Focus on Ag August 2020

AUGUST 2020

CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL COAST

NEWS DIGEST Hitchcock Farms acquires Pfyffer Associates Hitchcock Farms of Salinas announced in late July its acquisition of Pfyffer Associates, a grower, packer and shipper of premium Brussels sprouts headquartered in Santa Cruz.

Pfyffer has been a leading supplier of Brussels sprouts for over 45 years with its well-known Ernie’s Pride and Pfyffer labels. Steve Bontadelli, president and owner of Pfyffer Associates and Jeff Hitchcock, president and CEO of Hitchcock Farms, have known each other since 1988. Hitchcock said that Bontadelli was a quality grower with a solid operation, and that he’s “looking forward to continuing what Steve’s family started 101 years ago.”

USDA issues Public Health Alert

Van Dyke Ranch conserved The City of Gilroy and the Land Trust of Santa Clara County recently marked the launch of the conservation of Van Dyke Ranch. In January, the Gilroy City Council agreed to a $1.3 million easement to protect 108 acres of farmland at 7665 Crews Road, also known as Van Dyke Ranch.

The easement is meant to mitigate the loss of farmland outlined in the proposed expansion of the Gilroy Sports Park on Monterey Road. Van Dyke Ranch has been in operation since 1921, and primarily grows Blenheim apricots, Bing cherries and other fruits. The agreement allows the Land Trust of Santa Clara County to monitor the easement.

MBCP dedicates $160k to electrify local ag equipment

The Western Growers Center for Innovation and Technology (WGCIT) has announced the Government of Canada as its first international partner. The WGCIT, located in Salinas, is one of the first ag tech centers in the U.S. dedicated to bringing innovative entrepreneurs together with farmers to facilitate creative solutions to challenges facing agriculture. As part of the partnership, the Canadian Technology Accelerator will have full access to the WGCIT. This includes providing start-up companies from Canada with access to office amenities and regular programming to successfully bring their technologies to market.

during a recent strawberry harvest.

A season of change YIELDS DIP AS BERRY HARVEST WRAPS UP

By JOHANNA MILLER Reporter

WATSONVILLE—California’s strawberry season is coming to a close. While sales remained strong throughout the summer, growers have seen production dip slightly.

Carolyn O’Donnell, communications director for the California Strawberry Commission (CSC), said that after the season’s initial hardships, things eventually leveled off and demand actually increased. But then they began seeing a decrease in yields.

“It’s been a very interesting season,” O’Donnell said. “There was a lot of demand but then we saw the production start to drop off. It caught us by surprise.”

O’Donnell and other experts say this might be due to changes in strawberry varieties.

The Monterey variety, for instance, usually yields a lot more berries per acre. As more growers have started planting them, acreage itself has decreased.

“And now we’re seeing

STACK UP Workers harvest strawberries on a Pajaro Valley farm.

Monterey [varietal] dropping off a bit earlier than usual,” O’Donnell said.

“There’s some speculation… is this the end of the variety? It takes a long time to bring a variety to market, and the vitality doesn’t last forever… We may eventually see more of a mix.”

With less yields, some workers have allegedly reported their hours being cut. This has been compounded by the Covid19 pandemic, which has

forced growers to modify operations in the fields.

So demand continues, even increases—but production and labor is unsteady.

“It’s been a real challenge,” O’Donnell said.

“We are having to modify operations to make sure growers are keeping workers safe… spreading crews out, scheduling people differently. We’ve been trying to make sure growers ➝ See BERRY, 2

Johanna Miller

Western Growers AgTech Center announces first international partner

GREEN LINES Field workers spread out across a farm in Watsonville

Tarmo Hannula

Monterey Bay Community Power has launched its Agricultural Electrification Grant Program, supporting the replacement of fossilfuel powered equipment with new electric equipment, including tractors, coolers and boilers, forklifts, light and heavy-duty vehicles, diesel-powered irrigation pumps and more. Funding for the program totals $160,000, which will be administered through a competitive bid process.

