and electricity generation account for the vast majority of greenhouse gases, production agriculture is the sixth largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in California, largely as emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄).  <more> Western Fruit Grower
   

• Sign-ups being accepted for California EQIP funds for 2009 - - California almond growers should act now to secure technical and financial assistance for integrating conservation practices into their operations and facilities in 2009. Under the newly authorized Farm Bill, growers are likely to have additional cost-share funds in 2009 under the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) to integrate conservation practices that address resource issues in the orchard. Rules on how those authorized funds will be distributed are still being finalized in Washington D.C., but NRCS officials said the new Farm Bill is likely to contain increased funding for conservation. <more> Sept. 2, 2008 California Almond News
   

• San Joaquin Valley almond growers face Jan. 1 deadline for new rules on internal combustion engines - - San Joaquin Valley almond growers have until Jan. 1, 2009, to meet new emissions requirements for gas-powered irrigation pump engines. A new rule by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District establishes new thresholds for spark-ignited internal combustion engines in agricultural operations as part of its effort to reduce agricultural emissions of NOx, CO and VOCs in the Central Valley. Under District Rule 4702, growers with irrigation pumps or other engines powered by gasoline, natural gas, propane/LPG, biogas or other fossil fuels must retrofit engines that do not meet those thresholds with an emission control device, such as an exhaust catalyst, or replace them with a more efficient lean-burn, electric or diesel engine that meets the limit. <more> Sept. 2, 2008 California Almond News
   

• Assembly Democrats prevail on water bill - - In a heated debate Thursday, Assembly Republicans and Democrats agreed that California needs more reliable water supplies. But Republicans voted against spending $820 million from voter-approved water bonds because, they said, Democrats had not consulted them and too much of the money was dedicated to studies instead of construction. "I'm studied out," said Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-San Diego). "What my constituents want is brick and mortar." But the dominant Democrats overrode Republicans' objections and passed a bill to spend $820 million from four water bonds. <more> Aug. 29, 2008 LA Times
   

• California DPR sees opportunity to clear the air - - By Mary-Ann Warmerdam, Director, Department of Pesticide Regulation - - A recent appellate court ruling reaffirmed that the state Department of Pesticide Regulation appropriately met its legal commitment to help clean the air. But the ruling for DPR also underscores that a measured, reasonable approach to environmental protection serves us best, in the long run. This approach is more difficult than it sounds. For years, DPR has been caught in the crossfire between a few people who would ban all pesticides, and a few others who oppose any effort to control pesticide emissions that contribute to smog. Neither position is reasonable, nor is it in the best interests of our environment and economy. Now we have reason for hope. The appellate ruling relieves DPR from a court-imposed deadline to drastically reduce pesticide air emissions across the state, without any regard for the impact on farm communities. Instead, we now find an opportunity to approach our complex clean air mandates in a more thoughtful, thorough way. But our ultimate goal remains the same: comply with the federal Clean Air Act and state air mandates in a way that minimizes economic disruption. <more> Aug. 28, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Utility fees sought for global warming research center - - With this year's legislative session in its final days, lawmakers Monday unveiled a bill mandating new fees from electricity ratepayers to fund a University of California-run global warming research center. The surcharge, amounting to $37 million a year for up to a decade, would be paid by customers of regulated utilities such as Southern California Edison Co. and publicly owned ones, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The fees would partially fund an $87-million-a-year Climate Change Research and Workforce Development Institute, whose location has yet to be decided. If it becomes law, the bill would add an average of 10 cents a month to electricity bills statewide, backers said. <more> Aug. 27, 2008 LA Times
   

• Valley growers upset as bill excludes nuts, dried fruits - – Congress dissed dried fruits and nuts in the latest farm bill, and growers are feeling ambushed.In a last-minute maneuver that is only now coming to light, farm bill authors cut out dried fruits and nuts from an ambitious school snack program. The action could slam the door on some potentially lucrative markets. "This is a real problem with the bill, excluding an entire industry," said Dan Haley, a lobbyist for California specialty crops. <more> Aug. 19, 2008 Sacramento Bee
   

• Lawsuit seeks EPA pesticide data - - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is refusing to disclose records about a new class of pesticides that could be playing a role in the disappearance of millions of honeybees in the United States, a lawsuit filed Monday charges. The Natural Resources Defense Council wants to see the studies that the EPA required when it approved a pesticide made by Bayer CropScience five years ago. The environmental group filed the suit as part of an effort to find out how diligently the EPA is protecting honeybees from dangerous pesticides, said Aaron Colangelo, a lawyer for the group in Washington. In the last two years, beekeepers have reported unexplained losses of hives - 30 percent and upward - leading to a phenomenon called colony collapse disorder. Scientists believe that the decline in bees is linked to an onslaught of pesticides, mites, parasites and viruses, as well as a loss of habitat and food. <more> Aug. 19, 2008 SF Chronicle
   

• Port funds could be diverted. Cargo container fees intended to clean up local pollution could be shared with the Central -- Money collected in Los Angeles County to clean up its polluted ports would be shared with the Central Valley under a proposal by the Schwarzenegger administration that is drawing opposition from Southern California leaders. Sponsors of legislation that would charge shippers about $60 a container in the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland had intended to use the money in areas close to those cities' ports to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. But after the bill passed both legislative houses, aides to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed last-minute changes that would funnel some of the money to a statewide transportation fund and the California Air Resources Board, which could use it in areas such as the Central Valley, which suffers poor air quality from traffic, agriculture and other sources. "Do we believe the Central Valley has huge problems that need help? Yes," said state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), author of SB 974. "Do we believe that emasculating this bill to meet those needs will meet anyone's needs? No." <more> Aug. 14, 2008 LA Times
   

• Feds: Common pesticides jeopardize salmon survival -- Three pesticides commonly used on farms and orchards throughout the West are jeopardizing the survival of Pacific salmon, the federal agency in charge of saving the fish from extinction has found. Under the settlement of a lawsuit brought by anti-pesticide groups and salmon fishermen, NOAA Fisheries has issued a draft biological opinion that found the way chlorpyrifos, diazinon and malathion are being used now, they get into salmon streams at levels high enough to kill salmon protected by the Endangered Species Act. The chemicals interfere with salmon's sense of smell, making it harder for them to avoid predators, find food, and even find their native spawning streams. Banned from many household uses, tens of millions of pounds of the chemicals are still used throughout the range of Pacific salmon on a wide range of fruits, vegetables, forage crops, cotton, fence posts and livestock to control mosquitoes, flies, termites, boll weevils and other pests, according to NOAA Fisheries. <more> Aug. 14, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Thirsty orchards' plight in Central Valley - - Standing on a ridge between a sluggish water canal and a swath of spindly, gray almond trees, farmer Jim Jasper has a good view of California's water crisis. Drought forced one of Jasper's friends to abandon these trees. The adjacent canal's flow has been reduced by more than one-third to protect an endangered fish. To offset the loss, Jasper has leased the land beneath the dying trees to use its water on his own 2,500 acres of almond trees, some of them "babies." Being a farmer in drought-prone California always has been a struggle. But 2008 is turning into one for the history books. This year, natural and man-made water shortages will cost the agriculture industry more than $160 million, not to mention the reduced plantings for next year and the ripple effect through banks, farming equipment businesses and consumers who could pay even higher prices for food. <more> July 11, 2008 SF Chronicle
   

• Local Growers, Local Solutions at Almond Pest Management Alliance Sutter County Field Day July 31 - - The Almond Pest Management Alliance, a collaborative project of almond industry stakeholders aimed at demonstrating reduced risk best management practices in almonds, will present its first field day Thursday July 31 in Sutter County.  The field day will be held at a Pest Management Alliance Demonstration Orchard from 8:00 am until 10:00 am at the Spilman Ranch near Live Oak.  <more> July 10, 2008 Almond PMA Press Release
   

• Three keys to properly managing late season navel orangeworm - - By Bob Curtis, Senior Manager, Production Research, Almond Board of California - - Moving toward almond harvest, it is important to take steps to effectively manage the navel orangeworm (NOW). This pest is a double threat to almond quality: In addition to causing direct damage to the kernel, NOW has broader quality implications because it opens the door to fungal infections and contaminants. Research shows the mold Aspergillus and the aflatoxin contaminant it produces is associated with reject kernels, particularly those damaged by navel orangeworm. Aflatoxin produced by Aspergillus mold is a known carcinogen and mutagen. Aflatoxins are regulated the world over, with the European Union (EU) having particularly low maximum limits. The EU is the largest market for California almonds, even larger than the U.S. market, and has put pressure on the California almond industry to reduce aflatoxin contamination, which requires NOW prevention and control. Growers must take critical steps to minimize NOW damage to attain a goal of no more than 2 percent damage, which reduces the risk of aflatoxin contamination. <more> July 9, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Almond growers expect another record crop - - Almond growers are in for another record-breaking season, according to a federal government projection released Monday in Modesto. The orchards that paint the valley a pale shade of pink every spring will yield about 1.5 billion pounds of nut meat this year, according to a National Agricultural Statistics Service projection released Monday. That's an 8 percent growth over last year's record production. "Bloom conditions up and down the valley were just about perfect," said Almond Board of California Chief Executive Officer Richard Waycott. "Eight percent is a significant increase. Fortunately, our industry has proven it can market the increase." <more> July 1, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• Valley growers, UC advisers discuss almonds, pests, water. - - With the Panoche Hills wrapped in haze not far away, the almond orchard near Firebaugh offered welcome respite from the sun this week as 60 growers and pest-control advisers exchanged information on challenges they face. They gathered at that orchard and another near Mendota to talk of ways to minimize spraying and still kill pests, how to avoid damage that can come when winds whistle through the trees and the proper use of a sometimes-scarce resource -- water. Almond Pest Management Alliance sponsored the field day, which drew some of the top pest and almond experts with the University of California. <more> June 28, 2008 Fresno Bee
   

• Honey bee crisis could lead to higher food prices - -  Food prices could rise even more unless the mysterious decline in honey bees is solved, farmers and businessmen told lawmakers Thursday. "No bees, no crops," North Carolina grower Robert D. Edwards told a House Agriculture subcommittee. Edwards said he had to cut his cucumber acreage in half because of the lack of bees available to rent. About three-quarters of flowering plants rely on birds, bees and other pollinators to help them reproduce. Bee pollination is responsible for $15 billion annually in crop value. <more>  June 27, 2008 AP

   

• Aerial sprays are so 20th century - - By A.G. Kawamura, CDFA Secretary - - When a pest such as the light brown apple moth comes along - a pest that threatens not only crops but forests, habitat and landscapes - the California Department of Food and Agriculture is called upon to eradicate the infestation using the safest, most effective tools available. When we began this eradication effort more than a year ago, aerial pheromone treatments were the clear choice, and they remain a remarkably progressive option. Behind the scenes, CDFA and USDA scientists are hard at work developing tools to eradicate not only the light brown apple moth, but many other invasive species. These scientists have made advances in a program that will add another safe eradication method to our toolbox. <more> June 23, 2008 SF Chronicle Editorial

   

• Local Growers, Local Solutions at Almond Pest Management Alliance Field Day June 25 - - The Almond Pest Management Alliance, a collaborative project of almond industry stakeholders aimed at demonstrating reduced risk best management practices in almonds, will present its first field day Wednesday June 25 in Fresno County. The field day will be held at two Pest Management Alliance Demonstration Orchards, starting at 9 a.m. at Pik-A-Lok orchard in Mendota, then moving at 11:30 a.m. to Windfall Farms in Firebaugh. UCCE Farm Advisors Walt Bentley, Brent Holtz and David Doll and retired UCCE Farm Advisor Mario Viveros will present workshops on wind damage, preventing and controlling almond diseases, and navel orangeworm monitoring and control. PMA cooperator growers will also discuss their role in the second Pest Management Alliance project. <more> June 12, 2008 PMA Press Release

   

• We need to be busy like bees to help save them - - By California Sen. Barbara Boxer. Most people don't spend much time thinking about bees. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, however, between 15 percent and 30 percent of the food we eat in the United States depends on honeybees for pollination. Without bees, avocados, strawberries and almonds are just a few of the California crops that would suffer. Not only would yields be reduced, but so would the jobs that go with them. The idea of a world without bees sounds farfetched, but the truth is that honeybees and other native pollinators -- like bumblebees, butterflies, even bats -- are in danger. Last August, I visited an almond orchard in Merced County to meet with local farmers and beekeepers and learn more about the sudden decline in the honeybee population and its impact on our agricultural communities. Since 2006, an estimated 25 percent of the nation's honeybees have mysteriously disappeared as a result of what the USDA calls "colony collapse disorder." <more> June 5, 2008 Modesto Bee

   

• New alternaria fungicide gets California Section 18 for almonds - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has granted Section 18 emergency exemption approval of Inspire fungicide from Syngenta for use on Alternaria in almond orchards. “Alternaria can devastate an almond orchard,” said James Adaskaveg, professor of plant pathology, University of California –, Riverside. “California almond growers should be encouraged by this new tool to control this damaging disease.” Though new to this market in the United States, difenoconazole has been used extensively for more than two decades in 96 other countries on more than 100 crops. “Difenoconazole is one of the most powerful triazole fungicides available and offers years of proven performance to California almond growers,” said David Laird, fungicide brand manager, Syngenta. “Applied at low use rates, Inspire has high preventive and curative activity. Through translaminar movement, Inspire is rapidly absorbed into the leaves, providing strong residual control and protecting leaf surfaces.” June 2, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Fumigant rules may tighten. Organic compound numbers higher than first estimated - - San Joaquin Valley growers will have to do more than limit field fumigant use to meet air quality standards for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 2009. Regulators now say that emulsifiable pesticide formulations are adding more volatile organic compounds to the air than originally estimated.  The state Department of Pesticide Regulation initially said that limiting field fumigant applications and restricting the timing and application methods during the peak ozone period of May 1 through Oct. 31 would reduce emissions in the valley air basin enough to satisfy terms of a 2006 court order on air quality. Finding that formulations for pesticides are included in the mix adds to the complexity of the situation. <more> May 30, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Agricultural research and extension symposium set for June 18-19- - At a symposium June 18-19 in Sacramento, agriculture professionals and policymakers will get a first look at new research that shows the rate of growth of public funding for agricultural research and extension has declined and the rate of growth in agricultural productivity is also slowing. A soon-to-be-released study by agricultural economists Julian Alston of UC Davis, Philip Pardey of the University of Minnesota and Jennifer James of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, shows that from 1949 to 2002, in inflation-adjusted terms, total U.S. public spending on agricultural research grew by 1.85 percent per year, but from 1991 to 2002, spending growth slowed to only 0.43 percent per year. Research and development spending in California's state agricultural experiment station also slowed dramatically in the 1990s. <more> May 28, 2008 UC Press Release
   

• Almond grower cultivates an extraordinary team. Cummings brings family tradition and Ivy League education to orchards -  - If Dan Cummings wasn't a farmer, he'd likely make a good football quarterback. He has developed a keen business sense to read the field in front of him. His turf includes 6,000 acres of almond and walnut orchards owned by Cummings-Violich, Inc. based in Chico, Calif. Cummings, 45, makes the farm management calls with the help of a support team of managers and field personnel. "I have a wonderful team, an extraordinary team. All of my senior managers in this large farming operation are in their 30s. Many of them have only had this as their career," Cummings said. "They do a tremendous job, so I am able to delegate a lot of responsibility to my team and they rock. They are really good at what they do." <more> May 27, 2008 Capital Press
   

• USDA to end surveys of farm pesticide usage - - The federal government is eliminating a long-running program that gathers data on the use of pesticides on farm fields. But the move will not affect California, which funds its own comprehensive pesticide-monitoring program. Since 1990, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual survey has collected information on herbicides, insecticides and other chemicals used on American farms and made it available to the public in a database on the USDA Web site. Released this week, the 2007 survey showed, among other things, that the rate of herbicide use on the nation's cotton fields has increased 53 percent in the past six years. Tracking such trends in the future would be essentially impossible without the USDA data. <more> May 25, 2008 Sacramento Bee
   

• Almond crop to pass last year's record, government predicts - - Another record almond crop, about 1.46 billion pounds, will come off California orchards this year, the federal government projected today. The estimate is 6 percent more than the 1.38 billion pounds last year. It reflects favorable weather in winter and spring and an adequate supply of bees for pollinating, said Doug Flohr, a statistician for the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The steady growth will help keep supply in line with demand, said Richard Waycott, president and chief executive officer of the Almond Board of California. <more> May 7, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• Still seeking a cause of colony collapse disorder - - The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Apiary Inspectors of America have conducted a combined survey of beekeepers to get a snapshot of how well managed colonies made it through the winter of 2007-2008. Surveyed beekeepers reported a total loss of about 36.1 percent of their honey bee colonies, up about 13.5 percent from the previous winter. Losses attributed to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) appear to be about the same, with just over one-third (36 percent) of the operations reporting some lost colonies in which all adult bees disappeared, a primary symptom of CCD, according to Jeff Pettis, research leader of the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md. <more> May 7, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• New clean-air rules for trucks set off battle between enviros, industry - - As the nation focuses on greenhouse gas regulations set into motion by landmark legislation in 2006, state regulators are set to pass a less-publicized, wide-reaching rule on emissions from diesel busses and trucks that business groups say could cost billions of dollars to implement. Environmentalists hailed the state Air Resources Board after its staff released a draft of the new regulations earlier this year-the first such rules in the nation. But following a public hearing last Friday, the regulations were modified in the wake of howls of protest from business groups-a move that immediately kindled environmentalists' suspicions. A critical piece of the draft regulation required some truckers' engines to be replaced twice in nine years in order to comply with the rule, but that language has been eliminated from the draft regulation, the ARB said. <more> May 1, 2008 Capitol Weekly
   

• Pending emissions rules among top concerns of haulers, growers. Industry asking for seasonal-truck exemptions - - Agricultural haulers say new diesel-emissions rules proposed earlier this year by the California Air Resources Board will push them out of business. The state's proposed rules, published in late January, would create stringent new requirements for cleaning up diesel exhaust. The diesel engines of the goods-transportation industry are blamed for most of California's transportation-related smog. A central argument among those in agriculture - growers as well as crop transporters - is that regulations should allow exemptions for trucks and field machines that operate only seasonally. Many of those engines run for many years and replacing or retrofitting them with emissions-control systems can be a sizable investment. <more> April 18, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Valley's greenery gives off pollutant. Scientists looking at role of hydrocarbons in the ozone problem -- An astonishing fact is buried in dirty-air data: Valley trees and plants produce far more hydrocarbons than vehicles do. In the summer, crops, trees, lawns and the rest of nature release 360 tons daily of the key smog component. That's four times more hydrocarbons than from cars and trucks. Hydrocarbons combine with other gases in vehicle exhaust to form the San Joaquin Valley's ozone, considered one of the nation's worst air problems. Between the valley's millions of farmland acres and the Sierra Nevada's sprawling forests, this region has a lot of plants. How big a role does all this greenery play in the valley's bad air? Scientists need the answer to help meet smog cleanup targets over the next 20 years. But it is difficult to know how much of nature's hydrocarbons are involved in creating ozone. Because plants play a role in cleaning the air, nobody has found a way to calculate the possible net benefits that trees and other plants provide for the valley. <more> April 17, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• Regulators get good news from almond industry - - Growers often hesitate to invite regulators onto their property. “Why invite scrutiny,” they reason. But almond grower and handler Dick Braden of Braden Farms warmly welcomed regulators during the Almond Board’s Fourth Environmental Stewardship Tour in February. After all, Braden Farms has a great story to tell. Some 30 state and federal regulators, local dignitaries and media members toured Braden’s 13,000-acre almond operation in Hickman, Calif., to learn first-hand what he and other growers are doing to address environmental issues, including air and water quality, reduced-risk pest management and endangered species. The tour highlighted new technologies and methods designed to reduce the impact of almond production on the environment. At Braden Farms, land is laser leveled and designed with collection ponds and cover crops to reduce fertilizer and soil runoff into nearby waterways. Micro-irrigation systems help Braden reduce water use and runoff and apply fertilizers more efficiently. And pests are managed through careful monitoring and timely sprays of softer insecticides. <more> April 10, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Government sued after approving 4 pesticides - - Environmental and farmworker advocates have sued the Bush administration for allowing the continued use of four pesticides, saying the government brushed aside its own findings that the chemicals are dangerous to workers, children and wildlife. The suit, filed Friday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's decision in 2006 to reauthorize the four pesticides sprayed on fruit and vegetable fields in California. A 1996 federal law required the EPA to reassess the safety of all pesticides used on foods and decide by 2006 whether to approve their use. Patti Goldman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the agency found that four substances posed risks to human health but concluded their cost savings to growers outweighed the dangers. <more> April 8, 2008 SF Chronicle
   

• California almonds: Fumigation rules affect new plantings - - New state restrictions on the use of soil fumigants are expected to hit Ventura County strawberry growers hard, but these new rules will also have an immediate impact on the ability of San Joaquin Valley growers to fumigate ground for planting permanent crops like almonds and other tree and vineyard crops. The new regulations will apply to the use of all seven fumigants with the potential to release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during the months of May through October. These include methyl bromide, 1,3-Dichloropropene (Telone), chloropicrin, metam-sodium, metam-potassium, dazomet, and sodium tetrathiocarbonate. Almond growers rely on soil fumigation to prevent orchard replant disorder when they pull out aging orchards to replant new trees. Soil fumigation is the best way to destroy microorganisms that can otherwise jeopardize the growth and yield potential of young new orchards, said Roger Duncan, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Stanislaus County. <more> April 1, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Season of hope. The growing California almond industry depends on honeybees to pollinate the trees. - - Every spring, just as the swallows return to Capistrano, so do the bees buzz back to Bakersfield. But don't expect to look up in the sky and see a swarm of them making their way west. These bees travel by truck. And though the place they're visiting is certainly beautiful, trees arranged in graceful allées and topped with billowing white and pale pink clouds of blossoms, this trip is all business. The almond industry, which has emerged over the last decade as one of the biggest and most profitable in California agriculture, depends on bees for pollination. And so every spring, fully 60% of the commercially kept honeybees in the United States -- more than 1 million hives -- are trucked to California's Central Valley to do their thing. But what happens when one of the state's fastest-growing businesses depends on workers who are disappearing almost as quickly? That's what California's almond farmers are waiting to find out. <more> March 26, 2008 LA Times
   

• UC developing Web site for drought water management in almonds - - A number of critical issues are at play concerning the short- and long-term availability of water for the California almond industry. The most pressing of these is the recent Delta smelt decision that will impact about 216,000 acres of almonds served by the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. In response, irrigation and water experts in the UC Division of Ag and Natural Resources are developing a Web site for drought water management in almonds and other crops. UC researchers, farm advisors and Extension specialists have developed extensive information over the years on water management practices during periods of reduced water availability. The Web site will compile this information, and in particular, will focus on drought management and irrigation. <more> March 21, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Valley workshops set on future of irrigated lands program -- A series of workshops will be held throughout the Central Valley later this month and in early April to discuss the future of the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board is conducting the workshops to gather comments on the program elements and environmental information that should be considered in the development of a long-term program. The meetings will be held in Sacramento March 26; Modesto April 1; Tulare April 2 and Durham April 8. "The irrigated land program will very likely be changed to include groundwater and that is a very significant change which growers should be aware of," said Gabriele Ludwig, the Almond Board of California’s senior manager for technical and regulatory affairs. "These workshops will discuss how groundwater monitoring might be implemented and it is important for growers to attend and voice their opinions on how such a monitoring program should be developed. Thus, this program will affect every almond grower in the Central Valley.” <more> March 18, 2008 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• Out-of-state researchers visit California to test bee health - - Ever since the devastation of honey bee colonies by Colony Collapse Disorder made its way onto television news programs and newspaper headlines nationwide, these hard-working pollinators have been in the spotlight. While people learn more about the mysterious phenomenon that causes bees to leave the colony and not return, top bee researchers from around the country are feeling the pressure to find answers to a variety of pests and diseases that impact bees and that may be causing this disorder. Researchers from the University of Minnesota visited several Northern California bee breeders in late February to gather data and test hive health. <more> March 14, 2008 Ag Alert
   

• Hive loss is enigma - - For many beekeepers, the mystery is as deep as the devastation. A hive begins as a set of wooden frames whose combs hold thousands of worker bees, pollinators of all manner of crops. Then the insects scatter without warning, deserting the colony and leaving the queen bee and her young to starve — and farmers scrambling to keep up their fruit and nut orchards. The syndrome, colony collapse disorder, has gutted numerous beekeeping operations since its discovery two years ago. At the start of a new growing season in the Mid-Valley, many farmers — especially almond growers — must cope with a tightening stock of healthy bees as researchers continue looking for the cause of dying hives. "This is the problem which has befuddled us the most," Eric Mussen, an entomologist at the University of California, Davis, said Tuesday. "Since we can't put a finger on why or how this is how it is, it's difficult to tell anybody how to treat it." <more> March 13, 2008 Yuba City Appeal Democrat
   

• Scientists work to protect vulnerable bees - - It's almond blossom time in California. The orchards are bursting into bloom and the almond trees, their canopies ablaze in white and pink, are all abuzz with millions upon millions of honey bees avidly gathering pollen and nectar for their hives. Here at UC's honey bee research center, scientists are seeking to breed new strains of the immensely valuable insects called Apis mellifera carnica, while others are probing the recently sequenced bee genome to understand the most important qualities conferred upon each tribe by its unique genetic heritage. The researchers are bent on improving the ability of the bees to pollinate the flowering fruit trees and vegetables that account for more than $35 billion a year in crop value for California, and right now they hope to understand and perhaps halt the spread of the disease called Colony Collapse Disorder that has devastated the hives of many professional beekeepers in California and across the country. <more> March 10, 2008 SF Chronicle
   

• Beekeepers get stung by hive heists as California nut trees bloom - - Third-generation beekeeper Roscoe Hall spent the last year fretting over a disease that's inexplicably caused thousands of his industrious insects to abandon their colonies. Now, entire hives are disappearing, too. In the long, flat valley where the nation's almonds grow, bee thieves are striking hard this winter, nabbing increasingly valuable hives from farmer's fields where bees are used to pollinate blossoming nut trees. A few weeks ago, 180 of Hall's hives were lifted over a period of days, a bit of banditry he estimates cost him nearly $70,000 in lost bees, pollination fees and honey production. <more> March 10, 2008 AP
   

