Family owned and operated.
For better water penetration, 29% calcium polysulfide Now OMRI listed for restricted use in organic fields
Serving the Imperial Valley for over 35 years. Wholesale Only
3556 Dogwood Rd. Imperial, CA 92251 (760) 554-3554 (760) 344-6912 wingatecoimperial@aol.com 2 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
Publishers’ Message
H
Imperial Valley’s Ever-Changing Agricultural Landscape
ere’s some advice for getting a glimpse at the range of agriculture in the Imperial Valley. Traverse thousands of miles through an ever-changing landscape of farmland. Don’t blink: a surprise lurks around every bend Repeat. Or, take a shortcut. Flip the page and start cultivating an understanding of the region’s commodity-based punch by reading the 2020 edition of Valley Agribusiness. We’ve done the driving, experienced the frequent double-takes (our necks are still sore) and dug further to get the information you will want. Our diligent editorial team’s surprise-bydriving tours, while endlessly fascinating, barely scrape the surface of the potential, promise and ever-changing array of plantings sprouting up throughout this vast agricultural area. And each foray ends up with a bushel of new questions. Is that a hemp forest? Where did Brussels sprouts go? Why is there a herd of longhorn cattle grazing here? Or what is that new crop over there? What grows here is a testament to the region’s unusually diverse $2 billion-plus agricultural industry. There are nearly 100
different commodities and crops growing here throughout the year, several of which rank among the top producers in the state. It is no wonder, then, that the Valley routinely rises to be among the top ag-producing regions in the state and nation. In this edition there is plenty of specific crop and commodity data to harvest. Check out the graphs and graphics planted below and throughout these pages. Both the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office and the Imperial Irrigation District graciously provide excellent data that provide insight into quantities and values of the commodities grown here. Even the data is ripe with surprises. Who knew that gai lan or tatsoi (both types of Asian greens) grow here and are part of a hefty and increasingly valuable commodity group called “Miscellaneous Vegetables?” You may find, as we so often do, that the more information you harvest, the more questions will pop up. It helps to know the region’s unique geography, which allows a vast and efficient gravity-fed Irrigation system and a climate conducive to yearround growing to contribute to the area’s agricultural bounty. What turns this arid landscape into a remarkable agricultural
oasis is a tenacious, pioneering spirit that lives on in all that grows today. To gain greater understanding about the region, we are grateful to have the wisdom shared by our invaluable partners, the Imperial County Farm Bureau and the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association. They graciously provided information, insight and contacts that contributed to several articles in this edition about what is new, different and cutting edge. For instance, you won’t want to miss the fascinating article about industrial hemp, which after some growing pains looks to be thriving, as is a soon-to-open CBD oil extraction facility. And check out the article on Valley agriculture’s newest advocate, the revived local chapter of California Women for Agriculture. You won’t want to miss the article about the fascinating and unexpected complicated process of pollination. Who knew it works better when two types of bees are partners in the process? And be sure to read both the Farm Bureau’s and Veg Growers’ columns to get even greater insight about the industry and the people who make Imperial Valley so exceptional and ever changing. n
TEN-YEAR COMPARISON OF MAJOR COMMODITIES YEAR
LIVESTOCK
FIELD CROPS
VEGETABLE & MELON CROPS
FRUIT & NUT CROPS
SEED & NURSERY APIARY PRODUCTS PRODUCTS
2018
$532,130,000
$507,849,000
$984,472,000
$83,909,000
$109,210,000
$8,461,000
2017
$452,708,000
$365,819,000
$1,018,764,000
$85,186,000
$137,286,000
$5,837,000
2016
$468,176,000
$381,181,000
$1,006,345,000
$80,098,000
$123,057,000
$4,357,000
2015
$502,065,000
$422,319,000
$805,021,000
$83,277,000
$107,673,000
$4,779,000
2014
$410,512,000
$530,849,000
$723,260,000
$95,909,000
$93,818,000
$4,441,000
2013
$617,371,000
$470,461,000
$865,401,000
$100,019,000
$100,557,000
$4,708,000
2012
$483,833,000
$587,977,000
$718,219,000
$85,154,000
$67,432,000
$3,144,000
2011
$403,880,000
$518,257,000
$903,959,000
$64,237,000
$68,877,000
$4,877,000
2010
$321,022,000
$360,139,000
$809,126,000
$51,294,000
$52,952,000
$4,001,000
2009
$690,311,000
$312,544,000
$343,201,000
$47,765,000
$55,577,000
$3,562,000
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 3
VOLUME 3 EDITORS & PUBLISHERS Bill Gay Sue Gay Susan Giller Peggy Dale Bill Amidon
CONTRIBUTORS Antoine Abou-Diwan Stefanie Campos Darren Simon Brea Mohamed Kay Day Pricola
COVER PHOTO Jimmy Dorantes
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Alejandra Noriega Alejandra Pereida Ernesto Pereda Dominik Muñoz
PHOTOGRAPHERS Jimmy Dorantes Joselito Villero Bill Amidon Peggy Dale Alejandra Noriega Armando Contreras
WEB DESIGNERS Jesus Uriarte Sergio Uriarte
SALES
Bill Amidon John Lovecchio
ADVERTISING
bill.amidon@reliancepr.com 760-693-5330
Drone view of a melon harvest north of Brawley. - Photo By Jimmy Dorantes
INDEX FIELD CROPS
FRUITS & VEGETABLES
LIVESTOCK
APIARY
6
8
Challenges Ahead For Hemp Growers 10
OWB Packers Brings Artisanal Touch
16
18 22
(Includes Valley Agribusiness and quarterly Imperial Valley Alive!) Send name address and email address with $21.70, includes tax, to:
History of the Borderland Historic Irrigation Structures
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4 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
Bees Crucial To Ag’s Success
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
Valley Agribusiness is published annually by Reliance Public Relations, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical for any purpose without the written permission of Reliance Public Relations, Inc.
Keeping Produce Safe, Abundant
The Facts About E. Coli Ag Advocates, Irrigated Lands Managers
OTHER STORIES
COVER PHOTO: Melon harvest north of Brawley. - Photo By Jimmy Dorantes
20 24 26 30
Crop Report 2018 Why American Farmers Grow In Mexico California Women for Agriculture Understanding Grows Alongside Crops
Did you know? $2.07 billion
Imperial County’s gross value of agricultural crops*
No. 10
Imperial County’s ranking for gross value, out of the 58 California counties*
Imperial County was California’s sole producer of sugar beets**
The No. 1 producer
of alfalfa hay, alfalfa seed, Sudan hay, sweet corn and wheat in California is Imperial County** It is among the state’s top five producers of artichokes, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupes, carrots, cattle and calves, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, dates, grapefruit, honeydew melons, lettuce, onions, potatoes, salad greens, sheep and lambs, spinach, vegetable seeds and watermelons**
In 2017, California remained the nation’s leading state in cash receipts with the leading crops being fruits, nuts and vegetables. *Compiled from the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Crop Report 2017. ** From the 2017-2018 review of the CDFA’s 2017 Ag Statistics
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Pa i d f o r b y t h e C o m m i t t e e to el e Ct rya n d. Chil ders, iid d ire C to r d ivis io n 2 , 2 0 2 0
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 5
FIELD CROPS
Industrial Hemp Challenges Ahead for Crop, Growers By Bill Gay
I
ndustrial hemp celebrated its first anniversary on Jan. 1, 2020, as a legal agricultural commodity that is no longer subject to federal regulations as a controlled substance. Despite much optimism that this crop could someday become a major economic force in the Imperial Valley, there is much still to be done and much to be learned. Hemp is a relative of cannabis, but without the chemical that creates intoxication. It is sometimes described as a “Swiss army knife” of farm products because it is used in a variety of products ranging from medicines to dog toys. It is the plant’s relationship to cannabis that has created bureaucratic hurdles. As 2019 ended, just over 14,000 acres had been registered with the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office as potential hemp ground, but only about 2,700 acres had been planted. “The challenge is that this is a new crop and every aspect of its cultivation needs research,” said county Agriculture
6 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
Commissioner Carlos Ortiz. “I think growers are going slowly and looking at the markets. I think that is wise.” As the second year of hemp cultivation begins, the 34 farming operations that have opted to grow it face continuing challenges as they pioneer this new crop. Ortiz noted that, “In the end, it will be the grower who can provide the highest yield and best quality of hemp at a time of higher demand who will be a success.” However, things are not moving quickly. “This is, by far, the most difficult crop we have ever had,” said Brawley area hemp grower John Currier, of Badlands Provisions. His family farming operation has specialized for the past 50 years in growing produce. Among the problems are federal and state regulatory uncertainties. Additionally, the Valley’s summer heat took a major toll on yields from summer hemp crops. And lots of legal issues still must be resolved. Yet, there have been some bright spots. Regulatory concerns regarding water delivery have sparked an innovative
CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
Hemp grows in a field in northwest Imperial County. - Photos By Bill Amidon
All American Grain Environmentally Friendly Form of Transport A
ll American Grain LLC (AAG) has been in operation in Calipatria for more than 15 years since opening in October 2004. It is owned and run by local businesspeople and provides a transloading service for corn deliveries from the Midwest to the Imperial Valley. In the last few years All American has expanded its operations to include the running of a weekly intermodal container train. Until recently, local hay exporters had to send trucks to Long Beach to collect empty containers, bring them to the Imperial Valley, load and then truck them back to Long Beach full of cargo. From there the shipping lines take the containerized hay to destinations such as Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and the Middle East. All American in partnership with Union Pacific, Kuehne and Nagle (the largest freight forwarder in the world) and leading shipping lines globally including CMA, APL, Evergreen and ONE are now providing the Imperial Valley with a local rail spur that allow exporters to collect and deliver their containers from and to Calipatria. From there AAG, in conjunction with its logistics partners, will deliver the container to anywhere in the world. This is the most environmentally friendly form of transport available because it reduces CO2 emissions by 63 percent. Within the last 12 months AAG has been on an expansion program to help with the demands of both industries. Commissioned in January 2020, AAG has constructed a new 16K short ton corn silo,
which almost doubles the corn storage capability of the business. To further support the export operation, AAG has also expanded its rail infrastructure by constructing 11,500 feet of new track and an all-weather storage yard. Additionally, AAG is working on developing an overpass within its complex, which will be dedicated to the intermodal business. This will support the current and future needs of exports from Imperial Valley by rail and sea to the rest of the world. Any inquiries should be directed to All American Grain or Kuehne and Nagle.
