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SOLANO COUNTY

May / June 2016VOL. 95, NO. 3

FARM BUREAU NEWS“The Heart of California Agriculture”

IN THIS ISSUE...SCFB hosts candidate forum ........... 3Tie Down exemption extended ........ 5Coloring contest winners! ................ 9

The Farm Team at the Califor-nia Farm Bureau Federation isalerting farmers and ranchersabout pending legislation thatwould require farmers to pay apremium for overtime after 8hours in a day. Under current law,farmers must pay overtime pre-mium pay after 10 hours in a day,meaning less hours before over-time pay kicks in. AB 2757 willalso require farm employers topay overtime after 40 hours in awork week, and will for the firsttime apply requirements to ag-riculture making workers takeone day off every seven days,essentially requiring farm em-ployers to deny workers theability to work one extra day perweek or four extra days in amonth.

“Ag Overtime” bill pending in AssemblyFarm Team reminds those

who could be affected that it isimportant for all theAssemblymembers to hear how

this legislation would impactyour workers and your opera-tion. Utilize Farm Bureau’s grassroots advocacy system, the

(see BILL, page 9)

May/June 2016 SCFB NEWS

Solano CountyFarm Bureau300 Main Street - Suite C

Vacaville, CA 95688Executive Director: Lisa Shipley

Phone ........707-449-8044Fax .........707-449-8050www.solano.cfbf.com

E-mail: [email protected] County Farm Bureau News

Coordinator ...........John GentryEditorial and Advertising .......707-449-8044

Opinions expressed in this newspaper maynot reflect the official position of the Solano

County Farm Bureau.

Solano County Farm Bureau Newspublished every other month by the Solano County

Farm Bureau. Please send address changes toSCFB, 300 Main Street - Suite C

Vacaville, CA 95688

Associate

Agricultural

Welcome NEW MEMBERSSCFB

SCFB DirectorsBruce Brazelton

Chelsea DeusenberryJeff DittmerSean Favero

Mark GoddardCharlie HamiltonJennifer House

Derrick LumRyan MahoneyJoe Martinez

Bobbie MorielJohn Pierson

Troy Sanderson

Bouzos OrchardsMike Clark

Neil Hamilton

Hodgie BrandnerMichael BurrowKathleen Mullin

Jason RichardsonRosa Rico

Christopher Stewart

Antuan TriceJorge Vallejo

275 Sale Lane • Red Bluff, CACA Lic. # 01707128

Bert OwensBroker/Owner - Cell: 530-524-4900

Sam MuddBroker/Owner - Cell: 530- 949-4054

CA Lic. # 01710463

530-529-4400

Northern California AgricultureReal Estate Specialists

AGLAND

Investment Brokerswww.aglandbrokers.com

• SHASTA COUNTY, CA 45 acresof farmland on the east bank of theSacramento River, (S) of Balls FerryBridge, E of Cottonwood. Class 1 &2 soils, flood irrigation, Battle Creekwater rights. $675,000

• BUTTE COUNTY, CA 107 +/- acres, 90 acres plantedto producing Chandlers. 10 miles N of Chico. 84% +/- class I& II soil. Attractive landscaped 3 bedroom 3 bath home withpond and views. Large metal shop, 2 solar arrays for irriga-tion & home. 2 irrigation wells plus domestic well. Sellermay include 2016 crop with reimbursement of cultural costs.

$3,290,000 PENDING

Encouraging owlsdiscourages gophersTo keep gophers from caus-ing damage in vineyards,some California farmers haveinstalled owl boxes to encour-age barn owls to nest. A three-year study by a field re-searcher from the PittsburghZoo shows the owls can beeconomical as well as effec-tive, controlling rodents at alower cost than trapping orother methods. Vineyardshave been the main locationsfor owl boxes, but a numberof farmers with orchards andother crops have also startedto use them.