• Regulators view environmental successes on almond orchard tour - - More than 30 regulators, members of the media and local dignitaries gathered in February for the Almond Board of California's fourth annual Environmental Stewardship Tour in Hickman, Calif., to hear first-hand how the industry is tackling environmental issues. State and federal regulators praised the work of almond growers and handlers — including tour host Braden Farms — who are finding solutions to environmental challenges, including endangered species, air and water quality and reduced-risk pest management. Pamela Creedon, executive officer with the Central Valley Water Board's Irrigated Lands Program, said the Environmental Stewardship Tour helps illustrate not only the impacts of various regulations on industry, but opportunities for partnerships in meeting the Board's water quality mandates. "It's encouraging to see some of the things we've seen out in the field today," Creedon told tour attendees. <more> March 9, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Bees and blooms go nuts in valley. Almond pollination conditions, weather excellent this year - - From north to south, California's Central Valley has been fragrant with the scent of almond blooms and filled with the buzzing of honeybees. This year's bloom season arrived almost three weeks late, but hit a patch of perfect weather to the delight of almond growers and beekeepers alike. It also peaked quickly, with good overlap among varieties, a promising scenario for cross-pollination. Earlier this year, north state almond growers suffered major tree losses as storms raked the area. In the south, growers were worried if their water allocations would carry them through the growing season.  As weather worries have diminished, it appears Mother Nature has cooperated, providing excellent pollination conditions for almonds and other tree fruit. <more> March 7, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Almond, honey industries face changes -- California's almond growers and bee wranglers will now be voting to change their businesses.  On Monday, the Agriculture Department set in motion two distinct referendums that could touch San Joaquin Valley farmers and consumers alike. The elections will shape how almonds are labeled, what quality standards may apply and how the honey industry pools money for ads and research. Alarms already are ringing in some quarters. "I fear this is going to lead to mass confusion," cautioned Orin Johnson, a Hughson-based beekeeper. Almonds and honey are each covered by different but related Agriculture Department programs funded by industry fees and voted upon by participants. <more> March 4, 12008 Fresno Bee  
   

• Almond industry 'greens up'. Stewardship tour highlights environmentally friendly operation - - Almond blooms were few and far between for the annual Environmental Stewardship Tour hosted by the Almond Board of California, but the springtime green hills complemented the "green" practices used on the 13,000-acre Braden Farms operation. The tour has been held for the past four years to show regulators and the media innovative ways growers reduce pesticides and dust and ensure food safety. Almonds are the nation's No. 1 horticultural export and the leading tree crop in the Central Valley, but the popular nut comes with an environmental price tag. Dormant sprays for pests have been implicated in surface-water pollution. Dust from harvest operations contributes to poor air quality. <more> March 3, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Plight of the honeybees. So far this year, pollination and weather forecasts are good. But can a reduced bee force stay healthy and get the job done? - - Mother Nature appears to be smiling on California almond growers: Honeybees are in their orchards, ready to make it possible to grow a $2.5 billion crop. But the forces of nature don't appear to be as pleased with the nation's beekeepers. They remain locked in battle with colony collapse disorder, mites and poor weather conditions. Each year, the almond crop starts with bees from 1.2 million colonies -- many of them from outside the state -- pollinating the blossoms. This year, beekeepers scrambled to get their hives into orchards before a spell of rain and cold weather hit. A later-than-usual bloom followed those rains and is coming just as a string of warm days arrives. <more> March 3, 2008 Fresno Bee
   

• Bee decline still baffles scientists, worries growers. In area that grows 80% of world's almonds, colony collapse a serious concern --The beleaguered honeybees are back, working to pollinate another almond crop despite a population decline that still baffles scientists. The bloom began in earnest this week in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. It's a crucial time each year for a crop that is second only to milk in gross farm income in the region. "The trees are just starting to explode everywhere," said Orin Johnson, a Hughson- area beekeeper who rents hives for pollination. "If we have good weather, we could easily get a good crop again." The bloom is about two weeks later than usual, grower Dick Braden said during a tour of his orchards east of Hickman last week. <more> March 1, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• High bee prices sting almond growers - - California almond growers are feeling the sting of higher prices for bees that pollinate their crops. Bees are the perfect pollinators — no man-made creation can accomplish what sterile adult female worker bees do. California is home to more than 600,000 acres of almond orchards, and Kern County produces the largest amounts of the high-protein nuts, according to the state’s Almond Board. Per-hive costs are more expensive than ever before, between $125 and $180 depending on colony strength, said Joe Traynor, a bee broker and founder of Scientific Ag Company. Traynor works with 40 almond growers from Bakersfield to Modesto and about 40 beekeepers from around the country. <more> Feb. 24, 2008 Bakersfield Californian
   

• Almonds grown greener. Tour shows farmers using environmentally friendlier techniques - - The rain kept bees from pollinating almond blossoms Friday, but there was a buzz about something else. The Almond Board of California held its fourth annual tour to show regulators and the media what growers are doing for the environment. They spray less pesticide than in the past. They try to capture irrigation runoff so it does not taint streams. They chip their pruned limbs and till them into the soil, rather than burning them in the open air. "We live in this area," said Jim Wagner, who works on pest control at Braden Farms, host of the tour. "We have children in this area. We aren't going to do anything negative." The Almond Board, based in Modesto, has done research on environmental issues as part of its effort to promote the industry. Almonds are second only to milk in gross income among farm products in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, bringing an estimated $833 million to growers in 2006. <more> Feb. 23, 2008 Modesto Bee
   

• Almond industry explores sustainability - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California. It seems everyone is claiming that the products they make or sell are “sustainable” or “green” nowadays. But what exactly is sustainability and what does it mean to California almond growers? Sustainability is about ensuring the health of a particular industry or company while also ensuring the health of the environment and local community. With the help of Dr. Keith Warner, director of the Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project at Santa Clara University’s Environmental Studies Institute, the Almond Board of California (ABC) has created a working definition of sustainable almond farming. That definition was developed based on input from focus groups of almond farmers, PCAs, farm advisors and handlers, all of who unanimously agreed that the almond industry should continue to pursue the concept of sustainability. <more> Feb. 19, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• MegaBee nourishes beleaguered honey bees - - Bees busily ferrying pollen from one cream-white almond blossom to another in California orchards this winter might get some of their zip from a new food called MegaBee: The Tucson Diet. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman created the research and development agreement that led to this new, convenient source of proteins, vitamins and minerals that bees need for good health. Bees can eat MegaBee as a meal or snack when days are too cold for venturing outside of their warm hive, for example, or when flowers — bearing pollen and nectar, the staple foods for adult bees — aren't yet in bloom. <more> Feb. 18, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Almond crop looks promising again - - Almond industry officials look forward to another strong year for the $2.5 billion California crop as the crucial annual bloom begins to pop. Despite January wind storms that downed some trees in northern Sacramento Valley orchards, statewide this year more acres than ever are expected to yield the nuts, said Dave Baker, director of grower relations for the Blue Diamond cooperative. He estimates that winds destroyed 8,000 to 10,000 acres. On average, winds blew down 9 percent to 10 percent of the trees, but losses in individual orchards varied, running as high as 50 percent of the plantings. "The loss is just devastating for growers," Baker said. "Overall, we probably haven't seen the entire magnitude of it."  <more> Feb. 15, 2008 Stockton Record
   

• Almond growers warned about runoff potential. Pesticides found in water; sprays blamed - - Growers were warned about dormant spray applications and the potential for runoff into surface water at a regional almond meeting here last week, but the damage had already been done. Tests of Merced River water near Ballico found pesticides - likely from an almond grove dormant spray application - according to Perry Klassen of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition. Melissa Cregan, deputy agricultural commissioner for Madera County, told growers attending the meeting that state regulations are now in place to keep pesticide runoff from polluting streams and rivers in the San Joaquin Valley. Next year, she warned, there would be enforcement and penalties for allowing pesticide runoff to leave property. <more> Feb. 11, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Almond growers weigh options in storm's wake - - Butte County farmer Rick Fortier has a huge mess on his hands--and he's not alone. A fierce storm that swept through northern and central California in early January left many of the state's almond orchards in ruins, with toppled trees, brush and debris scattered across the fields. "It's ugly," said Fortier. "It's not what we need. I think we're all trying to digest everything and get through it." Wind gusts as high as 70 mph coupled with heavy rains caused many of the trees to weaken and blow over. Now farmers with tree losses must make some difficult decisions about whether to replant just the damaged trees, remove entire blocks of their orchard or plant a different crop altogether. <more> Feb. 11, 2008 Ag Alert
   

• Ferocious January winds fell Sacramento Valley almond orchards - - Northern California almond growers, relatives, friends, and neighbors armed with arsenals of chainsaws, chippers, and shredders were entrenched in almond orchards in California’s Sacramento Valley in mid-January. The beehive of activity was the result of devastating wind gusts up to 100 miles per hour that unearthed hundred of thousands of almond trees during a Jan. 4 Pacific winter storm. “Some of these orchards look like a war zone,” said Dave Baker, director, member relations for Blue Diamond Growers, Sacramento, Calif. “It looks like a bomb went off in the orchard.” Nearly 300,000 almond trees were blown over in Glenn County alone, according to Mark Black, county agricultural commissioner. The toppled trees represented from 16 percent to 18 percent of the county’s almond tree plantings. Butte County also suffered major almond trees losses with fewer losses found in Colusa and Yolo counties. <more> Feb. 6, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Coordinated Research Aims To Improve Honey Bee Health - - In response to a fast-spreading syndrome called colony collapse disorder (CCD) that's striking honey bees nationwide, scientists at Agricultural Research Service (ARS) bee laboratories across the country are pooling their expertise. They want to learn what's causing the disappearance of the honey bees that add about $15 billion a year to the value of U.S. crops by pollinating fruit, vegetable, tree nut and berry crops. Some beekeepers have already lost one-half to two-thirds of their colonies to CCD. Jeff Pettis, research leader at the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., is a coordinator of the newly established five-year Areawide Program to Improve Honey Bee Health, Survivorship and Pollination Availability. Entomologist John Adamczyk at the ARS Beneficial Insects Research Unit in Weslaco, Texas, helps Pettis coordinate the program, along with Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman at Tucson, Ariz., and Tom Rinderer at Baton Rouge, La. This is the first such initiative to bring various components of all of the federal bee laboratories together to solve a single problem. <more> Feb. 1, 2008 ARS Press Release
   

• Separating the Chaff from the Nuts - - The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has signed a cooperative research and development agreement with Flory Industries of Salida, Calif., to develop an add-on device to control dust emissions from nut harvesters. Researchers Derek Whitelock, Carlos Armijo and Ed Hughs at ARS’ Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory in Mesilla Park, N.M., and Michael Buser in ARS’ Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit at Lubbock, Texas—working with Flory Industries engineers Seth Richmond and Mike Flora—are testing a prototype device that uses centrifugal force to trap soil and bits of leaves and sticks so the harvester emits cleaner air. <more> Jan. 24, 2008 ARS Pres Release
   

• Court decides farmers may continue using methyl bromide -- A federal court is easing California farmers' continued access to the powerful but dangerous pesticide methyl bromide despite international plans to phase out the chemical. The Bush administration acted properly in how it permits "critical use" of the pesticide, three appellate judges agreed this week. The ruling relieves the California farmers who apply more than 6.5 million pounds of methyl bromide annually to protect crops including almonds, grapes and strawberries. "One of the problems has been that there hasn't been a material to take its place that would satisfy everybody," Madera County Agricultural Commissioner Robert Rolan said Wednesday. <more> Jan. 24, 2008 Fresno Bee
   

• California Department of Pesticide Regulation budget backs clean air goals - - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 2008-2009 budget supports new rules by the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to reduce pesticide air emissions that help meet California clean air goals. The proposed DPR budget includes about $2.6 million to implement new regulations to reduce pesticide volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that contribute to smog. Under federal court order, the rules are expected to take effect by January 25. “The Governor’s Budget underscores our commitment to being part of the solution to air quality issues in the Central Valley and throughout California,” said DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. “Implementing the new regulations is our top priority for 2008.” <more> Jan. 18, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Honey bee research is long-term solution to almond industry’s growing pollination needs    - - California’s almond bearing acreage is expected to mushroom about 22 percent in the next five years, from 615,000 bearing acres in the 2006-2007 crop year to 750,000 bearing acres in 2011. Yet what’s a stinging concern in the side of almond growers is whether adequate and healthy honey bee numbers will be available for crucial pollination every spring. Research is a fundamental answer to honey bee issues, including the so-called colony collapse (CCD) disorder that killed millions of bees over the last few years. There is no single answer to the massive bee die-off that helped push colony rental prices up to the $135 per hive range during the 2006-2007 almond season. “For almond growers, the price of colonies of bees has tripled in the last five years. It has become quite a significant cost of our operations,” said Dan Cummings, owner and general manager of Cummings-Violich, Inc., Chico, Calif., which manages 7,000 acres of almonds and walnuts. Cummings is also co-owner of Olivarez Honey Bees, an apiary business. <more> Jan. 16, 2008 Western Farm Press
   

• Storm batters state, knocks down trees - - The hurricane-force winds and driving rain that pounded California last week knocked down trees, blew roofs off barns and disrupted electrical power in widespread locations. "The most severe damage to almond trees occurred in the northern Sacramento Valley. But, there's no dollar or total damage estimate yet available. Some of the older orchards took a big hit," said Dave Baker, Blue Diamond Member Relations Director. He added that the central and southern parts of the San Joaquin Valley did not have the high winds nor the amount of rain experienced in the north and were spared major damage. He said he expects almond growers in the northern areas of the valley, where trees are reported down everywhere, will have larger economic losses. <more> Jan. 9, 2008 Ag Alert
   

• Colony collapse creates buzz at bee conference. Beekeepers and researchers discuss threat facing nation's 2.5 million colonies - - More than a year after it was first discovered, colony collapse disorder remains a mystery to bee researchers and a source of high anxiety for the nation's beekeepers. At a national bee conference here Thursday, a standing room only audience listened as beekeepers and researchers discussed the challenges of the disease, which threatens the nation's 2.5 million bee colonies and the billions of agricultural crops that they pollinate. Colony collapse disorder, known as CCD, causes a rapid loss of the adult bee population. Dr. Jeff Pettis, who heads up the research team at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service Bee Research Lab in Beltsville, Md., said the key for researchers is to look at the interactions of the various stressors to get to the bottom of colony collapse disorder. He said CCD is likely an interaction.<more> Jan. 11, 2008 Capital Press
   

• Almond Pest Management Alliance Honored by DPR with Second IPM Innovator Award  - - The Almond Pest Management Alliance’s latest recognition as an IPM Innovator is the result of a cooperative effort between growers, industry groups, researchers, and regulatory agencies to help integrate economically and environmentally sound production practices into commercial orchards, according to project participants. The Almond Pest Management Alliance (PMA) was selected by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation to receive an unprecedented second IPM Innovator Award for 2007 for its publication of “A Seasonal Guide to Environmentally Responsible Pest Management Practices in Almonds.” The IPM Innovator award will be presented in a ceremony Jan. 17 at the Cal EPA headquarters in Sacramento. <more> Jan. 10, 2008 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• Bees: Steep population loss hits agriculture hard - - The Issue: Colony collapse disorder continues to vex researchers and decimate beehives. At stake is the routine pollination of many farm crops by honeybees. More than half of the nation's 2.4 million bee colonies each year pollinate California's almond crop. Bob Koehnen, a beekeeper and farmer in the small Sacramento Valley town of Glenn, has a big worry. Koehnen normally puts his 15,000 beehives to work in his orchards, pollinating 3,000 acres of walnuts and almonds. This year he faces the prospect of hiring beekeepers whose prices will jump because of a nationwide decline in honeybees. Many adult bees have mysteriously disappeared – leaving only the queen and the young brood bees – and researchers don't yet know exactly why. But Koehnen hopes they figure it out soon. <more> Jan. 10, 2008 Sacramento Bee

• Farmers urged to keep water pollutant-free. Coalition says action is needed now to avoid more costly measures later. - - They know when you are seeping. They know if you foul a lake. They know if you've been bad or green. So be green for the water's sake. "They" in this case are Regional Water Board officials -- and maybe even some state assembly types -- who are worried about an influx of farming-related pollutants into local water sources. At the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition's annual meeting Wednesday, Merced County farmers were warned they need to step up their clean-water efforts or expect future restrictions and costs. <more> Dec. 19, 2007 Merced Sun-Star

• Methyl Bromide Alternatives- - The Almond Board’s Gabriele Ludwig attended the annual Methyl Bromide Alternatives Outreach Conference in October to stay informed about the latest research and regulatory issues related to soil fumigants. Much of the research was focused on finding alternatives to methyl bromide and tools to reduce emissions from soil fumigants in light of increased regulatory scrutiny over bystander exposure and VOCs. <more> December 2007 California Almonds Newsletter

• Meeting Environmental Challenges - - By Dave Baker Chairman, Environmental Committee, Almond Board of California - - Growers face a growing number of environmental challenges as new technology allows more scrutiny on the impact of production practices. The almond grower has always been proactive in meeting past challenges to the betterment of society and we are working toward an enhanced understanding of these new ones. <more> December 2007 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Water Quality Goals - - The Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program, previously known as the Conditional Ag Waivers Program for Irrigated Lands, turned four years old this summer and water quality sampling has revealed a number of problems in key almond growing regions. As more becomes known about water quality runoff issues near almond orchards, growers are implementing strategies that can help reduce the impact of almond production on surface water quality. <more> December 2007 California Almonds Newsletter

• Farmers join clean-air fight - - On his Madera County almond ranch, Chester Andrew is far from air-quality politics. But he's in the middle of the fight. Andrew just finished switching diesel engines on almost three dozen massive water pumps to clean-running electric motors. He hasn't burned almond prunings for years; he grinds them up instead. And he uses stingy drip irrigation to save water and electricity, which, in turn, reduces air pollution from fossil-fuel power plants. Andrew says clean air protects his family and his business. "We live out here right in the middle of the farm," he said. "We want to be on the forefront of keeping the environment clean. We know a lot of farmers doing this." <more> Dec. 18, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Almond Pest Management Alliance earns IPM Innovator Award - - The Almond Pest Management Alliance (PMA), with its publication of a Seasonal Guide to Environmentally Responsible Pest Management Practices in Almonds, has earned an IPM Innovator Award from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) for 2007. Since 1994, DPR has given out more than 100 Integrated Pest Management Innovator awards to honor California organizations that emphasize pest prevention, favor least-hazardous pest control, and share their successful strategies with others. The award will be presented to the Almond PMA Jan. 17 in a ceremony at Cal EPA headquarters in Sacramento. In 1998, the Almond PMA was initiated by the Almond Board of California with funding from DPR to evaluate the possibility of reducing pesticide use in California almonds. “This is the second time that the almond industry has been honored with an Innovator Award,” said DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. “This underscores the fact that the Almond Alliance is one of the most progressive commodity groups in California.” <more>  Dec. 6, 2007 UC Press Release
   

• Proposed diesel truck regulations will be costly to agriculture - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California - - Newly proposed air quality regulations could dramatically alter the fleet of heavy-duty diesel trucks on California’s roads and highways, including those used to transport farm inputs and harvested agricultural products. New regulations in development by the State Air Board will require significant and expensive retrofitting of older diesel engines to bring trucks into compliance, including seasonal diesel trucks used to transport harvested almonds and other agricultural commodities to and from the field and processing facilities. It may also impact delivery costs for farm inputs if suppliers pass on the cost of retrofitting their fleets to their customers. Air Board staff are currently surveying diesel truck operators, including a separate survey for agricultural vehicles, to obtain information about truck ages, mileage, and vehicle use patterns in advance of submitting a formal proposal to the Air Board by mid-2008. <more> Dec. 4, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Pesticide use down on California farms in 2006 - - California farmers used 10 million fewer pounds of pesticides on crops last year, but strawberry growers increased their reliance on fumigants, which are considered among the most dangerous pest-killing chemicals, according to a state report released Thursday. Mirroring a three-year trend, the state's farmers used smaller volumes of some of the most hazardous pesticides. Compounds linked to cancer or affecting reproductive and neurological functions declined by 2.5% to 9.3% in 2006, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation report. <more> Nov. 30, 2007 LA Times
   

• Valley counties' use of pesticides down in 2006 - - Pesticide use in the central San Joaquin Valley dropped last year, as farmers dealt with fewer bugs, drier weather and a decline in acreage. Fresno County, the state's top agricultural producer, is also California's No. 1 pesticide user, applying more than 31.8 million pounds in 2006, a drop of about 1% from 2005, according to the Department of Pesticide Regulation's annual pesticide-use report released Thursday. Larger declines in pesticide use were recorded in other Valley counties, including Kings County, down nearly 2% to 6 million pounds; Tulare County, down 3% to 16.9 million pounds; and Madera County, down 13% to 9.7 million pounds. <more> Nov. 30, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Pesticide use declined in 2006, reports DPR - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported 2006 pesticide use statistics that showed continued progress toward safer, less toxic pest management. Overall statewide pesticide use declined by nearly six million pounds from 2005 to 2006 (from 195.3 million to 189.6 million). While use increased in landscape maintenance, public health and other categories, production agriculture saw a 10 million pound drop. Use of many high-toxicity chemicals dropped for the third consecutive year. "DPR works hard to promote least-toxic pest management, and our efforts are paying off," said DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. "At the same time, we will continue to strive for long-term success in pest management, and we have more work to do.” <more> Nov. 29, 2007 DPR Press Release
   

• Water leader: '08 supplies grim. Smelt protections will leave parts of state 35 percent drier - - A Nov. 13 water seminar presented by the Almond Board of California left no doubt about the grim outlook for agricultural water supplies should the 2008 rainfall season be a repeat of 2007. "There are 216,000 acres of almonds south of the delta that rely on water deliveries. Chances are it will be tough next year unless you can find water to buy," said seminar speaker Mike Wade. Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, presented a statewide picture of surface farm water supplies. "Storage has fallen drastically since January. We have the lowest overall storage since 2001. Without a wet winter, 2008 will be a tough year," Wade said. <more> Nov. 27, 2006 Capital Press
   

• Nominations sought for EPA ag advisory committee - - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced it is seeking nominations for a new farm, ranch, and rural communications federal advisory committee. This first-ever agricultural advisory committee will advise the EPA Administrator on environmental policy issues impacting farms, ranches, and rural communities, and is a part of EPA’s continuing effort to strengthen relations with the agricultural community. The committee is expected to meet approximately twice a year and will consist of approximately 25 members representing large and small farmers, ranchers, and rural communities; rural suppliers; marketers and processors; academics and researchers who study environment issues affecting agriculture; tribal agriculture groups; and environmental and conservation groups. USDA and other federal agencies have also been invited to nominate members. Although EPA did not publish a deadline for submitting nominations, EPA did indicate it is expected to decide on membership by early January 2008. A copy of the Federal Register notice, which includes instructions on submitting nominations, is available at
   http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-22380.pdf  Nov. 16, 2007 EPA Pres Release
   

• Almond conference has environmental focus - - New environmental regulations as well as marketing strategies for the burgeoning almond industry will highlight the annual Almond Industry Conference Dec. 5-6 at the Modesto Center Plaza. The Almond Board of California will present a panel discussion on regulatory changes for air and water quality and pesticides. Panelists will include Cynthia Cory, California Farm Bureau's environmental affairs director; Parry Klassen, director of the Center for Urban and Rural Environmental Stewardship and Mary Ann Warmerdam, director of California Department of Pesticide Regulation.  Greenhouse gas regulation, new truck motor legislation and future regulation for agriculture equipment motors will be reviewed by Cory. Klassen, who will speak about the Irrigated Lands Program. Soil fumigant regulations and volatile organic compounds will be discussed by Warmerdam. <more> Nov. 16, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Ag, water leaders at Almond Board  water forum discuss how to keep taps flowing - - The prospect of a dry 2008 is just one of the threats facing farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, experts said at a Modesto forum Tuesday. Another threat is legal -- a possible reduction in West Side water deliveries so more can be used to sustain fish. And another threat is seismic -- the chance that an earthquake could shatter the delta levees that keep seawater from mixing with the state's main fresh supply. "It seems like we move from crisis to crisis over there on the West Side," said Bill Harrison, general manager of the Del Puerto Water District, which irrigates about 40,000 acres in that area. The forum, held by the Almond Board of California, drew about 100 people to the State Theatre. It dealt not just with the water needs of almonds, the second-highest-grossing farm product in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, but with the state's agriculture overall. <more> Nov. 14, 2007 Modesto Bee
   

• Linking research dollars to innovative products that improve almond pollination - - By Christi Heintz, Liaison, Bee Task Force Almond Board of California - - The Almond Board of California (ABC) has long made research a cornerstone to provide industry-wide benefits in production and marketing. Commitment to horticultural research by the ABC has progressed continuously for 35 years. This research has led to the development of new varieties and rootstocks, improvements in management practices such as irrigation, pest and disease control, and many other improvements that have allowed the almond industry to climb from yields of 500 pounds per acre to over 3,000 pounds per acre in some areas. The single most important factor determining almond yield is pollination during the bloom period. Almonds are self-incompatible and therefore require pollen from one variety to be transported to another variety via an insect vector in order to produce a crop. Over 1.2 million colonies of honeybees are required to pollinate this crop alone, with California beekeepers supplying about half that need. Thus, honeybees travel from throughout the United States to California for almond pollination, some coming from as far away as Florida. <more> Nov. 7, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Environmental Panel Discusses What’s New in Environmental Regulations Dec. 6 at Almond Industry Conference in Modesto - -  The Almond Board of California is featuring a panel of environmental experts within its annual conference being held at the Modesto Centre Plaza on Dec. 5-6.   The panel discussion entitled, “What’s New in Environmental Regulatory Issues?” will provide attendees with an update of the regulatory changes affecting growers in the areas of air quality, water quality and pesticides.  The expert panelists include:
  • Mary-Ann Warmerdam, Director of California Department of Pesticide Regulation.  Ms. Warmerdam will speak to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and soil fumigant regulations.
  • Cynthia Cory, California Farm Bureau’s Environmental Affairs Director.  Ms. Cory will speak on the implications of greenhouse gas regulation as well as new truck motor legislation and the future expansion to ag equipment motors.
  • Parry Klassen, Director of the Center for Urban and Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) program.  Mr. Klassen is very involved in water-quality issues relating to agriculture and will bring us up-to-date on water quality regulations and the Irrigated Lands program.  <more> Nov. 6, 2007 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• East San Joaquin Water Coalition meetings set for December - - Three meetings of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition are scheduled to be held in December. The meeting dates and locations are:
  Tuesday, Dec. 11, 10a.m. -12 p.m. Madera County Farm Bureau, 1102 S. Pine St., Madera. RSVP to (559) 674-8871.
  Wednesday, Dec. 12, 10a.m. -12 p.m. Plus Sponsored Lunch. Merced County Ag Commissioner's Office, 2139 Wardrobe Ave., Merced. RSVP to (209) 522-7278.
  Tuesday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m. -12 p.m. Plus Sponsored Lunch. Stanislaus County Ag Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite B, Modesto. RSVP to (209) 522-7278. Oct. 31, 2007 ESJWC Notice
   