The program is expected to provide grants to a minimum of eight ag customers up to $20,000 each. Of the money allocated, $80,000 is set aside for ag businesses in Monterey County, $40,000 for Santa Cruz County, $20,000 for San Benito County and $20,000 within the cities of San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.

Tarmo Hannula

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products containing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated onions that have been recalled by Thomson International Inc., due to concerns that the products may be contaminated with Salmonella Newport. As more information becomes available, FSIS will update this public health alert. Visit fsis.usda.gov for information.

RIPE PICKING This year’s berry harvest yielded prime fruit, but production has dropped off.

Conference probes climate change and farms

By TONY NUNEZ Reporter

WATSONVILLE—Pajaro Valley’s agriculture businesses and the employees that keep them running are starting to feel the heat, literally.

Rising temperatures and more frequent heat waves and wildfires are growing concerns for farmers in the typically cool, coastal stretch of land that

overlaps Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.

That’s according to a recent survey conducted by Regeneración-Pajaro Valley Climate Action, a nonprofit that seeks to make agriculture both more sustainable for farmers and safer for the workers toiling in the fields.

Regeneración earlier this month at its second Climate of Hope forum,

this time conducted virtually because of the Covid19 pandemic, released the results of its 2019 survey that asked local farmers about their experiences with changing weather patterns and how that might be affecting their crops and employees.

The majority of respondents said they are experiencing more heatwaves and higher day-to-day

temperatures.

Those warmer days have elongated California’s fire season, according to CalFire, producing more instances in which wildfire smoke has filled the air. That, in turn, is leading to damaged crops and more frequent works stoppages, both of which have hurt farmers’ profits.

“Those temperatures are not only bad for

humans but they’re bad for the crops that grow in the area,” said JSM Organics owner Javier Zamora, who joined the virtual conference from his Royal Oaks farm where he grows strawberries, heirloom tomatoes, summer squash, peppers and cut flowers.

The survey, conducted in unison with Cal State ➝ See CLIMATE, 6

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Gilroy Dispatch | Hollister Free Lance | Salinas Valley Tribune | King City Rustler | Watsonville Pajaronian

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FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE

AUGUST 2020

SANTA CLARA COUNTY

Thank you for supporting local farms, local produce, and local packaging

Report reveals increase in ag property values OVERALL VALUES FACING ‘CRASH LANDING,’ WARNS ASSESSOR

By ERIK CHALHOUB Reporter

GILROY—Agricultural property values enjoyed a relatively modest increase while Santa Clara County’s real estate value hit another record in 2019.

But in the county’s recently released Assessment Roll report, officials warned that those values have hit their peak, and a “crash landing” due to Covid-19 and the subsequent economic downturn is expected.

On July 1, County Assessor Larry Stone delivered the annual assessment roll, which reflected the assessed value of all property as of the lien (valuation) date, Jan. 1, 2020. The total net assessed value of all real and business property grew by $35.5 billion to a total of $551.5 billion, a 6.87% increase over the prior year.

Values for agricultural

and miscellaneous properties grew by roughly $1.1 billion to a total of $15.7 billion.

Gilroy’s ag and miscellaneous property values dropped by nearly $53 million to $353.5 million. Unincorporated agricultural lands rose in value by $77 million to $2,918,738,694, according to the assessment roll.

Overall, Gilroy’s assessment roll, including residential, retail, office and other properties, grew to $9.8 billion, a 6.14% increase.

“There is little doubt that the 2020 assessment roll captures the peak of the longest economic boom in Silicon Valley’s history,” Stone said.

For Santa Clara County, the major beneficiaries of property tax revenue are public schools, community colleges, cities and the county. Public education receives 50% of local property tax revenue.

But things are likely to change quickly.

“Since property assessments are based upon market value of property as of January 1, I fully

expect this year will be a transition year,” Stone said. “Next year will not be as positive, as we will be considering the full economic impact of Covid-19 on real estate values.