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 7
LIVESTOCK
From left, One World Beef Packers CEO Eric Brandt stands in Brawley processing facility with team members Jose Torres, who is the trim line lead, Edgar Amarillas, the round line lead, and Ernesto Aceves, who is the production schedule lead. - Photos courtesy of OWB Packers
OWB Packers Brings Artisanal Touch To Beef By Susan Giller
T
he OWB Packers processing plant in Brawley is dedicated to the craft of producing top quality beef and serving the growing number of refined palates around the globe. OWB Packers has grown its operation substantially since it reopened what had been the shuttered National Beef processing facility back in 2016. The value of Imperial Valley-grown cattle, the region’s single largest commodity by dollar volume, has followed suit. Yet OWB Packers’ arguably most striking feature is its passion for the product. As Eric Brandt, OWB Packers CEO puts it, “We take extra steps, extra care to create the finest quality.” This “extra care” is put into practice with state-of-the-art equipment, rigorous quality control, and a skillful team of employees. “Think of us like a craft beer brewery,” Brandt explains. “We use fine ingredients, then craft them together with care and respect to bring out their special characteristics. We want each label we pack to shine for its unique qualities. We don’t aspire to make a mass-produced product.” In operating a USDA-certified custom toll processing facility, OWB Packers looks to create relationships with customers, focused on the success of each brand processed. “If our customers are successful, our business will naturally grow with them,” Brandt says. “We can process meat for anyone, including our competition. We enhance the beef to each brand’s specifications and market their distinctive attributes.” That is how OWB processes the Brandt family’s own Brandt Beef—
8 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
A cut of beef is being processed at OWB Packers. an all-natural hormone- and antibiotic-free program—as well as Imperial Valley Ranches: a brand that exclusively sources cattle from the Imperial Valley. In addition to custom beef fabrication, OWB Packers supports its toll customers in specialty areas such as export certification (to Asia and the European Union, for instance), and packing and shipping logistics
CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
LIVESTOCK
LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION
ITEM
YEAR
HEAD
UNIT GAIN
TOTAL GAIN
UNIT
VALUE PER UNIT
GROSS VALUE
CATTLE (FEEDLOT)
2018
379,129
10.27
3,894,412
CWT
$120.64
$469,832,000
2017
344,937
10.05
3,467,192
CWT
$111.67
$387,170,000
2018
*
*
*
CWT
*
2017
60,000
0.53
31,620
CWT
$136.05
2018
**
**
**
LBS
**
**
2017
60,000
4.60
276,000
LBS
$1.26
$347,000
SHEEP (FEEDERS)1/
SHEEP (WOOL)2/
* $4,302,000
AQUATIC PRODUCTS
2018
$10,244,000
(FISH & ALGAE)
2017
$10,494,000
MISC. LIVESTOCK
2018
$52,054,000
2017
$50,395,000
TOTAL 2018 TOTAL 2017
VALUE
$532,130,000
VALUE
$452,708,000
Misc. Livestock may include: Calves, Replacement Cattle, Dairy Animals, Milk, Manure/Compost, Sheep, Wool, California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta Show Animals 1/*2018 Sheep (Feeders) is now included in Misc. Livestock 2/**2018 Sheep (Wool) is now included in Misc. Livestock Cwt = 100 Pounds
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 9
FRIUTS & VEGETABLES
Chemical ‘Worker Bees’ Help Keep Produce Safe, Abundant By Susan Giller
T
he term chemical is frequently thought of as a dirty word. A chemical is any substance consisting of matter. This includes any liquid, solid or gas. A chemical is any pure substance (an element) or any mixture (a solution, compound, or gas). They can either occur naturally or can be created artificially. The chemicals used today in agriculture to boost yields and protect crops from pests, weeds and other problems are a little like worker bees -- they do their job and disappear long before produce goes to market. Just how well chemicals work is apparent in the abundance of beautiful produce the Imperial Valley sends to market. Now a recently released state report offers fresh evidence that today’s agrichemicals effectively decompose and disappear after doing their work in fields in Imperial County and elsewhere in California. In its 2018 annual survey, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation found that
95 percent of all produce samples it tested had no detectable pesticide residues or had levels below what is allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Many of those scant exceptions were samples grown outside of California and even internationally. “Our growers take food safety very seriously,” said Kay Day Pricola, executive director of the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association. “That affects every aspect of their operations. Using the right pesticides, herbicides, soil supplements and other necessary chemicals is part of the equation.” The importance of agrichemicals goes far beyond its ability to dissipate. They play a vital role in helping farmers grow the quantity and quality of produce needed to feed the nation and the world. Today’s agrichemicals are a far cry from the old broad-spectrum pesticides formerly used that killed good bugs along with the pests and then lingered and caused long-term environmental harm, according to Frank Miranda, manager of Rockwood Chemical in Brawley. And the
effectiveness, safety and precision with which today’s agrichemicals work are improving all the time. Chemicals used today are much more targeted to specific pests and they decompose more quickly, Miranda said. “There is less persistence (in the field), which makes it safer for the user and the consumer.” “Older chemistry used more pounds of material per acre and you had to wait sometimes up to 30 days to get back into the field to harvest,” he said. “With newer chemicals some are so safe that you can get back into a field in four hours.” Miranda, who is a Pest Control Advisor (PCA), likened the newer generations of agrichemicals to medicine that can be prescribed to treat specific conditions or symptoms. “They go through rigorous testing, just like pharmaceutical medicines, maybe even more, before they’re available,” Miranda said. PCAs are required to get 20 hours of continuing education a year to keep up with what is on the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 36
VEGETABLES & MELON CROPS PRODUCTION
CROP
YEAR
HARVESTED ACRES
BROCCOLI (MARKET) CABBAGE (MARKET) CARROTS MARKET
2018 2017 2018 2017
13,726 13,785 2,044 1,949
460.22 442.11 777.25 642.65
6,316,932 6,094,475 1,588,700 1,252,524
26 LBS 26 LBS 45 LBS 45 LBS
$15.99 $15.56 $13.71 $21.62
$100,982,000 $94,806,000 $21,777,000 $27,079,000
2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017
4,764 4,940 11,117 11,525 15,881 16,465 5,091 4,794
932.29 975.76 26.41 31.64
4,441,707 4,820,247 293,541 364,677
50 LBS 50 LBS TON TON
$3.15 $2.75 $161.20 $114.53
645.00 740.75
3,283,695 3,551,135
23 LBS 23 LBS
$12.12 $12.91
$13,977,000 $13,264,000 $47,319,000 $41,765,000 $61,296,000 $55,029,000 $39,794,000 $45,858,000
2,274,594 2,221,335
50 LBS 50 LBS
$9.27 $9.71
$21,076,000 $21,558,000
5,686,485 40 LBS 5,553,338 40 LBS 4,549,188 50 LBS 4,442,671 50 LBS 16,241 12,510,267 CTN 17,115 12,217,344 CTN 13,953 404.21 5,639,991 35 LBS 15,440 645.33 9,963,947 35 LBS 2,996 9,354.00 28,027,390 LBS 2,557 11,912.67 30,460,689 LBS Spring Mix may include: Green, Red and Baby Leaf Lettuce, Mizuna, Mustard
$9.13 $9.35 $9.27 $9.71 $9.21 $9.54 $21.74 $21.85 $0.58 $0.56
$51,934,000 $51,938,000 $42,152,000 $43,116,000 $115,162,000 $116,612,000 $122,627,000 $217,717,000 $16,256,000 $17,004,000
PROCESSING & OTHER TOTAL CARROTS CAULIFLOWER (MARKET) HEAD LETTUCE NAKED PACK WRAP PACK BULK TOTAL HEAD LETTUCE LEAF LETTUCE SPRING MIX
2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017
10 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
YIELD PER ACRE
TOTAL UNITS
UNIT
VALUE PER UNIT
GROSS VALUE
FRIUTS & VEGETABLES
VEGETABLES & MELON CROPS (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10) CROP
YEAR
HARVESTED ACRES
PRODUCTION
YIELD PER ACRE
TOTAL UNITS
UNIT
VALUE PER UNIT
GROSS VALUE
ONIONS MARKET