• 2007 almond crop - excellent quality nuts, good yields, and no reported thefts - - In a nutshell, the 2007 California almond season now winding down included good growing weather, minimal disease and pest pressures, decent prices, good to superior quality nuts, and no reported almond thefts. “It’s a good almond crop. It may not surpass the (NASS) estimate (1.33 billion pounds) but it will still be an exceptionally good crop,” said Don McKinney, almond grower and president of the Kerman, Calif.-based Central California Almond Growers Association (CCAGA). “Prices are relatively good considering the crop size. We don’t see a big swing from $1 to $4 like what happened over the last few years. It’s good for the industry to be stabilized. Supply and demand are in good harmony right now.” <more> Oct. 30, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Almond Board of California Hosts Water Availability Seminar Nov. 13 in Modesto - - The Almond Board of California on Nov. 13 in Modesto is hosting a panel of experts to discuss water availability issues facing the Central Valley.  Recent court decisions related to protecting the endangered Delta Smelt in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and restoring salmon to the San Joaquin River—coupled with drought and population growth in California—are putting unprecedented strain on the future availability of agricultural surface water. This seminar will provide an opportunity for growers to learn from the experts just how these water challenges will affect California agriculture and the almond industry in particular. Speakers for this event will include: * Mike Wade, Executive Director, CA. Farm Water Coalition, presenting the statewide perspective on the water issues;* Todd Manley, Director, Government Relations Northern California Water Association, discussing the Sacramento Valley perspective; * Bill Harrison, General Manager, Del Puerto Water District, presenting the North San Joaquin Valley perspective; * Jim Beck, General Manager, Kern County Water Agency, discussing the issues affecting water availability for the South San Joaquin Valley. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2007 from 1-4 p.m. at the State Theatre of Modesto, 1307 J Street.  If you are interested in understanding how water issues affect you, please R.S.V.P. your interest in attending by e-mailing Debye Hunter at dhunter@almondboard.com or by calling her at 209.343.3230.  Please respond by Nov.  1, 2007.  The Almond Board of California administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture.  Established in 1950, the Board’s charge is to promote the best quality almonds, California’s largest tree nut crop.  For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit www.AlmondsAreIn.com. Oct. 24, 2007 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• Beekeepers say things looking better after mysterious die-off - - Very gingerly, beekeepers are predicting better times in 2008, despite a mysterious die-off plaguing the industry. The Almond Board of California, whose grower-members are the biggest users of commercial honey bees for pollination in late winter, hosted a meeting this week in Modesto to get an update on the situation. "From my own opinion and the beekeepers I know, it does appear that bees are in a little bit better shape this year than they were a year ago," said Gene Brandi, a beekeeper based in Los Banos. Many beekeepers across the country reported major losses last winter to what has been dubbed colony collapse disorder. The cause of the die-off is not known, but researchers suspect viruses, poor weather, pesticides and a few other possibilities. <more> Oct. 20, 2007 Modesto Bee
   

• Valley NRCS air quality specialist earns national award for efforts - - John Beyer, state air quality coordinator with the Natural resources Conservation service in Fresno, has been awarded the USDA’s Secretary 2007 Honor Award for protecting and enhancing the nation’s natural resources base and environment. The announcement was made by Acting USDA Secretary Chuck Conner at a recent ceremony in Washington DC.  Beyer was cited for his work in successfully pioneering agricultural air quality conservation measures in California that offer technical and policy models to USDA conservationists nationwide. “John Beyer was called upon to do something new for NRCS: find ways for California’s agricultural community to improve air quality in a way that would satisfy federal and state regulators and was acceptable to producer,” said NRCS State Conservationist Ed Burton. Beyer’s efforts have been especially noteworthy in programs that have helped farmers achieve compliance regarding PM-10 emissions. “His work has resulted in 6,000 farmers implementing conservation measures that removed 130,000 tons of emissions from the sky,” said Burton. “His work also meant cleaner air in a geographic location that reports one of the highest incidences of respiratory disease in the U.S.” A resident of Madera, Beyer is retiring this month after working for NRCS since 1971. Oct. 16, 2007 NRCS Press Release
   

• Dispelling myths swirling around pesticides - - By Richard Cornett, WPHA Communications Director. It’s kind of interesting to note the items you come across on the Internet while searching for other things. For instance, while doing research on pesticides I ran across an article by John Stossel of “20/20” TV fame. You might know Stossel — he’s the in-your-face reporter who has a way of boiling down controversies into their essential ingredients and then confronting the interviewee with simple straight talk and direct questions. He’s also a New York Times best-selling author who has a popular book out called “Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity.” It was the excerpts from the book that I found fascinating, especially the segment about myths dealing with pesticides. In one portion there’s an interview with Dr. Bruce Ames, who is a UC Berkeley professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center. This seemed rather odd to me because most people attending this liberal enclave are perceived to be staunch environmentalists who would like nothing better than to see pesticides banished entirely from Mother Earth. <more> Oct. 16, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• The Almond and the Bee. A global biological process begins with Joe Traynor and his brokering of bees for California's most valuable horticultural export - - Every year about mid-January, Joe Traynor says goodbye to his wife, moves out of his house and sets up shop in a second-floor apartment on the other side of Bakersfield. In a small room with a rumpled bed, he manages to get a few hours of sleep most nights. Three phones ring persistently. Traynor is a bee broker for apiarists and almond growers. For six weeks every year Traynor - under the auspices of Scientific Ag Co., the company he founded in 1973 - concentrates on honeybee pollination of California almond trees. This unassuming man has become the best-known middleman in the business, a respected intermediary in the largest managed pollination event in the history of the world. <more> Oct. 15, 2007 SF Chronicle
   

• Grower input is critical on proposed new soil fumigant restrictions - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs, Almond Board of California. Proposed new state and federal regulations could have immediate and far-reaching effects on how and to what extent preplant soil fumigants are used in almonds and other California crops. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pesticide Regulation are currently seeking public comment on two separate proposed soil fumigant regulations. These rules are likely to limit fumigant use during certain periods and require new application methods and mitigation measures. Most critical in the short term, DPR has proposed rules to sharply reduce soil fumigant air emissions that are thought to contribute to smog-forming ozone in areas with poor air quality, which includes the San Joaquin Valley, Southeast Desert and Ventura County. The regulations must be issued by Jan. 1, 2008 to bring DPR in compliance with a federal judge’s ruling last fall. <more> Oct. 12,2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Mixed nuts. 2007 almond crop high on quality, but small size a problem - - California’s 2007 almond harvest is a mix of big and small. Growers are bringing in a record 1.33 billion-pound crop, but individual nut sizes are running smaller than normal. Dave Baker, director of member relations for Blue Diamond, said this year's harvest started about two weeks earlier than last year. The crop "looks good" and the nonpareil crop appears on track to meet estimates. <more> Oct. 11, 2007 Capital Press
   

• State air board approves new air-quality measures. Plan should help farmers meet future emissions deadlines - - The California Air Resources Board has approved its 2007 State Implementation Plan to improve air quality and announced new measures that should work to help farmers meet future deadlines in cutting emissions. At a Sept. 27 meeting in Diamond Bar, the board approved two regional plans to help meet federal mandates for emissions standards for the South Coast and the San Joaquin Valley. Both plans focus on ground-level ozone and particulate matter emissions. Target dates for compliance are 2014 for PM 2.5 and 2023 for ground-level ozone in areas like the San Joaquin Valley that are federally designated as "extreme" for air pollution. The federal ozone attainment deadline remains at 2023 for the San Joaquin Valley, but new Air Resources Board proposals will fast-track efforts to reach 90 percent compliance by 2018. <more> Oct. 11, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Less Pesticide Runoff From Almonds with Vegetation - -  A new study in dormant almonds set for this winter intends to verify what is strongly suggested by University of California and industry research: resident vegetation during winter decreases storm runoff of dormant season insecticides, according to the latest newsletter published by the Coalition for Urban Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES). <more> Oct. 5, 2007 CURES Newsletter
   

• Ludwig Selected to CURES Board - - The Almond Board of California's Gabriele Ludwig has been selected to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES). CURES is a non-profit organization founded in 1997 to support educational efforts focusing on the proper and judicious use of pest control products. The group’s mission includes education and implementation of practical measures in the field and home to reduce the impact of inputs on water quality. The Almond Board has been a long-time supporter of CURES and its activities. October 2007 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• New Lab Methods Speed Testing of Fumigant Emissions - - A simpler, quicker way to track pesticide emissions from agricultural fields has been devised by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists. Using low-cost laboratory tests and mathematical models, research leader Scott Yates and colleagues at the U.S. Salinity Laboratory in Riverside, Calif., are able to evaluate--and even predict--fumigant emissions. With a ban looming on methyl bromide, a pre-plant soil fumigant widely used by fruit and vegetable growers, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulators are evaluating various emissions-lowering fumigation alternatives. Each potential methyl bromide replacement will require its own set of regulations, based on findings from complex field studies. <more> Oct. 4, 2007 ARS Press Release
   

• Air Quality Regulations in Development for On-Road Diesel Trucks - - Newly proposed air quality regulations could dramatically alter the fleet of heavy-duty diesel trucks on California’s roads and highways, including those used to transport harvested agricultural products such as almonds. The California Air Resources Board is proposing new regulations on diesel-powered on-road heavy duty trucks in California to reduce air pollution causing emissions. The new regulations would move the Air Board toward achieving mandates in the California Diesel Risk Reduction Plan to reduce emissions of diesel particulate matter (<PM2.5) and ozone forming nitrogen oxide (NO_x). The plan was adopted in 2000 and calls for a 75-percent reduction in particulate matter emissions by 2010, and an 85 percent reduction by 2020. <more> Oct. 4, 2007 California Almonds Newsletter  
   

• Almond crop trades size for quantity - - Erasing worries about whether the nation's ailing honeybees successfully pollinated California's 65 million almond trees last winter, crews are now bringing in a record harvest. But the huge tonnage -- predicted to be as high as 1.33 billion pounds -- comes from numbers, not size. This year's almonds, it turns out, are puny -- perhaps 15 percent smaller, on average, than in a typical year. "Many of us are debating the reasons for that," said John Edstrom, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm adviser in Colusa. The main variables are weather, water and bees, Edstrom said, but it's difficult to say just how they interact. <more> Oct. 1, 2007 Sacramento Bee
   

• Farmers don't have 'waiver' to 'pollute freely'. Water policies in the Valley mean tight regulation - - When Record columnist Michael Fitzgerald wrote in August about the Regional Water Quality Control Board letting agriculture "pollute" the water, I chalked it up to someone who didn't have enough information. His Sept. 9 column about the Irrigated Lands Program ("Pollution law soft on ag industry") showed he is misinformed and trying to sway public opinion with conjecture and innuendo. California agriculture is under a program that regulates discharge of water from irrigated land. It doesn't have "a waiver from laws" and isn't able to "pollute freely." <more> Sept. 28, 2007 Stockton Record
   

• Almond Natural -- Students at Yale University might be munching this morning on granola made with organic almonds grown in and near Stanislaus County. The Ivy League school is among the customers of Big Tree Organic Farms, a grower cooperative that serves a niche in the almond market. Big Tree, made up of 24 growers mainly in Stanislaus and Merced counties, gets a premium price because the buyers like the idea of farming without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Organic nuts are less than 1 percent of the total almond crop in California, which provides about 80 percent of the world's supply. But they could be ready for a boom, thanks to positive health reports on almonds in general, and to the growing interest in sustainable farming. <more> Sept. 15, 2007 Modesto Bee

• 
  Pesticide pollution deliberated. Those at Clovis meeting seek to protect ground water. - - Within a couple of years, state regulators can be expected to train their sights on pesticides from farms and ranches seeping into ground water. That was the one clear message that emerged from a meeting in Clovis on Thursday where growers defended their approaches to curbing pollution and community activists emphasized a need to step up efforts to stop ground-water contamination. For the past four years, regulators have focused on runoff from irrigated farmland into rivers, streams and canals or lakes and ponds. A standing-room-only crowd filled the Clovis City Council meeting room where a joint meeting was held by the state's Water Control Board and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board to gather comments on the Irrigated Lands Program. <more> Sept. 14, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Farmers, Residents Debate Valley Water Pollution Regulations -- Small-town residents sick of finding chemicals in their wells and farmers wary of costly new regulations crowded a meeting hall Thursday in Clovis to give water regulators an earful on their attempt to monitor pollution streaming from farms. Growers argued they've spent more than $9 million dollars and much effort to comply with the four-year-old Irrigated Lands Program, which asked them to monitor runoff from their land that potentially carried chemicals or animals waste into rivers. But rural residents who rely on groundwater said the program doesn't go far enough. The monitoring needs to expand to include the water that sinks from farm fields into the ground, leaving their drinking water with unhealthy levels of chemicals, they said. <more> Sept. 14, 2007 AP
   

• Cost-Share Opportunities Help Almond Growers Reduce Environmental Impacts - - California almond growers should act now to secure technical and financial assistance for integrating sustainable conservation practices into their operations and facilities in 2008. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service provides incentives to help growers reduce environmental impacts from their farming practices through the Environmental Quality Improvement Program (EQIP). As it works through finalizing a 2007 Farm Bill, Congress has extended funding and guidelines for the EQIP program for upcoming fiscal year 2008 similar to previous year’s, but growers must act quickly to secure funds while they are available. Applications for 2008 are due no later than Nov. 2. <more> Sept. 13, 2007 California Almonds
   

• Almond Industry Looks at Climate Change Regulations - - New regulations are likely to drive agriculture toward sustainable farming practices focused on reducing the impacts of energy and fertilizer use on greenhouse gas emissions. AB 32, passed by the state legislature in 2007, mandates a 25-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, reducing current emissions to pre-1990 levels. Production agriculture has been identified as the fourth largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the state. While 80 percent of current statewide greenhouse gasses come from energy consumption, researchers and regulators believe production agriculture contributes 8.4 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in California. Already, grower groups are looking for ways to develop and incorporate sustainable farming practices that may have a positive impact on those estimated greenhouse gasses. <more> Sept. 6, 2007 California Almond News
   

• Clean almonds, clean air is growers' goal. Advances in harvesting techniques make almonds cleaner and healthier - - As we speak, California almond growers and their processors and handlers are bringing in what is expected to be the largest crop in the state's history. But what might distinguish the crop even further is what it does not include - dust and contaminants. Scraping almonds off dry orchard floors from the northern end of the Sacramento Valley to the extreme southern end of the San Joaquin Valley is bound to be a dusty job. Advances in equipment, grower diligence and improved understanding of harvesting techniques are reducing the amount of dust created significantly. <more> Sept. 13, 2007 Capital Press
   

• EQIP air quality cost-share program deadline is Nov. 2 - - The 2008 Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) cost-share program for air quality emission reductions is currently available for sign-up by growers. Each county office is accepting applications. The deadline for making applications is Nov. 2. The Conservation Practices to be cost-shared on for Air Quality are: Dust control on roads; Conservation tillage; Chipping of almonds and walnuts (Annual prunings); Chipping of orchard removal (Any orchard or vineyard); Older stationary diesel engine replacement; Disposal of treated wood stakes; Soil injection of dairy waste; precision spray technology, and establishment of shelterbelt for Confined Animal Feeding Operations. The cost share rates for the 2008 EQIP program may be different from last year’s rates. Visit with your local county NRCS office to obtain the 2008 EQIP cost share rates. Contact your local NRCS county office for details or contact the Fresno Air Quality office at 559-252-2191 Ext. 121. Sept. 6, 2007 NRCS Notice
   

• USDA nixes almond pasteurization delay - - There will be no delay of the pasteurization plan for the 2007 California almond crop. The mandatory program developed by the industry is still set to begin on Sept. 1. The Almond Board of California asked the USDA on Aug. 1 to wait until capacity of processors and handlers to treat the nuts during peak movement of the crop was verified. The USDA nixed the request to delay pasteurization until March 1, 2008 and advised the board on Aug. 16 that the original date would be enforced. "They put concern for food safety first rather than delay the requirement. They took the safe route," said almond grower and Almond Board alternate Dave Phippen of Turlock.Phippen said that, although the board was disappointed, they were not surprised by the decision. <more> Aug. 29, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• EPA Updates Website on Pesticides and Endangered Species Protection Program - - U.S. EPA has updated and redesigned its Pesticides and Endangered Species Protection Program website to make it easier for visitors to find relevant information about the program and to reflect enforceable limitations on pesticides that will be put in place through its Endangered Species Protection Program (ESPP).  Visit http://www.epa.gov/espp/ to view the website that now includes a more streamlined interface and more visible and useful links on the homepage, allowing the user to quickly navigate through the many different topics.  Topics include: Endangered Species Protection Bulletins; Risk Assessment; Effects Determinations, and Species Information Aug. 28, 2007 EPA Press Release
   

• Commentary: Legislation results in expanding options for pest management - - By Mary-Ann Warmerdam , Director, California Department of Pesticide Regulation. Thanks to a law enacted by Gov. Schwarzenegger, the Department of Pesticide Regulation's registration process is introducing new, more nature-friendly products that benefit both the environment and the farm community. A new DPR report finds a 36 percent increase in new pesticide product registration and a 43 percent decrease in the time needed to process submissions in 2006, the first year since the governor signed Assembly Bill 1011. (Find the report online at www.cdpr.ca.gov ) Carried by former Assemblymember Barbara Matthews of Tracy, AB 1011 allowed the department to focus its limited resources on reviewing new pesticide products containing new active ingredients and major new uses not currently registered in California. <more> Aug. 27, 2007 AgAlert
   

• DPR has little choice but to move ahead with fumigant reductions - - The debate swirling around California’s plans to limit the amount of fumigants used on farm fields continues to gain momentum, with industry experts arguing that reductions will make little difference to the state’s air quality. State officials are countering that they are under court order to make it happen by the end of this year. The latest round of talks on fumigant emissions took place recently during a day and a half regulatory conference hosted by Western Plant Health Association (WPHA). Speakers were featured from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR), industry and university experts, as well as keynote speaker George Gomes, undersecretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. <more> Aug. 24, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Pyrethroid reevaluation will reach far beyond California - - Fair warning American agriculture: When California leads, the nation bleeds. Golden State regulators are in the beginning stages of the most extensive pesticide reevaluation in the state’s history. It focuses on widely used pyrethroid pesticides. It will impact the use of the pesticide class — not only in California, but nationwide, where it has been used for more than three decades without any major biological/environmental impact until now. The California Department of Pesticide Regulations placed 20 synthetic pyrethroids in 608 products from 123 registrants under review, after the active ingredient was discovered in sediments — not the water — of California urban and rural waterways. <more> Aug. 23, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Watershed Coalition newsletter available on-line - - The  Summer 2007 Issue of Watershed Coalition News (WCN), a publication developed by the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) with a grant from the Almond Board of California, is now available on-line at http://www.curesworks.org/newsletter.asp. The goal of the project is to link growers to the watershed coalitions. The PDF version is a combined North and South Valley issue. Aug. 14, 2007 CURES Press Release
   

• Simple steps can reduce almond harvest dust - - By Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs Almond Board of California. Mounting air quality regulations and pressure from urban neighbors in the San Joaquin Valley continue to place pressure on growers to find ways to reduce the amount of dust and fine particulates emitted from their farming operations. The valley has been in narrow compliance with federal PM10 (particulates 10 microns or less in size) standards in recent years. While the ag industry can certainly feel good about the voluntary efforts they are making to help meet PM10 standards, growers still need to pay attention to dust, and find ways to further reduce their emissions at harvest. <more> Aug. 8, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Water board gets report on water-monitoring program - - Coalition groups representing 21,000 Central Valley farmers reported to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board Thursday that progress is being made to analyze and enhance water quality under a three-year-old Irrigated Lands Program. The regional board was presented water-monitoring data collected by nine coalitions in four geographic zones in the Central Valley. Monitoring of rivers, streams, creeks and sloughs from Redding to Bakersfield was mandated by the board in 2003 in lieu of imposing waste discharge permits on individual landowners. Margie Read, a senior environmental scientist for the regional board, presented the first region-wide results in a series of zone maps, charts and tables. The report includes some 96,000 data points that were collected during the three years of monitoring. Read said the data provide a baseline for water quality conditions. <more> Aug. 8, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Bee deaths hurt almond growers - - Standing in a sun-dappled orchard surrounded by almond trees almost ready to harvest, Scott Hunter held an empty honeycomb in his hands. "I just can't farm without bees," the Livingston almond grower said quietly. Those honeybees, the fuzzy insects that fly from tree to tree pollinating the crop in late winter and early spring, can make or break an almond farmer. But the bees are dying. And no one knows why. On Tuesday afternoon, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., stood with Hunter in his family's orchard and promised to push for $86.5 million in funding to find out why beehives are being devastated by colony collapse disorder (CCD). The funding would be part of farm bill legislation wending its way through Congress. <more> Aug. 8, 2007 Merced Sun-Star
   

• USDA listening session on research needs set for Modesto Aug. 29 - - A high-level USDA advisory board will hold a “listening session” in Modesto on Aug. 29 to hear from local farmers, producers, community and state leaders, scientists, educators, and environmentalists on issues relating to studying the scope and effectiveness of the research, extension, data and economics programs affecting the U.S. specialty crop industry. The National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board Specialty Crop Committee was created by Congress and approved by President Bush in 2004 to review Federal agriculture research, education and economics initiatives and make recommendations for the purpose of increasing fruit, vegetable, and nut consumption and improving the competitiveness of United States specialty crop producers. The Specialty Crop Committee reports to the NAREEE Advisory Board, which reports to both the Secretary of Agriculture and to the House and Senate Committees on Agriculture and Appropriations. This event is open to the public, and time will be set aside for comments from the audience. The Listening Session will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 29 at the Double Tree Hotel, 1150 Ninth Street, Modesto.  For more information and to indicate your intent to present an oral statement not to exceed three minutes in length, you may call Shirley Morgan Jordan, (202) 720-6012 or Kari Severe, (209) 341-7760).  Aug. 8, 2007 USDA Press Release
   

• Social networks influence growers' water-quality management -- Growers are most likely to trust their county's agricultural commissioner, Farm Bureau and UC Cooperative Extension office for information about water-quality management, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the July-September 2007 issue of the University of California’s California Agriculture journal. Mark Lubell, UC Davis associate professor, and Allan Fulton, UC Cooperative Extension advisor, surveyed more than 1,200 growers in the Sacramento River Valley about how they make production decisions regarding water-quality management. The surveyed growers had the lowest levels of trust in the U.S. and California environmental protection agencies, and the state water board. The survey also found that Sacramento River Valley orchard growers need an average of nine contacts with a "diffusion network" of peers, private advocacy groups and public agencies before they will adopt a new best management practice (BMP) to protect water quality. The authors define a diffusion network as a social system for communicating information about agricultural practices, through both formal and informal connections and interactions <more> July 20, 2007 UC ANR News
   

• Farm Bureau indicates concerns over fumigant use rules - - In the continuing effort to improve California's air quality, the Department of Pesticide Regulation is proposing to sharply reduce and cap the use of certain soil fumigants. The regulatory effort is aimed at cutting volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions that are a component of smog. "While we continue to review the proposed regulations, our preliminary analysis indicates, however, that DPR's methodology seriously overestimates VOC emissions from fumigants," said Cynthia Cory, California Farm Bureau Federation governmental affairs division. "Application methods proposed for elimination are critical to growers and the economic impacts are significantly greater than DPR has previously indicated." <more> July 16, 2007 Ag Alert
   

• Simple Steps to Reduce Dust at Harvest - - Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley continue to face pressure from air quality regulators and the public to reduce dust emissions from their harvesting operation. The Almond Board of California for the past four years has been supporting research to help better understand and reduce PM10 dust emissions at harvest. The Valley has been narrowly in compliance with federal PM10 standards in recent years, but growers still need to pay attention to dust and find ways to further reduce their emissions at harvest. A careful look at the different stages of almond harvest by Flocchini and Cassel at UC-Davis reveals that pick-up at harvesting emits the most dust, followed by sweeping and then shaking. Pickup machines typically emit four times more dust than sweeping, which is about 10 times dustier than shaking. Research efforts, as a result, have focused more on reducing PM10 and other dust emissions from pickup harvesting and sweeping. Downey & Giles at UC-Davis have measured relative amounts of dust from sweepers and pick-up machines with various set ups. <more> July 2007 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Federal government will pay growers to up the precision in pesticide application. - - Machinery that can zap weeds and apply pesticides more efficiently is at the center of a plan unveiled Thursday to help farmers do their part for clean air. The federal government will spend nearly half a million dollars over the next three years to make use of precision spray equipment available to more farmers. "This should help to keep agriculture competitive and productive while ... providing environmental benefits," said Mark Rey, U.S. Department of Agriculture deputy undersecretary for natural resources and the environment. <more> July 13, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Hearing on state's pesticide rules set. Farmers, anti-fumigant groups split over ideas to be discussed today. - - Proposed state rules aimed at cutting nearly 40% of smog-forming gases from pesticides in the San Joaquin Valley will be the subject of a public hearing in Parlier today, with growers and anti-pesticide activists divided over whether the rules go too far or not far enough. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will hold its hearing on the proposed rules at 5 p.m. today in the Nectarine Room of the University of California Kearney Agricultural Center at 9240 S. Riverbend Ave. in Parlier. At that hearing, growers concerned with the rules' expected $40 million-plus price tag are likely to contrast with anti-pesticide groups calling for a more aggressive stance to reduce pesticide use in the Valley and other areas in the state.<more> July 12, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• EPA Holds First-Ever Dialogue with Agriculture Leaders - - As part of a new and closer relationship EPA seeks with the farm community, Administrator Stephen L. Johnson today in Washington presided over the agency's first-ever dialogue with leaders of the agriculture industry. Johnson discussed three primary issues with attendees: (1) environmental issues facing agriculture in the next 10 years; (2) how the changing face of agriculture will impact the environment; and, (3) how EPA can improve its relationship with agricultural producers and get them more involved in environmental protection. Participants offered support for EPA's idea of establishing a permanent advisory group to advise the administrator on regulations and policy from a rural perspective. <more> July 12, 2007 EPA Press Release
   

• USDA Official to Unveil Air Quality Initiative for San Joaquin Valley Farmers - - USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey, will visit Fresno on Thursday to announce a new initiative to help San Joaquin Valley farmers adopt on-farm practices to improve air quality. The new Air Quality Initiative will assist producers in adopting technologies that lower smog-producing emissions. The new three-year proposal combines technical and cost share assistance through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. NRCS would oversee the initiative using both conservation technical assistance as well as its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which shares the cost of structures and practices that farmers undertake to protect natural resources. Additionally, Rey will make some money available immediately to fund a portion of California’s backlog of eligible applications to voluntarily improve air quality. Since the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District will soon be requiring agricultural growers to reduce on-farm emissions of smog-producing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), there is a heightened need to help producers now to meet the mandate. July 11, 2007 NRCS Press Release
   

• Boxer's push to protect honeybees -- In addition to representing her 36 million human California constituents, Sen. Barbara Boxer wants to serve the nation's billions and billions of hardworking honeybees. U.S. populations of pollinating honeybees are mysteriously collapsing, and that could cause irreparable damage to crops worth billions of dollars a year across the nation. That in turn could mean higher food prices, and because all kinds of wildlife depend on pollinated plants for food, the decline of pollinators could spell trouble for other animals. "California's almond crop alone is worth $2 billion per year and requires nearly one-half of all the honeybees in the country," Boxer said in introducing her bill recently. "The future of that crop and other important crops such as avocados, apples, berries and soybeans is in jeopardy if there aren't enough bees to pollinate them for harvest." <more> July 6, 2007 SF Chronicle
   

• 2007 Almond Forecast: 1.330 billion pounds - - The June 29, 2007 objective almond forecast for the 2007-2008 crop year is 1.330 billion meat pounds, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service – California Field Office (NASS/CFO).  This forecast is based on 615,000 bearing acres. Doug Flohr, statistician for USDA-NASS, California field office, said the forecast is up 1.5 percent from the May 9, 2007 subjective forecast of 1.310 billion pounds and up 19 percent from this year’s crop to date of 1.113 billion pounds as of May 31, 2007.   The official announcement was made today at the Modesto office of the Almond Board of California, which funds the forecast. The average nut set per tree is 7,413, up 10 percent from the 2006 almond crop.  The Nonpareil average nut set of 7,067 represents a 3 percent increase from last year’s set.  The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.47 grams, down 6 percent from last year. To view the NASS report, please click here (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)   June 29, 2007 Almond Board of California Press Release.
   