Value of all floricultureproduction in 2015 is up 4 per-cent from the revised 2014valuation. The total crop valueat wholesale for the 15 Stateprogram for all growers with$10,000 or more in sales is es-timated at $4.37 billion for2015, compared with $4.20billion for 2014. Californiacontinues to be the leadingState with crops valued at$1.08 billion, up 1 percentfrom the 2014 value. Florida,the next largest producer, is up12 percent from the prior yearto $1.03 in wholesale value.These two States account for49 percent of the 15 state to-tal value.

2015 Floriculture Cropis up 4 %

2016 May/June SCFB NEWS

Protecting agricultural lands, water resources and giving farmers a biggervoice on those issues had unanimous support Monday from the SolanoCounty supervisor candidates for the 2nd and 5th districts.

That was not a big surprise given that the election forum, held at the NutTree Airport in Vacaville, was sponsored by the Solano County Farm Bu-reau. It attracted about 20 people.

Nor was it a big surprise that Supervisor Skip Thomson and formerSupervisor Michael Reagan threw some political punches.

Reagan renewed his refrain that Thomson only works at the job when hewants to, and suggested he was beholden to the employee unions. Thomsonrattled off projects he believes shows his hard work, and has in the pastaccused his opponent of not respecting county employees.

Thomson charged that Reagan’s votes to lower the pension liability fundingthreshold and to support suspension of any new Williamson Act contractsbelies his claims of being a fiscal conservative and supporter of agriculture.Reagan denounced the accusations with his own list of activities that he saidshows the strength of his resume.

The Williamson Act, which gives farmers and ranchers tax breaks forkeeping their land in ag production, was one of the topics raised by modera-tors Ryan Mahoney, president of the Farm Bureau, and Sean Favero, presi-dent of the bureau’s Political Action Committee.

All the candidates indicated they supported the Williamson Act and wouldconsider issuing new contracts. Tamer Totah, running for the 2nd Districtseat, said he would want to see more information on renewing contracts.

Totah was one of four candidates for the 2nd District who attended. Theothers were Monica Brown, Denis Honeychurch and Mike Ioakimedes.Michael Coan had a scheduling conflict set prior to the Farm Bureau eventbeing announced.

The Daily Republic gave Coan, by telephone, a chance to say what hethought was the most critical issue facing agriculture and what he would doabout it.

He noted water, and specifically stated that it was critical for the countyto establish a groundwater plan and to monitor the aquifer for sustainability.

The Farm Bureau asked each of the candidates about their position onthe Groundwater Sustainability Act.

Each candidate noted the importance of protecting the groundwater sup-ply, and each had a little different emphasis on other aspects of water issuesthat were raised.· Brown said it was critical to develop more surface storage.· Ioakimedes added that the quality of the water is critical to attract newindustry and business.· Thomson sees it as a multiple-pronged issue of conservation, desalina-tion development and preserving ag rights.· Reagan voiced his concerns that ag water – including Lake Berryessa –could come under attack by the environmental agenda if the county does notstay vigilant.· Totah raised concerns about the spiraling water rates in his district assomething that needs to be addressed as part of overall water management.

Ioakimedes took a singular stance when asked about energy develop-

by Todd R. Hansen, Daily Republic - Fairfield

Solano board candidates tellFarm Bureau they love ag

ment. While he agreed with the other candidates that solar was the future foralternative energy in Solano County, he said Valero generates 25 percent ofthe tax revenue for Benicia and supports 400 families so the oil industrycannot simply be dismissed.Reagan and Honeychurch also noted the value of natural gas, particularly inthe eastern part of the county.


Portable storage and equipment loans availableU.S. Department of Agriculture

(USDA) will provide a new financingoption to help farmers purchase por-table storage and handling equipment.Farm Service Agency (FSA) Adminis-trator Val Dolcini and Agricultural Mar-keting Service (AMS) AdministratorElanor Starmer announced changes tothe Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL)program today during a local and re-gional food roundtable in Columbus,Ohio. The loans, which now include asmaller microloan option with lowerdown payments, are designed to helpproducers, including new, small andmid-sized producers, grow their busi-nesses and markets.