2018 4,708 2,377.35 11,192,554 50 LBS $6.60 $73,834,000 2017 4,153 1,668.75 6,930,319 50 LBS $7.77 $53,829,000 PROCESSOR 2018 7,852 19.51 153,161 TON $161.98 $24,810,000 2017 8,934 18.53 165,547 TON $152.46 $25,240,000 TOTAL ONIONS 2018 12,560 $98,644,000 2017 13,087 $79,069,000 POTATOES 2018 2,087 250.95 523,733 CWT $34.93 $18,294,000 2017 1,589 491.33 780,721 CWT $17.99 $14,044,000 SPINACH 2018 8,585 11,431.54 98,139,768 LBS $0.86 $84,291,000 2017 9,619 11,160.38 107,351,678 LBS $0.79 $84,450,000 SWEET CORN 2018 8,569 358.00 3,067,702 50 LBS $13.22 $40,540,000 2017 7,300 331.52 2,420,096 50 LBS $16.01 $38,754,000 ROMAINE LETTUCE 2018 7,787 750.75 5,846,099 35 LBS $9.47 $55,371,000 2017 7,867 419.73 3,301,985 35 LBS $14.68 $48,480,000 MISC. VEGETABLES 2018 16,098 $156,688,000 2017 10,349 $134,702,000 CANTALOUPES 2018 4,330 635.09 2,749,956 40 LBS $8.90 $24,481,000 2017 4,790 536.12 2,568,015 40 LBS $9.25 $23,762,000 HONEYDEW & 2018 1,241 692.13 858,927 40 LBS $11.95 $10,261,000 MISC. MELONS 2017 1,035 691.49 715,694 40 LBS $13.93 $9,972,000 WATERMELONS 2018 1,415 31.92 45,170 TON $398.68 $18,008,000 2017 1,028 29.25 30,069 TON $380.00 $11,426,000 TOTAL 2018 ACRES 132,604 VALUE $984,472,000 TOTAL 2017 ACRES 128,769 VALUE $1,018,764,000 Misc. Vegetables may include: Artichoke, Arugula, Asparagus, Bok Choy, Celery, Cilantro, Collards, Dill, Eggplant, Endive, Fennel, Gai Lon, Garbanzo Beans, Herbs, Kale, Mint, Mizuna, Mustard, Napa Cabbage, Okra, Oregano, Parsley, Peas, Pepper, Radish, Rapini, Red Beets, Rosemary, Squash, Sweet Basil, Swiss Chard, Tat Soi
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 11
Wingate Company Lime Sulfur Solutions Aid, Aerate Soil By Darren Simon
I
n the Mesquite Lake region of the Imperial Valley along Dogwood Road is a small, family-owned and operated processing plant that has been crucial to helping Imperial Valley farmers produce the healthiest crops and strongest yields since opening in 1982. Operated by the Wingate family under the banner, Wingate Co., the facility produces a lime sulfur solution key to making marginal
12 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
soil farmable. In technical terms, the product reduces the alkalinity of the soil, increasing a field’s permeability, allowing for greater irrigation penetration and drainage. In short, the solution aerates the soil, allowing water to reach seeds, producing better yields. For the Wingates, their product — branded as Lime Sulfur Solutions — is part of a family tradition that began some 60 years ago. The fact the operation continues today points to just how critical their work is and how dedicated the family is to the Valley. “We’re just really proud and happy to produce a product to make a farmer’s life easier,” said Cindy Wingate, who owns Wingate Co. “We just want to put out a quality product and hopefully it’s helping people.” Cindy manages the business together with her eldest son, Justin, and longtime supervisor Cesar Agredano. Cindy’s two younger sons, Zachary and Logan, also help with the business. They’ve run it on their own since Cindy’s husband, Tres Wingate, passed away in 2013. For Cindy, there never was a question of shuttering the business after her husband’s passing. “It was his whole life,” she said. “My husband started filling gallons when he was just 10 years old. And it is what I know, too. We were married 30 years. I couldn’t see shutting it down.” She added, “It’s my sons’ legacy, and we were really happy we could keep it going. The Valley has been good to us businesswise, and our customers were very happy that we were going to keep it going. It means a lot that we have been around for 60 years.” The company began in the mid1960s led by Everett Wingate, Cindy’s father-in-law. The company started with a plant in Fresno and eventually expanded to include plants in Los Angeles, Nevada and, as of 1982, in the Imperial Valley. When Everett passed away in 1987, Cindy’s husband took over as head of operations. As most of the business was generated in the Imperial Valley, the decision was ultimately made to close the other plants, making the facility in the Valley the company’s last processing plant. The decision was a wise one as the
company has continued to thrive with its base in the Valley. Increasingly tough California fertilizer regulations actually worked in the company’s favor, Cindy said, because other fertilizers were no longer allowed. That meant Wingate’s lime sulfur solution became increasingly important to the Valley. “We’ve been blessed to have really good years,” she said. Today, the Wingate plant provides its solution to major national distributors, including the Dune Co., Helena Chemical and Nutrien Ag Solutions, which have national reach and also local operations serving Valley growers. The Wingates’ product also serves Mexicali and the Central Valley, but most of their product is used in the Valley. Annually, Wingate produces 750,000 gallons of the lime sulfur solution. It ships out the solution in tanker trucks, each carrying 25 tons of the liquid solution. “We may have a week where we send out eight truckloads,” Cindy said. “It is cyclic—very much in harmony with farming.” The busiest seasons are when farmers are preparing fields for the crops to come, which tends to be in winter and early spring, but she said business can be steady year-round, which points to the Valley’s need for the product. “For those guys who are working on marginal land, this product helps open the soils and allows more seeds to sprout and grow,” Cindy said. She added their product improves the soil by adding calcium and sulfur, which plants need in order to grow to their fullest. “It conditions and gives an extra boost to the plant,” she said. She added their product aids the soil by adding calcium and sulfur, which plants need to grow to their fullest. And business is about to expand to serving organic farms. Since December, Wingate Co. has been listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), a watchdog agency that provides expert, independent and transparent verification of a material’s use for organics. “That means our product can now be used on organic fields,” Cindy said, pointing out there are some restrictions, but “it really opens up a new market for us.” She added, “I’m really hopeful the farmers will find it useful on their organic fields.” n
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 13
Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association
The Facts About E. Coli
By Kay Day Picola Executive Director
E. coli continues to be in the food safety news and linked to my favorite, Romaine lettuce. The growers in Imperial Valley take food safety seriously and this latest incident is of serious concern to the entire industry. While none of the outbreaks were linked to our growing area, the impact to our farm workers, our farmers and the local economy is painful. We would like to use these events to provide information about foodborne outbreaks and those related to E. coli in particular. Let’s start with the definition of an “outbreak.” When two or more people get the same illness from the same contaminated food or drink, the event is called a foodborne disease outbreak. The Center for Disease Control started tracking multistate foodborne outbreak investigations involving E. coli in 2006. For a complete listing of reported outbreaks, please use the Foodborne Outbreak Online Database (FOOD) tool. Public health officials investigate outbreaks to control them, so that more people do not get sick and to learn how to prevent similar outbreaks in the future. The most recent outbreak was reported in very late October 2019 and linked to the Salinas area. The outbreak in March 2019 was also linked to the California Central Valley. The first one was November 2018 and linked to Yuma, Arizona. As a result of the first outbreak, voluntary identification was recommended for all growing regions. Here is an example of that at a local Imperial Valley store. While some of us here know the growing patterns, the general public does not. The voluntary labeling by region and harvest date will help the public identify better the source of the produce. The cost of this additional label could be initially 75 cents a case. As it becomes the norm, the cost could drop. It is well worth the cost to have a better-educated consumer. Beyond the definitions, it helps to delve into the science. Just what is E. coli? Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of people and animals. Most E. coli are harmless and actually are an important part of a healthy human intestinal tract. However, some E. coli can cause illness, either diarrhea or illness outside of the intestinal tract. The types of E. coli that can cause diarrhea can be transmitted through contaminated
14 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
water or food, or through contact with animals or persons. E. coli consists of a diverse group of bacteria. Pathogenic E. coli strains are categorized into pathotypes. Six pathotypes are associated with diarrhea and collectively are referred to as diarrheagenic E. coli. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) — STEC may also be referred to as verocytotoxinproducing E. coli (VTEC) or enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). This pathotype is the one most commonly heard about in the news in association with foodborne outbreaks.