• Almond Board of California urges growers to comment on soil fumigant issues - - State and federal agencies are seeking public comments on two separate proposed soil fumigant regulations. The regulations could have immediate and far-reaching effects on how, and to what extent, current pre-plant soil fumigants are used on almonds and other California crops, according to the Almond Board of California (ABC). Critical to almond and other specialty crop growers is a California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) proposal to cap soil fumigant use in the San Joaquin Valley to reduce pesticide volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. While the caps currently would only affect growers in certain air quality districts, parts of the regulations are to be implemented statewide, the ABC says. <more> June 20, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Bracero program opened the door for retiring Kern County farm advisor - - His immigrant path to the United States was a typical story, says University of California Cooperative Extension Kern County farm advisor Mario Viveros. For him, it led to a distinguished academic career that helped the county's almond growers boost their annual yield as much as 50 percent. Viveros retires June 29. A native of Panindicuaro in the Mexican state of Michoacán, Viveros' father came to the United States at the beginning of World War II as a Bracero. For two decades, he faithfully sent money to his wife and visited the family in Mexico every three years. With the support of his grateful Imperial County employer, the family was reunited in Holtville in 1961. Viveros was in the sixth grade. The transnational relocation and new living arrangements weren't easy, he said. The family moved to Parlier, where all the children joined their father working in the fields. Ultimately, four of the six children would go to college, including Viveros. <more> June 19, 2007 UCCE Press Release
   

• Reduced risk grants available soon from DPR - - The Department of Pesticide Regulation will offer $585,000 in grants to reduce pesticide risks under a program revived by Governor Schwarzenegger and nearing approval by the Legislature. Upon legislative approval of DPR's budget for 2007-08, the Department will resume awards for Pest Management Grants. Meanwhile, DPR has prepared a fact sheet describing the process we will use to invite proposals for projects. Projects must focus on implementing integrated pest management (IPM) programs that reduce the use of pesticides of environmental or human health concern in the urban environment and in production agriculture. Link to the fact sheet and other information at www.cdpr.ca.gov/dprgrants.htm.  June 15, 2007 DPR Press Release
   

• Ag and emissions: Grow crops or suburbs? - - Is California agriculture part of our air-quality problem or is it part of the solution? This summer, the Department of Pesticide Regulation will hold public hearings on new rules that sharply reduce air emissions from farm fumigants. These gaseous pesticides clear the soil of weeds, insects and mold for a wide variety of crops, from carrots in Kern County to strawberries on the Ventura County coast. Unfortunately, fumigants also contribute to smog. Under the federal Clean Air Act, most regulatory efforts against smog for the past two decades have focused on vehicles, gasoline and stationary sources, such as power plants and factories. But as growers have shifted to higher-value fruit and vegetable crops, they have used more fumigants. Three areas — the San Joaquin Valley, the southeast desert and Ventura County — now fail to meet pesticide air goals. Last year, a federal judge ruled that DPR must put unprecedented restrictions in place by Jan. 1. The truly daunting challenge is whether we can meet our environmental obligations and sustain a farm economy that produces more than half the fresh fruits and vegetables for our nation. Some critics of agriculture would simply ban pesticides, but reality and environmental sensibilities are far more complex. <more> June 13, 2007 Opinion Piece by Mary-Ann Warmerdam, DPR Director, Ventura County Star
   

• Methyl bromide on front burner at International Issues Workshop - - The United States has reached the level where needs of methyl bromide are exceeding availability, an industry expert told attendees at the 2007 International Issues Workshop in San Francisco last week. "There are chemical alternatives and non-chemical alternatives," said Gary Obenauf, owner of Agricultural Research Consulting and a consultant to the California Dried Plum Board. "The problem is, there is no silver bullet." Obenauf outlined several alternatives to methyl bromide that are under consideration. <more> June 12, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Almond Growers Urged To Comment on New Soil Fumigant Proposals - - State and federal agencies are currently seeking public comment on two separate proposed soil fumigant regulations that could have immediate and far reaching effects on how and to what extent current preplant soil fumigants are used in almonds and other California crops. Most critical to almond growers is Calif. Department of Pesticide Regulation’s (DPR) proposal to cap soil fumigant use in the San Joaquin Valley to reduce pesticide VOC emissions. The regulations are required to be in place by Jan. 1, 2008 to bring DPR in compliance with a 1994 State Implementation Plan (SIP) for air quality under terms of a judge’s ruling in federal lawsuit ruling last fall. The cap and related restrictions would take effect for the 2009 ozone season. Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs for the Almond Board of California, said almond growers can provide valuable information on soil fumigant preplant uses and application methods to be sure the industry is accurately represented in the methods of application. Growers can also provide input their ability to use methods to reduce off-gassing. Also DPR is seeking alternative ideas for how to allocate the soil fumigants under a cap, such as first come/first serve, or some kind of cap and trade system (such as was used for rice burning in the Sacramento Valley), etc.  Another concern is ensuring the regulations are flexible enough to incorporate new data on the actual contribution to ozone formation or off-gassing of new methods.  “DPR needs to hear from growers on this,” Ludwig urged. <more> June 7, 2007 Almond Board Newsletter
   

• Almond Board Helps Identify Technology Research Priorities. Workshop highlights coordinated effort to solve specialty crops challenges through engineering and technology research - - The Almond Board of California and other specialty crop industries are engaged in a coordinated effort with government scientists and technology providers to identify and secure funding for engineering research to solve common industry challenges. Gabriele Ludwig, the Almond Board’s Senior Manager of Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs and Mel Machado, Field Supervisor for Blue Diamond Growers, participated in an April workshop titled “Engineering Solutions for Specialty Crop Challenges.” The workshop was sponsored by The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service (CSREES) along with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). <more> June 7, 2007 Almond Newsletter
   

• June workshops will discuss ag engine replacement rules - - A series of workshops in June will educate farmers about a new rule designed to lower emission levels from natural gas and diesel engines in the San Joaquin Valley. The first workshop is set for June 20 in Stockton and Modesto and will conclude with a June 29 session in Hanford.  As of Jan. 1, 2008, nearly all stationary and portable internal combustion engines that are over 50 horsepower in size in the San Joaquin Valley will have to be replaced or retrofitted to meet the rule requirements. Seven June workshops have been scheduled to provide rule detail and layout options for an engine owner/operator.  <more> June 7, 2007 Almond Newsletter
   

• Both sides oppose rules. Pesticide proposals draw criticism from farmworkers, growers. - -  In an effort to prevent pesticide drift incidents, state regulators are proposing new permit conditions on two fumigants known to cause eye and respiratory irritation. But farmers, farmworkers and pesticide reform activists said those recommendations aren't the answer during a Wednesday night workshop in Tulare. Farmers said they comply with current standards and are doing their best to prevent drifts.  They said the proposed conditions would make treating their crops difficult. Farmworkers and activists questioned how the permit conditions would be enforced because they don't believe current standards are followed. Some called for a ban on fumigants. <more> June 1, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• California Expects Record Almond Crop - - They may have started as a few trees planted by Spanish missionaries, but almonds are now a big crop in California, where ideal climate and irrigation have let the nuts bloom into a $2 billion-a-year business. On Scott Hunter's farm in the hot, fertile San Joaquin Valley, limbs on some of the younger trees are having a hard time holding up what he predicts will be part of "a once-in-a-lifetime type of crop" when the harvest begins in mid-August. "Like any ag commodity, we've been faced with a lot of ups and downs," said Hunter, 37, who farms 1,200 acres of almonds in Livingston. "This year is definitely an up." A record harvest, along with more growers dedicating acreage to almonds, is expected to solidify California's position as the world's leading producer of a crop that once grew wild in Mediterranean countries. The state already produces 80 percent of the almonds sold worldwide, according to California's food and agriculture department. <more> June 1, 2007 AP
   

• Many causes blamed for honeybee die-off. Colony collapse disorder could cost $15 billion –  - A team of entomologists and other scientists studying the alarming die-off of honeybees across the country is expected to report that there are multiple causes of the deaths, called colony collapse disorder. The finding compounds a crisis for growers of crops dependent on pollination, a Central Valley congressman said Thursday. Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Atwater (Merced County), said he has seen portions of the report being prepared for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to be released later this month. He said it lays out several possible causes, including parasites and a lack of genetic diversity. The challenge, Cardoza said, will be to tailor research efforts to return the most benefit. "Most likely it is a combination of factors,'' Cardoza said on the edge of a watermelon field outside Hilmar, where working honeybees had performed their morning pollination duties Thursday. ”When you look at multiple factors it really complicates the research,'' he said. <more> June 1, 2007 SF Chronicle
   

• Die-off silences buzzing beehives. Growers and keepers in a quandary about threat to pollination - - Dan Avila planted his watermelon field, set out his rented beehives and hoped for the best. The Livingston-area grower is one of many who rely on honeybees to pollinate their crops. And he's one of many who worry that they could lose this vital service if a mysterious die-off of colonies around the nation continues. "The vines will set little if any fruit if the bees aren't there," Avila said. "It will decrease production 80 or 90 percent." His farm was the site of a news conference held Thursday by Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, and others concerned about the bees. Cardoza is seeking a boost in federal funding for research on the die-off, which started in the fall. Some beekeepers have had little or no damage, while others have lost most of their colonies. <more> June 1, 2007 Modesto Bee   
   

• Ban on burning old orchards takes effect. Clean-air regulation meant to stop half the agricultural smoke in valley - - Starting Friday, farmers will have to cease another part of the burning that has long sent smoke into the San Joaquin Valley sky. The ban will apply to most of the wood waste created by the removal of orchards. It is part of a burning phaseout that already has affected disposal of some of the pruned limbs from living trees and residue from field crops. The orchard-removal ban will take care of about half the agricultural burning in the region, according to the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Growers will have to use alternatives, mainly chipping the wood into mulch or power plant fuel. This is already a common practice because of the clampdown on burning pruned limbs. "In general, the industry is ready for this," said Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager of global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California, based in Modesto. "If you're doing an orchard removal in the San Joaquin Valley, most growers are doing some kind of chipping." <more> May 31, 2007 Modesto Bee
   

• New rules tighten fumigant restrictions to improve valley air. Proposed regulations would limit when and how all fumigants are applied - - Stricter rules for use of soil fumigants by California farmers have been proposed by the state's Department of Pesticide Regulation. The agency is taking action to comply with a federal court order to reduce smog-forming gases resulting from pesticide use. Targeting the biggest producer of such gases - soil fumigants - the state hopes to reduce emissions by more than 50 percent in areas with the worst air quality. This action comes as the state agency complies with a 2006 federal court order that requires the Department of Pesticide Regulation to enforce a 20 percent reduction in pesticide volatile organic gases, compared to 1991 levels. The court order stemmed from a lawsuit that claimed the state failed to meet its obligations under the federal Clean Air Act. <more> May 31, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Big 2007 crop offers a glimpse of future 1.5 billion pound crops - - There are few certainties in farming — but California almond growers are on a definite fast track to produce 1.5 billion pounds of almonds annually in the very near future. As Richard Waycott, president of the Almond Board of California, was driving from the board’s offices at Modesto to Arbuckle for the 30th annual Nickels Almond Field Day, he visualized the certainty of that future. “My Lord, what a big crop we’ve got coming on (in 2007),” says the CEO of the marketing and promotion arm of the California industry. He told the 200 growers and others at the field day that the almond board has been sharply focused for several years on marketing those projected huge future crops. <more> May 24, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• House panel short on money for land stewardship - -  Members of a House Agriculture subcommittee were thwarted by a lack of money on Tuesday from expanding "green payments" to farmers and from creating a $305 million program to combat asthma-causing dust. Lawmakers put the ideas on the table during the first bill-drafting session for the farm law being written this year. But they withdrew them without a vote in hopes that money will become available this summer to pay for the programs. California Democrat Dennis Cardoza said stewardship programs must be expanded so that fruit, vegetable, nut and nursery crop growers can meet a mounting regulatory burden and so that specialty crop growers get a more equitable share of supports. He proposed a $305 million air quality program to combat dust and ozone but withdrew it because there was no money. "This is one of the most important issues we have," said Cardoza, who said 300 congressional districts violate federal standards for clean air. "Air quality problems are going to be putting farmers out of business in my state." <more> May 22, 2007 Reuters
   

• Growers Could Take Financial Hit in Pesticide Crackdown -- State officials are hoping to clean up the air by cracking down on the use of fumigant pesticides widely used on some of San Joaquin County's biggest crops. The state's action comes in response to a federal court order. But it will be growers who take the hit: The state Department of Pesticide Regulation estimates farmers across the state may have to pay an extra $10 million to $40 million a year to use new, low-emission methods of applying the pesticides. <more> May 20, 2007 Stockton Record
   

• DPR proposes fumigant rules to clear the air -- The Department of Pesticide Regulation today proposed rules to sharply reduce fumigant air emissions that contribute to smog. Acting under federal court order, DPR will begin allocating fumigant use in areas with poor air quality. The rules also would eliminate some fumigation methods that permit high emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. While farm chemicals comprise only about 2 percent of California's overall VOC emissions, pesticides are among the top ten VOC sources in the San Joaquin Valley and Ventura air attainment areas. The Southeast Desert area also fails to meet pesticide VOC goals. The Department predicts its plan will reduce emissions by more than 4.5 tons per day statewide. Proposed rules would reduce fumigant emissions from about 38 to more than 50 percent within the three large areas. <more> May 18, 2007 DPR Press Release
   

• Farm air pollution targeted. The state plans strict, costly rules on the use of fumigants in soil. - - California plans to enact the most costly pesticide regulation in state history as it cracks down on use of fumigants in farm fields to comply with a court-ordered deadline to combat smog. Under the proposed regulation, to be unveiled today, California will be the first place in the nation to target the widely used chemicals, imposing statewide restrictions on how fumigants are applied as well as limits on use in three farming regions. State officials warned that the cost will be extremely high — estimated at $10 million to $40 million a year — and that growers of strawberries, carrots, tomatoes and peppers will bear the brunt of it. The biggest burden will fall on Ventura County's strawberry growers, who will face strict caps on emissions and may have to resort to pulling thousands of acres out of production to meet the smog targets. <more> May 18, 2007 LA Times
   

• Bees are going missing, yes, but the crops are just fine. Colony Collapse Disorder may not be a problem of apocalyptic proportions. - - It’s like a scene out of a Stephen King novel: One sunny day, the happy buzzing sound of bees doing that spring thing that bees do fades to silence. The bees disappear, abandoning hives and leaving flowers unpollinated, never to bear fruits and vegetables. Gradually, the world starves. That's the picture some are painting this spring in the wake of heavier than normal losses by beekeepers. "Unless someone or something stops it soon," one recent wire service story speculates, we could all be living on a "bread and water diet". But though that picture may have a certain apocalyptic appeal, it ignores some inconvenient facts. For starters, California's almond farmers — who grow the most bee-intensive crop in the country — are forecasting a record harvest this year. In fact, the latest estimate, released last week, is for this year's crop to be almost 20% bigger than last year's. The state's plum, peach and nectarine farmers say that their trees are full of fruit too. And so do Washington state cherry, pear and apple farmers. <more> May 16, 2007 LA Times
   

• Almond burn band slated for June 1 - - Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley as of June 1 will no longer be able to burn removed orchards as part of a ban on open agricultural burning being phased in by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Growers still will have until June 2010 to obtain permits to burn prunings from almond trees. The June deadline marks the third phase of gradual elimination of open burning in the San Joaquin Valley to manage agricultural products, including prunings.  <more> May 11,2 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Even after winds knock almonds from trees California growers expect a record crop - - Wind gusts up to almost 80 miles per hour in mid-April wind storms whipped through California’s 600,000 acres of heavily-laden almond trees like weeping willows in a hurricane. Orchard floors were littered with almonds after the series of storms blew through the state within a week. Trees were toppled in sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and gusts much higher, especially older trees, and orchards both young and old that were in wet soil. High winds threshed limbs of corn rows and grape-like clusters of almonds that would have been worth $2 per pound or more at harvest. Still, almond growers, consultants, UC farm advisors, hullers, and marketers say even after the winds that were more like West Texas than serene California, a record crop remains on the state’s bearing orchards. <more> May 9, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Regulators See Almond Industry Progress in Addressing Environmental Concerns - - Regulators from a number of state and federal agencies that establish and enforce environmental laws impacting almond production practices, spent a beautiful mid-bloom day learning the latest steps the almond industry is taking to address environmental issues in farming and processing practices. The Almond Board of California’s third annual Environmental Stewardship Tour at the facilities of Travaille and Phippen Inc. in Manteca on March 2, 2007 allowed some 50 regulators, media members, researchers and other invited guests to see first-hand the progress growers are making at the ground level to address air quality, water quality, endangered species, pesticide use and other environmental issues. Merle Jacobs, the Almond Board’s associate director for industry relations, stressed that the industry is working to implement an integrated sustainable approach that addresses a number of sometimes competing environmental challenges along with food safety concerns and the need for economic viability of those new practices. <more> April 2007 Almond Board Newsletter
   

• Burn Ban for Almond Orchard Removal in San Joaquin Valley Takes Effect this June - - Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley as of June 1, 2007 will no longer be able to burn removed orchards as part of a ban on open agricultural burning being phased in by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Growers will still have until June 2010 to obtain permits to burn prunings from surface harvested crops such as almonds. <more> May 7, 2007 Almond Board Press Release
   

• Workshops scheduled to detail ag engine replacement rules - - A new rule designed to lower emission levels from natural gas and diesel engines in the San Joaquin Valley will kick into gear in the next few months as the first of several air quality deadlines arrive starting Jan. 1, 2008. Nearly all stationary and portable internal combustion engines that are over 50 horsepower in size – in the San Joaquin Valley will have to be replaced or retrofitted to meet the rule requirements. Seven workshops have been scheduled to provide rule detail and candidly layout options for an engine owner/operator. The rule falls under the jurisdiction of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and is part of a statewide effort to lower specific emissions – oxides of nitrogen, volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide – that have been linked to the formation of lower ozone. Owner/operators are encouraged to attend the informational meetings to learn how it will affect their operation and what measures are needed to ensure compliance. <more> May 7, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• EPA Seeks Public Comment on Risk-Reduction Options for Soil Fumigants - - As part of EPA's ongoing evaluation of soil fumigant pesticides, the agency is seeking public comment for 60 days on risk- reduction options for the soil fumigants: methyl bromide, metam sodium, dazomet, and chloropicrin. Another soil fumigant, 1,3-dichloropropene, is included for comparison purposes, but its reassessment is complete and no regulatory changes are anticipated. EPA also will host public meetings on these soil fumigants in Washington State on May 22 and in Florida on June 6, and will participate in a public meeting in California on May 30. The public meetings will allow the agency to obtain first-hand comments on possible risk mitigation options from all stakeholders.  Fact sheet on soil fumigant risk mitigation options and how to comment: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/soil_fumigants/risk_mitigation.htm  May 2, 2007 EPA Press Release  
   

• Almond acreage climbs to 730,000 - - This year's almond crop will be coming from 615,000 bearing acres, according to USDA/NASS. California’s 2006 almond acreage is estimated at 730,000 acres, a 6 percent increase from 2005's acreage of 690,000. Bearing acreage was 585,000 acres and non-bearing was 145,000 acres. Nonpareil continued to be the leading variety, followed by Carmel and Butte. Monterey, Fritz, and Padre varieties showed significant acreage increases. Kern, Merced, Stanislaus, and Fresno were the leading counties. These four counties had 64 percent of the acreage in 2006 compared with 63 percent in 2005. The acreage came from a voluntary survey of approximately 6,000 almond growers. This year's data also reflects tree removals from nearly 14,000 acres (mostly planted in the 1970's and 1980's) during the past t12 months. Of this number, a significant amount of acreage was harvested in 2006 prior to being pushed out, and that acreage has already been removed from the detailed data. To arrive at the estimated almond acreage, the NASS almond acreage data base was compared with pesticide application data maintained by county agricultural commissioners and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. May 2, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• VOC Research Symposium May 22 – 23 in Sacramento – - The state Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) is sponsoring a symposium May 22-23 at the Red Lion Hotel in Sacramento.  Speakers will present the results of current research on the topics of emission inventory issues, fumigant application methods and use, pesticide product reformulation, pest management methods, innovative technologies, and economic issues that affect the reduction of VOCs from pesticide use. Agenda details and registration information is available from the DPR website at http://www.cce.csus.edu/conferences/dpr/07/index.htm May 2, 2007 DPR Press Release
   

• Almond growers’ environmental stewardship hailed by USDA - - Two California almond growers who are using environmentally friendly practices are among growers featured in an online exhibit launched by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS.)  Robyn Singh, a Madera grower, is featured for converting from flood irrigation to a micro-jet irrigation system. He received cost-share assistance from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP.) Livingston-area grower Lee Moren is highlighted for his practice of shredding his annual orchard prunings rather than burning them. He also is receiving cost-share assistance from EQIP. Their stories appear on the NRCS-CA webpage entitled “The Faces and Places of Conservation,” at www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov/news/stories/ May 2, 2007 NRCS Press Release
   

• DPR plans new restrictions on 2 fumigants, offers more public input on risk decisions - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will impose new restrictions on two fumigants to prevent drift incidents and injuries in farm fields and neighborhoods. By fall, DPR will put additional controls on metam-sodium and metam-potassium. Both pre-plant fumigants break down into a volatile gas that may cause eye and respiratory irritation. Several major drift incidents related to these chemicals have occurred in recent years. Warmerdam said the fumigant rules also would serve as pilot project for more public involvement in DPR risk management decisions. In the past, DPR issued local use recommendations to agricultural commissioners without formal public input. There is no statutory requirement to do so. <more> April 26, 2007 DPR Press Release
   

• Move over, milk -- almonds are headed for pasteurization - - Glenn Anderson is having a tough time swallowing the almond industry's new rules that require heat treatment or chemical fumigation of the nuts he grows on 12 organic acres in the Central Valley.  "Most of our customers have called me and said, 'We don't want pasteurized almonds, we want them raw, directly from the field,' “says Anderson, 72, an organic pioneer whose farm in Hilmar, near Turlock, has been in his family since 1912. "I think it's being shoved down all of our throats." "Pasteurization" is the California almond industry's response to two salmonella outbreaks, traced to almonds, that sickened a total of about 130 consumers -- and resulted in lawsuits -- in 2001 and 2004. <more> April 25, 2007 SF Chronicle
   

• Bees Vanish, and Scientists Race for Reasons - - What is happening to the bees? More than a quarter of the country’s 2.4 million bee colonies have been lost — tens of billions of bees, according to an estimate from the Apiary Inspectors of America, a national group that tracks beekeeping. So far, no one can say what is causing the bees to become disoriented and fail to return to their hives. As with any great mystery, a number of theories have been posed, and many seem to researchers to be more science fiction than science. People have blamed genetically modified crops, cellular phone towers and high-voltage transmission lines for the disappearances. Or was it a secret plot by Russia or Osama bin Laden to bring down American agriculture? Or, as some blogs have asserted, the rapture of the bees, in which God recalled them to heaven? Researchers have heard it all. <more> April 25, 2007 NY Times
   

• Regulators witness environmental stewardship at Manteca almond orchard - - Dave Phippen of Travaille and Phippen Inc. in Manteca is proud to welcome regulators to his almond orchard. Phippen, an almond grower, San Joaquin Farm Bureau board member and chairman of the Almond Board of California, has good news to share about the integrated pest management and sustainable farming, harvesting and hulling/shelling practices underway at Travaille and Phippen. In March, Phippen hosted some 20 regulators from various local, state and federal agencies during the Almond Board of California’s Third Annual Environmental Stewardship Tour to showcase what he and other almond growers are doing to address air quality, water quality, endangered species, pesticide use and other environmental issues. <more> April 2007 San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Newspaper
   

• Burn Ban for Almond Orchard Removal in SJV Takes Effect this June - - Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley as of June 1, 2007 will no longer be able to burn removed orchards as part of a ban on open agricultural burning being phased in by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District. Growers will still have until June 2010 to obtain permits to burn prunings from surface harvested crops such as almonds. The June deadline on orchard removal burning marks the third phase of the gradual elimination of open burning in the San Joaquin Valley to manage agricultural products, including prunings.  “This process has been going on for several years but this is the first phase-out deadline to affect almonds directly,” said Gabriele Ludwig, Senior Manager, Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs with the Almond Board of California. <more> April 15, 2007 Almond Newsletter
   

• Regulators See First-Hand Environmentally Friendly Almond Farming and Processing Practices - - Regulators from state and federal agencies that establish and enforce environmental laws in agriculture spent a beautiful mid-bloom day in March at the facilities of Travaille and Phippen Inc. in Manteca for the Almond Board’s third annual Environmental Stewardship Tour. The tour gave regulators, along with media, researchers and other invited guests, a first-hand look at the steps almond growers and handlers are taking to address air quality, water quality, endangered species, pesticide use and other environmental issues. <more> April 15, 2007 Almond Board Newsletter
   

• Manteca Almond Grower Showcases Environmentally Friendly Farming for Regulators - - Dave Phippen of Travaille and Phippen Inc. in Manteca is proud to welcome regulators to his almond orchard. Phippen, an almond grower and chairman of the Almond Board of California, has good news to share about the integrated pest management and sustainable farming, harvesting and hulling/shelling practices underway at Travaille and Phippen. Phippen in March hosted some 20 regulators from various local, state and federal agencies during the Almond Board of California’s 3^rd Annual Environmental Stewardship Tour to showcase what he and other almond growers are doing to address air quality, water quality, endangered species, pesticide use and other environmental issues. Phippen said the operation has been practicing Integrated Pest Management for more than a decade, relying on monitoring and sampling, biological control and orchard sanitation to control pests with reduced reliance on broad-spectrum insecticides. <more> April 15, 2007 San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Newspaper
   

• Watershed Coalition newsletter now available - - The latest edition of the Watershed Coalition News is now available from the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES.) Developed by CURES with funding from the Almond Board of California, the project’s goal is to link growers to the watershed coalitions. The Winter/Spring 2007 edition features stories about the boost in watershed coalition memberships; the new scrutiny facing those applying for membership after the Dec. 31, 2006 deadline; a UC Davis study that says high E. Coli levels in many Central valley waterways may be coming from human sources; ongoing surveys to document grower use of Best Management Practices; and new methods to determine orchard sprayer coverage. The newsletter can be download as a PDF file at the CURES wesbite www.curesworks.org/newsletter.asp  April 13, 2007 CURES Press Release
   