“Earlier this year, I advised schools and local government officials that there were signs of a decline in the same geographic areas. It was becoming clear the economic boom of the past 10 years was not sustainable, and that the 2020 assessment roll would reflect the apex of 10 consecutive years of economic prosperity.

Stone said he had hoped for a “gradual decline.

“Instead the pandemictriggered recession, and the political chaos that followed, has created the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,” he said. “I expected the next recession would be a ‘normal’ recession, a ‘soft landing.’ Unfortunately, we are facing a ‘crash landing,’ that one analyst described as like being in a wheelchair pushed down a very long flight of stairs.”

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY www.sambrailo.com 800 Walker Street, Watsonville CA 95076 831-724-7581

Organic certifier receives highest key performance indicator rating in nation STAFF REPORT

SANTA CRUZ—California Certified Organic Farmers’ GLOBALG.A.P. program has received the nation’s highest key performance indicator (KPI) rating for any GLOBALG.A.P certification body operating in the United States.

California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) is the leading organic certifier in North America, headquartered in Santa Cruz, but certifying organic businesses across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Complementing their organic certification offerings, CCOF also provides GFSI benchmarked food safety certifications to GLOBALG.A.P.’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) standards. GLOBALG.A.P. is a global organization “with a crucial objective: safe, sustainable agriculture worldwide. We set voluntary standards for the certification of agricultural products around the globe.”

“There’s a lot of overlap between organic and food safety requirements,” says Jacob Guth, director of food safety for CCOF. With a long history in organic, CCOF brings an important perspective to the food

BERRY ➝ From page 1

know what they need to do.”

Due to the high demand and the recent dip in production, berry prices also remain high— surpassing the average price for the past four years. At the end of July,

safety arena. “Since 1973, CCOF has been the gold standard in organic certification. We are glad to see the maturation of our GFSI offerings being acknowledged by GLOBALG.A.P.,” adds Guth.

“It’s just nice to have both our organic certification and our food safety certification under one roof,” says Colin Archipley of Archi’s Acres. Archi’s Acres is a USDA certified organic greenhouse operation certified by CCOF that grows living basil, cut kale, chard, and other produce.

“Growers trust us and know we approach certification with a high level of diligence and integrity,” says Guth. CCOF handpicks and cultivates their food safety auditors to ensure the highest levels of integrity and quality of work, which is reflected in the high KPI score they recently received.

Many CCOF inspectors can conduct one, combined organic and food safety inspection. “It’s a long day, but it’s one day of inspections instead of two. This saves us crucial time,” Archipley explains.

CCOF also offers and hosts a variety of food safety trainings and webinars to familiarize growers and produce handlers

with GFSI and federal food safety requirements.

The comprehensive trainings instill the key elements for building a food safety plan, including how to create the necessary documents, how to train personnel in food safety, and how to successfully host a food safety audit.

Find out more about upcoming workshops and recordings of previous webinars through CCOF’s Organic Training Institute at www.ccof.org/oti.

CCOF has over 40 years of experience working directly with farmers and producers, guiding them through the steps of organic certification and ensuring that they meet all required standards for organic.

The organization applies the same principles to their food safety program, helping organic growers access new markets. The end result brings more organic food to everyone’s table, increasing access to healthy, organic food nationwide.

the USDA reported that a flat of strawberries currently averaged about $17, as opposed to $10 last summer.

Still, the season remains ahead of last year’s—though behind 2018, a record year for the crop.

According to the CSC, more than 133 million flats of berries were harvested, as opposed to last year’s

125 million. In 2018, the total was about 141 million.

To learn more about CCOF’s food safety services, visit www.ccof.org/ food-safety.

The California Strawberry Commission recently published a new acreage survey and O’Donnell says they are planning to kick off another in November. You can read the results at calstrawberry. com/en-us.

AUGUST 2020

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FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE

NATION

Tarmo Hannula

ORGANIC GIANT Workers load up boxes of freshly harvested organic lettuce for the Lakeside Organic Gardens label.