“As more communities reconnect

with agriculture, consumer demand isincreasing for food produced locallyor regionally,” said Dolcini. “Portablehandling and storage equipment is vi-tal to helping farmers get their prod-ucts to market more quickly and bet-ter maintain product quality, bringingthem greater returns. That’s whywe’ve added this type of equipmentas a new category for our Farm Stor-age Facility Loan program.”

The program also offers a new“microloan” option, which allows ap-plicants seeking less than $50,000 toqualify for a reduced down paymentof five percent and no requirement toprovide three years of production his-

(see LOANS, next page)

Upcoming farm demonstration focus on soil healthFarmers will share practical experiences in

“growing” healthy soil on Valley farmsThe California Farm Demonstration Network (CFDN) is hosting a series of

farm visits for agricultural producers during the months of May and June thatwill demonstrate how long-term goals for healthy soil are being achieved at eachfarm—without compromising production.

Farmers using various soil health practices (such as cover crops, conserva-tion tillage and more) will discuss their soil health management systems andexperiences. Network partners, including representatives from the Natural Re-sources Conservation Service, UC Cooperative Extension, Resource Conserva-tion Districts and other partners will also be on hand to explain monitoring andevaluation work being done on the farms.

“Soil health management systems show promise for maintaining and im-proving production, while reducing or eliminating many common resource con-cerns including soil erosion, nutrient loss, and soil degradation associated withthe loss of soil organic carbon,” said CFDN coordinator Jeff Mitchell, UC Co-operative Extension specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis.“An important component of these on-farm demonstrations is monitoring toevaluate the effectiveness of conservation practices.”

Producers, conservationists and other interested individuals are encouragedto attend one or more of these demonstrations, to be held at 10:00 a.m. on thedates below at the following locations:


RecipeS Corner

Heavenly Halibut

CFB

The CHP Commissionerhas extended the AgricultureTie Down exemption to April30, 2017 and to provide nec-essary information on the ex-emption process needed forany motor carrier wishing toparticipate in the agriculturalhaulers exemption. The pro-cess consists of a few com-ponents:1.) Each motor carrier haul-ing agricultural products mustapply for an exemption. Ex-emption applications shouldbe faxed to the CHP Com-mercial Vehicle Section, at(916) 322-3154.· The application needs to in-clude the following informa-tion: the motor carrier’s nameand a current California Car-rier Identification number,contact information, andmethod of cargo securement

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese• 1/4 cup butter, softened• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise• 2 tablespoons lemon juice• 3 tablespoons chopped green onions• 1/4 teaspoon salt• 1 dash hot pepper sauce• 2 pounds skinless halibut fillets

(Hey fishermen, theseason is open!)

•• Preheat the oven broiler. Grease a baking dish.•• In a bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayo,lemon juice, green onions, salt, and hot pepper sauce.•• Arrange the halibut fillets in the prepared baking dish.•• Broil halibut fillets 8 minutes in the prepared oven, oruntil easily flaked with a fork. Spread with the Parmesancheese mixture, and continue broiling 2 minutes, or untiltopping is bubbly and lightly browned.

(i.e. corner irons and cables).(A CHP-approved standard-ized form is available on theCFBF website.

PLEASE NOTE: If youhave received a letter fromthe CHP approving yourrequest for an exemption inprevious years you do notneed to apply for the 2016harvest season.•• Items below are required.2.) A copy of the exemptionneeds to be placed in eachmotor vehicle covered by theexemption. It must be madeavailable to any law enforce-ment official upon request.3.) Monthly reports need tobe submitted to CHP no laterthan the 15th of each month.Reports should be sent toCHP Commercial VehicleSection, CHP; fax: (916) 322-3154 or email

[email protected]:· The monthly reports are

required to contain the follow-ing information:1. Total number of loads bycontainer type (bin, tub orbox) transported under thisexemption.2. Total number of milesdriven under this exemption.3. Total number of on-high-way and off-highway acci-dents involving loads trans-ported under this exemption.4. Total number, by month, ofdriver hours for loads trans-ported under this exemption.5. Total number of citationsreceived for a loading, me-chanical and/or driver viola-tion issued to vehicles oper-ating under this exemption.6. Total number of all othercitations for vehicles operat-

ing under this exemption.PLEASE NOTE: In the caseof any accidents or fallencargo, motor carriers operat-ing under the exemption shallnotify CHP Commercial Ve-hicle Section at (916) 843-3400, within 72 hours with thefollowing information:· Date, time and location;· Types of vehicles and cargocontainers involved;· Specific cargo securementdevices used;· Possible reason(s) for theoccurrence;· Motor carrier name and CANumber.This exemption expires onApril 30, 2017. CHP will re-voke the exemption for anymotor carrier that fails tocomply with, or adhere to, allconditions of the exemption.