• Reducing off-site movement of pyrethroids not difficult - - Sampling of various agricultural water bodies in 17 Central Valley counties by University of California researchers has shown

   that roughly one-quarter to one-third of the sites have toxic levels of pesticides or other substances. Using Hyalella azteca, a small amphipod commonly used to text toxicity, Donald Weston, 

  adjunct professor, University of California, Berkeley, determined that pyrethroids were largely responsible for presence of toxicity among the 127 sites. <more> 

  April 6, 2007 Western Farm Press 
  

• Buzz grows on bee deaths. Keepers tell House panel about crisis in Valley, elsewhere. - - Gene Brandi is losing his six-legged livestock, and lawmakers want to know why. A Los Banos-based commercial beekeeper, Brandi normally manages about 2,000 colonies. On Thursday, Brandi told a House panel about 40% of his colonies died over the winter -- by far, his worst loss in three decades of business. "Even though my loss is substantial, other beekeepers throughout the country have suffered much greater losses," Brandi testified. <more> March 30, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Almond Board’s Environmental Tour Educates Regulators - - The Almond Board of California’s (ABC) spring environmental stewardship tour opened the eyes for  Sacramento’s water, air, and pesticide regulators to the challenges and positive solutions in the industry. Hosting the one-day event in early March was Dave Phippen, chairman of the ABC board of directors and co-owner of Travaille and Phippen, growers, packer and shippers of almonds in Manteca, Calif. The tour was part of Almond Board’s implementation of a five-year plan (2003-2008) “to be the healthiest specialty crop in the world” benefiting the consumer, the environment, and the industry.  Joining Phippen in the tour was his son-in-law Nick Gatzman, one of the operation’s farm managers. Both led attendees through their orchards and processing facility and outlined ways they are reducing their impact on the environment. PNP Nut Grower & PCA magazine Feb 16, 2007   Click here to download PDF file  Click here to view as HTML page
   

• Budding Prospects. Pathogen worries can make it tough for green farmers - - Almond growers aim to keep their customers healthy by keeping salmonella and other germs out of the orchards. Many try to do this by excluding rodents and other creatures that can track germs onto the orchard floor, where the nuts lie after being shaken from the trees. But many growers also like to maintain at least some ecological diversity on their farms. They might do this with grassy cover crops between the trees, or hedgerows at the orchard's edges. Trouble is, these mini-habitats could nurture the very animals that growers want to keep out so the crop doesn't become tainted. "Human pathogens are unfortunately carried by these birds and squirrels and so forth," said Merle Jacobs, associate director for industry relations at the Almond Board of California, during an orchard tour near Ripon last week. "There's always a balance: Are you mitigating one problem and adding to another problem?" <more> March 10, 2007 Modesto Bee
   

• Bee shortage won't hurt almond crop, say experts - - The almond industry has faced cold and rain and a shrinking bee supply during this year's bloom, but it appears to be making it through just fine — so far. Enough blossoms likely are being pollinated to assure an adequate nut harvest in late summer and fall, the Almond Board of California reported this week. That verdict was based on a survey of orchards by a task force for the Modesto-based group. "Their expert opinion was that we would have enough bees to complete the pollination of our almond crop," said Marsha Venable, spokeswoman for the board. The bloom started in mid-February and likely will fade out next week. The emerging nuts still could get hit by spring storms, but for now the board is confident, Venable said. <more> March 10, 2007 Modesto Bee
   

• Almond tour highlights stewardship. Growers want to have ‘the healthiest specialty crop in the world - - ’Mummified nut removal, cover crops and specialized shredding equipment, all examples of farming practices that help the environment, were highlights of the annual Environmental Stewardship tour by the Almond Board of California. Members of federal, state and local regulatory agencies as well as other growers were on hand to learn farming and processing practices aimed at making almonds "the healthiest specialty crop in the world." The tour was hosted by Dave Phippen, chairman of the Almond Board of California, at the Travaille and Phippen plant. Under a canopy of almond blooms, Nick Gatzman, who leads the pest control and cultural operations for Phippen's almond orchards, spoke emphatically about their goal of reducing pesticide use. "The most cost-effective control is orchard sanitation," Gatzman stressed. <more> March 9, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Miticide choices fortunately plentiful - - Tree nut growers in California have been blessed with a rapidly expanding arsenal of miticides over the past few years, according to David Haviland, Kern County University of California Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor. “All of a sudden, we’ve added eight new products to our portfolio in only the past two years,” he told attendees at a Bayer CropScience sponsored Tree and Vine conference held this winter. “I sincerely hope the days of monitoring and treating if and when you hit a threshold are back.” <more> March 7, 2007 Western Farm Press
   

• Bad biz for bees. Almond growers, beekeepers stung by disappearance, death rate of insect. - - In this high-tech age of tractors steered by Global Positioning System, some things in agriculture come down to what Bryan Beekman held in his hand. Bees. The insects are needed desperately for production of almonds and many other crops. A simple act of nature -- pollination by these critters -- is the key to a third of the world's food production. But disaster lurks in bee country. The insects are dying -- or disappearing -- in droves. Many of Beekman's pollinators, for example, are dead. And nobody knows what happened to half of the 100 million bees owned by David Bradshaw of Fresno. They simply vanished. <more> March 7, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Time is ripe to support sustainable food system.  Keynote speaker at California Farm Conference appeals for support to develop sustainable food system by 2030 - - Small-scale farmers who are adept at growing healthy food, can help urban consumers reconnect to their agrarian roots and develop a network of supporters for a sustainable food system in California by 2030. Michael Dimock, executive director of Roots for Change, an alliance of California-based foundations, today delivered that message to more than 300 participants at the 2007 California Farm Conference in Monterey. Launched in 2002, the program promotes social goals such as food choices that lead to more healthy eating, environmental benefits, and economic goals to create new revenue streams on farms through tourism, on-farm energy production and direct farm-to-consumer marketing. <more> March 6, 2007
   

• Almond growers raising environmental consciousness - - It was too blustery to be buzzing about Dave Phippen's almond orchard on Friday - only one bee could be found pollinating the white blossoms. There was plenty of sweet talk, though, about farmers' efforts to aid the environment. For the third time, the Almond Board of California hosted a tour promoting the crop and the way it is grown. <more> March 3, 2007 Stockton Record
   

• Nominations open for IPM Innovator Award - - Science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Every revolutionary idea seems to evoke three stages of reaction ... (1) It's completely impossible. (2) It's possible, but it's not worth doing. (3) I said itwas a good idea all along." If least-toxic pest management once seemed impossible, it's becoming the preferred strategy on the farm and in our urban environment. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is now taking nominations for its 14th annual IPM Innovator Awards. IPM - - integrated pest management - - uses nature-based solutions that offer the least risk to people and their environment. For more information on how to nominate an individual or organization for an IPM Innovator Award, go to www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/ipminov/innovatr.htm . Or contact DPR staffer Bob Elliott, 916 324 4156, belliott@cdpr.ca.gov March 4, 2007 DPR Press Release
   

• Pesticide illness cases rise in 2005, new toll-free line established -- The number of pesticide-related illnesses in California rose in 2005, and a new service announced today by the state Department of Pesticide Regulation will make it easier for people to file pesticide complaints. DPR officials announced today in a department news release that 911 individual cases of pesticide illness were reported in 2005, up from 828 cases the prior year. Of the 911 cases in 2005, 647 cases -- or 71% -- were in agricultural settings. DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam said that pesticide drift has been one of the major sources of injuries and illnesses in the agricultural sector, as the 2005 DPR data show. Half of the total cases related to agriculture in 2005 were related to one mishap from a farm fumigation in Salinas. <more> March 1, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Sustainable agriculture meetings set for Valley - - A series of meetings to discuss the objective of developing sustainable food and farming systems in California by the year 2030 will be held in the San Joaquin valley in February and March. Roots of Change (ROC) and co-host Great Valley Center are holding the meetings to discuss “Our Common Vision: A Bright Future for Healthy Communities, Farms, & Food in California."  

  The Fresno meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 28, from 1- 4p.m. at the Ramada University, Room Shaw A, 324 East Shaw Ave.     

  The Modesto meeting will be held Thursday, March 1, from 1 -4 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel, Vineyard Room, 1612 Sisk Road. 

  The Chico meeting will be held Monday, March 12, from 1-4 p.m. at CSU Chico, Bidwell Park Room. 

  The Davis meeting will be held Tuesday, March 13, at the UC Davis Buehler Alumni & Visitors Center, AGR Room. 

  The meetings will discuss proposed initiatives to achieve a sustainable food system, how to help shape plans and implementation of projects, and ROC’s role and proposed services and requests for grant proposals. For more details, visit www.ROCFund.org. To register for the meetings, contact Nicole Mason at Nicole@rocfund.org, or call 415) 391-0545. More information about ROC can be found on its website www.ROCFund.org Feb. 16, 2007

   

• New pesticide regulations loom in 2008 . VOC, spray drift seminar at World Ag Expo - - New state pesticide regulations loom next year to control smog-producing emissions from farms, but officials hope new technology, research and strategic alliances can minimize the impact of growers. At a seminar at the 2007 World Ag Expo in Tulare Wednesday, farmers were advised that new regulations on volatile organic compounds, which mix with nitrogen oxides and sunlight to create smog, will be finalized late this year, according to Jerry Campbell, assistant director of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. "We expect to have VOC regulations on the books by December 31st of this year, with regulations to go into effect in 2008," Campbell said. "We hope to have a draft of the regulations in March and hearings on the VOC package during the summer and hopefully finalized by the end of the year." <more> Feb. 15, 2007 Capital Press
   

• Migrant bees key to state's crops. Rising demand drives up prices as supply of insect labor dwindles. - - In sheer numbers, it's the biggest migration of workers in the world. This month, nearly three-quarters of all the nation's commercial honeybees will be in California's ever-expanding almond orchards to do the work that only a bee can do: gather pollen from the blossom of one tree and drop it in the blossom of another. Drawn by the rocketing prices now offered by almond farmers, beekeepers from as far away as Florida are hauling more than 2,200 tractor-trailer loads of hive boxes into the state. That's at least 10 billion bees. <more> Feb. 12, 2007 Sacramento Bee
   

• Plight of the Bees. Growers worry as pollinators decline - - This time of year, John Cox usually has 300 bee colonies ready for duty in almond orchards about to pop into bloom. This year, he has 35. The rest of the colonies failed to live through the winter, for reasons that elude him and many of the other beekeepers across the nation. "It's somewhat depressing to try to keep overcoming all the odds," said Cox, who raises bees near Stevinson as a sideline to his job with a food-processing company. Concern about the bee supply has been growing for several years among nut and fruit growers who depend on the insects for pollination. The concern has become acute this year, with beekeepers in several states reporting major losses. Nowhere does this matter more than in the almond orchards of the Central Valley. They grow 80 percent of the world's supply of the nuts and use two-thirds of the commercial bee colonies in the nation each February. "It's the single most important time of the year for us in terms of determining the crop," said Chris Heintz, who manages pollination research for the Almond Board of California, based in Modesto. <more> Feb. 10, 2007 Modesto Bee
   

• DPR moving closer to VOC air quality rules - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has taken the next step in its initiative to reduce the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released into the air from pesticides. Late last summer, DPR proposed to cancel the registrations of 27 pesticide products that were on the agency’s hit list because the registrants had failed to comply with DPR orders to submit plans to reduce VOC emissions from their liquid products to a 20 percent level, or to justify their exemption from that DPR goal. “Some of these were voluntary cancellations,” says Bob Ehn, with R3 Ag Consulting LLC, a Clovis-based firm that provides research, registration and regulatory services to the crop protection chemical industry. “None of these are major-use products and in total, the agricultural chemical industry stepped up and provided DPR with the needed information. It’s not time to panic yet,” he added. <more> Jan. 24, 2007 Western Farm Press  
   

• Felony counts dropped in pesticide case. No-contest to misdemeanor for nut company, manager - - A criminal case against a Ripon-based almond grower fell apart Thursday, when prosecutors dropped all charges related to the alleged methyl bromide poisoning of a laborer. Golden West Nuts Inc. and ranch Manager John Becerra pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor charge, for failing to notify Stanislaus County's agricultural commissioner before using a controlled pesticide. Several other charges were dismissed, and a defense attorney said his toxicologist concluded that the laborer had not been poisoned. Company President Jon Hoff seemed pleased by the outcome but troubled by the legal system. He had been charged with two felonies and three misdemeanors stemming from his company's alleged failure to provide safety equipment and training in the use of pesticides. "We have not been able to figure out why we have been put in this position," Hoff said after the charges he faced were dismissed. <more> Jan. 19, 2007 Modesto Bee
   

• State Department of Pesticide Regulation gets $3 million budget increase. California regulators plan to use money for enforcement, safety and programs on less-toxic alternatives. - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is using a $3 million boost in its budget to increase enforcement, pay for programs for less toxic alternatives and push pesticide safety. Mary-Ann Warmerdam, the department's director, is also aiming to reduce major pesticide illness incidents to zero. While Warmerdam acknowledged it's a lofty goal — the state averages about 50 such incidents a year — she said it is a necessary one. "Anything less than zero major incidents is not doing right by our obligation," Warmerdam said. "These are the incidents that affect people, in particular farmworkers." <more> Jan. 12, 2007 Fresno Bee
   

• Dec. 31 deadline looms for growers to join watershed coalition — Dec. 31, 2006 is the deadline for almond growers to join a watershed coalition as part of the Irrigated Lands Program or face the prospect of paying considerable costs as an individual participant. Growers can learn more about their options by visiting the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of Central Valley Regional Quality Control Board website http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/index.html#GeneralInfo. A critical question for each grower is, “Who is a discharger?” Growers can learn more on that subject by visiting the water board website at http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/irr-lands-disch-fact-sheet.pdf. <more> December 4, 2006
   

• EPA Authorizes Critical Uses of Methyl Bromide for 2007 - - In accordance with the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, EPA has issued final methyl bromide production and import critical use exemptions for 2007. EPA also authorized uses that qualify for the 2007 critical use exemption. The exemptions for continued production and import of methyl bromide will honor the U.S. commitment to obtain methyl bromide for American farmers, in a manner consistent with the Montreal Protocol, while protecting the ozone layer. <more> Dec. 12, 2006 EPA Press Release
   

• East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition annual meetings set for next week - -  The East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition (ESJWQC) is holding its second annual meetings next week to review 2006 monitoring results and water quality problems likely associated with agriculture.  Topics Include: • Surprising results of a coalition-funded E.coli study designed to identify sources of numerous detections of the bacteria in local waterways. • Information on new requirements of coalition members. • Information on management practices to mitigate farm runoff found in local waterways. Meeting Locations:

  • Tuesday; December 12; 1-3 pm, Merced County Agricultural Commissioners office, 2139 Wardrobe Avenue, Merced

  • Wednesday, December 13, 10 am -12 pm; Stanislaus Agricultural Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, (lunch provided to those who RSVP: 209-522-7278)

  • Thursday, December 14, 10 am -12 pm; Madera County Farm Bureau, 1102 S. Pine Street, Madera, (lunch provided to those who RSVP: 559-674-8871) Dec.7, 2006 ESJWCQC Press Release
   

• Almond Board salmonella plan published - - After two-years of research and consultation involving California’s annual $2.5 billion almond industry, the Almond Board of California’s (ABC) proposal to create a mandatory pasteurization program to eliminate the potential for salmonella bacteria in California almonds is one step closer to reality. The plan was printed in the Dec. 6 issue of the Federal Register. Created with broad industry input, the plan is designed to negate future chances of California almond-caused salmonella outbreaks. Salmonella outbreaks were traced to California almonds in 2001 and 2004. The industry fears a third bout could cause irreparable harm. Because of previous salmonella incidents, regulators are focused on the almond industry. <more> Dec. 7, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• Grassley continues fight against EPA rule on agriculture dust - - Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is continuing his efforts to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating agriculture dust — this time offering an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill. “This is about the future. The rule is setting a bad precedent for agriculture,” Grassley said in a statement. The amendment, introduced Tuesday, has been endorsed by 13 of the nation’s largest agriculture groups. In October, Grassley hosted EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson at farm in Perry to watch a soybean field harvested so he could see how the process stirs up dust. A steady rain prevented the demonstration, but the senator said it didn’t wash away concerns that the dust proposal could lead to lawsuits against farmers. <more> Dec. 6, 2006 AP
   

• New study: Public-private partnerships providing ag environmental solutions. Almond Board partnerships hailed as successful models. - - Partnerships between researchers, extension agents and growers that encourage greater participation and a cooperative learning environment are providing real-world solutions to many of the environmental issues facing California farmers, according to a recent study. The study by a leading university agro-environmental researcher points to the Almond Pest Management Alliance as a primary example of the success of such public/private partnerships. Study author Keith Douglass Warner of the Environmental Studies Institute at Santa Clara University said many of these partnerships, such as the Biologically Integrated Farming Systems and Pest Management Alliance projects, have helped successfully integrate alternatives to widely used traditional pesticides into mainstream farming systems by promoting a high level of grower participation and support. Titled “Integrated Farming Systems and Pollution Prevention Initiatives Stimulate Co-Learning Extension Strategies,” the study reports that the growth and success of these programs reflects a shift from the cooperative extension’s early model of “technology transfer” to an emphasis on participatory co-learning and decision-making support. <more> Dec. 3, 2006 Almond Board of California Press release  
   

• Farmers seek less-toxic pesticides to control mold, mildew - - California's wet growing season in 2005 contributed to higher pesticide use as farmers applied more fungicides, especially sulfur, to stifle mold and mildew. But state officials pointed to declining use of several highly toxic chemicals at the same time. Mary-Ann Warmerdam, who leads the Department of Pesticide Regulation, said California continues to encourage alternatives to harmful chemical applications. "While last year's weather presented challenging conditions for growers, we see a growing reliance on sustainable pest management," she said earlier this month. And San Joaquin County is among the leaders of that trend, with Lodi-area grape growers supporting a third-party auditing program that certifies producers who employ sustainable farming practices. <more> Nov. 30, 2006 Stockton Record
   

• Almond industry poised to market 1.5 billion-pound crop - - A 45 percent increase in the supply of a commodity from the largest crop ever recorded over a short, four-year time span would be cause for concern for most California commodities. However, almonds are not like any other California commodity. California almond growers have gathered record and near-record crops the past five years coupled with receiving record and near-record prices. With 100,000 acres of non-bearing orchards to add to the current inventory of 580,000 acres that basically produced the five-year of records, the industry is expected to reach 1.5 billon pounds of production in just four years. However, according to a report from the USDA NASS California field office given at the recent 25th annual Agribusiness Management Conference in Fresno there is a “wide array of positive and democratic indicators” that provide assurance that California growers will profitably market the 1.5 billion crop with relative ease. <more> Nov. 30, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• Growers Can Make Money if They Use UC Integrated Pest Management Year-Round Program for Crops - - The California Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is offering $125 per acre to growers to use the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program's year-round IPM programs for their crops. In the 2002 Farm Bill, NRCS was tasked to promote adoption of new pest management practices and IPM programs to reduce environmental problems associated with pest management. The program resulted in the establishment of a Pest Management Standard, incorporation of pest management goals into funded NRCS conservation plans, training and certification of NRCS staff in pest management, and identification of pest management practices that would improve environmental quality. To be eligible for NRCS' Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a crop must have a complete year-round program available on UC IPM's Web site at www.ipm.ucdavis.edu (Under "How to Manage Pests", click the link for "Agriculture and floriculture" and then choose your crop). Currently, programs are available for almonds, cotton, grapes, nectarines, peaches, plums, and prunes. <more> Nov. 17, 2006 UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program
   

• Guthion phase out for almonds detailed by EPA - - The U.S. EPA has  issued its final decision to phase out the remaining 10 uses of the organophosphate insecticide azinphos-methyl (AZM, known by its trade name Guthion, over the next few years. The EPA decision means that almond growers will be able to continue the use of Guthion for a total of three more growing seasons, explained Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager of global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California. Guthion’s use on almonds will be canceled by October 2009. Originally, EPA had proposed canceling the nut uses for Guthion in September 2007. In return for extending the use, EPA is requiring several additional measures to protect waterways, farmworker housing and other residential sites and reduce applicator exposures. Use in almonds is now limited to June, July and August. Additionally, there must be a 300 or 500 foot buffer to waterways depending in which county the orchard is located, a 60-foot buffer for all residential or occupied structures (excluding farm structures) and applicators must use an enclosed cab.
  For additional information about the AZM phase out: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/azm/phaseout_fs.htm

  -- The agency's AZM reregistration web page: http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/azm.htm

  -- AZM docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0061: http://www.regulations.gov

   

• DPR reports pesticide use data; highly toxic categories down again -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported a statewide decline in the use of several highly toxic chemicals in 2005, including fumigants and other pesticides of regulatory concern. DPR tentative statistics for 2005 show 194 million pounds applied for all commercial uses, compared to 180 million pounds in 2004. Half of the increase was attributed to sulfur, a natural compound used by organic and conventional growers to combat mold and mildew. Wet weather was a factor for many growers in 2005. At the same time, use of many higher risk chemicals declined, both in pounds applied and acres treated, while use of some reduced-risk compounds increased dramatically. <more> Nov. 15, 2006 DPR Press Release
   

• Report shows greater farmer acceptance of reduced-risk pesticides - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today announced details of its Pesticide Use Report for 2005, which showed a statewide decline in the use of several highly toxic chemicals and greater farmer adoption of sustainable pest management tools. The report indicates pesticides applied for all commercial uses in 2005 totaled 194 million pounds, up from 180 million pounds a year earlier, but a major reason for the increase was the need for sulfur to control mold and mildew in winegrapes, which suffered from a cool, wet spring. DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam said 2005 saw a decline in many highly toxic pesticides and greater use of reduced-risk pesticides. "DPR continues to put strong emphasis on reducing pesticide risks and use whenever possible," Warmerdam said in a news release. "While last year's weather presented challenging conditions for growers, we see a growing reliance on sustainable pest management." <more> Nov. 15, 2006 Capital Press
   

• Environmental Issues Panel at Almond Board Conference Dec 7th in Modesto - -  The Almond Board of California is including a California Environmental Issues Panel Discussion on Thursday, Dec. 7 at its annual conference in Modesto. The issues to be addressed range from air and water quality to consumer expectations of farming practices. Panelists and environmental topics include:
  • Senator Jeff Denham - As the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, having jurisdiction over bills relating to agriculture and water supply management, the Senator will offer an overview of current California environmental legislation.  
  • Jim Wells - The principle of the consulting firm Environmental Solutions LLC based in Sacramento, Jim will offer a general introduction to air quality issues including volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) and the changes growers can anticipate.
  • Caroline Silveira  -  The Grocery Manufacturer Association’s Director of State Affairs for the Western Region of the United States, Caroline will discuss how environmental issues influence consumer buying decisions and steps being taken to educate consumers.
   Parry Klassen, Director for the Center for Urban and Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) program, as well as one of the Irrigated Land Coalitions will provide more detail on the landscape of water quality regulations. <more> Nov. 3, 2006 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• U.S. Methyl Bromide Stockpile Under Scrutiny at World Ozone Meeting in India - - President George W. Bush's administration is seeking world permission to produce thousands of tons of a pesticide, methyl bromide, that an international treaty banned nearly two years ago, even though U.S. companies already have huge stockpiles of the chemical. Methyl bromide has been used for decades by farmers to help grow plump, sweet strawberries, robust peppers and other crops, but it also depletes the Earth's protective ozone layer. The United States and other countries signed a 1987 treaty promising to end its use by 2005. Americans failed to meet the Montreal Protocol deadline and since have been getting annual exemptions allowing methyl bromide's continued use on certain crops in specific states. Other nations have sought far smaller exemptions. The latest exemption requests are being considered this week at an international meeting in New Delhi, India. <more> Nov. 3, 2006 AP

• Workshop covers crop runoff. Reedley event Nov. 16 offers information to protect water quality. - - A workshop highlighting practical on-farm practices to reduce water quality impacts of runoff from orchard and vineyard crops will be held at 10 a.m. Nov. 16 at Moonlight Packing Corp., 17719 E. Huntsman Ave., Reedley. Fresh fruit and nut producers, crop consultants and commercial applicators can attend the free workshop, "Management Practices to Keep Farm Inputs out of Farm Drainage and Irrigation Runoff," which includes lunch. The workshop will provide information on ways farmers of permanent crops can protect water from farm drainage, sediment and agricultural chemical runoff. <more> Nov. 1, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• Sustainable ag promoted in farm tour. Groups push for more farm bill conservation funds - - Escalon diversified farmer John Lagier is the face behind a national campaign to elevate the interests of sustainable agriculture in the 2007 Farm Bill. This week Lagier hosted a group of farmers and sustainable agricultural groups, including the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, in a tour of his 120-acre ranch southeast of Stockton. The tour was organized by the California Coalition for Food and Farming. <more> Oct. 20, 2006 Capital Press
   

• Almond Industry Hosts Seminar as Bee Business Faces New Challenges - – As the almond industry harvests what is anticipated to be the second largest crop on record, some industry members took time off to plan ahead for bloom, examining the role of the honey bee in producing the state’s largest exported crop. The Almond Board of California (ABC) recently hosted a Honey Bee Seminar, bringing together almond industry members, government officials, pollination researchers and beekeepers to discuss new challenges as well as familiar issues facing the bee and almond industries as we head into the 2007 almond bloom.  Dan Cummings, Almond Board member and grower, said, “Almond growers and beekeepers are uniquely dependent upon each other, our trees need healthy bees and so the almond industry must take a proactive role in problem solving bee pest issues.” <more> Oct. 16, 2006 Almond Board Press Release
   

• Growers, beekeepers abuzz over pest. Will there be enough bees to pollinate almond trees? - - Every February, a massive labor force gets to work in the almond orchards of California. Honey bees — billions upon billions of them — fly among the trees, spreading pollen so the winter blossoms can turn into mature nuts by late summer. This biological marvel has helped make almonds the No. 2 farm product in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, after milk. But the approach of another winter has renewed concerns that the bee supply, provided by commercial beekeepers across the nation, might fall short of the demand. "There appears to be a good possibility of a tight supply," said Orin Johnson, a Hughson-area beekeeper, at a meeting held in Modesto on Thursday by the Almond Board of California. A key problem is the varroa mite, which invades hives and drinks the bees' blood. Experts say the mites have cut bee numbers by as much as 60 percent in some hives and have become resistant to pesticides. <more> Oct. 8, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• As Farmers Reap More Almonds, Thieves Do, Too - - For Scott Phippen, a third-generation almond man, the hole in his fence was the first sign of trouble. And sure enough, a quick once-over confirmed the worst: two of Mr. Phippen’s trucks were missing. But the thieves were not after vehicles. They were after almonds. And at Mr. Phippen’s farm here in the Central Valley, they had hit the mother lode: 88,000 pounds of the nuts, with a street value of some $260,000. “You don’t just put that in your garage,” Mr. Phippen, 52, said with a smile. “You don’t move that at the local flea market.”  Mr. Phippen had become just another victim of what farmers and the authorities say is a rash of almond heists, with the latest reported last Sunday, when a truck containing more than 40,000 pounds was stolen from a shipping yard in Fresno. <more> Oct. 8, 2006 NY Times