Nation’s organic produce sales register double-digit growth STAFF REPORT

Total organic fresh produce sales and volume registered double-digit growth in the second quarter of 2020, with AprilJune 2020 sales increasing 17% and volume up 18% from the same period in 2019, according to the Q2 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report released exclusively by the Organic Produce Network and Category Partners.

Organic fresh produce in Q2 2020 saw a continuation of trends established in March, with elevated sales across the supermarket as consumers continued at-home eating in the face of restaurant closures.

As a result, sales of organic fresh produce topped $1.7 billion for the quarter, and continued a trend of organic fresh produce sales maintaining higher growth rates than conventional produce. For the first half of 2020, organic fresh produce sales were up 11% in dollar growth and 13% in volume over the first six months of 2019. Total organic fresh produce sales for JanuaryJune of this year totaled $3.3 billion.

Overall, organic fruit and vegetable sales increased 17% in Q2, slightly higher than conventional produce, which increased by 16.1% during April-June. Organic fruit and vegetable volume increased by 18.2% during Q2, exceeding volume growth in conventional produce of 12%.

The Q2 2020 Organic Produce Performance

Report utilized Nielsen retail scan data covering total food sales and outlets in the United States over the months April, May and June.

“While we see some moderated growth in organic sales in the second quarter of 2020, consumers continue to follow established pre-Covid-19 organic fresh produce purchasing habits despite the negative economic impacts of the pandemic,” said Matt Seeley, CEO of the Organic Produce Network.

For the most recent month, volume and dollar gains of organic fresh produce in June dropped slightly from levels seen in April and May. For the month of April, organic produce dollars sales were up 18.%, with May up by 16.3% from the same time period last year.

June organic dollar sales increased 14%, sliding from levels of earlier in the pandemic crisis.

The West continues to be the strongest region in the United States for organic performance, with a second quarter 2020 all commodity volume showing 36% above the national average. Overall organic sales in the West were up 25% in Q2 versus a year ago, with volume up 23% during the same time period.

As for various organic product categories, the top 10 categories all generated double-digit growth for the quarter. In terms of volume growth during Q2, the top 10 categories drove 67% of total

organic volume compared to 71% in the first quarter of the year. Organic packaged salads continued to lead the way, representing 20% of all organic dollars. When the lettuce category is added, the two categories represented nearly one out of every four dollars spent on organic fresh produce items. From a volume perspective, bananas remain the single largest organic volume category, responsible for nearly 20% of all retail organic volume.

“Packaged salads continue to be the organic sales driver, with bananas the clear volume leader.

From a space to sales perspective there is likely no other organic item in the produce department that can match the consumer purchase rate of bananas,” said Steve Lutz, senior vice president, Insights and Innovation at Category Partners. “Three categories clearly drive volume growth: bananas, apples and carrots - with those three commodities driving 46% of all incremental volume during the second quarter of this year.”

The full Q2 2020 Organic Produce Performance Report is available on the Organic Produce Network website at https://www. organicproducenetwork. com/education.

MONTEREY COUNTY

Study analyzes role of ag in local economy

By SEAN RONEY Reporter

MONTEREY COUNTY—

The role of agriculture and the resulting monetary ripples through the economy was the subject of a recent analysis conducted by the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office.

T h e E con om i c Contributions of Monterey County Agriculture study went further that the 2019 Monterey annual Crop Report, analyzing the ways in which agriculture affects other industries.

The report evaluated production, local processing, employment and economic multiplier effects.

Monterey County Agriculture Commissioner Henry Gonzales said that in 2018, agriculture contributed a total of $11.7B to the local

economy. The industry also represented a contribution of 63,921 jobs.

“This far exceeded the $4.3 billion figure from our 2018 Crop Report,” Gonzales said.

Food processing was one of the primary industries the study revealed was directly linked to agriculture. Monterey County is home to several food processors that play a key role in the local economy.