Exemption extended for agriculture tie downtory. Farms and ranches ofall sizes are eligible. Themicroloan option is expectedto be of particular benefit tosmaller farms and ranches,and specialty crop produc-ers who may not have ac-cess to commercial storageor on-farm storage after har-vest. These producers caninvest in equipment like con-veyers, scales or refrigera-tion units and trucks that canstore commodities beforedelivering them to markets.Producers do not need todemonstrate the lack ofcommercial credit availabil-ity to apply.

“Growing high-valuecrops for local and regionalmarkets is a common entrypoint for new farmers,” saidStarmer. “Since they oftenrent land and have to trans-port perishable commodi-ties, a loan that can covermobile coolers or even re-frigerated trucks fills an im-portant gap. These produc-ers in turn supply the grow-ing number of food hubs,farmers markets or storesand restaurants interested insourcing local food.”

Earlier this year, FSAsignificantly expanded thelist of commodities eligiblefor Farm Storage FacilityLoan. Eligible commoditiesnow include aquaculture;floriculture; fruits (includingnuts) and vegetables; corn,grain sorghum, rice, oil-seeds, oats, wheat, triticale,spelt, buckwheat, lentils,chickpeas, dry peas sugar,peanuts, barley, rye, hay,honey, hops, maple sap, un-processed meat and poultry,eggs, milk, cheese, butter,yogurt and renewable bio-mass. FSFL microloans canalso be used to finance washand pack equipment usedpost-harvest, before a com-modity is placed in cold stor-age.

(LOANS, continued)


Ferrellgas has provided for the propane needs of theAmerican farmer since 1939.

We understand the unique requirements of today’sagricultural businesses, and we work directly with you to

ensure your goals are met.

We are committed to our customers and communities. Allacross America, Ferrellgas is working hard to be a good neighbor.We’re committed to improving the world around us. Our local of-fices work closely with organizations in their area to champion causesthat make a difference in the lives of the people they have thehonor to serve.

w Crop drying w Livestock confinementw Flame weeding w Farm equipment fuel

Ferrellgas works directly with national and international causesto help make our world a better place in which to live, including:

W Susan G. Komen for the CureFerrellgas has begun fielding a fleet of pink propane delivery trucks withproceeds from them going to research in the fight against breast cancer.

W Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through Cells For CellsFerrellgas collects thousands of cell phones and mobile devices thatare then recycled or refurbished and resold.

W Feeding America through Harvesters Even in the best of economic times, too many Americans go hungry.Ferrellgas is helping stock the shelves of the local food pantries.

Ferrellgas is committed to improving ourcommunities and the world around us.


by Mike Burns,Farm BureauGroup Manager

Thi

nk SafetyWorking during hot weather requiresbeing properly prepared

The California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Foundation in collaborationwith the California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (CFAITC) is pleasedto announce the opening of the 2016 Look at Agriculture… Organically! grant ap-plications. At least twenty two $1,000 grants for organic classroom projects will beawarded to K-8 teachers nationwide through a partnership with CFAITC.

This is the third year CCOF and CFAITC will offer Look at Agriculture… Or-ganically! grants. Twenty-four schools were awarded grants in 2015, fifteen of whichwere awarded to schools where at least 50% of the students qualify for free orreduced lunches. Classroom projects covered the gamut of organic themes fromorganic livestock rearing, to vermiculture, to organic orchard management and care.Teachers brought in organic farmers as guest speakers, taught students about rota-tional grazing, and helped students preserve organic food to share with a local youthcenter.