   

• Almond Grower Looks Long-Term with His Orchard Growing Practices - - Matt Billings, a fourth-generation almond farmer based in Delano, Calif., takes a long view of his vertical almond operation. The father of two young children, Billings said sustainable farming will help ensure the health and production of his land and orchard for future generations. “For us, the goal is to not use such heavy inputs that you ruin the soil, tree or orchard for short-term gains,” he said. “Especially with a permanent crop. If you have an orchard in the ground, you are committed for 25 to 30 years, so you have sustainability built in from the beginning.”  The key to successful sustainable farming, he said, is more footwork in the orchard, carefully monitoring pest and disease pressures and staying on top of irrigation and nutrient status on a block-by-block—and even tree-by-tree—basis. Billings never sprays on the calendar, and makes decisions about irrigation, fertility and other inputs with consideration for variety, soil type, petiole samples, trap counts, yield potential and orchard conditions. <more> October  2006 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Almond Industry Explores the Definition of Sustainable Agriculture - - This past year, the Environmental Stewardship Campaign has explored the concept of “sustainability,” a term growing in popularity and use by regulators, academia, granting and funding sources, the media and the consuming public. The use of the term sustainability and sustainable almond growing practices was the topic of professionally moderated focus groups with almond growers, handlers, PCAs and UC farm advisors in Chico, Modesto, Fresno and Tulare. The first—and perhaps most remarkable—finding of the focus groups was that not a single participant opposed the idea of developing a definition for sustainable almond growing. In essence, defining and pursuing efforts in sustainability was not a controversial issue among these industry members.  “From my perspective as someone who has studied several commodities, I found this alone surprising and encouraging,” said the focus group facilitator, Dr. Keith Douglass Warner, Director of the Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project at Santa Clara University’s Environmental Studies Institute.  <more>  October 2006 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Regulators Show Interest in Sustainability at International Conference - - State and federal regulators were well represented at the International Conference on the Future of Agriculture in Sacramento, illustrating intensifying interest in the dominant themes of stewardship and sustainability. DPR’s chief Mary Ann Warmerdam emphasized, “Governor Schwarzenegger wants clean water, air, and soils and no excuses.  He wants environmental improvement with economic growth within the concept of sustainability.”     “The bottom line is, assessment of sustainability could become a tool for development of agricultural policy,” said Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager of global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California. “This is the direction regulators are going.” <more> October 2006 California Almonds Newsletter  
   

• When is it “Conservation” and when is it “Sustainable”? - - Those involved in sustainability and conservation efforts seem to use the words interchangeably.  In fact, conservation and sustainable are two different terms, says Dr. Keith Douglass Warner, Director of the Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project at Santa Clara University’s Environmental Studies Institute.  Warner should know. He’s got the book on the subject due to be published in November 2006, Agroecology in Action, MIT Press.   “Conservation focuses on individual resources like air and water, while sustainability is a broader concept, a goal or vision,” said Warner, who also happens to be a Franciscan Friar. “Where conservation is about certain individual practices, sustainability is a collective effort, a mechanism to coordinate actions. It involves the behavior of institutions and assumes organizational strength.” What does the almond industry need to do?  The Friar has an answer:  “That same organizational strength that brought farmers together for marketing purposes is now needed to survive the pressures of farming in California.” October 2006 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• ABC Funds Environmental Research - - The Almond Board of California’s Environmental Stewardship Committee is funding a number of ongoing research projects for 2006-07 to address environmental issues related to almond production and orchard management. For a closer look at some of these projects,  click here. October 2006 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Water Board Sets Deadline for Joining Watershed Coalitions - - In a 5-2 vote, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board earlier this summer agreed to extend the Irrigated Lands Program for five years and added a deadline for landowners to join regional watershed coalitions or face requirements to get individual waste discharge permits. The Water Board has also ordered names of individual coalition members to be turned in to the Water Board annually beginning in October 2006. Coalitions must provide the lists and maps indicating properties covered by coalitions, according to Parry Klassen, executive Director of the Coalition for Urban/Rural Stewardship (CURES).  <more>  October 2006 California Almonds Newsletter
   

• Bee worries plague almond growers. Pollination costs soar as demand for colonies increases - - Their critical 2007 pollination season is still months away, but California almond growers are already fretting about a potential shortage of healthy bees. Concerns were aired at the Almond Board of California's Annual Honey Bee Seminar in Modesto this week. In the audience were almond growers, beekeepers, bee brokers, county agricultural commissioners and officials from California Department of Food and Agriculture, USDA and the University of California. Chico almond grower Dan Cummings, chairman of the board's bee task force, said with "literally hundreds of thousand of acres" of almond orchards coming into bearing in the next few years, bee demand is soaring. "About 60 percent or a little more of European honeybees that are transportable in the United States come to California for almond pollination," Cummings said. "The total number of colonies that are required in California for almond pollination is going to go up substantially in the next five years." <more> Oct. 6, 2006 Capital Press
   

• Most Widely Used Organic Pesticide Bt Requires Help To Kill - - The world's most widely used organic insecticide, a plucky bacterium known as Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt for short, requires the assistance of other microbes to perform its insect-slaying work, a new study has found. Writing in the Sept. 26 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison reports that without the help of the native bacteria that colonize the insect gut, Bt is unable to perform its lethal work. The startling new insight into the workings of one of the most important and environmentally friendly weapons in the human arsenal against insect pests has significant implications not only for the control of insects in agriculture, forestry and human health, but for understanding microbial disease in humans and other animals. <more> Sept. 27, 2006 ScienceDaily.com
   

• Spinach scare shakes up almond growers - - Upward of 300 billion almonds will rain to the ground in the harvest now under way in the Central Valley. And if all goes according to plan, none of those nuts will make anyone sick. The prospect of a food-safety scare always hovers over the valley's farmers and food processors. They see what is happening in the Salinas area, the source of raw spinach believed to have sickened more than 100 people with E. coli bacteria, killing one. "It doesn't take much for the market to turn on you," said Doug Wells, an almond grower near Livingston. "In order to protect our commodity and our marketplace, we have to make sure we have a safe product." <more> Sept. 20, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• On The Job: Reaping what he knows. Farm adviser's expertise helps growers - - Like a doctor making house calls, Roger Duncan travels from orchard to orchard examining and diagnosing sick trees. He identifies the disease attacking the tree and advises farmers how to breathe life back into their ailing crops. But there are occasions when Duncan is unable to pinpoint the problem, and his role switches from adviser to researcher. "Sometimes we find new diseases or insects, and I'm unable to offer a good solution because we don't yet know the answer," Duncan said. "It might take a few years to realize how a disease is working." It can be the most vexing part of his job as a farm adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension in Stanislaus County. <more> Sept. 19, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• U.S. Has Been Stockpiling Banned Pesticide Methyl Bromide - - The United States has stockpiled millions of pounds of methyl bromide, a pesticide that depletes the ozone layer, according to newly public documents — information that could create a stir during international negotiations next month, when the Bush administration seeks permission to produce more. Methyl bromide has been banned for almost two years under the United Nations' Montreal Protocol. Under that pact — designed to stop the thinning of the ozone layer, which shields the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation — the United States is granted annual exemptions to use the chemical at farms that grow California strawberries, Florida tomatoes and other crops deemed "critical." The new Environmental Protection Agency data, which show that the stockpile is big enough to provide those farmers more than a year's supply, are likely to put the Bush administration in the position of defending the size of the U.S. reserve while seeking approval for chemical companies to manufacture more. <more> Sept. 15, 2006 LA Times
   

• Almonds may take belated heat wave hit. Temperatures killed many bees needed in pollination - - The bee industry took a heavy hit in the historic July heat wave, a beekeeper said Thursday, and that could mean trouble when almonds and other trees start to bloom next year. The heat wave, which topped 110 degrees three days in a row in Modesto at its worst, killed at least 19 people in Stanislaus County and 110 statewide. The toll to bees — vital to pollinating almonds and several other major crops in the Northern San Joaquin Valley — was among the dire stories to come out of a meeting on the heat's impact on farmers. Dennis Gudgel, agricultural commissioner for Stanislaus County, said he is concerned that the bee supply will fall short when blossoms need to be pollinated in late winter and spring. The supply already was tight because of a mite that infests hives. <more> Sept. 15, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Almond orchard pesticide felony case will go to trial - - Criminal charges against the owner of Golden West Nuts Inc. of Ripon and two employees will stand, and the case will go to trial Feb. 5, a Stanislaus County Superior Court judge said Thursday. Defense attorneys argued that an indictment against owner Jon Hoff, ranch manager John Becerra and foreman Everardo Ruiz should be thrown out because prosecutors did not properly instruct a grand jury. Judge Loretta Murphy Begen dismissed a few allegations in the charges, but said a jury must rule on the overall charges. The case involves a laborer who was sickened by methyl bromide while he fumigated tree holes in an Oakdale almond orchard. The toxic pesticide may be used only under controlled circumstances. <more> Sept. 15, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Almond theft: Tough cases for growers to crack - - With the almond harvest well under way in the Central Valley, growers and sheriff's deputies are renewing their efforts to combat the increasing problem of stolen almonds. The farmers and officers are working together to develop information that may lead to suspects as well as prevent further thefts. The ACTION (Agricultural Crime Technology Information and Operations Network) Project recently reported that during the 2005-06 crop year, more than $1.3 million worth of almonds were stolen from growers and shippers in the San Joaquin Valley. <more> Sept. 13, 2006 Ag Alert
   

• New dormant orchard spray regulations in effect  - -   Orchard growers in California have new regulations to follow when applying most types of dormant sprays. More than two years in the making, the new rules from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation went into effect on Aug. 17. Driving the new regulations is the long recognized problem of dormant sprays being washed from orchards during winter rains. Runoff from two insecticides used in dormant sprays, diazinon and chlorpyrifos, prompted adoption of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for the Sacramento, Feather and San Joaquin Rivers.  The new label restrictions apply to all organophosphate, pyrethroid and carbamate insecticides. Exempt are dormant oil only applications or biocontrol agents such as spinosad or Bt or if the orchard is in a “hydrologically isolated site.” This site is “any treated area that does not produce runoff capable of entering any irrigation or drainage ditch, canal, or other body of water.” <more> Sept. 8, 2006 Watershed Coalition News
   

• EPA Methyl Bromide Inventory Data Shows Downward Trend - - Today EPA released data showing a steady decline in the aggregate methyl bromide inventory held by companies in the United States since 2003, when the Agency began collecting such information. The data includes, in aggregate form, the inventory held by approximately 35 companies in the United States from 2003 to 2005. The methyl bromide inventory data shows a continued decrease – approximately 16,422 metric tons in 2003, 12,994 metric tons in 2004, and 9,974 metric tons in 2005 - and demonstrates that the United States is managing its domestic inventory appropriately, said EPA. <more> Sept. 8, 2006 EPA Press Release
   

• California pesticide regulators announce data call-in on pyrethroids - - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today ordered a data call-in from more than 120 pesticide makers and sellers to help DPR assess pesticide impact on waterways and to protect the environment. The data call-in targets pyrethroids, a class of insecticides originally derived from the chrysanthemum flower, and DPR's action is based on studies that show they may accumulate in stream sediment and are toxic to aquatic invertebrates. Pyrethoids do not pose any immediate health concerns for people or drinking water. DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam said the action will require detailed scientific data on 608 products from 123 registrants with deadlines that range from six months to two years, depending upon the complexity of work. The data call-in will serve two purposes. "First, we must take all appropriate steps to protect the environment," Warmerdam said in a news release. "While these products pose no direct threat to people, their impact on aquatic ecology must be assessed so that we can take appropriate actions under state and federal clean water law." <more> Sept. 1, 2006 Capital Press
   

• ’06 California almond harvest begins - - California’s 6,000 almond growers are moving into high gear gathering the state’s fourth 1-billion-pound crop in the past five years. And everyone is all smiles with harvest time prices of $2.45 cents per pound for Nonpareil and $1.90 for California varieties. Between 70 million and 80 million pounds of this year’s crop will be hulled and shelled through one of the five hulling/shelling plants operated by Central California Almond Growers Association (CCAGA) in Kerman, Calif. and Sanger, California. CCCAGA is the largest huller/sheller in the world and will process $200 million worth of almonds by Thanksgiving. The association is opening this season with a new state-of-the-art $9.5 million huller/sheller in Kerman to handle a large portion of the crop delivered by the association’s 453 members harvested from 50,000 acres or orchards in a service area stretching from Pixley, Calif. to Chowchilla, Calif. in the Central San Joaquin Valley. <more> Aug. 31, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• Heat did not flare mites in almonds - - Hot weather can bring on mite problems in almonds, but University of California San Joaquin County farm advisor Paul Verdegaal said the problem did not develop during the August hot spell. “Fortunately there are several new miticides providing a choice in various modes of action, a long-awaited situation to help manage resistance and at the same time reduce overall chemical use,” said Verdegaal. High temperatures also increase water use, but this year deep soil moisture was good in almond orchards and may have helped to avoid stress and related mite problems, he added . <more> Aug. 30, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• Judge Strikes Down Pesticide Usage Rule - - A federal judge on Thursday rejected a Bush administration decision to weaken rules governing pesticide use, saying the change lacked scientific justification. It was the second time in recent years that U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour chastised federal agencies for failing to follow the Endangered Species Act in licensing pesticides for sale. <more> Aug. 25, 2006 AP
   

• USDA sets listening sessions on cooperative conservation - - --The Secretaries of Agriculture, Interior, Commerce, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality today announced the dates and locations of the next set of listening sessions on cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships. The listening sessions will give citizens an opportunity to exchange ideas on incentives, partnership programs, and regulations that can improve results and promote cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships. <more> Aug. 22, 2006 USDA Press Release
   

• Conference peers into future of ag - - Leaders from around the nation convened in Sacramento for three days to explore the future of agriculture in an international conference focusing on science, stewardship and sustainability. The hope was to bring some of the best and brightest in agriculture together with their equals in the environmental world to advance stewardship and develop practical management solutions for an industry that has been the focus on increasing regulation. Optimism was in the air Aug. 7 as industry leaders gave an overview of the environmental challenges and opportunities in farming. "By putting good minds together we can come up with effective solutions," said Dwayne Buxton, western regional director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. Buxton said changes to the global economy and rapid urbanization present challenges to the agricultural industry and finding solutions to such issues was the name of the game this week in Sacramento. While various government, private and industry groups have set out on the path to promote better sustainability, more work needs to be done, said Richard Rominger, a Winters farmer and former USDA undersecretary. "We pride ourselves in California and the U.S. of being out in front, but in some cases other countries ... have surpassed us," Rominger said. He adding that the industry could benefit by creating more critical alliances and partnerships. Sustainability means "finding solutions where everyone wins," he said. <more> Aug. 17, 2006 Capital Press
   

• VOC Issue Comes to the Forefront. New air quality regulations could impact price and availability of many popular almond compounds - - California pesticide regulators are aggressively pushing to reduce smog-forming emissions from pesticides, called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. This move is likely to change how and to what degree several major pesticides and fumigants are used in almond orchards and other crops. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation in June announced it is initiating an intensive program to meet federal and court-ordered mandates to reduce VOCs from pesticides in some of the state's smoggiest areas. The announcement made clear that the decade-old VOC issue is becoming a priority in the air quality regulatory arena, with potential implications for almond growers in the very near term. "This is the first time pesticides are being regulated as air pollutants," said Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager, of global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California. "This could impact 10 to 15 compounds widely used in almond orchards." <more> July 2006 Newsletter Almond Board of California
   

• How VOCs came to the forefront - - As with other environmental issues, there are several often confusing, and sometimes conflicting, regulatory and judicial circumstances placing increased emphasis on the reduction of VOCs from pesticides. The San Joaquin Valley is currently operating under a 1994 State Implementation Plan developed by the California Air Resources Board to bring the region into compliance with federal clean air standards for ozone. That State Implementation Plan, or SIP, required a 12-percent reduction in pesticide VOCs by 1999 in the San Joaquin Valley. Unfortunately, Ludwig said, the basis for how those baseline VOC levels were calculated changed in the process and DPR found itself out of compliance with the requirements of the SIP in the last 2 years. <more> July 2006 Newsletter Almond Board of California
   

• EPA announces phase out of Guthion on almonds by 2007 - - U.S. EPA announced June 9 a proposal to phase out all uses of azinphos-methyl (AZM), an OP insecticide known by its trade name Guthion, which has been under regulatory scrutiny for several years. Use on almonds, Brussels sprouts, pistachios, walnuts, and nursery stock is to be phased out in 2007 and other remaining uses are to be phased out in 2010. During the phase out, EPA is proposing additional restrictions, including reduced annual application rates, additional worker monitoring, and larger buffer zones to help minimize ecological risks. Guthion is highly valued by almond growers for control of Navel Orangeworm (NOW), one of the most serious pests in almonds. NOW causes direct damage to the mature nuts. Damaged nuts are locations where the mold, Aspergillus, can gain a foothold and produce aflatoxins.  <more> July 2006 Newsletter Almond Board of California
   

• Central Valley residents air pesticide complaints at workshop - - The problem of pesticides' role in air pollution may be scientifically complex, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hit home emotionally for Central Valley residents, if a Monday night forum on the issue is a good measure. Representatives of the state Department of Pesticide Regulation heard from farmworkers complaining of chronic pain from agricultural overspray, those who blame pesticide companies for the problem and a grower who defended his industry at a Pesticide Air Initiative Workshop in Parlier. The purpose was to get public comment about the department's strategy to cut the part pesticides, particularly fumigants, play in producing the Valley's serious air pollution problem. <more> Aug. 16, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• USDA ag air quality task force meets Aug. 30 - - The USDA’s  Agricultural Air Quality Task Force will hold a meeting Aug. 30-31 in Harrisburg, Pa. to discuss current issues facing agriculture and the potential impacts to air quality from agricultural operations. The meeting will be held at the Harrisburg Hilton Hotel, One North Second Street, Harrisburg, Pa. It is open to the public and USDA will allow each speaker up to five minutes for an oral presentation. Written comments also will be accepted. "This task force has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the importance of air quality issues," said Merlyn Carlson, USDA's Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. "Task force members are very interested in hearing from the public about air quality issues and innovative solutions to address them." <more> Aug. 16, 2006 USDA Press Release
   

• Almond Industry Works to Meet Water Quality Regulations - -  The recent decision to extend the Conditional Ag Waivers for Irrigated Lands program for five years will allow almond growers and other irrigators to continue seeking cooperative solutions to water quality concerns as they arise, according to the Almond Board of California. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board voted in July to extend the Irrigated Lands Program for five years. It added a deadline for landowners to join regional watershed coalitions or face requirements to get individual waste discharge permits. Landowners who discharge irrigation water have until the end of 2006 to sign up for a coalition in their watershed area or face the costlier alternative. <more> Aug. 7, 2006 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• EPA Gives Green Light to One Group of Pesticides, Bans Another - - After a decade-long review, the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to allow continued use of 31 popular but controversial agricultural pesticides, concluding cumulative exposure does not pose a health risk. Although the potential danger of the chemicals, known as organophosphates, has been assessed individually over the years -- and in some cases their uses curtailed -- this was the first time the EPA examined the chemicals' risk as a group. Seventeen organophosphates have been taken off the market during the 10-year review period. But diazonin and chlorpyrifos as well as 29 others may still be used in agriculture, said the EPA. <more> Aug. 7, 2006 AP
   

• DPR’s Environmental Justice advisory group meets Aug. 24 - - The California Department of Pesticide regulation has created a Web page on its Environmental Justice planning efforts www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/envjust/planning.htm. DPR encourage interested parties to submit comments on discussions and recommendations. Working drafts of documents will be posted, along with agendas and minutes for meetings of the informal workgroup providing DPR recommendations on EJ strategic and implementation planning. The next meeting of the EJ planning advisory workgroup will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 24, Room 133, Department of Food and Agriculture building, 1220 N Street, Sacramento. The public is invited to attend. An agenda for the meeting will be posted on the EJ Web page the week of Aug. 14.  Aug. 4, 2006 DPR Press Release
   

• Demand and Price Rise for Organic Almonds - - It’s the plaintive cry heard from the crunchiest food cooperative to the most profit-hungry corporation: Got almonds? Specifically, any organic ones? Jesse Schwartz, president of the tiny nut and nut butter operation called Living Tree Community Foods in Berkeley, Calif., says he has his sources but he’s not sharing them, especially not with a newspaper reporter. And they’ve given up the search entirely at Newman’s Own Organics, the organic branch of the Newman’s Own food line. “The reason we never put organic almonds in our chocolate, which we would love to do, is just that there aren’t a lot of organic almonds around,” said Peter Meehan, who runs the company with Nell Newman, daughter of the actor Paul Newman. In the last year, organic almond prices have more than doubled, to the highest that people in the business can remember. <more> Aug. 2, 2006 NY Times
   

• EPA Says U.S. Pesticide Safety Highest in the World - - Americans today can be confident that pesticides used in the United States meet the highest health and safety standards in the world, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. On Aug. 3, 2006, EPA is expected to complete a 10-year review of 231 food use pesticides that resulted in changes to how these chemicals are regulated in this country.  "EPA's groundbreaking effort is being welcomed at dinner tables across the nation. The Bush Administration is ensuring pesticides used to grow the fruits, vegetables and other foods families are serving meet the highest protective standards in the world," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "This 10-year review enables farmers to grow a bountiful, healthy food supply for generations of American families." <more> Aug. 1, 2006 EPA Press Release
   

• Air board workshops set on proposed diesel emission rules - - A proposal to expand state regulation of agricultural stationary engines will be the focus of public meetings in Colusa, Durham and Sacramento next week. The California Air Resources Board will go over the proposed regulations, similar to those already adopted in the San Joaquin Valley and South Coast air districts, at meetings on July 26 and 27. The regulations are intended to reduce emissions for the estimated 9,000 to 11,000 in-use ag engines operating throughout California on agricultural operations. The state Air Resources Board puts emissions from stationary irrigations pump engines, alone, at 700 tons to 800 tons of diesel particulate matter and 10,000 tons to 12,000 tons of oxides of nitrogen. <more> July 25, 2006 Ag Alert
   

• Almond growers ripe for boost in processing. Expansion in Kerman has environmentally friendly impacts - - Already the largest sheller and huller of almonds in the world, the Central California Almond Growers Association is poised to expand. The move will nearly double the pace at which almonds can be processed. The addition of a third huller-sheller operation at the association's plant seven miles south Kerman will have some significant environmentally friendly impacts when it starts in mid-August to separate hulls and shells from nut meat, said Don McKinney, a Madera grower and the association's chairman of the board. Those impacts include: It will mean less stockpiling of almonds before they go through the plant's machinery. The new plant should virtually eliminate the need to truck almonds from Kerman to the Sanger processing plant, a round trip of 75 miles. It will reduce truck traffic traveling through metropolitan Fresno. The proximity of the Kerman site to the Panoche Creek Packing Co. will also reduce truck miles. <more> July 21, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• DPR sets workshops on air quality, updates pesticide cancellations - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will hold three public workshops in August to hear comments on DPR's air quality initiative. Workshops will be held in: 
  * Oxnard, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at the Marriott Courtyard, 600E. Esplanade Drive, Oxnard. 
  * Sacramento, 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, at Cal/EPA Headquarters, 1001 I St., Sacramento. 
  * Parlier, 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, at the Kearney Agricultural Research Center in Fresno County. 
  DPR launched its air quality initiative in May to reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in pesticides that contribute to smog. DPR has committed to VOC reductions that will meet state air quality standards-- and set a national standard for pesticides - by 2008. <more> July 18, 2006 DPR Press Release
   

• Q&A: Pombo pushes habitat bill. Law is unfair to landowners, ineffective for animals, he says - - U.S. Rep. Richard Pombo, the Tracy Republican who heads the House Resources Committee, stirs conflict with almost every major initiative he launches, from offshore drilling to Indian gambling. Few members of Congress have as much influence over the nation's environmental laws as Pombo. And no topic has been more contentious than his legislation to overhaul the Endangered Species Act. The House approved Pombo's sweeping rewrite of the 1973 law on a 229-193 vote in September. Environmentalists widely denounced it as a disturbing retreat from habitat protection and a paperwork nightmare for agencies seeking to revive the country's 1,268 threatened and endangered plants and animals, 186 of which are in California. In the Senate, even Republicans greeted Pombo's bill with a measure of skepticism. The Bush administration, while supporting it, is worried about the cost of Pombo's plan to compensate landowners for restrictions on property use. In an interview, Pombo discussed why he thinks the act President Nixon signed into law needs an overhaul and how his bill would work. <more> July 17, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Household Pesticides Scrutinized. State agency may curtail use of pyrethroids after discovering runoff is killing aquatic life. - - Alarmed that popular insecticides that end up in urban streams are killing tiny aquatic creatures, California's pesticide agency is conducting a review that is likely to lead to restrictions on many products used on lawns and gardens. The chemicals, pyrethroids, are man-made versions of natural compounds in chrysanthemum flowers. Their use has skyrocketed in the past few years as U.S. consumers and exterminators search for less-toxic alternatives for dangerous insecticides already banned. But last fall, a UC Berkeley scientist reported that pyrethroids are polluting streams in Northern California suburbs, wiping out crustaceans and insects vital to ecosystems.  Mary-Ann Warmerdam, director of the state Department of Pesticide Regulation, said Thursday that notices will be sent next month to manufacturers of about 600 pyrethroid products informing them that the state is reevaluating their use. That kicks off a process that will probably culminate in new regulations, and perhaps bans of some products in California. <more> July 14, 2006 LA Times
   

• Ozone town halls set for San Joaquin Valley - - The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is hosting six town halls July 26-28 to discuss reaching new federal health-based standards for ozone. Town Hall Meeting schedule is: July 26 1 to 4 pm, Bakersfield, Air District offices, 7 to 10 pm, Delano, Cesar Chavez High School; July 27 1 to 4 pm, Fresno, Air District offices, 7 to 10 pm, Huron, Huron Middle School; July 28 9 am to 12 noon, Modesto, Air District offices, 2:30 to 5:30 pm, Stockton, San Joaquin COG offices. An informational flier and a discussion paper with background information are available at: http://www.valleyair.org/Town_Hall/Town_Hall_Meetings.htm July 13, 2006 SJVAPCD Press Release

   

• 1.05 billion-pound almond crop forecast. Good weather, greater acreage combine to put projection near record - - About a dozen almond handlers gathered in a Modesto conference room Thursday and waited for the federal government to spill a secret. They were there to hear an updated projection on California's 2006 almond crop, a number kept under wraps until the stroke of noon so no one would get an unfair advantage in the market. The estimate — 1.05 billion pounds, close to the record 1.09 billion in 2002 — was not a surprise, given the good weather since late spring. A little suspense hung in the air nonetheless, because fluctuations in the almond supply can affect prices and the willingness of candy-makers and other customers to keep buying the nuts. Thus, the handlers had their cell phones to their ears, ready to pass on the projection to distant colleagues as soon as a federal official revealed it at the Almond Board of California headquarters. Afterward, they said the projection was about what they expected. "This might cause (prices) to firm up a bit," said Conrad de la Torre, general manager of The Almond Co., a Chowchilla processor. "At least we know where we are headed." <more> July 7, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Objective forecast: 1.050 billion pounds - - The July 6, 2006 objective almond forecast for the 2006-2007 crop year is 1.050 billion meat pounds, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service – California Field Office (NASS/CFO).  This forecast is based on 580,000 bearing acres. Doug Flohr and Jennie Peterson of NASS said the forecast is up 3 percent from the May 10, 2006 subjective forecast of 1.020 billion pounds and up 15 percent from this year’s crop to date of 911 million pounds as of May 31, 2006.   The official announcement was made today at the Modesto office of the Almond Board of California, which funds the forecast. <more> July 6, 2006 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• Atrazine declared “safe” following 12 year EPA study - - A 12-year review of nearly 1,000 studies has determined the popular herbicide atrazine is safe. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says there is a “reasonable certainty that no harm will result” to infants, children or other consumers from possible exposure to atrazine. Atrazine is one of the more commonly used protection products. It not only saved farmers up to $37 an acre in broadleaf weed control costs and yield losses in corn last year, it is the herbicide of choice for farmers who practice environmentally-friendly no-till planting. <more> June 30, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
   

• Irrigation Waiver Program Enforcement Letters Sent to Hundreds - - More than 350 owners of irrigated lands in the Central Valley received registered letters from the Water Board in April asking how they intend to comply with the Irrigated Lands Program. Known as a “California Water Code 13267 Letter,” the communications ask landowners to file a “Technical Report” within 30 days so the water board can determine if the landowner is a discharger under the Water Code, according to the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship’s spring newsletter. The letters were mailed to landowners in nine counties in the Central Valley including Kern, Kings, Tulare, Madera, Merced, Colusa, Yolo, Solano and Glenn counties. Sources for the landowner names included county tax assessor records and coalition non-responder or membership lists. The entire newsletter can be downloaded by clicking here.  June 28, 2006 CURES
   

• Watershed Coalition newsletter published - - The  Spring 2006 Issue of Watershed Coalition News (WCN), a publication developed by the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) with a grant from the Almond Board of California, is now available. The goal of the project is to link growers to the watershed coalitions throughout the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. WCN is published quarterly and made available as a PDF file (combined version) or a 4 page, 2-color hard copy newsletter (either North or South Valley). PDF versions are available at http://www.curesworks.org/newsletter.asp. June 27,2006. 
   