Many processing facilities would not operate in Monterey County were it not for the abundant supply of fruits, vegetables and other raw agricultural products.

Processing accounted for $3.821 billion in total economic output, which includes making local produce into frozen products, canning, jarring, dried packages, roasted nuts, brewing,

dairy processing, packaged products and a small amount of meat processing.

The report analyzed Monterey County's resilience toward economic shock, attributing it to the diversification of the county's production.

The report also acknowledged that the county’s many farmers markets offer a direct outlet for niche agricultural products, and studied how ecosystem services are affected by agriculture.

“Agriculture is an important pillar of the Monterey County economy and represents a vital link to both the county’s cultural past and competitive future," the report stated.

To view the full report visit https://www.co.monterey. ca.us.

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The 2020 Acres U.S.A. Healthy Soil Summit will gather growers for intensive learning on strategies to create overall farm resilience, starting from the soil up. In 2019, this first year event sold out, so Acres U.S.A. is expanding for 2020. Instructors are real farmers who practice what they teach, from tactics to build soil resilience, increase water storage capacity and decrease costly inputs and programs. Build an ROI for every action on your farm with our event tailored specifically for large-scale, commercial agriculture

SEPT. 8 Low Water Use Plant Selection Virtual workshop online via http://mbmg.ucanr.edu/ Hosted by the UC Master Gardener program of Sonoma County, this class is a great option for everyone interested in low water use plants. The Master Gardeners of Sonoma County will speak about general design concepts and answer your specific questions about selecting low water-use plants for your property. For more information check the UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County Facebook Page.

SEPT. 26 Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden Annual Meeting Virtual meeting on Zoom via https://casfs.ucsc.edu/index. html The Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden annual meeting is going virtual. The meeting will be held over Zoom on Sept. 26 at 4pm to hear from CASFS Director Stacy Philpott about 2020 Farm & Garden highlights and CASFS’s plans for the upcoming year, and to vote for new Board officers. This year’s meeting will include a virtual apple tasting with fruit grown on the farm to taste at home. More to be announced soon. For information visit casfs.ucsc. edu.

FARMERS MARKETS Watsonville Farmers Market 328 Union St, Watsonville This year-round market is held every Friday 2-7pm.

Come and shop for fresh local produce and flowers straight from farmers, as well as prepared food including baked potatoes, kettle corn, hummus and more. For information follow the market’s official Facebook page.

Gilroy Farmers Market 6000 Miller Ave., Gilroy Held every Saturday 9am-1pm. Come and enjoy local vegetables and fruit, homemade soap, bakery items, hummus, garlic, flowers, and more. For information visit tcfm.farm/

Salinas Farmers Market 12 W. Gabilan St., Salinas Market is held year-round, Saturday 9am-2pm. Come for an assortment of fruits, vegetables and street food.

For informations visit wcfma. org/salinas

Bolado Park Farmers Market 9000 Airline Highway, Tres Pinos Power Broadcasting and Medina Farms will host a new farmers market beginning Aug. 23 at Bolado Park. The market will run Sundays 9am-1pm, weather permitting. It will feature farms from throughout the state, as well as food trucks and a flea market.

For information, call 831-722-1122.

STATE

Farmer Veteran Coalition appoints new executive director It started as a vision in a strawberry field overlooking the Pacific Ocean on the Central Coast.

Michael O’Gorman stood alongside three women who had all lost their sons in Iraq or Afghanistan. Fatalities in those wars were high in 2007 and the country was deeply divided. O’Gorman had an idea: start a campaign to create viable careers and places to heal on the nation’s farms for men and women returning from war.

“It felt positive, optimistic and healing for all of us,” said O’Gorman, a lifelong farmer.

In 2008, O’Gorman’s idea sprouted its first roots when he started the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) in the back of his pickup truck.

“Our plan was simple: find a way to help these veterans, and then tell their story,” O’Gorman said.