“We are proud to support teachers who provide opportunities for students tolearn more about USDA certified organic—what it means and how organic food isproduced,” said Cathy Calfo, Executive Director of CCOF. “It is important to de-velop an appreciation for agriculture and teach students where their food and fibercome from. We are excited to continue this partnership with CCOF and provide ournation’s educators with this opportunity.” said CFAITC Executive Director JudyCulbertson.

The Look at Agriculture…Organically! K-8 grants will open until May 15. Cer-tified kindergarten through eighth grade teachers throughout the nation are eligibleto apply.

This fund was made possible by the generous contributions of the UNFI Foun-dation, CCOF, Clif Bar Family Foundation, Driscoll’s, Duncan Family Farms For-ager Project, Frontier Co-Op, Green Ox Pallets, Independent Natural Food Retail-ers Association (INFRA), National Co+op Grocers, and Organic Valley.

For more information about the application process please visit http://www.learnaboutag.org/grants/organic.cfm.

Grants to support organic K-8 classroom projects

This year’s many rain events, coupled with ideal growing weather,means that many California commodities will have earlier than normal har-vests this year. This also means that much of the harvest activity will takeplace during some of California’s hottest months.Working outdoors during the hot summer months puts special demandson the body’s cooling system. Under certain conditions, a person’s bodymay have trouble regulating its temperature. The harder a person works,the more heat his or her body needs to lose. There is danger of heatstress, and deadly heat stroke if a person isn’t properly acclimated to thehigh temperatures.Whether mild, moderate or severe, heat stress can come on suddenly andbe dangerous to your health. But if you’re prepared, you can preventheat-related problems.If you observe a person showing signs of heat stroke, it is imperative toact immediately because this condition can kill a person very quickly. Thefirst thing to do is call 911 to call in professional help. Once you havedone that, remove excess clothing from the victim and try to cool his orher body by fanning or spraying with cool water. Offer sips of water if theperson is conscious.

Most heat-related health problems can be prevented, or the risk ofdeveloping them reduced, if a few basic precautions are taken. Encourageworkers to: • Eat wisely. Hot, heavy meals add heat to the body and divert blood tothe digestive system, so eat lightly.• Dress appropriately. Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting cloth-ing, plus a hat.• Use, and reapply, sunscreen.• Keep out of the sun whenever possible.

Work in hot environments will be safer and more productive if everyworker on-site is trained to recognize the signs and symptoms of heatillness and knows how to prevent, control, and respond to its effects.State Fund has prepared a very comprehensive Safety Sheet entitled HeatIllness—Recognition and Prevention. You may download it at http://content.statefundca.com//pdf/e22060.pdf. A Spanish language version isalso available at http://content.statefundca.com//pdf/e22061.pdf. I recom-mend that you post in where your employees can read it.

State Fund has a wealth of information on safety topics available foreasy access on our website at www.statefundca.com. Click on “Employ-ers” and then “Resources” to find the extensive list of topics.

Today, State Fund is the largest workers’ compensation carrier inCalifornia. State Fund has regional offices throughout the state, whichprovide a full range of services to policyholders and injured workers. Weprovide coverage to employers of all sizes, from “mom and pop” opera-tions to major organizations.


Atzhiry NavarroCordelia Elem - Mrs Stone

SCFB salutes the winners of the coloring contest!

Elizabeth WebberCooper Elementary - Mrs. Lindsey

Fernanda VilatorreAnderson Elem - Mrs Gretton

Jaime SanchezElsa Widenmann Elem - Mrs. Venkas 1

Kaitlyn GarnerTravis Elem Schl - Mrs. Porquez

GOOD

WORK!

Farm Team to send a letter to-day! Click on the link for a pre-drafted letter that you can per-sonalize or simply completethe contact information andsend.

AB 2757 would hurt bothfarmers and farm workers.The higher cost of providingovertime pay will force farm-ers to cut employee workhours and thus income to con-trol labor costs. The applica-tion of requirements for work-ers to not work one day everyseven days will force seasonalagricultural workers to miss asmany as four days of pay in amonth of peak harvest season.