Some facts:
People usually get sick from Shiga toxinproducing E. coli (STEC) two to eight days (average of three to four days) after swallowing the germ. Some people with a STEC infection may get a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). E. coli infection is usually diagnosed by testing a stool sample. Antibiotics are not recommended for patients with suspected E. coli infections until diagnostic testing can be performed and E. coli infection is ruled out. Some studies have shown that administering antibiotics to patients with E. coli infections might increase their risk of developing HUS, and a benefit of treatment has not been clearly demonstrated. Now let’s get down to what to do to avoid the risk of foodborne infection: Know your chances of getting food poisoning. People with higher chances for foodborne illness are pregnant women, newborns, children, older adults and those with weak immune systems, such as people with cancer, diabetes, or HIV/AIDS.
Practice proper hygiene, especially good handwashing:
Wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and changing diapers. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after preparing or eating food. Wash your hands thoroughly after contact with animals or their environments (at farms, petting zoos, fairs, even your own backyard). Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing and feeding bottles or foods to an infant or toddler, before touching an infant’s or toddler’s mouth, and before touching pacifiers or other things that go into an
infant’s or toddler’s mouth. Keep all objects that enter infants’ and toddlers’ mouths (such as pacifiers and teethers) clean. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol (check the product label to be sure). These alcohol-based products can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but they are not a substitute for washing with soap and running water. Follow the four steps to food safety when preparing food: clean, separate, cook and chill. Wash fruits and vegetables well under running water, unless the package says the contents have already been washed. My personal advice, if you are in a high-risk group, wash it anyway. Cook meats thoroughly. To kill harmful germs, cook beef steaks and roasts to an internal temperature of at least 145°F (62.6˚C) and allow to rest for three minutes after you remove meat from the grill or stove. Cook ground beef and pork to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F (70˚C). Always use a food thermometer to check that the meat has reached a safe internal temperature because you can’t tell whether meat is safely cooked by looking at its color. (unless you are Chico at Stockmen’s) Don’t cause cross-contamination in food preparation areas. Thoroughly wash hands, counters, cutting boards and utensils after they touch raw meat. Avoid raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products and unpasteurized juices, such as fresh apple cider. Don’t swallow water when swimming and when playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools and backyard “kiddie” pools. This includes canals. I know I will hear from all you who swam in a canal here and lived. This is advice from the CDC. Imperial Valley has not had a reported case of E. coli. We are fortunate to have so many local growers and shippers here who are responsible and caring people. We have you and your family’s health at the forefront of any food safety protocol. We will continue to update and use the best and safest growing practices. n
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 15
APIARY
Victor Sanchez, Jr., owner of Sanchez Bees Inc., wears a protective head mask as he inspects bees in box colonies at a field near Westmorland. - Photo By Joselito N. Villero
By Darren Simon
What’s the buzz? Bees Crucial To Ag’s Success
In the Imperial Valley agricultural industry, men and women work tirelessly every day to farm the land, leading to successful crops, an ag economy valued more than $2 billion dollars and a well-earned reputation for the high quality of the products generated. But, there’s another hero in the story of Imperial Valley agriculture – the bee. And, not only are they critical to the crops grown in Imperial County but also to the $21.5 billion almond industry based in the Central Valley. That the Imperial Valley has carved out a niche for its high-quality non-genetically modified seed production with a net worth at over $109 million, according to 2018 statistics, is very much due to the support of bees, and the handlers whose job it is to raise them and coordinate with farmers in what is a complex, time sensitive and delicate process. “Imperial County is a seed-producing county, so to keep that seed production growing in Imperial County, it is very important to have the pollination that bees make possible,” said Nelson Perez, deputy agricultural commissioner for the Imperial County.
16 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
In its entirety, the Valley bee industry accounts for nearly $118 million of Imperial County’s total agricultural revenue, according to the most recent Imperial County Crop report that covers the year 2018. That includes the $109 million in support for seed production, and the expanding apiary industry — defined as the handling of bees — covering both pollination and honey production, which grew in revenue to nearly $8.5 million in 2018, up from nearly $6 million the year before, according to the crop report. What those numbers do not include is just how critical Imperial Valley bees are to California’s Central Valley, aiding in the pollination that allows the almond industry to thrive. Through a cooperative effort, honey bee handlers from throughout California, including those in the Imperial Valley, converge on the Central Valley around February with their hives to support the almond industry. While the general public might recognize the bee industry more for the honey production, in particular, thanks to events like the honey festival in Westmorland, it is in seed production and pollination where the work of bees is crucial to the Valley’s agricultural value.
Drive along the roads near alfalfa fields, and you will spot trailers either on the edge of the field or within the field. Those trailers are home to the bees whose job it is to trip the flowering crops intro producing seeds through the process of pollination. There are two types of bees at work in the Valley to carry out this role: the more familiar honey bees and the more recently integrated leafcutter bees. Leafcutters represent a “new technology” in seed production being used locally within the last 10 years. Imperial Valley farmer Corey Clayton is a bee handler on top of his harvesting business and farming operation, CMC Harvesting. His bee company, Bee Cool Inc., uses leafcutters, a smaller bee with no stinger that gets its name from its practice of cutting holes in leaves that the bee then uses to wrap its larvae in during the incubation period. Leafcutters are also known for the speed at which they work, allowing for increased pollination over their short life cycle. Leafcutters only live about six weeks, but during that time they are efficient at pollinating and have become known for the speed at which they pollinate, which can lead to higher yields.
APIARY
Ralph Strahm of Holtville grows alfalfa, and over the last couple of years he has started to use leafcutter bees. “They are very aggressive at tripping the bloom,” Strahm said. “Where honeybees will become a bit timid, the leafcutters stay aggressive.” Clayton, who started Bee Cool five years ago, said, “When we started this business, we saw the potential the leafcutters had for higher yields because of the way they work.” The leafcutters work well in temperatures ranging in the mid-80s to 90s, which enables them to get into fields early in the alfalfa season -- April, May and June. However, timing has to be perfect to ensure they are in the fields as the blooming begins, and that’s where it takes careful coordination with farmers. “You have to be in exact correlation with the farmer to ensure pollination occurs,” Clayton said. Perez said there are many farmers in the Valley who will use both leafcutters and honeybees on their fields, positioning the leafcutters within
A leafcutter bee pollinates alfalfa plants in eastern Imperial Valley. The bees are owned by local company Bee Cool. - Photo By Jimmy Dorantes the fields and the honeybees just outside the fields to get wider coverage. Leafcutters work well placed directly in the fields because they have a shorter flight area, where honeybees work over a larger area, Strahm said, adding he does use both bees in his field to ensure the best yields. “These bees complement each other,” he
said. “They do not compete with each other.” Pollination that results from the work of the bees is critical to Imperial County’s seed production industry because through the work of the bees the county has established itself as producing non-genetically modified alfalfa.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 37
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 17
WATER
The Colorado River in Yuma. - Adobe Stock Photo
Colorado River Delta History of the Borderland Eric Boime is an Associate Professor of Environmental History and Borderlands Studies at San Diego State University Imperial Valley. He has published a series of articles on the history of the Colorado River Delta Borderlands and he is currently wiring a book about the impact of US-Mexico relations on the trajectory of the Colorado River. By Eric Boime, Ph.D. San Diego State University Imperial Valley
T
he Colorado River Delta is arguably the most important borderland on the continent. To put it succinctly, Imperial and Mexicali are entitled to a third of the annual flow of the Colorado River. What other borderland in North America controls a remotely comparable share of such a transcendentally vital unit of power? Any historical understanding of this power, as well as of the Colorado River in general, requires a conception of the river as both a literal and figurative border. The river is a transnational river not simply because it flows across the international boundary or because it forms an actual border for some 30 miles. Rather, United States-Mexico relations, including both nations’ attempts to integrate their borderlands, ultimately effected a continental wide dispersal of fresh water resources, impacting development throughout the Colorado’s entire 1,450 milelength. Residents of Yuma know that steamships
18 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
regularly plied the river delta, but many historians still downplay this short and illfated period. The Hoover Dam visitors’ center proudly proclaims the steamship era as an utter “failure” (making its damming inevitable), but, in actuality, the river’s navigation was essential for demarking and regulating the borderlands. The supplies and soldiers carried in by steamships were absolutely vital to the maintenance of Fort Yuma and therefore to the “pacification” of Native Americans, and to the orderly migration of miners, settlers, topographers and explorers, including that of Oliver Woznecraft, “the father of the Imperial Valley.” Failure or not, the river’s “navigable status” was officially designated by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 (after the USMexico War), which placed the river under international jurisdiction. Imperial Valley and Mexicali priority rights to the Colorado were institutionalized by the Colorado River’s first comprehensive reclamation project, which required both Mexican and American land grants, concessions from both nations, and a very “flexible” obeisance to two different legal systems.