“The story was told best with a picture. A young man or woman joined the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard, many deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, some suffered debilitating injuries, and here they are with their pigs or chickens or tomatoes.”

A decade later, O’Gorman not only has built the FVC—which itself has grown from nine members in its first year to more than 20,000 members nationwide today— but he has led the charge on pioneering an entire military-to-agriculture movement.

O’Gorman is now handing over his pitchfork to newly appointed Executive Director Jeanette Lombardo.

“I am grateful to the selection team—four of

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NEXT STEP Farmer Veteran Coalition’s founder Michael O’Borman (left) has appointed Jeanette Lombardo (right) as his organization’s new executive director.

FVC's longest and strongest supporters—for picking Jeanette, unanimously, out of more than 200 candidates they reviewed,” O’Gorman said. “It is a real honor to see her enthusiasm for carrying this work forward.”

Raised by an Air Force veteran father, Lombardo grew up in Erie, Penn., on a family dairy farm.

She spent decades in agricultural banking before becoming Co-Founder and Chief Strategic Officer for Global Water Innovations Inc. She is also the Principal for California Food and Agribusiness Advocates with the mission of improving policy decisions for farmers in water, land use, crop protection tools and international trade.

“My selection as executive director to the Farmer Veteran Coalition feels very much like fate to me,” Lombardo said. “This role takes everything that I am and have achieved throughout my life, and utilizes it for the service of the two groups of people I admire the most—our veterans and our farmers and ranchers. I cannot think of

any profession that would be more rewarding.”

FVC quickly grew into a national nonprofit that mobilizes veterans to feed America. Its mission is rooted in the belief that veterans possess the unique skills and character needed to create sustainable food systems and strengthen rural communities.

“It’s an absolute natural fit,” O’Gorman said.

O’Gorman isn’t hanging up his boots completely. His “retirement” allows for a renewed commitment to his passion: vegetable production. His new role as FVC’s Chief Agricultural Officer is a return to his roots.

“I want to use my 40 years of farming experience to help members tap into the demand for local produce and grow their vegetable operations,” he said. “I will be doing webinars, instructional videos, social media posts and, most importantly, oneon-one consultations with members in vegetable farming.”

For information about the FVC, visit www.farmvetco.org.

AUGUST 2020

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FOCUS ON AGRICULTURE

STATE

Johanna Miller

PUMPKIN PRIZE Award-winning pumpkins are displayed at the Santa Cruz County Fair in Watsonville in 2018.

Congressmen Panetta, Long introduce legislation to preserve agriculture fairs STAFF REPORT

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressmen Jimmy Panetta and Billy Long have introduced legislation to help preserve agricultural fairs across the country and offset the devastating financial losses they have experienced due to Covid-19.

The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act will provide grant funding for agricultural fairs through state departments of agriculture to keep them functioning and preserve them for the future.

The legislation provides $500 million in Agricultural Fair Rescue Grants to agricultural fairs, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The AMS will provide the grant funding to states or state departments of agriculture based on the loss of attendance those fairs have experienced in 2020.

“County and local fairs are very important to agriculture and our communities all across our country,” Panetta said. “Fairs provide our producers with the opportunity to market their crops and livestock, and foster the next generation of farmers. They also are an economic engine and a gathering place for us to highlight and celebrate our communities.

Like many institutions, fairs have been impacted

by Covid-19, and we must provide them assistance if we are going to preserve these fairs for the future.”

Added Congressman Long: “It is rare indeed if a person doesn’t have fond childhood memories of their county and state fairs. Fairs play a vital role in U.S. agribusiness by supporting thousands of jobs and giving farmers a way to promote their products. Our fairs have suffered very substantial, if not devastating, losses due to Covid-19. I am proud to work with my colleague and buddy, Congressman Jimmy Panetta, to introduce legislation that offers critical and strategic relief to a vulnerable industry in dire need or our assistance.”