Additionally, this bill failsto recognize that California isalready one of only four statesthat provides overtime pay forfarm employees and that dueto seasonality, flexibility isneeded when scheduling agri-cultural work.

(BILL, continued)

Farmers and ranchers are innovative businesspeople, not afraidto take risks. Many operators are always thinking about ways toincrease revenues. Sometimes that means expanding into areas thatcan include commercial activities, like seed conditioning, haulingother peoples’ grain, custom spraying, even agritourism or a farmstand. Here are 10 things farm and ranch operators should con-sider when you have a discussion about expanding your business.1. Check federal, state and county laws and ordinances2. Environmental impactBe a good land steward and consider any impact your expansioncould have on the environment.3. Consider your neighbors 4. Increased trafficInviting the public onto your property brings with it special liabil-ity concerns5. Product safety6. More employeesExpanded operations will require hiring additional employees, youmay need to provide training and safety materials.7. Safety and security8. Manage outside risksBe sure to obtain signed contracts and certificates of insurance9. Have a contingency plan10. Review your insurance

The bottom line: It’s important to do your homework.

10 Things to consider whenexpanding a farm operation

[email protected]

Todd RenfrewOffice: (707)455-4449Cell: (707)365-5064Fax: (707)455-0455

w We specialize in buyingand selling the finest

recreational, hunting, fishing,equestrian, farm and

ranch properties.


Solano County Farm Bureau

Support the SCFB business members.

Business DirectoryAg Equipment/ServiceBlankenship & Associates .................... (530)757-0941Button Transportation ........................... (707)678-7490Dixon Veterinary Clinic ......................... (707)678-2377Garton Tractor ...................................... (707)425-9545Gates Ranch/Custom cutting & wrap ... (707)448-3867Green Valley Tractor ............................. (707)425-8933Holt of CA ............................................ (707)396-3000Sitech West ........................................... (916)921-0550Wilkinson International .......................... (530)662-7373Woodward Drilling Company ............... (707)374-4300

Auto Dealers/Parts/ServicesAble Chevrolet Pontiac Buick ............... (707)374-6317

Farms & RanchesJohnson Farms ...................................... (408)926-3133

Farm & Feed SupplyHigby’s.................................................. (707)678-9007

FinancialBank of Rio Vista .................................. (707)374-5711First Northern Bank of Dixon ............... (707)678-4422Farm Credit West (Woodland) .............. (530)666-3333Travis Credit Union ............................... (707)469-1632

InsuranceRohwer Insurance Agency .................... (707)678-9216

Professional ServicesArcher & Ficklin-Comm Brokerage ...... (707)678-1092Blankinship Assoc. Envir Consult ......... (530)757-0941Gaw Van Male – Estate Planning .......... (707)425-1250Jones Dyer Law Firm ........................... (916)-552-5959P G & E ................................................ (707)423-2443Reynolds Law LLP ............................... (707)425-1255Vacaville Chamber of Commerce…......(707)448-6424SMUD ................................................... (916)732-6088

Propane/ PetroleumAllied Propane ....................................... (707)678-8500Sheldon Gas Co.................................... (707)425-2951

Real EstateRon Stevenson – Century 21 ................ (530-681-1092

Tire Sales / ServiceLes Schwab Vacaville ........................... (707)447-4384Reliable Tire Service ............................. (916)372-6675

T FARMFACT S

Avocados are in season.They were once a luxuryfood reserved for thetables of royalty, but nowCalifornia avocados are en-joyed around the world. Asingle California Avocadotree can produce about 500avocados (200 pounds) ayear although usually aver-age about 60 pounds from150 fruit. There are sevenvarieties of avocadosgrown commercially inCalifornia, but the Hass isthe most popular, account-ing for approximately 95percent of the total cropvolume


Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden announced that the U.S. De-partment of Agriculture (USDA) will begin offering farm ownership microloans,creating a new financing avenue for farmers to buy and improve property.These microloans will be especially helpful to beginning or underserved farm-ers, U.S. veterans looking for a career in farming, and those who have smalland mid-sized farming operations.