The success of the California Development Company, which founded the Imperial Valley, hinged on the company’s ability not only to acquire 100,000 acres of Mexican land, but also to persuade the Mexican government a rightof-way through Mexican sovereignty. Large billowing sand dunes made it economically prohibitive to convey water directly from the river to the Valley. The CDC had to build a canal system that had to first loop through Mexico. For the precious right of way, Mexico exacted the rights to one half of all the water diverted, establishing privileges that Mexico would invoke for the next 40 years, up until 1944, when the two nations at last arbitrated a formal treaty apportioning the Colorado. The Mexican territory had all along been part of the CDC’s grand development scheme. The company laid out the townsite of Mexicali, promoted it as an “empire in embryo,” and helped facilitate its titular control by Southern California’s most renowned real estate developers, including Los Angeles Times publisher Harry Chandler. By definition, a frontier zone operates without the imposition of state control. The unintentional creation of the Salton Sea was clearly the product of such operations. When the U.S. federal government began asserting control over the Colorado River, the CDC moved its diversion point south of the boundary, out of the U.S. political orbit. Months later, the rickety canal system, built on the cheap, gave way,
WATER
sending the river plunging into the Imperial Valley for 2 ½ years. President Theodore Roosevelt would later present the debacle as an ominous example of arid land settlement sans government supervision. The CDC went bankrupt. Long-term profits promoted the Pacific Railroad to step up and step away, placing the Valley’s irrigation systems under public ownership. The Imperial Irrigation District was subsequently created in 1911 with board members who were now ready to work with the U.S. government to take unilateral control of the Colorado’s headwaters. Anyone doubting the impact of U.S.-Mexican relations on the Colorado needn’t look further than the Phil SwingHiram Johnson Boulder Canyon Act of 1928. The authorization of the All-American Canal might not have received the same fanfare as the technological marvel that would become Hoover Dam, but both were authorized in the same legislation. More significantly, as Valley boosters boasted, the canal was “the tail that wagged the dog.” Such a canal made sense only if a high dam (the future Hoover) was put in place to prevent any more floods like the ones that created Salton Sea. The All-American Canal staves the river at the border and directs most of it northside. It is the lifeline of the Imperial Valley. Sometimes, it serves as a national moat, a mortal threat to
would-be border crossers. In advocating for its construction in the 1910s and 1920s, Valley residents and federal officials alike conjured a zero-hour state of emergency at the border. Not only did they claim Mexico was too unstable to responsibly share a vital irrigation system, they fretted about the large presence of Japanese and Chinese immigrants who leased land on the Mexican side of the delta. They also feared that millions of immaculate orchards south of the border would ruin U.S. growers, deplete the watersheds and destabilize the hemisphere. The reality was that every acre-foot of water utilized in Mexico, even if those profits went to Asians or their American millionaire landlords, was another acre-foot of water that Mexico could claim in an impending treaty. “These Mexican lands menace us like a giant sponge,” groused Phil Swing, when he was the Imperial Valley’s Congressional representative and former IID attorney. Clearly, a stable, prosperous Mexico was much more worrisome than an unstable, impoverished Mexico. In the 1930s, Mexico President Lázaro Cárdenas understood the need to push the development of Mexicali to extreme levels. Mexicali still commemorates Jan. 27, 1937, El Asalto de las Tierras, when hundreds of campesinos stormed the holdings of
American land speculators and ejected their Chinese and Japanese tenants. Cárdenas seized this opportunity by formally expropriating Mexicali’s foreign-owned land, making them available for small farmers and communally held ejidos. He then used radio and newspapers across Mexico to encourage mainlanders to come to Baja California and take advantage of “free” government land. Mexican state intervention, just like U.S. intervention, was informed by the international scramble for Colorado River water. As it happened, the rapid development of Mexicali paid off. The 1944 Mexican-American Water Treaty awarded Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of the river’s flows, more than 10 times what was allotted to the state of Nevada. Mexico should not feel grateful for this outcome. Like Imperial Valley’s share, it was based on the law of prior appropriation (“first in time, first in right”). Nevertheless, Mexico’s apportionment was significant, considering the powerful opposing interests in Arizona and California. As water conflicts in the American West continue to mount, people will inevitably ask how two tiny desert communities win priority domain over the melting snow of the Rocky Mountains? The answer can best be surmised by the artist Guillermo Gómez-Pena: “the border is the juncture, not the edge.” n
Experience from the ground up Our business is agriculture. In fact, many of our staff have direct experience in farming or ranching: living – and working – testaments to our timeless commitment to the future of agriculture.
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Committed. Experienced. Trusted. VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 19
2018 Crop Rank & Acreage
Imperial Irrigation District Water Department
2018 2017 CROP CROP ACRES % CUMULATIVE CUMULATIVE 2018 2017 CROP RANK RANK TYPE* DESCRIPTION ACRES % RANK RANK TYPE* 1 1 F ALFALFA (ALL) 138,453 30.6% 138,453 30.6% 41 34 G 2 2 F BERMUDAGRASS (ALL) 55,587 12.3% 194,040 42.8% 42 44 G 3 3 F SUDANGRASS (ALL) 48,692 10.7% 242,732 53.6% 43 39 G 4 4 G LETTUCE (ALL) 29,631 6.5% 272,363 60.1% 44 47 G 5 5 F SUGARBEETS 25,632 5.7% 297,995 65.8% 45 45 P 6 6 F WHEAT 22,181 4.9% 320,176 70.7% 46 62 P 7 8 F KLEINGRASS 17,932 4.0% 338,108 74.6% 47 41 F 8 7 G CARROTS (ALL) 15,897 3.5% 354,005 78.2% 48 52 G 9 9 G ONIONS (ALL) 12,912 2.9% 366,917 81.0% 49 G 10 10 G BROCCOLI (ALL) 12,282 2.7% 379,199 83.7% 50 65 G 11 11 P DUCK PONDS 9,664 2.1% 388,863 85.8% 51 67 G 12 13 G CORN, SWEET 8,569 1.9% 397,432 87.7% 52 51 F 13 12 G SPINACH 8,237 1.8% 405,669 89.6% 53 64 G 14 14 P CITRUS (ALL) 7,013 1.5% 412,682 91.1% 54 57 P 15 16 G VEGETABLES, MIXED 6,532 1.4% 419,214 92.5% 55 61 G 16 15 G MELONS, SPRING (ALL) 5,066 1.1% 424,280 93.7% 56 60 P 17 18 G CAULIFLOWER 3,957 0.9% 428,237 94.5% 57 49 F 18 22 G SUNFLOWERS (SEED) 2,665 0.6% 430,902 95.1% 58 G 19 17 F CORN, FIELD 2,250 0.5% 433,152 95.6% 59 40 G 20 19 G CABBAGE 2,014 0.4% 435,166 96.1% 60 63 F 21 20 G POTATOES 1,930 0.4% 437,096 96.5% 61 68 P 22 21 G RAPINI 1,529 0.3% 438,625 96.8% 62 F 23 25 P DATES 1,394 0.3% 440,019 97.1% 63 48 F 24 27 G WATERMELONS 1,224 0.3% 441,243 97.4% 64 G 25 24 F RYEGRASS 1,188 0.3% 442,431 97.7% 65 G 26 23 G CELERY (ALL) 960 0.2% 443,391 97.9% 66 69 F 27 28 F OATS 823 0.2% 444,214 98.1% 67 71 P 28 29 F GRASS, MIXED 817 0.2% 445,031 98.2% 68 53 F 29 36 G OKRA 615 0.1% 445,646 98.4% 69 46 F 30 30 P OLIVES 604 0.1% 446,250 98.5% 70 72 P 31 26 G CILANTRO 569 0.1% 446,819 98.6% 71 73 P 32 38 F SESBANIA 518 0.1% 447,337 98.8% 72 75 F 33 31 P FISH FARMS 485 0.1% 447,822 98.9% 73 50 G 34 74 G MELONS, FALL (ALL) 433 0.1% 448,255 99.0% 74 54 F 35 32 F SUGARCANE 419 0.1% 448,674 99.1% 75 55 G 36 33 P PALMS 402 0.1% 449,076 99.1% 76 56 G 37 35 P PASTURE, PERMANENT 364 0.1% 449,440 99.2% 77 58 G 38 42 G SWEET BASIL 310 0.1% 449,750 99.3% 78 59 G 39 43 G MUSTARD (ALL) 298 0.1% 450,048 99.4% 79 66 G 40 37 G FLOWERS 286 0.1% 450,334 99.4% 80 70 G * Crop Types: F = Field G = Garden P = Permanent Source: www.iid.com
20 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
CROP DESCRIPTION CORIANDER SEED PARSLEY (ALL) KALE CABBAGE, CHINESE NURSERY MANGOS RED BEETS ARTICHOKE (ALL) PEPPERS, HOT RADISHES ROCKETT SPIRULINA ALGAE HERBS, MIXED JUJUBE ALOE VERA ORNAMENTAL TREES TRITICALE GRAIN GARBANZO BEANS SWISS CHARD (ALL) SORGHUM GRAIN ASPARAGUS FLAX SORGHUM SILAGE EGGPLANT DILL SAFFLOWER EUCALYPTUS RAPESEED BARLEY PECANS FRUIT, MIXED BAMBOO SQUASH QUINOA COLLARDS FENNEL BRUSSELS SPROUTS PARSNIPS CUCUMBERS PEPPERS, BELL
ACRES 280 275 269 249 141 139 118 102 100 99 98 85 85 77 72 65 64 58 51 40 39 35 33 17 15 13 7 6 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
% CUMULATIVE CUMULATIVE ACRES % 0.1% 450,614 99.5% 0.1% 450,889 99.5% 0.1% 451,158 99.6% 0.1% 451,407 99.7% 0.0% 451,548 99.7% 0.0% 451,687 99.7% 0.0% 451,805 99.7% 0.0% 451,907 99.8% 0.0% 452,007 99.8% 0.0% 452,106 99.8% 0.0% 452,204 99.8% 0.0% 452,289 99.8% 0.0% 452,374 99.9% 0.0% 452,451 99.9% 0.0% 452,523 99.9% 0.0% 452,588 99.9% 0.0% 452,652 99.9% 0.0% 452,710 99.9% 0.0% 452,761 100.0% 0.0% 452,801 100.0% 0.0% 452,840 100.0% 0.0% 452,875 100.0% 0.0% 452,908 100.0% 0.0% 452,925 100.0% 0.0% 452,940 100.0% 0.0% 452,953 100.0% 0.0% 452,960 100.0% 0.0% 452,966 100.0% 0.0% 452,970 100.0% 0.0% 452,974 100.0% 0.0% 452,975 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0 0.0% 452,976 100.0% 0.0% 452,976 100.0%
Total Acres of Crops 452,976
IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT
Protecting the valley’s water rights and energy balancing authority while maintaining affordable rates and providing the highest level of customer service.