Kelly Violini, CEO, Monterey County Fair & Event Center, explained how the Monterey County Fair is one of 76 Fairgrounds in California, serving more than 35 million Californians in 2019.

“Fairgrounds are often the heartbeat of their community generating over $40 million in nonprofit and community benefits, and promoting a quality of life serving as gathering spots, recreation facilities, and learning centers,” Violini said. “Our local Fair promotes the bounty of our county annually in its internationally awardwinning Agriculture Building while educating over 4,000 children about local agriculture.

The Agricultural Fairs Rescue Act is imperative to the survival of our Fairgrounds and all of its valuable programs.”

Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds CEO Dave Kegebin said the Covid19 pandemic has created “financial stresses” that have many fairgrounds across the country struggling to survive.

“Fairgrounds across the United States provide important community hubs for agricultural education, emergency support services, community charitable fundraising, and many different forms of entertainment ranging from local talent shows to major regional concerts,” Kegebin said.

“Most Fairgrounds depend on self generated revenues to maintain safe operations that serve their communities. “ Dara Tobias, CEO/ Fair Manager, San Benito County Fair, had similar thoughts.

“Fairgrounds... provide an affordable place to celebrate life events, learn about agriculture, food and fiber, feel the joy of a thrilling ride and find safety during a disaster,” Tobias said. “We are very grateful for your consideration of support for Fairgrounds in California and across the country. Providing grant funds through this legislation will allow Fairgrounds to survive the devastating effects of Covid-19 by keeping

people employed and facilities maintained and safe while we remain open to support our communities’ needs. Thank you to Congressman Panetta and colleagues for hearing our concerns and working to support so many in our Fair Family.”

The Western Fairs Association, the California Fairs Alliance, and many other partners have announced their strong support of Congressman Panetta’s efforts to assist the Fair Industry during the time of Covid-19.

“Besides the social and cultural impact, fairs provide the future leaders of this country—the 4-H and FFA members— with vital leadership skills development,” said Marla Calico, President & CEO, International Association of Fairs & Expositions (IAFE). “Additionally, the economic impact to each community is significant. In the majority of communities the fairgrounds serves as critical infrastructure in times of need—fire camps, hurricane and tornado shelters for humans and animals... Now, many [are] serving as Covid-19 testing sites, temporary hospitals, quarantine shelters, food distribution sites and temporary polling places.

We thank Congressmen Panetta and Long for introducing the Agricultural Fairs Research Act and for working to preserve our America’s fairs. “ Congressmen Panetta and Long led their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter urging House leadership to include strong support for our state and county agricultural fairs in the next Covid-19 relief package.

To view the letter visit panetta.house.gov/sites/ panetta.house.gov/ files/documents/2020.

July_.22_CongressmanPanetta_Letter_ FairsRelief_COVID19. pdf.

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Shade trees adapt to rise in urbanism

By TONY TOMEO Syndicated Columist

M

odern urban home gardens are shadier and more confined than older suburban home gardens originally were. Modern homes are both taller and closer together on smaller parcels. Fences are also taller to compensate for the minimal proximity of adjacent homes. Less sunlight reaches the ground.

There is not as much space available for shade trees. Nor is there as much use for them.

Huddled modern homes are simply not as exposed to sunlight as older suburban homes were. Sunlight is more of an asset than a liability.

Walls, ceilings and windows are so thoroughly insulated that shade is less important. Solar arrays up on roofs must remain exposed to sunlight. Smaller and denser trees are more important for obscuring views of adjacent homes, rather than for shade.

Shade trees are still useful for rural and suburban homes. Shade helps to keep older and less energy efficient homes cooler through warmer summer weather.

If strategically situated to the south, west or southwest, they shade homes during the warmest time of day. Well proportioned trees do not darken too much of their gardens.

Deciduous trees allow warming sunlight in through winter.

The popularity of modern urban homes is directly proportionate to the popularity of small evergreen trees. Such trees fit into smaller garden spaces, and permanently obscure unwanted scenery. Big deciduous shade trees that are practical for larger garden spaces become obtrusive in confined spaces. Defoliation in winter reveals unwanted views, and deprives the landscape of privacy.