“Many producers, especially new and underserved farmers, tell us thataccess to land is one of the biggest challenges they face in establishing andgrowing their own farming operation,” said Harden. “USDA is making it easierfor new farmers to hit the ground running and get access to the land that theyneed to establish their farms or improve their property.”

The microloan program has been successful, providing more than 16,800low-interest loans, totaling over $373 million to producers across the country.Microloans have helped farmers and ranchers with operating costs, such asfeed, fertilizer, tools, fencing, equipment, and living expenses since 2013. Sev-enty percent of loans have gone to new farmers.

Now, microloans will be available to also help with farm land and buildingpurchases, and soil and water conservation improvements. To learn more aboutthe FSA microloan program visit www.fsa.usda.gov/microloans, or contact alocal FSA office. In Vacaville at 810 Vaca Valley Parkway (707-448-0106) or inDavis at 430 G Street (530-792-5520).

USDA expands microloans to buy and improve propertyContinued, severe water restrictions for Central Valley farmers show the

chronic inadequacy of California’s water system, according to the leader of theCalifornia Farm Bureau Federation. The federal Central Valley Project announcedtoday it would be able to supply only 5 percent of contract supplies to many ofits agricultural customers.

California Farm Bureau President PaulWenger referred to concerns expressed bymany water managers during the winter aboutthe amount of water released from reservoirsduring storms.

“We’ll never know how much water mighthave been available this summer, if we had cap-tured more of the water that flowed to sea atthe height of the El Niño storm surges,”Wenger said. “That lost opportunity will hauntrural California throughout the summer.”

Wenger noted that farmers continue tosqueeze more crop production from everygallon of water, but that the same efficiencystandards aren’t required for water dedicatedto fishery uses.

“In some ways, it’s appropriate that thisannouncement of continued water shortages came on April Fools’ Day,” he said.“We’re fooling ourselves if we think our current water system is adequate tomeet all the demands on it, and we’re fooling ourselves if we don’t move quicklyto address that inadequacy.”

California needs to add flexibility to its current water system, Wenger said,while acting to expand the system through additional water storage, water recy-cling, desalination and continued enhancement of water efficiency.

“One thing is clear: What’s happening now isn’t working for fish and it isn’tworking for people,” he said. “We haven’t been able to operate our existing sys-tem to take best advantage of storms when they arrive, which leaves us evenmore vulnerable to the next dry year. Farm Bureau will continue to press forimproved flexibility in both our water system and the regulations that govern it.”

The California Farm Bureau Federation works to protect family farms andranches on behalf of more than 53,000 members statewide and as part of a na-tionwide network of more than 6.2 million Farm Bureau members.

Wenger says water allocation reflects opportunity lost

Paul Wenger

Spring is ideal time to conduct appliance safety inspectionsAs Californians begin to tackle their spring cleaning checklists, Pacific Gas

and Electric Company (PG&E) urges its customers to add gas appliances to the listwith a free inspection from the utility.

“We’re always thinking about our customers’ safety. Gas appliances have beenworking hard all winter long, and spring is the ideal time to have a local PG&Erepresentative perform a free safety check to ensure appliances are in good workingorder,” said PG&E’s vice president of gas transmission and distribution operations,John Higgins.

PG&E recommends having gas appliances checked annually to ensure they areready to be used when they are needed most. Doing so can extend the life of theappliance and help it operate more efficiently.

Damaged or worn furnaces and water heaters can emit excess quantities of carbonmonoxide, an odorless and colorless gas. Natural gas appliances typically produce aminimal amount of carbon monoxide that doesn’t pose a safety risk and is carriedaway safely through the venting system. However, when not properly maintained,gas appliances can produce extra carbon monoxide, which can cause serious healthproblems, and in some cases, can be fatal.

PG&E customers interested in scheduling a free appliance check can call 1-800-PGE-5000. Some of the appliances that PG&E inspects include furnaces, waterheaters, ovens and ranges, pool and hot tub heaters, clothes dryers and gas fireplaces.

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