IID A century of service.
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 21
Historic Irrigation I Structures S Recognized On World Stage T
he Imperial and Mexicali valleys’ historic feat a century ago to direct Colorado River water into both valleys, and by doing so, transformed a harsh and forbidding land into a thriving agricultural oasis in the desert, has been recognized by irrigation leaders everywhere. Imperial Irrigation District’s Alamo Irrigation System, consisting of the Alamo Canal (1900), Hanlon Heading (1906) and later, the Rockwood Gates (1918), has been recognized by the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage by designating the system for inclusion in the ICID’s Register
A crew erects a dike at the third heading of the Imperial Canal in Mexico, circa 1905 -Online Archive Of California
of World Heritage Irrigation Structures. The irrigation system was nominated for the honor by the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage and selected by ICID as an “engineering marvel constructed over 100 years ago, representing an excellent example of transboundary water sharing and agricultural development of the region.” The international commission is a leading scientific and technical organization that promotes sustainable agriculture water management in irrigation and drainage. The purpose of the honor is to recognize the historical irrigation structures on the lines of World Heritage Sites, as recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The award, one of the first recognitions of its kind for the United States, was initially presented on the world stage in September in Bali, Indonesia at ICID’s International Executive Council Meeting. Accepting on behalf of IID was USCID President Brian Wahlin, who subsequently presented the honor to IID Water Manager Tina Shields at a regional conference. The U.S. joins 14 other nations with similar recognitions. “This truly is a prestigious and well-deserved honor,” said Henry Martinez, IID general manager. “It’s also a humble reminder of the courage exhibited by our early pioneers who reached across international boundaries to bring water to a vast, dry and forbidding land, making a way for the region to become the tremendous success that it is today.” In the early 1900s, both the Imperial and Mexicali Valleys were perceived as untamable. At the time, the California Development Company constructed the Alamo Canal and Hanlon Heading near Pilot Knob to channel water from the Colorado River into the Imperial Valley by way of Mexico. The irrigation project directed water from the Alamo Canal, which crossed into Mexico and ran parallel to the Colorado River, before connecting westerly to the Mexican Arroyo Alamo – a dry riverbed which drained northerly – ultimately reaching the Imperial Valley via gravity flow.
A temporary closure of a break in the west bank of the Colorado River from the lower side, looking toward the site of the destroyed Rockwood Gate, 1906. -Photo Courtesy Of IID
The Alamo Canal (Imperial Canal) is full of water from the lower Colorado River in Imperial County. Circa 1903. Cracked dry mud characterizes the near shore. -Photo By: Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.)
Photo By: Lippincott, Joseph Barlow
22 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
The CDC utilized most of the Alamo River on the U.S. side as part of the initial irrigation system; the first waters were brought into the Imperial Valley in 1901. The project spurred settlement, increased food production to exceptional levels and created thriving agricultural economies in both valleys. The unsurpassed, progressive impact of the irrigation project to the agricultural economies of two countries is noteworthy. Today, the IID manages over 1,667 miles of canals and laterals, which deliver water to approximately 4,700 delivery gates serving 479,000 acres of farmland
within the Imperial Valley. The mild winter season and year-round water supply means that the area is always in production, with most fields being double- or triple-cropped. Today, more than 100 different types of crops are grown in the Imperial Valley, which has an annual gross agricultural production value of over $2 billion. The Mexicali Valley has also prospered, becoming one of the largest fertile valleys in Mexico with a current population over 1 million residents and one of Mexico’s most important food export areas.
The World Heritage Irrigation Structure plaque given to IID is shown at left. Above is the signed award.
-Photos by IID
The principal canal connections between the Colorado River and southern Salton Sea dranages, 1956. Courtesy of IID
Above are the disused Alamo Canal headgates at Hanlon Heading. March 27, 2011. -Photo By: Weedwhacker128
Note the high velocity of floodwaters as an unidentified man stands next to the Main Canal of the Imperial Canal system. Circa 1905 -Photo By: Lippincott, Joseph Barlow
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 23
Why American Farmers Grow In Mexico
By Antoine Abou-Diwan
T
here’s a good chance that the green onions on your grocery store shelf weren’t grown by Imperial Valley farmers but on the other side of the border, in Mexico. It’s not a new phenomenon. American farmers have been growing crops in Mexico for many years. But if going to Mexico once was something only the brave did, it’s now a business necessity, according to Gustavo Beltran, president of International Farm Services, a logistics company based in El Centro. The issue comes down to lack of labor and cost of labor in the U.S. “You have to have the labor resource to harvest the crop,” Beltran said. “It doesn’t matter how much you want to pay somebody if there is nobody to pay.” More than 50 percent of farmers surveyed by the California Farm Bureau Federation earlier this year said they had been unable to hire all the employees they needed at some point in the previous five years. Over 85 percent said they had raised wages in an effort to hire more people. Some 56 percent reported using labor-saving technology, and of those switching to mechanization, 56 percent did so due to employee shortages. There are programs intended to help. The federal government’s H-2A visa program allows American employers to bring in foreign nationals to fill temporary agricultural jobs if there’s a labor shortage. The number of farm workers hired through H-2A more than doubled over the past 5 years, with 243,000 workers hired through the program in 2018, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. But with more than 2.4 million farm jobs that needed to be filled, those numbers barely made a dent. Farmers say the H-2A program is expensive and inefficient. It requires them to pay above-market wages and to provide free housing
24 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
A sign near the East Calexico Port of Entry. and transportation to and from the farm. Just 6 percent of California farmers polled by the California Farm Bureau Federation said they had enrolled in the program. California’s minimum wage of $13 per hour ($12 per hour for those who employ 25 workers or fewer) is significantly higher than that in Mexico, which means the other side of the border is better suited for crops that need to be tied or bundled, like green onions and asparagus. Value-added products that require handling, like spring mix and florets, are excellent candidates for Mexico, and a number of American processors have set up facilities on the other side of the border.