Some of the more practical of small ever-

CLIMATE ➝ From page 1

Scurich Insurance Services

License #0436405

Servicing the Agricultural Community Since 1924

783 Rio Del Mar Blvd. Suite 7 Aptos, CA 95003-4700 Phone: (831) 661-5697 www.scurichinsurance.com

Monterey Bay’s graduate environmental studies program, also gauged farmers’ interest in initiatives that could improve their farms’ sustainability. Most said increasing innovation in rainwater capture and adding protections and financial support for farm workers during work stoppages would make the largest impacts. Receiving funding to make the switch from traditional sprinkler irrigation to a drip irrigation was also a top priority.

Zamora also championed organic farming and said that many people have become more conscious of their food and how it is grown, which he said is a critical step to making agriculture more sustainable.

“What we do now will make our future generations more successful or will make them fail faster— it could ruin what we have here,” he said.

FAR REACH Traditional shade trees can grow quite large. green trees are actually large shrubbery. English laurel, Carolina cherry, photinia, hopseed bush and various pittosporums can get high enough to obscure neighboring windows. All are conducive to pruning if they get too tall. If staked on single straight trunks, or pruned to expose a few sculptural trunks, they do not occupy much space at ground level.

Tristania laurina, and some melaleucas are naturally small to midsized evergreen shade trees.

Some species of Podocarpus can be pruned as midsized trees.

Highlight: Camphor tree The best camphor trees, Cinnamomum camphora, are in parks and other spacious landscapes.

Such trees have sufficient room for their broad canopies. Although they do not grow rapidly, they eventually get quite large, and perhaps too massive for confined urban gardens. Some of the older local trees are nearly

Zamora was one of three panelists who spoke during the conference. Dr. Flavio Cornejo of Salud Para la Gente and Claudia Tibbs, a sustainability professional and conservation communicator for La Eco Latina, joined Zamora on the panel.

Watsonville Mayor Rebecca Garcia gave the introduction. Yana Garcia, the deputy secretary for environmental justice, tribal affairs and border relations at the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), and State Assemblyman Robert Rivas were the keynote speakers.

Five farmers participated in the survey, which was available in English and Spanish. It was part of the Regeneración’s Heat Stress Prevention Campaign, which was partially funded through the CalEPA’s Small Environmental Justice Grants program.

Regeneración also developed a brochure of how people can protect themselves from heat exhaustion

fifty feet tall, and nearly as broad. They have potential to get much bigger.

Camphor trees excel as shade trees. Their light green or perhaps yellowish evergreen foliage is quite dense. Shade of groups of trees or large trees with low canopies inhibits the growth of lawn grass. Also, roots are likely to eventually elevate lawn or other features that are close to the trunks.

Foliar canopies are billowy, but can be lopsided, especially in windy or partly shaded situations.

Trunks and main limbs of camphor trees are rather stout, and can be rather sculptural. Trees should be pruned for clearance while young. Otherwise, obtrusively low limbs can become prominent components of the canopies.

The tan bark is distinctively checkered. It darkens handsomely with rain.

All parts of the camphor tree are quite aromatic.

Frass from spring bloom can be slightly messy.

Horticulturist Tony Tomeo can be contacted at tonytomeo.com.

during brutal manual labor—commonplace for farm workers during the peak of the summer season.

Regeneración Executive Director Nancy Faulstich said the 2019 survey was the natural progression of the organization’s previous survey that shone a light on how climate change—especially warmer summer and fall weather—is disproportionately affecting the poorest of the poor in the Pajaro Valley.

That survey polled dozens of area residents, many of whom identified as farm workers. Faulstich said she hopes the two surveys will start a conversation about climate change that will produce innovative solutions that can help farmers and their employees.

“We hope the forum connected the dots about thinking holistically in making agriculture more sustainable,” she said.