• Water board cracks down on farmers - - Water-quality enforcers acted Thursday to ensure the state will be able to identify farmers who discharge water into Central Valley streams, saying a network of voluntary coalitions were not adequately reporting membership or pollution data. “We do not know which farmer is and is not in the program," said the board's Assistant Executive Director Ken Landau. "It is a major drain on staff time, and it severely hampers our enforcement efforts." Consequently, on Thursday, the water board set a Dec. 31 deadline for enrollment in coalitions, and these groups, in turn, will have to identify members annually. Farm groups decried the water board's decision, saying that it will alienate those growers who have made a good-faith effort to comply with the program and make it even more difficult to bring polluters to task. <more> June 23, 2006 Sacramento Bee
   

• Water runoff program gains five more years - - Water officials extended a controversial farm water monitoring program Thursday after pleas from Valley residents who say their water's too dirty to drink. In doing so, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board acknowledged the program may be headed back to court. Some experts believe farm runoff is the Central Valley's biggest source of water pollution, as waters seeped in pesticides, animal feces and sediment drain into waterways, the Delta and underground basins. A 2001 state law made farmers subject to the Clean Water Act. But the board's so-called waiver program lets farmers avoid strict wastewater discharge requirements and monitor their own runoff by joining special coalitions. After a slow start, the board extended the program for five years Thursday over the objection of environmentalists who say the waiver program isn't doing any good. <more> June 22, 2006 Stockton Record
   

• Ag contributes to air cleanup - - A two-pronged effort by state regulators to reduce smog from agricultural sources should make the San Joaquin Valley a healthier place to live. With the help of growers and manufacturers, the effort should significantly reduce one of the top sources of smog-forming compounds in the San Joaquin Valley one of the smoggiest air basins in the nation. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation is targeting fumigants -- gases injected into the ground to kill pests -- and volatile organic compounds in chemicals used on the soil or on plants to kill pests and weeds. <more> June 22, 2006 Bakersfield Californian editorial
   

• EPA targets Guthion for phase-out - - Fruit and nut growers are among those slated to lose a highly effective pesticide – azinphos-methyl – in a proposed phase-out of the chemical. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposal also includes longer restricted entry intervals for workers when phosmet is used. Growers will also be hit with additional restrictions during the phase-out period, which for almonds ends in 2007 and for other crops in 2010. While azinphos-methyl, which Bayer markets as Guthion, has not been shown to pose a dietary risk to consumers, it does pose potential risks to farmworkers, pesticide applicators, water quality and aquatic ecosystems, says EPA <more> June 16, 2006 Capital Press
   

• That Nutty Jackrabbit.  Ripon manufacturer makes unique specialty equipment for walnut, almond harvests - - Jackrabbits dart through almond and walnut orchards as growers work to bring in the crops each year. They aren't a nuisance. Far from it. They are pieces of nut-harvesting equipment made by Jackrabbit Inc. at its plant just south of downtown Ripon. The company, founded by Earl Anderson in a Modesto garage in 1982, has become a major supplier to nut growers in the Central Valley and elsewhere. Anderson, the company president, said his machines are designed to move quickly, an advantage for growers hoping to finish the harvest before autumn rain. A 335-cubic-foot cart can be filled in five or six minutes, he said. "It used to be you could do a load of nuts an hour - that was high speed," he said. "The harvesters have gotten faster over time." <more> June 12, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• EPA Proposes Phaseout of Pesticide Azinphos-Methyl and Longer Restricted  Entry Intervals for Phosmet - - To increase protection for farm workers and the environment, EPA is proposing to phase out the remaining uses of azinphos-methyl (AZM).  Use on almonds, Brussels sprouts, pistachios, walnuts, and nursery stock will be phased out by 2007, and use on apples, blueberries, cherries, parsley, and pears by 2010.  During the phaseout, EPA is proposing additional restrictions, including reduced annual application rates, additional worker monitoring, and larger buffer zones to help minimize risks.  The Agency expects growers of these crops to successfully adopt and transition to the available safer alternatives.  All other uses of this pesticide have been voluntarily cancelled by the manufacturer.  <more> June 9, 2006 EPA Press Release
   

• First ’06 almond crop estimate 1.02 billion pounds - - If realized, it will be the fourth billion pound crop in the past five years and maybe one of the most welcomed billion-pound crops. In a bit of a surprise, the initial forecast for the 2006 California almond crop is 1.02 billion pounds. It was surprising because an early frost damaged early blooming varieties and the spring was one of the wettest and coldest in recent years, prompting growers to spray fungicides repeatedly to protect the crop. However, growers reported some of the most aggressive bee pollination in many seasons and bee supplies were more than adequate. Earlier growers were concerned there would not be enough bees to pollinate the crop, but record hive rental prices enticed more out-of-state beekeepers to bring more hives into the state. <more> June 6, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• Air monitoring results start for rural Parlier - - A state pesticide air sampling program focusing on Parlier is expected to announce Friday that the first three months of the program, from January through March, found no airborne levels that are of any human health concern. The monitoring program was triggered by grassroots efforts and complaints that the state Department of Pesticide Regulation should do more to protect public health, notably among farm workers and residents who live in areas that may be vulnerable to pesticide drift. DPR issued a brief note today stating that pesticide levels were within those considered safe. <more> June 2, 2006 Capital Press
   

• Growers group is bullish on almonds - - Inspired by the changing economic landscape, a group of Mid-Valley farmers got together to meet a demand that almost exists. They call themselves Cortina Hulling & Shelling, LLC. In a few years, fields where tomatoes once grew will yield protein-rich almonds. Thanks in part to a successful health-food marketing campaign, demand and thus prices for almonds are booming. There has been a 5.8 percent increase in almond consumption over the last 20 years. Growers are following the cash and investing in trees, said Daryl Brun, a field supervisor for Blue Diamond Growers, a cooperative made up of almond farmers. <more> June 2, 2006 Yuba City  Appeal Democrat

   

• State reveals plan to reduce air pollutants. Announcement follows appeal of court order to do so - - The state Department of Pesticide Regulation is promoting its new initiative to improve air quality just days after California appealed a federal court order telling it to cut down on smog-forming pollutants from pesticides in the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere. The department announced the plan Tuesday, saying it would reduce a key component of smog that evaporates from chemicals used to fumigate insects and pathogens. Fumigants make up a fourth of the pesticides used in California every year. Yet on Friday, the state appealed an April order by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton that California was violating the Clean Air Act and required it to reduce volatile organic compound emissions from fumigants and other pesticides by 20 percent of 1991 levels by Jan. 1, 2008. The suit was brought by five citizen groups from the San Joaquin Valley and Ventura County. <more> May 31, 2006 SF Chronicle
   

• One nutty pest. Leaffooted plant bug strikes almonds and pistachios. - - A flying brown bug with a long, piercing snout is giving central San Joaquin Valley nut growers fits. The leaffooted plant bug has been found from Kern to Butte counties, with damage ranging from insignificant to severe, said University of California farm advisers who have been helping growers battle the bug. "This can be a major pest for almonds and pistachios," said Mark Freeman, a UC farm adviser in Fresno. "And just a few bugs can cause severe damage. They don't just hit one nut; they hit hundreds." Freeman said he knows of one farmer who lost a third of his almond crop to the inch-long bug. He said dollar losses on what had been expected to be a bumper crop could escalate into the thousands. <more> May 31, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• State to Target Pesticide Pollution. Officials are seeking the reformulation of hundreds of products and plan stricter rules on soil fumigants to cut smog-causing emissions. - - State officials are mounting a major initiative to clean up California's smoggy farm regions with new regulations and policies that will target hundreds of pesticides. The Department of Pesticide Regulation - long criticized for failing to act as air quality deteriorated in the San Joaquin Valley - has developed a strategy to eliminate tons of smog-forming gases that waft daily from fields treated with fumigants and other agricultural chemicals. The agency has asked manufacturers to begin reformulating more than 700 insecticides, herbicides and other pest-killing chemicals, and it plans to impose stricter rules next year on the use of soil fumigants, which are highly polluting gases that by weight account for about one-quarter of all pesticide applied on California crops. The state initiative would establish the only air pollution standards for pesticides in the nation. The aim is to begin cleaning up emissions soon, reducing air pollution from pesticides at least 20% by 2008. <more> May 30, 2006 LA Times
   

• DPR announces air quality initiative, pledges to meet goals -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today launched a comprehensive pesticide initiative to improve air quality statewide. The initiative -- which targets air toxins and smog-producing chemicals from pesticide emissions -- will achieve state air quality goals by 2008 and set a national standard. "For years, there have been complaints that we dragged our feet as air quality declined," said DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. "That is history. This Administration is committed to cleaning up our air, and DPR will do its part to achieve that goal. The challenges are difficult, but if government and industry work together, we will help our environment, enhance our economy, and create a model pesticide air program for the nation." <more> May 30, 2006 DPR Press Release
   

• International conference on ag’s future set for Sacramento Aug. 7-9 - - A conference on environmental issues in agriculture and strategies for addressing those issues through the integration of science, technology and policy will be held in Sacramento Aug. 7-9. Registration is underway for the "International Conference on The Future of Agriculture: Science, Stewardship, and Sustainability", to be held at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Sacramento. The agenda includes discussion of success stories in the areas of air quality, water quality, waste management, and  environmental stewardship and a look at how to exchange knowledge on best management practices and technical solutions for farming challenges.  The conference is sponsored by the US EPA ORD Hazardous Substance Technical Liaisons Program, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the Midwest Hazardous Substance Research Center--Kansas State University, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, USDA ARS, and California EPA. Complete information can be found at http://www.dce.ksu.edu/dce/conf/ag&environment/ May 25, 2006 CalEPA Press Release
   

• 100,000 acres of almonds moving into production. Experts predict the California almond crop will reach 1.5 billion pounds annually with a few years. - - There have been 100,000 acres of new almond orchards planted in California within the past three years, according to the California field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. These new orchards can easily produce 300 million pounds more annually of almonds when they reach maturity. These orchards will be added to the estimated 580,000 bearing acreage inventory now in the ground that have proven to easily produce more than 1 billion pounds annually. <more> May 22, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• Ag burning rule up for discussion June 5 - - Potential changes to the air quality rules governing burning of agricultural waste will be discussed at a scoping meeting to be held June 5 at the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District’s office. The meeting will be video-conferenced to the district’s Modesto and Fresno offices. The regulations, known formally as Rule 4103 (Open Burning), are required under state legislation SB 705 signed by Gov. Davis in 2003. The scoping session will deal with the prohibition on burning orchard removals which is scheduled to be enforced as of June 1, 2007. District staff will present preliminary information on alternatives to burning ag waste. Farm groups are being asked to provide technical feasibility and compliance information that may be used in developing the draft rule. The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. at the Fresno office, 1990 E. Gettysburg Ave.   Documents associated with this meeting can be downloaded from the District's website at http://www.valleyair.org/Workshops/public_workshops_idx.htm May 18, 2006 Air District Press Release
   

• Kern growers go nuts - - Kern County almond producers have finally squashed grapes to become the Golden Empire's top agricultural commodity. According to the county Department of Agriculture and Measurement Standards' 2005 crop report, which will be presented to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, increased acreage and high prices launched almond value into the stratosphere, bringing in $594 million last year to displace grapes ($537 million) and take the No. 1 position. <more> May 13, 2006 Bakersfield Californian
   

• Agriculture works to clear air on volatile organic compounds regulations. - - It’s been an environmental murmur in the agricultural industry for almost two decades now, but the ramifications could soon be seismic if the issue of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from pesticide emissions are not given due diligence. VOCs contribute to the formation of ground level ozone and are regulated under the federal Clean Air Act. “VOC emissions are essentially the next step for pesticide regulation,” says Paul Buttner, manager of environmental affairs for the California Rice Commission. “We’ve long assessed pesticides for impacts on water quality and wildlife. Air is the new frontier. Future VOC regulation will likely elevate pesticides to more of an even par with other pollutants.” Many pollutant sources contribute to VOC emissions, including vehicular traffic, oil and gas production, dairy waste and many more. In the grand scheme of air quality, VOC emissions from pesticides are only a minor contributor, estimated to account for less than 3 percent of the VOC emissions inventory in California, according to the California Air Resources Board (ARB). However, in certain agricultural areas such as the San Joaquin Valley and the Sacramento Valley, pesticide VOC emissions are estimated to account for as much as 10 percent of the inventory. <more> May 11, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• Mounds of almonds.  Subjective forecast is 1.02 billion pounds - - Despite weather worries early in the year, the state's almond crop will likely bounce back to 1 billion pounds, a federal agency reported Wednesday. Industry people were concerned that the harvest would fall short for a second straight year because of cold and rainy conditions during and after the late-winter bloom. But plenty of nuts have emerged on the branches, and the August-November harvest looks to be a strong one, the National Agricultural Statistics Service said in its initial report for 2006. "It started off a little scary, but it's made a nice recovery," said Doug Flohr, a statistician for the agency, during a briefing at the Almond Board of California offices in Modesto. The report, known as the "subjective" estimate, was based on a telephone survey of 368 growers, representing 24 percent of the acreage. The "objective" estimate, based on the agency's own inspection of the orchards, will be released in late June. <more> May 11, 2006 Modesto Bee  
   

• Demand for farmland grows. Investors are increasingly sinking their money into Valley ag real estate. - - Farmland in the central San Joaquin Valley is in strong demand, often by buyers who have little interest in the crops. As a result, the value of agricultural real estate in the Valley rose last year, according to appraisers who compiled the 2006 Trends in Agricultural Land and Lease Values report. In many cases, investors are more interested in the land than in the crops, with the possible exception of almonds, which are expanding in acreage and value. Investors are buying farm ground using 1031 exchanges, which enable people who sell property to invest in other real estate tax free. <more> May 11, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• EPA releases National Strategy for Agriculture - - The U.S. EPA today released its National Strategy for Agriculture to initiate a closer partnership with agriculture in fulfilling the agency's mission of protecting human health and the environment. "President Bush understands that agriculture is a vital part of our nation's economy and a vital partner in protecting our nation's environment," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By working together on our shared challenges, EPA and the farming community can do what's good for agriculture, good for our environment, and good for the American people." EPA intends to use communication, collaboration and innovation to strengthen its relationship with the agricultural community. The agency considers agriculture a producer of solutions to environmental problems. <more> May 8, 2006 EPA Press Release
   

• EPA Drops Plan to Approve Methyl Bromide Substitute - - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn its plan to approve a highly toxic fumigant for strawberries and other high-value crops after California officials, labor unions, environmentalists and others objected that nearby residents and farmworkers could be in danger. The new pesticide, methyl iodide, is designed to replace methyl bromide, which is banned under an international treaty because it damages the Earth's ozone layer. Strawberry growers, concentrated mostly in Ventura and Santa Cruz counties, have been searching for nearly 15 years for a fumigant to replace methyl bromide, which they have been phasing out but are still using under exemptions granted by the United Nations. Facing criticism that it was substituting one dangerous chemical for another, the EPA decided not to register methyl iodide, also known as iodomethane. It will reevaluate the pesticide next year. <more> April 27, 2006 LA Times

   

• Regulators get up-close and personal view of environmental stewardship at Hunter Farms - - Scott Hunter believes actions speak louder than words when it comes to farming commercial almonds in an environmentally friendly way. Hunter talks often about the importance of environmental stewardship as former chairman of the Almond Board of California’s board of directors. But he also takes steps at Hunter Farms to “walk the talk” of environmentally friendly farming in his commercial almond operation in Livingston, Calif. Virtually every aspect of his farming operation has been recrafted with an eye toward reducing impacts to air and water quality and improving pesticide use efficiency. <more> April 2006 Environmental Stewardship Newsletter
   

• Ag Waiver requirements to increase this summer - - The next phase of the Conditional Ag Waiver for Irrigated Lands program begins this summer, and could have significant long-term impacts on the availability and regulations for many commonly used crop protection products in almonds. Under Phase II of the Conditional Ag Waivers program, watershed coalitions this summer will expand their toxicity sampling procedures to screen for more than 50 commonly used pesticides. The expanded sampling requirement could raise coalition dues as much as 50 percent for almond growers and other farmer members. <more> April 2006 Environmental Stewardship Newsletter
   

• Methyl bromide on its way out. Supplies will become critically tight, perhaps sooner than growers think - - Almond growers are working on borrowed time when it comes to fumigating new orchards and should be prepared perhaps within two years to live without Methyl Bromide as a pre-plant soil treatment. Methyl bromide has been on the chopping block under the international Montreal Protocol since 1996. Because the process has dragged in and out of the news for nearly 10 years, growers may have developed “methyl bromide fatigue” when it comes to worrying about the loss of this important fumigant, says Gabriele Ludwig, the Almond Board’s senior manager for technical and regulatory affairs. However, she says, growers need to take notice and realize there is only a limited amount of time Methyl Bromide will be available for both pre-plant and post-harvest treatment. <more> April 2006 Environmental Stewardship Newsletter
   

• DPR proposes nearly 100 pesticide cancellations -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today proposed cancellation of nearly 100 pesticide products because registrants failed to provide data to protect the state’s air quality. DPR took action based on a reevaluation notice sent to registrants -- manufacturers and sellers -- on February 16, 2005. The notice required registrants to submit data on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their products by the end of last year. VOCs contribute to ground-level ozone, an air pollutant harmful to humans and plant life. DPR is working to reduce VOCs in pesticides to meet state air quality goals. <more> April 25, 2006 DPR Press Release
   

• Activists sue over dust rule. Environmentalists say the EPA approved a weak, redundant measure to control farm pollution. - - Activists sued the federal government this week over a San Joaquin Valley dust control rule, saying powerful farm lobbies swayed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to approve a weak measure. Earthjustice filed the suit on Wednesday against EPA in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. EPA officials, who approved the farm dust rule in February, declined to comment on the case. <more> April 21, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• Draft requirements for ag diesel engines posted by CARB - - The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has posted a public workshop agenda and draft regulatory requirements for in-use stationary diesel engines used in agriculture at http://www.arb.ca.gov/diesel/ag/inuseag.htm.  At the same website, you will find a public workshop notice providing information about the April 26 (Modesto) April 27 (Sacramento) workshop arrangements and about CARB's intention to amend the Airborne Toxic Control Measure for Stationary Compression Ignition Engines to add emission standards and other requirements for in-use stationary agricultural engines.  April 19, 2006 CARB Press Release
   

• Sustainable farming award nominations sought for California farmers - - For the first time, the Leopold Conservation Award will be presented in 2006 to a California landowner who demonstrates responsible stewardship and management of natural resources. Nominations of California farmers and ranchers are sought for the $10,000 prize. The deadline is July 14, 2006. “We’re proud to bring the Leopold Conservation Award to California in partnership with Sustainable Conservation and the California Farm Bureau Federation to honor the voluntary conservation work of private landowners in the Golden State,” said Dr. Brent Haglund, President of Sand County Foundation, the award’s sponsor. “California has extraordinary natural resources, a strong and diverse agricultural sector, and untold opportunities for effective conservation.” <more> April 19, 2006 Sand County Foundation press release
   

• Scientists Scramble to Find Alternatives to Banned Pesticide - - Since the 1940s, methyl bromide has served farmers well as a stunningly lethal fumigant, killing off pests such as fungi, weeds, insects and rodents. But amid requirements that farmers stop using it, University of Georgia students are joining an international effort to find an earth-friendly alternative. Alex Cisnos, a plant pathologist, and other researchers at the university's Coastal Plain Experiment Station in south Georgia have been testing an alternative fumigant, metam-sodium, in a one-quarter acre test plot of vegetables, including tomatoes and squash. <more> March 31, 2006 AP
   

• Schwarzenegger names new CalEPA undersecretary - - Gov. Schwarzenegger has named Dan Skopec, undersecretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency. He replaces Jim Branham who left in October 2005 to become the first Executive Officer of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. Skopec, 34, has served as deputy cabinet secretary in the Office of the Governor since 2003, handling energy, environment, and resources issues for the Governor and is a member of the Governor’s Climate Action Team. Skopec served as staff director of the U.S. House of Representatives Government Reform Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources and Regulatory Affairs. Prior to that, he served as Congressman Doug Ose's legislative director. His appointment does not require Senate confirmation. March 30, 2006 Gov. Schwarzenegger Press Release
   

• MJC panel Thursday examines Kennedy environmental book - - Modesto Junior College will present a Panel Discussion on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s book “Crimes Against Nature” on Thursday, March 23 at 7 p.m., in Forum 110 on East Campus, located at 435 College Avenue in Modesto.  Panelists who represent a variety of political, social and economic points of view will discuss and debate the major issues raised by Kennedy’s book. Dr. Gabriella Ludwig, Senior Manager of Global, Technical & Regulatory Affairs at the Almond Board of California, will be one of the panelists.  The event is free and open to the public. In his book, Crimes Against Nature, Kennedy, criticizes many of the current policies and actions of President George W. Bush and his administration as being detrimental to the environment.  <more> March 22, 2006 MJC Press Release
   

• Pesticide case stands against nut firm. Prosecutor must add details to indictment - - A case against the owner and two employees of Golden West Nuts Inc. of Ripon will stand, a judge said Wednesday, but a prosecutor must add more detail to an indictment that lays out six criminal charges. The case involves a laborer who was sickened by methyl bromide while he fumigated tree holes in an Oakdale almond orchard. The toxic pesticide may be used only under controlled circumstances. Arturo Becerra became sick after a hose on a gas mask broke and methyl bromide was splashed on his face. He spent a week in the hospital and has ongoing stomach ailments. His brother, his immediate supervisor and the president of the company now stand accused. Defense attorneys argued that an indictment handed down by a grand jury on Nov. 16 should be dismissed because prosecutors did not specify the facts on which they will rely to prove the alleged violations. <more> March 9, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Trees' impact varies - -The tree is a beloved symbol of environmental health, but when it comes to combating pollution, not all trees are equal. Just as some provide better shade than others, some types apparently are superior at filtering particulates from the air. In the Central Valley, where particulates are a wintertime scourge, evergreens are considered more useful than trees that drop their leaves in fall. Pines and deodar cedars, with their abundant needles, are favorites of Tom Cahill, a University of California, Davis, atmospheric physicist who has studied particle pollution around the world. Deodars especially are suited for the dry summer climate of Sacramento, he said: "They have a low water requirement, a lot of surface area and are very pretty." <more> March 9, 2006 Sacramento Bee
   

• March 31 deadline for IPM Innovator nominations - - The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will honor IPM Innovators for the 13th year this fall. Nominations will be accepted until March 31. See www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/ipminov/innovatr.htm for DPR contact information
   

• Anxious for almonds. Late rains may hurt pollination, yield - - Almond growers are waiting to see whether the past month's weather — an uneasy mix of sun, frost and rain — will take a bite out of the 2006 crop. Wet weather could keep bees from efficiently pollinating almond orchards that already have endured spells of cold and rain over the past month, in between unseasonably warm days. Ron Fisher of Fisher Nut Co. in Modesto said it's too early to say how the weather will affect this year's crop. The blossoms have to survive the elements in February and March if they are to develop into nuts that mature in the heat of summer. "We will know a lot more at the end of April — what was pollinated and what the trees can hold," Fisher said. <more> March 7, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Almond Environmental Stewardship Tour showcases industry's commitment to environmentally responsible production methods - - More than 20 members of state, federal and regional environmental regulatory agencies recently toured Hunter Farms in Livingston to see the latest innovations and technologies almond growers are using in their adoption of environmentally friendly farming practices. From shredded and composted orchard prunings to high-tech spray technology, almond grower Scott Hunter displayed the innovative approaches he is using to meet mounting regulations while maintaining a productive and profitable orchard system. Hunter, chairman of the Almond Board of California, joined other grower members of the Almond Board's Environmental Committee at the Almond Board of California's Environmental Stewardship Tour to give regulators, in some cases, their first in-person look at the orchards they regulate. <more> March 3, 2006 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• EPA Publishes Final Water Quality Criteria for Diazinon - - The EPA made available on February 23rd the final recommended aquatic life ambient water quality criteria for diazinon. This pesticide is traditionally used throughout the US to control insects in agricultural areas, households, and urban settings. While it became unlawful to sell diazinon for residential uses in the US after December 2004, it is still lawful to use diazinon properly for non-residential or agricultural uses. Mobile and moderately persistent in the environment, diazinon is frequently found in wastewater treatment plant effluent and storm water runoff in urban and agricultural areas. For more information, visit EPA's web site at http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/diazinon/."This is an important addition to the Clean Water Act toolbox," said Benjamin H. Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water. "EPA's scientifically-based criteria for pesticides, such as diazinon, and for organic chemicals, such as nonylphenol, help states and tribes set standards to protect watersheds, fish, and wildlife." March 6, 2006 EPA Press Release
   