A truck prepares to cross into Mexicali at the East Calexico Port of Entry. - Photos By Armando Contreras U.S. direct investment in Mexico’s agriculture, fishing, forestry, and hunting sectors is approximately $1.3 billion, according to the USDA. “Fifteen dollars per hour versus $15 per
day—what can they charge me in tariffs to equalize the wages?” Beltran said. It’s hard to say how many Imperial Valley growers are operating in Mexico. When Western Growers polled its members in 2011 about their non-U.S. operations, just 27 member businesses responded. They said that they farm nearly 114,000 acres outside the U.S., employing more than 23,500 workers in those operations. The primary growing regions in Mexico are Baja, San Luis Valley, Mexicali Valley, Guanajuato and Sonora. “Although labor shortages and regulatory costs are two primary reasons that Western Growers members farm in other countries, there are competitive advantages as well, such as logistics, diversification of operations and commodities, and the benefits of a 12-month production cycle,” Cory Lunde, senior communications director, said in an email. Beltran has more than 30 years of experience working with agriculture and logistics in Mexico. He started Americas Growers Service in Mexico in 1991 in order to facilitate the importation of Mexican crops into the U.S. He launched International Farm Services in El Centro a few years later. Imperial Valley farmers have many reasons
to continue farming back home. Unlike in Mexico, water is plentiful, and the Imperial Irrigation District’s infrastructure is good. However, many farmers complain that California labor and environmental laws create other issues that prompt them to consider growing south of the border. “Mexico has the advantage of cheap labor. The U.S. has cheap capital,” said Howard Elmore, a fourth-generation farmer from Brawley, who also maintains a small operation in Mexico. “If you compare Imperial Valley to Mexicali, Mexicali has a small unit cost for green onions, cilantro.” Elmore’s family began to grow crops in Mexico in the mid-1980s. But they continue to grow alfalfa, sudangrass, bermudagrass, wheat and winter vegetables in the Imperial Valley. “Alfalfa and cotton — things that take equipment — are better done in the U.S.,” he said. “The other crops like asparagus — California used to have big asparagus acreage —they were forced out of business due to government regulation. “Mexico doesn’t have restrictions like the U.S. Nobody is taking advantage of anybody. But there’s less bureaucracy.” n
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 25
California Women for Agriculture On a Mission to Support Ag By Stefanie Campos
I
mperial Valley agriculture has an important new ally. Women. Or more specifically, women supporting local agriculture through the reinvigorated Imperial Valley Chapter of the California Women for Agriculture. And these women are on a mission. They may be manning a booth at the California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta or participating in Pioneers Museum’s CWA OFFICERS: annual Pioneer Day, thanking a field President, Natalie worker, or knocking Peraza on doors around President-elect, Brea the Capitol in Mohamed Sacramento. Leading the charge is Natalie Secretary, Judy Tagg Peraza, president of Treasurer, Gina the newly reinstated Dockstader chapter of CWA. fondly Internal Vice President, Peraza remembers the past Kate Elmore Imperial chapter of CWA in which her mom was involved. That chapter began in the Valley in April 1976 and eventually disbanded some 20 years later. She is no stranger to the industry. Peraza’s great-grandfather settled in the Imperial Valley in 1904 and her son will return home after earning his college degree to work as a fifth-generation farmer. While not in herself, Peraza has kept the industry close to her in other ways.
Peraza is a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher at a small country school on the outskirts of Brawley. The school is surrounded by farm fields and while some children there have ties to the industry themselves, she recognizes the need to keep the interest and education about agriculture ongoing. Teaching about farming is something she has been doing since she started teaching in Westmorland 23 years ago. There she would take students to a field, a packing shed, a feedlot and Vons supermarket. “The kids really got to see beginning to end and really understand … a lot of their family members worked in the field … and have a little better appreciation for them,” she explained. In October 2018, Peraza was sponsored by the local Farm Bureau to attend the California Agriculture in the Classroom conference in Coachella. It was there, the city that originated CWA, that the idea to reinstate the local entity of CWA was sparked. About 40 interested locals arrived for the first unofficial meeting in September, of which half paid their $40 dues. The local chapter kept the momentum going with another meeting in October and 30 new members joined. When Peraza attended a CWA quarterly meeting in Merced, the chapter was unanimously voted in as Imperial Valley Chapter (formerly Imperial Chapter). “With over 1,500 member-volunteers,
Left to right: Brea Mohamed, Gina Dockstader, Natalie Peraza, Emillee Callens, Judy Tagg, Jodi Rollins Not pictured: Kate Elmore - Photos Courtesy Of CWA
26 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
California Women for Agriculture (CWA) is the largest and most active, all-volunteer, grassroots, agricultural support organization in California,” explains a CWA handout. “Established in 1975, our membership is comprised of women and men who come from a variety of backgrounds and professions such as farmers, ranchers, bankers, homemakers, teachers, attorneys, community and civil service employees and other agriculture-related support businesses.” “This Valley is here because of agriculture,” said Peraza. “Just trying to implement the interest and hopefully with Farm Smart and our fundraising and backing … we’ll try to get some more activities out there for the kids.” Farm Smart is a University of California educational outreach program at the Desert Research and Extension Center in Holtville, hosting thousands of kindergarten through 12th grade students and winter visitors annually. Peraza’s sentiment echoes the organization’s priorities. “CWA believes that California agriculture is the fundamental cornerstone for the country’s health and national security. Agriculture needs to be California’s No. 1 priority,” explains a CWA handout. Apart from securing their membership and creating a donor base, on the horizon is supplying farmers’ market stands, supporting school gardens, hosting surprise breakfast or lunch for workers in the fields or
packing sheds and even a Farmers’ Ball for supporters. CWA would also like to place signs along Interstate 8 that educate passersby about the growing produce. “Our overall mission is to promote and support our farmers and ranchers, to educate our youth and to also be legislative advocates,” said Peraza. “There is tremendous value in the relaunch of the Imperial Valley California Women for Agriculture chapter. As the number of individuals connected to agriculture continues to decrease, the importance for education about and advocacy for our farms and ranches will only continue to increase,” said Brea Mohamed, executive director of the Imperial County Farm Bureau and CWA president-elect. “I look forward to the many projects CWA will work on and the positive contributions it will make toward our community.” Paula McConnell Pangle is glad to see the resurgence of the local CWA. Her mother, Pauline McConnell, was a strong force in the establishment of the CWA in Imperial Valley and was one of the founding members. She was an active member and on the forefront of efforts to help protect and promote agriculture in Imperial Valley until the group dissolved. Pauline McConnell also was involved in starting the county Farm Bureau in 1946. She served two terms as president and wrote a monthly article for the Farm Bureau Monthly magazine. McConnell was very involved with Farm Bureau Women, as many of the same women belonged to both the Farm Bureau and CWA. “Since Farm Bureau Women in Imperial Valley no longer exists, it is wonderful to have CWA re-establish some of the major efforts to promote and protect agriculture that Farm Bureau Women did such a fabulous job in previous years,” said Pangle. “Since agriculture is the backbone of Imperial Valley, we always need these efforts
CWA President Natalie Peraza with Brea Mohamed, executive director of the Imperial County Farm Bureau and CWA president-elect. - Photos Courtesy of CWA supported and there is no better organization than the California Women for Agriculture to take on this task. As the saying goes, ‘Behind every successful man is a great woman.’ “I believe this saying is very fitting for our successful agricultural history in Imperial Valley and will continue to be true with the future of agriculture in Imperial Valley.” While there is enthusiasm for all the future holds for the Imperial Valley chapter, Peraza is focusing on building the membership to garner more votes in the state when the group is eligible in 2021. “We are now 143 members strong and we wouldn’t be where we are today without our great executive board,” said Peraza, adding, “We want to hit that 200 mark.” For more information, contact Peraza at imperialvalleycwa@ gmail.com n
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 27
Imperial County Farm Bureau
Ag Advocates, Irrigated Lands Managers By Brea Mohamed Executive Director
F
or over a century, the Imperial County Farm Bureau (ICFB) has advocated on behalf of the Imperial Valley’s agriculture community. Our focus has been on a wide variety of issues that affect farmers and ranchers in the Imperial Valley, including water, labor, land use, food safety and a cornucopia of other issues. Our job is to take the needs and concerns we hear from our members and find ways to address them, whether that be by meeting with public officials, putting on a training session or creating an awareness campaign. Farm Bureau is there when you can’t be. Another big role that ICFB plays is with managing the Irrigated Lands Program. Since 2002, we have acted as the liaison between our members and the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB). The Farm Bureau’s involvement has allowed Valley farmers to avoid intrusive monitoring activities by the RWQCB by developing a self-compliance program to limit farmer’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of agricultural discharge and limit substances such as silt, sediment and other nutrients from draining into regional waterways. This year, we hosted the RWQCB for a tour to showcase the efforts being made in the Imperial Valley with regard to this program as well as in anticipation of the transition to a revised regulation in 2020 based on the State Water Board’s precedential requirements set in the East San Joaquin General Order. For us, 2019 was another busy year. Our No. 1 issue, as always, was water, and Farm Bureau continues to advocate to preserve Imperial Valley’s water rights and protect our farmers’ investments in on-farm conservation. We continue to represent our members at all Imperial Irrigation District meetings and speak