• Pesticides found in most U.S. rivers -- Most of the nation's rivers and streams - and the fish in them - are contaminated with pesticides linked to cancer, birth defects and neurological disorders, but not at levels that can harm humans. Pesticides were found in almost all U.S. rivers and streams between 1992 and 2001, says a study released Friday by the U.S. Geological Survey, although most drinking water supplies haven't been affected. "While the use of pesticides has resulted in a wide range of benefits to control weeds, insects and other pests, including increased food production and reduction of insect-borne disease, their use also raises questions about possible effects on the environment, including water quality," said Robert Hirsch, the USGS associate director for water. <more> March 4, 2006 AP
   

• Fewer bees, high pollination fees hurt farmers, crops - - With all the sophisticated technology today's farmers use, little honeybees remain crucial, pollinating billions of dollars of fruit, vegetable and nut crops each year while collecting food for their hives. But the number of honeybees and managed beehives is down so much that production of pollinated plants has fallen by about a third in the last two years from the usual $15 billion per year. "I've heard people complaining about bee shortages all over the country," said Kevin Hackett, head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's research program for bees and pollination. He said 15 years ago, "there were twice as many hives as there are now." <more> March 4, 2006 AP
   

• Stopping to smell the blossoms - - Silva Esajian is getting ready for some unexpected visitors. In the tiny shop at the edge of her family's orchard, she and an employee quickly arrange gift sets of nuts and dried fruits as the snow-white petals of almond trees dance in the breeze outside. The 20-acre almond farm she bought in August with her husband, Edward, is a stop on the Fresno County Blossom Trail, which brings busloads of visitors during the blooming season from February to April. "It's my first Blossom Trail," she said. "We're going to stay open longer. We're getting a lot of city people who are fascinated by the trees because they look like they go for miles." The 90-mile trail through peach, plum, apple, orange and nut orchards shows off the picturesque side of the San Joaquin Valley's staple industry: agriculture. But the colorful treetops set against the majestic peaks of the Sierra Nevada are part of a changing landscape. Already the trail has been altered several times since its 1988 inception to accommodate the region's growing population. <more> March 1, 2006 AP
   

• Farmers Tout Pollution Strides -- Worries about winter frost have been keeping almond growers awake at night, but there are plenty of other concerns on farmers' minds year-round. For example, how to take good care of the earth while still turning a profit. That was the topic of the Almond Board of California's Environmental Stewardship Spring Tour at Hunter Farms in Livingston on Friday. The event brought growers together with representatives from state, federal and regional environmental agencies to showcase the latest innovations in environmentally friendly farming. As farmers face an ever-growing list of regulations designed to limit impacts on air and water quality, the Almond Board has responded by forming an environmental committee to fund research and programs that help growers practice cleaner farming. <more> Feb. 25, 2006 Merced Sun-Star
   

• Bloomin' Uncertainty. Almond farmers worrying about the weird weather - - Bill McKinney sliced through an almond blossom with a penknife to see how it was faring in this rather strange February. "There's the kernel in there," the Modesto-area grower said. "It's nice and green. That's still a viable bloom. When you find one that's frost-damaged, it's black in there." McKinney and other growers are waiting to see how the 2006 almond crop will be affected by this month's unusual weather. One week it was in the 70s, prompting some trees to blossom early. Then a cold snap hit, knocking many of the blooms — potential nuts — off the branches. It's nice again this week, but another storm is heading in. "Right now, every farmer in the almond business is sweating the rains coming up next week," grower Will Hunter said. He hosted McKinney and other industry people at his farm south of Livingston on Friday, in an event sponsored by the Almond Board of California. The main aim was to show regulators and reporters what growers are doing to control air and water pollution. New harvesting equipment, for example, kicks up far less dust than conventional models. Autumn prunings increasingly are chipped into mulch rather than burned. <more> Feb. 25, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Agencies run afoul of air regulations. Rules were needed to reduce pollutants in farm pesticides - - California violated the Clean Air Act when it decided nine years ago that no regulations were necessary to cut smog-forming compounds in farm and commercial pesticides, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton's decision means that lawyers for environmental groups and the state will meet to discuss possible remedies for the pollution. Lawyers for both groups have been ordered to file briefs in 20 days. "The bottom line is that the state should have had regulations in place to have a 20 percent reduction of these emissions in five basins by this year," said plaintiffs' attorney Brent Newell of the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment. Karlton said the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Air Resources Board and the California Environmental Protection Agency violated the Clean Air Act in 1997 when they decided new rules weren't needed to reduce pollutants from pesticides. <more> Feb. 24, 2006 AP
   

• State Pesticide Dept. proposes new rules to better protect workers -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will propose new rules this year to provide workers with more information about pesticides in the fields. The regulations will provide California agricultural workers with protection that goes beyond any other state or federal guidelines. DPR’s Worker Notification Regulations culminate several years of investigation and analysis by the Department’s health and safety experts, who also consulted with industry and worker advocates. The proposed rules will: • Require pesticide applicators to notify the grower before and after a chemical is used, and re-notify if the scheduled application date changes; • Require the grower to manage his property as if the application could occur anytime within a 24-hour time window, and • Require hired contractors and growers to assure prior notification for any employees who walk within one-quarter mile of a treated field. <more> Feb. 23, 2006 DPR Press Release
   

• Ripon almond family farmers in tune with industry changes  - - As a member of the Almond Board, Dave Phippen  is perhaps more in tune than the average farmer to industry changes. He is the third generation running a successful family farm. Phippen owns and runs the almond farm on the outskirts of Ripon  with his brother, Scott Phippen and cousin, Bud Travaille. “I think a big change in the almond industry has been worker safety,” Dave said. “We’re much more aware of crop protection chemicals (CPCs) and we’re using less harsh chemicals.” Not only are they changing the kinds of CPCs (more commonly known as pesticides), they are also using much less than they used to. In order to have the same harvest success with less chemicals, they are using integrated pest management to monitor for harmful insects before farmers will spray for them. Increased worker safety is not the only new change. There has also been an increase in awareness of food safety on both the production and consumer ends. From the grower’s perspective, says Dave, food safety starts in the orchard. <more> Feb. 21, 2006 Manteca Bulletin
   

• Cold snap may hurt almonds - - While tonight's frost warning is not unusual this time of year, temperatures in Merced County are abnormally cold, according to meteorologist Jeff Myers. Myers, with the Hanford office of the National Weather Service, said temperatures in the 20s are not typical for this area in late February, especially the low of 26 degrees on Monday morning. "I wouldn't say it's normal to get all the way down to 26," he said. "That's pretty cold. Normal temperatures in Merced hover around 40 for the minimum." Myers said there is a cold air mass covering a large part of the San Joaquin Valley. "Clear skies, light winds and the cold air mass allow (the temperature) to drop really low at night," he said. The cold temperatures make it easier for frost to form, which kills almond blossoms, and reduces the number of almonds produced. <more> Feb. 21, 2006 Merced Sun-Star
   

• Fumigant Could Pose Health Risk. The EPA is expected to approve replacement of an ozone-depleting pesticide with methyl iodide, which the state calls a carcinogen. - - Fourteen years ago, as chemicals gobbled up the Earth's ozone layer, an international treaty ordered a phaseout of a popular pesticide for strawberries and other high-value crops. Now, U.S. officials are poised to replace it with a new pesticide — one that is highly toxic and has been declared a cancer-causing chemical by the state of California. The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to approve a new fumigant, methyl iodide, as it eliminates methyl bromide, which damages the ozone layer. With few options for killing diseases and insects in soil, the EPA is faced with a decision that could exchange one toxic hazard for another. California — particularly Ventura and Santa Cruz counties — and Florida have the most at stake. California is the leading producer of strawberries, valued at more than $1 billion a year, and strawberry growers alone could use 3 million pounds of methyl iodide annually to replace methyl bromide. Fumigants, used to sterilize soil before planting, are considered particularly risky among the hundreds of agricultural pesticides in use today. Because methyl iodide is a gas, it can evaporate from soil and drift into nearby areas. <more> Feb. 20, 2006 LA Times
   

• Hot February cooling down - - Spring does not officially begin until March 20, but California had a taste of it earlier this month when temperatures reached record highs. The Weather Service recorded record highs for Feb. 7 through 10. It was as hot as 80 degrees on Feb. 8, nearly 30 degrees above the February norm, Goldstein said. By the time the temperature dropped to a typical 54 on Wednesday night, acres of almond blossoms had already unfurled their pale petals to the warm sun. Now many growers are hoping winter ends without another frost, which could damage blossoms and potentially lead to low crop yields. With threats of frost and rain looming, all growers can do is wait and see how their crop will fair, said Franz Niederholzer, farm adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension. Some trees may have already been damaged by the temperature swing. “It's hard to imagine that there are businesses out there where your entire annual salary can be frozen out, but that is the potential in the almond business,” iederholzer said. <more> Feb. 18, 2006 Marysville Appeal-Democrat
   

• USDA bee lab teams pursue Varroa mite controls - - Essential oils show promise in killing the parasitic Varroa mites that devastate crop-pollinating honeybees, but a successful delivery system for them has yet to be found, according to USDA scientists at the Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson. <more> Feb. 16, 2005 Western Farm Press
   

• Cold snap threatens blooming almonds - - Almond growers were preparing Wednesday for a predicted overnight freeze that threatened emerging blooms on trees throughout the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Late Wednesday morning, the National Weather Service in Sacramento issued a freeze warning that included the Northern San Joaquin Valley. "We've got what appears to be a good bloom cycle in the works," said Chris Heintz, director of production research for the Almond Board of California. "A freeze during the bloom (cycle) is never a happy time for almond growers." The freeze was expected to produce record-low temperatures from Redding to Modesto. As of midnight, the temperature in Modesto had dipped to 43. <more> Feb. 16, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• DPR poll finds strong enforcement in key counties -- An informal survey of pesticide enforcement actions by County Agricultural Commissioners showed proposed fines nearly doubled from 2004 to 2005, the Department of Pesticide Regulation reported today. DPR polled a dozen key counties -- most in the Central Valley – that account for more than three-quarters of the pesticide pounds applied annually. The survey found almost $180,000 in pesticide fines proposed during calendar 2005, compared to about $90,000 in 2004. <more> Feb. 14, 2006 DPR Press Release
   

• Almond blossoms vulnerable as temperatures rise - - Faced with a shortage of cold winter weather, the buds in many of California's almond orchards are starting to swell and an occasional blossom is opening up-a sign that pollination season is right around the corner. In the Central Valley's Merced County, Ballico almond grower Dave Passadori said his trees are just days away from bloom. <more> Feb. 13, 2006 Ag Alert
   

• Beehive thefts on the rise, possibly hurting almond industry. In past two weeks, 89 hives have been stolen in Merced County - - Spring is in the air, fruit and nut trees are in bloom, and the Merced County Sheriff's Department Rural Crime Task Force is facing a seasonal problem -- the theft of beehives. To the almond industry, one of the top commodities in Merced County, the bee is a necessity for the trees to bear nuts, said sheriff's Detective Frank Swiggart. If it wasn't for the tiny buzzing bees gathering the nectar and pollen from each bloom and thus spreading the pollen from tree to tree, there would be no nuts to harvest. The need for pollination is so great that California beekeepers cannot support the need for bee pollination, and out-of-state beekeepers are brokered to help meet the demand, Swiggart said.And the beehive thieves are already at work, Swiggart said.The theft of 89 beehives in three separate thefts over the past two weeks have already cost farmers close to $20,000. <more> Feb. 11, 2006 Merced Sun-Star
   

• Bee-ting the heat. Unseasonably warm weather could sting the Valley's crops, residents. - - The almond trees are blooming, the bees are buzzing, the days are unseasonably balmy and much is right with the world of agriculture in the central San Joaquin Valley. But not everything. Bad things can happen when higher than normal temperatures cause fruit, nuts or even the bees to arrive early, before all threat of frost is over. An extended bloom period may increase disease pressures for some trees. <more> Feb. 9, 2006 Fresno Bee  
   

• Benefits of almond brush shredding cited - - Shredding of pruning brush has high promise as an alternative to burning and a way to improve soil microbes and water penetration in California almonds, but debris picked up with nuts raises issues in processing, says a Madera County farm advisor. Brent Holtz has been investigating shredding or chipping of brush instead of burning the piles of the material near orchards. He spoke about his findings at the Almond Board of California's recent 33rd Almond Industry Conference in Modesto and said he believes a sustainable alternative to burning can be found. <more> Feb. 6, 2006 Western Farm Press
   

• EPA Authorizes Critical Uses of Methyl Bromide for 2006 - - In accordance with the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol, EPA finalized a rule exempting methyl bromide production and import for 2006 critical uses.  EPA also authorized those uses that will qualify for the 2006 critical use exemption.  The exemptions for continued production and import of methyl bromide will honor the U.S. commitment to obtain methyl bromide for American farmers, in a manner consistent with the Montreal Protocol, while protecting the ozone layer. This action is authorizing 8,081,753 kilograms of methyl bromide for approved critical uses during 2006.  This amount totals 32 percent of U.S. 1991 baseline consumption levels, and amounts to approximately 90 percent of the U.S. request for 2006.  <more> Feb. 2, 2006 EPA Press Release
   

• Bees arriving for almond bloom - - In advance of the county's annual almond "bloom," the delivery of beehives to aid pollination in almond orchards has begun. Bee and honey supplier Mike Tolmachoff said there are not enough bees to pollinate California orchards. With his most recent acquisition of hives from Washington state, 400 to 500 hives per truck load, Tolmachoff spent time assessing and culling the new arrivals to pick out the weaker bees.  <more> Feb. 2, 2006 Madera Tribune
   

• No longer bugged by his job. Fresno County insect fighter Richard Coviello retires from the UC Cooperative Extension. - - Growing up around critters on his Fresno family farm, Richard Coviello took naturally to an appreciation of bugs years before he tackled battling insect pests for more than three decades in Fresno County. For 35 years, Coviello has pitted his pest-fighting prowess against legions of insects that plague farms in the nation's No.1 agricultural county. Last month, he retired as the county's entomology farm adviser with University of California Cooperative Extension. But he's still in the process of clearing out his cluttered roll-top desk where he sat when he wasn't in the field meeting with growers, pest-control advisers or others on the front line of insect-control efforts. "I'm going to continue checking pheromone traps in tree fruit and almond orchards, collect data and send out e-mails — at least for another year," Coviello said. "I enjoy doing it. It gets me out of the house." <more> Feb. 1, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• Air monitoring project to track airborne pesticides in Parlier- - With crop dusters buzzing the skies above, spray rigs stalking the fields and the occasional pesticide drift that hospitalizes scores of people, airborne chemicals are a fact of life in the little farm towns of the San Joaquin Valley. But no one knows what chemicals linger in the notoriously polluted air and whether long-term exposure could lead to increased rates of asthma, cancer or neurological problems. To find out, the state Department of Pesticide Regulation started a novel yearlong air monitoring program this month that will gauge levels of 40 airborne chemicals for the first time. <more> Jan. 31, 2006 AP
   

• State chooses Parlier for pesticide tests - - Parlier will be the first city in the state where pesticide use will be monitored to identify health risks, particularly to children. If the analysis shows a significant health concern, state officials could take action including rewriting use policies, forcing changes to pesticide labeling or outlawing certain chemicals statewide. A community forum will be held Saturday to explain the testing procedures to residents of the southeast Fresno County community. <more> Jan. 27, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• Valley's pesticide use increases. Fresno County remains state's largest user in 2004, report says. - - Pesticide use increased in most areas of the central San Joaquin Valley during 2004 as farmers applied a mixture of conventional and less toxic methods of controlling pests, disease and weeds. A state report released Tuesday showed that Fresno County remained the No. 1 user of pesticides in the state, applying 29.4 million pounds of chemicals in 2004, up 7.9% from the previous year. Pesticide use rose 12.7% in Kings County and 13.1% in Tulare County but fell by 1.1% in Madera County. Statewide, pesticide use rose about 3%, up from 175 million pounds in 2003 to 180 million pounds in 2004, according to the California Department of Pesticide Regulation's annual report. <more> Jan. 25, 2006 Fresno Bee
   

• Dept of Pesticide Regulation releases 2004 pesticide use data; more nature-friendly chemicals gain favor -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported a small increase in pounds of pesticides applied in 2004, but that included a dramatic rise in the use of some nature-friendly chemicals. Commercial pesticide use increased from 175 million pounds in 2003 to 180 million pounds in 2004, an increase of less than 3 percent. More than half of the five million pound increase in 2004 could be linked to two chemicals that qualify for organic agriculture --  sulfur and mineral oils. In addition, "A dramatic increase occurred in the use  of some newer, reduced-risk pesticides," said DPR analysts. Meanwhile, use of several classes of highly-toxic chemicals declined, both in pounds applied and acres treated. <more> Jan. 24, 2006 DPR Press Release

   

• Farmers sweat winter's lack of chill hours - - Tehama County almond and walnut grower Bruce Lindauer's farming operation weathered the New Year's rainstorms pretty well, but still he said he worries about his nut crop. "I'm really getting concerned about our chilling hours on our tree commodities, because it has been too warm through December and into January," said Lindauer, who is president of Tehama County Farm Bureau. "This is supposed to be prime time for chilling hours to meet the dormancy requirement of the trees, and it is not happening. "This could be a problem that affects all of the tree commodities--almonds, walnuts, prunes, pistachios, pears, peaches. With this 60-degree weather in December and January, as a grower I'm getting worried." <more> Jan. 23, 2006 Ag Alert
   

• CDFA Secretary Kawamura applauds environmental stewardship in central valley speech - - CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura called for more recognition for agricultural producers who practice environmental stewardship during the keynote address today at the Energy and Clean Air Business Exposition in Bakersfield.  "Environmental stewardship provides a wide variety of public benefits, and agriculture has a key role to play as responsible environmental stewards," said Secretary Kawamura. "We see it with agriculture's contributions in meeting federal air quality standards for particulate matter. We also see it in the tremendous opportunity for agricultural production of biofuels, including dairy methane, ethanol and biodiesel. They provide clean, renewable fuels and are also a bridge to Governor Schwarzenegger's Hydrogen Highway. Government agencies must work together to assist agriculture as it continues to make the journey to the Hydrogen Highway." <more> Jan. 20, 2006 CDFA Press Release
   

• New research points to plants, trees as source for methane - - Cows burp it, pipelines and landfills leak it, and vast amounts lie frozen beneath the ocean floor. Methane is ubiquitous — as fuel for heating and cooking and as a source of concern for atmospheric scientists. Molecule for molecule, methane packs thousands of times more punch as a "greenhouse gas" than carbon dioxide does. Until now, scientists tracking debits and credits in the globe's methane "budget" figured they had a pretty good handle on where the gas comes from — mostly from microbes breaking down organic material in places where oxygen is relatively scarce. Enter Frank Keppler. Working with colleagues from Northern Ireland and the Netherlands, Dr. Keppler has discovered that plants may give off significant amounts of methane just by growing. And the amount they give off appears to rise with temperature. The results have stunned many researchers because no one expected methane to form biologically out in the open air, where oxygen abounds. <more> Jan. 20, 2006 Christian Science Monitor
   

• Groups gasping over air proposal. New EPA standard would exempt rural areas' farms, mining - - People in the Central Valley might breathe dirtier air if a proposed rule ends federal dust monitoring in rural areas, local air officials said Wednesday. The Bush administration proposal, through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, would establish a new dust standard and provide a national exemption for farming and mining in rural areas. The EPA proposal, announced Tuesday, would stop federal monitoring for larger particle pollution in rural places, said officials. The move could mean some loss of federal muscle — financial sanctions — in enforcing dust cleanup in the San Joaquin Valley, one of the nation's worst areas for air quality. For the valley, sanctions include the temporary loss of $2 billion in federal road-building money for missing cleanup deadlines. Jaime Holt, a spokeswoman for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, said the agency learned of the Bush administration's plan late Tuesday. While the district still is investigating the proposal, Holt pointed out Wednesday that the dust plan — if adopted — would set different standards for rural and urban areas. <more> Jan. 19, 2006 Modesto Bee
   

• Curbs on Dust in the West Targeted. The EPA wants to drop the clean-air rules for rural areas. An official with the air quality district for Owens Valley calls it 'outrageous.' - - Bush administration officials are moving to strip significant clean-air protections from broad areas of California and other Western states, saying that rural areas should no longer have to meet federal rules for windblown clouds of dust, and that mining and farming operations also should be exempt. The proposed rules were published in the Federal Register on Tuesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They would become final later this year after a public comment period. In contrast to rural areas, the proposal would toughen rules on so-called coarse particulates in urban areas, including parts of Southern California. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, dust from roads and construction sites has been a major contributor to smog. That part of the proposal has not been a subject of major controversy. <more> Jan. 18, 2006 LA Times
   

• Fresno County entomologist retires from the University of California - - The University of California Cooperative Extension entomology farm advisor for Fresno County, Richard Coviello, has retired after devoting 35 years to the study of Fresno County agricultural pests. During retirement, Coviello, who was honored with emeritus status by the vice president of UC’s Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, also plans to maintain a monitoring program he established for tree fruit and almond pests. “It’s interesting and fun,” Coviello said. “It gets me out in the field. I stay abreast of what’s going on. And the growers and pest control advisers seem to really appreciate it.” <more> Jan. 17, 2006 UCCE Press Release
   

• Less is more for Bakersfield grower. California Department of Pesticide Regulation honors Almond grower Thomas Vetsch with an IPM Award - - A Kern County almond grower’s mission of environmental stewardship paid off when he was honored by the state of California for his innovative integrated pest management techniques. “Thomas Vetsch is an example of an increasing number of almond growers who are striving to improve reduced risk farming practices while maintaining a productive and healthy environment for future generations,” said Chris Heintz, director of production research and environment for the Almond Board of California. His accomplishments caught the attention of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, which honored him with an IPM Innovator Award. Vetsch was praised for using predatory mites, spraying low-risk pesticides and seasonal monitoring for pests and beneficial insects. <more> Jan. 13, 2006 Capital Press
   

• Changes for almonds - - Environmentally friendly farming practices and maximizing production can go hand in hand, says a Kern County almond grower who has been honored by the state of California for his innovative integrated pest management techniques. Thomas Vetsch, owner of Bakersfield-based Vetsch Farms, decided more than seven years ago to convert 160 acres of his conventionally farmed almond orchard to practices that reduce reliance on broad-spectrum insecticides and routine fungicides. <more> Dec. 26, 2005 Fresno Bee
   

• DPR collects $1.6 million in unpaid environmental fees, penalties -- The Department of Pesticide Regulation today reported $1.6 million in payments and penalties for unregistered pesticide sales and unpaid environmental fees during fiscal 2004-05. "It is absolutely critical to establish a level playing field in the marketplace," said DPR Director Mary-Ann Warmerdam. "Law-abiding businesses face unfair competition if others sell unregistered products or fail to pay environmental fees in full. And every dollar unpaid is a dollar denied to regulatory programs that protect the public." <more> Dec.30, 2005 DPR Press Release
   

• In Winters, you can have an almond tree of your very own - - You don't need an almond ranch to enjoy your very own crop of nuts. You can harvest your own almonds on your own tree and, best of all, you can get someone else to do all the work. The most strenuous thing you'll have to do to get this crop of your own is write a check. And, you might not even have to do that. Although the sons of Jacqueline and Tony Avellar disagree about whose idea it first was to lease out their almond trees one at a time, it was their parents who made the idea a reality. Tony says he put his toe in the tree-leasing water on eBay at first, offering a tree's worth of almonds for a mere $25. “My son said, ‘You're crazy! You have to get at least $50,” Tony says. Rather than continuing with the eBay angle, Tony decided his own Web site would be a better venue for his trees, and started offering them online at www.myalmondtree.com for $75 each. <more> Dec. 30, 2005 Davis Enterprise
   

• Almond Board of California Honors Outgoing Production Research and Environmental Director Chris Heintz - - The California almond industry encompassed 428,000 acres producing 507 million pounds of almonds annually when Chris Heintz began her job in 1996 as Director of Production Research at the Almond Board of California. Fast forward to 2005 with acreage nearing 600,000 acres with bin-busting production of over a billion pounds. The numbers may have changed but the challenges and the rewards of the job have not, says Heintz, who is stepping down from a full-time position at the Board as 2005 draws to a close. <more> Dec. 22, 2005 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• Environmental stewardship, maximizing production can go hand-in-hand, says IPM award winning almond grower - -  Environmentally friendly production practices and maximizing production can go hand-in-hand says a Kern Country almond grower who has been honored by the state of California for his innovative integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. Thomas Vetsch, owner of Bakersfield-based Vetsch Farms, decided more than seven years ago to convert 160 acres of his conventionally farmed almond orchard to practices that reduce reliance on broad-spectrum insecticides and routine fungicides. With financial support from the Almond Board of California’s Pest Management Alliance project and the scientific expertise of the University of California Cooperative Extension, Vetsch has virtually eliminated the use of synthetic pesticides to manage key pests in the orchard, reducing overall inputs while increasing yields throughout the orchard. The practices he has developed on his Kern County orchard have been so successful he has converted all four ranches at Vetsch Farms of California to sustainable, IPM-based farming. <more> Dec. 21, 2005 Almond Board of California Press Release
   

• CDFA sets pilot bee certification plan - - To hasten inspections of out-of-state shipments of honeybees vital for pollination of the state's almond crop in 2006, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has adopted a voluntary, pilot certification plan. Revealed at a recent seminar by the Almond Board of California (ABC) at Modesto, the plan is a modification of the effort to exclude entry of bee colonies contaminated with red imported fire ants (RIFA) and noxious weeds at California border stations. <more> Dec. 19, 2005 Western Farm Press
   

• Industry Abuzz: Oils fight bee mites. Nut growers find hope in new method - - A whiff of thyme, or maybe cloves or cinnamon, might keep a type of mite from undermining the almond industry. Researchers, speaking at last week's annual conference of the Almond Board of California, said oils extracted from certain herbs show promise against varroa mites. These pests can get into bee colonies that pollinate almond orchards, drink the bees' blood and shorten their lives. Researchers said the intensely flavored oils, injected into the colonies in a solution or other form, are showing promise.  "It will change the taste of the bees' blood, and the mites will say they don't like it," said Gordon Wardell, an entomologist at the federal Carl Hayden Bee Research Center in Tucson, Ariz. <more> Dec. 18, 2005 Modesto Bee

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• Pollinators given a passport to ride - - Pollinators coming into California to work in the almond orchards are getting a stamp on their passports that could make travel across the border a little easier. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has launched a pilot project that would allow out-of-state beekeepers to certify their bees free from the red imported fire ant and other pests before they leave their state of origin. Beekeepers that participate in the program could then find bee passage across state lines much smoother — and almond growers could get their essential pollinators in a more timely fashion. <more> Nov. 17, 2005 Capital Press
   

• It's 'the best of times' for state's almond growers - - The almond industry's winning streak is headed for a fourth year, leaders of Blue Diamond Growers said Wednesday. The cooperative's per-pound payments to growers for the 2004 crop were up 43 percent over 2003, and the just completed 2005 harvest could bring an even bigger increase, said Doug Youngdahl, president and chief executive officer. "Currently, the California almond industry is cycling through the best of times," he told about 1,000 growers at their annual meet