28 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
on behalf of Imperial Valley farmers. We have taken a leadership role with the Imperial County’s up and coming commodity: industrial hemp. In June, the ICFB Board formed an Industrial Hemp Ad-hoc Committee. This group of local farmers has been meeting regularly with various agency officials to discuss and work through some of the issues that have faced this new crop as well as create processes that work for all parties moving forward. This year, our ag literacy efforts included partnering again with Farm Smart, the Imperial Valley Vegetable Growers Association and Imperial Valley Water for our second annual “Read with a Farmer Day,” where we put 20 local farmers, ranchers and ag professionals as well as dozens of local FFA students in more than 40 classrooms and six libraries around the Valley to read an ag-related book on “National Read a Book Day.” Additionally, for the second year, we sent two local teachers to the annual California Ag in the Classroom Conference to help develop their agricultural knowledge so they are better equipped to teach their students the importance of agriculture and the vital role it plays in our community. In 2019 we had one of our most successful scholarship barbecues to date, and we administered $50,000 in scholarships to local students who plan to pursue careers in agriculture-related fields. We are excited to have been selected as a technical assistance provider for the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Climate Smart Agriculture Program once again. And, we look forward to partnering with the UC Cooperative Extension to provide workshops and assistance to local farmers and ranchers interested in the Healthy Soils Program or Alternative Manure Management Program. Imperial County is too frequently left out of statewide funding opportunities, but we hope to change that. We are also proud to have played a key role
in the relaunch of our Imperial Valley California Women for Agriculture chapter. This group is already over 100 members strong, and we look forward to the positive impact the organization will contribute to our community. These are just a few of the many projects and issues that we worked on throughout the year. All of our hard work was recognized by California Farm Bureau Federation (CFBF), which honored us in several program areas at its annual meeting in December. In addition to our county staff working on local initiatives, CFBF has staff that is focusing on state and federal issues. They are in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., fighting for us on a daily basis. CFBF staff keeps the counties abreast of what is happening on state and national levels, and county staff provide CFBF with information about concerns that they are hearing from their members. Every farmer in California—and everyone involved in agriculture—has benefited from Farm Bureau’s advocacy. Whether you’re a fifth-generation or first-generation farmer or rancher, Farm Bureau has been instrumental in fighting both for your way of life and for your ability to make a good living. With fewer people directly involved in production agriculture, we need every farmer, rancher and business that helps produce, process and deliver the crops we grow to be a Farm Bureau member. If you are already a member, consider getting more involved by joining a committee or upgrading your membership. Agriculture plays a vital role in the Imperial Valley’s past, present and future. Through Farm Bureau, we can ensure that our industry and community can continue to thrive for years to come. In today’s political climate, we must be unified. Our agricultural community must speak with one voice and work together to preserve our great industry. Farm Bureau is that voice. n
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 29
Intern Student at Desert REC
A first-grade class from McCabe School harvest carrots on a field trip to the DREC near Holtville as part of the Farm Smart program. - Photo By Alejandra Noriega
Understanding
Grows Alongside Crops at DREC Mariana Gonzalez Castro is a senior at SDSU Imperial Valley who will graduate in May with a degree in Mathematics and a minor in Public Administration. A graduate of Brawley Union High School, she is attending San Diego State University Imperial Valley through the IVUP joint enrollment program with Imperial Valley College. She said doing an internship at the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center really changed her career aspirations. “I initially wanted to teach college-level mathematics,” she wrote, “After this internship, I want to pursue a career in agriculture, preferably with USDA.” By Mariana Gonzalez Castro
W
hen I began this internship with the University of California Desert Research and Extension Center (UC DREC) and the Farm Smart program, my only experience was working mainly with college students. I wanted to gain more experience working with K-12 students and creating lesson plans for K-12 schools. When I was notified that the 4-H program’s annual Sustainable You
30 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
summer camp wanted to collaborate with Farm Smart, I immediately offered to help and work with the 4-H program and its youth. I worked closely with faculty from the 4-H program, UC Cooperative Extension Office and high school students in preparing for the camp’s events. My role in this camp was to guide high school students in becoming camp counselors, preparing their lessons and providing any supplies that they might need for the
CONTINUED ON PAGE 40
Internships are a proven way to gain relevant knowledge, skills and experience while establishing important connections in the field. Learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom. Participating in internships can provide a wealth of benefits such as: Applying classroom learning in professional environments Gaining exposure to a chosen field Establishing critical networking connections Gaining coveted work experience Desert REC is partnering with a USDA program, where the strategic goal is to measurably increase student research skills that ensure our national forests and private working lands are conserved, restored and made more resilient to climate change, while simultaneously enhancing the sustainability of the nation’s water resources. The internships provide an experiential approach to learning in the field of water resources and/or watershed management, which helps students gain real-world experience in natural resource protection while developing new knowledge, skills and abilities in problem-solving from a watershed perspective. Mariana Gonzalez Castro recently was an intern at Desert REC. At the time, she was a senior at San Diego State University Imperial Valley, working on degrees in mathematics and public administration. Mariana’s goals during the internship were to increase her overall knowledge in agricultural processes and gain a deep understanding of agricultural research and its impacts. She worked with Desert REC’s Farm Smart program, which gave her experience in working with kindergarten through 12th grade students and developing K-12 curriculum. In all of its programs, Desert REC’s Farm Smart teaches about water, weather, sustainability and other natural resources. Through her duties in the Farm Smart program, Mariana helped students develop an understanding of water and water resources through STEM activities. She worked with Desert REC staff to develop a multifaceted capstone project surrounding her chosen topic of water resources and management. She was challenged to think critically and apply investigative skills.
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 31
FRUIT & NUT CROP PRODUCTION
YEAR
HARVESTED ACRES
YIELD PER ACRE
TOTAL
VALUE UNIT
PER UNIT
GROSS VALUE
2018
2,825
3.30
9,321
TON
$2,598.83
$24,224,000
2017
2,629
3.45
9,080
TON
$2,831.33
$25,712,000
2018
692
12.08
8,362
TON
$486.93
$4,072,000
2017
770
10.64
8,190
TON
$560.42
$4,590,000
2018
4,612
12.66
58,383
TON
$749.27
$43,745,000
2017
4,419
11.42
50,444
TON
$865.00
$43,634,000
2018
532
4.76
2,532
TON
$553.83
$1,402,000
2017
579
4.63
2,680
TON
$498.00
$1,335,000
2018
570
7.50
4,275
TON
$754.67
$3,226,000
2017
563
5.67
3,190
TON
$938.25
$2,993,000
MISC. CITRUS, FRUIT &
2018
1,097
$6,335,000
NUT CROPS
2017
1,249
$5,941,000
CITRUS BY-PRODUCTS
2018
$905,000
2017
$981,000
CROP DATES
GRAPEFRUIT
LEMONS
TANGELOS
TANGERINES
TOTAL 2018
ACRES
10,328
VALUE
$83,909,000
TOTAL 2017
ACRES
10,209
VALUE
$85,186,000
Misc. Fruit & Nut Crops may include: Orange, Grape, Lime, Mango, Olives, Pecan, Kumquat, Jujube
32 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
SEED CROPS & NURSERY PRODUCTS CROP ALFALFA SEED NON-CERTIFIED CERTIFIED TOTAL ALFALFA SEED BERMUDA GRASS SEED NON-CERTIFIED CERTIFIED TOTAL BERMUDA GRASS SEED ONION SEED MISC. SEED & NURSERY MISC. NON-CERTIFIED SEED MISC. CERTIFIED SEED MISC. NURSERY PRODUCTS TOTAL 2018 TOTAL 2017
PRODUCTION
YEAR
HARVESTED ACRES
YIELD PER ACRE
TOTAL
UNIT
VALUE PER UNIT
GROSS VALUE
2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017
10,665 9,299 25,937 35,088 36,602 44,387
670.17 677.53 625.60 542.77 638.59 571.00
7,147,328 6,300,306 16,226,187 19,044,550 23,373,515 25,344,856
LBS LBS LBS LBS LBS LBS
$2.20 $2.26 $3.25 $3.21 $2.93 $2.98
$15,724,000 $14,239,000 $52,735,000 $61,194,000 $68,459,000 $75,433,000
2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017 2018 2017
4,366 17,616 4,520 3,204 8,886 20,820 883 697
400.78 245.00 351.33 277.38 375.63 249.98 331.56 347.71
1,749,796 4,315,920 1,588,027 888,734 3,337,822 5,204,654 292,765 242,351
LBS LBS LBS LBS LBS LBS LBS LBS
$4.93 $4.97 $6.00 $5.05 $5.44 $4.98 $7.22 $7.27
$8,623,000 $21,445,000 $9,528,000 $4,485,000 $18,151,000 $25,930,000 $2,115,000 $1,762,000
2018 2,392 2017 3,660 2018 3,504 2017 3,448 2018 764 2017 615 ACRES 53,031 VALUE ACRES 73,627 VALUE Misc. Seed and Nursery Products may include: Artichoke Seed, Broccoli Seed, Carrot Seed, Celery Seed, Coriander Seed, Fennel Seed, Lettuce Seed, Mustard Seed, Rapeseed, Sudan Seed, Sunflower Seed, Watermelon Seed, Wheat Seed, Aloe Vera, Cut Flowers, Palm Trees, Vegetable Transplants
$4,876,000 $20,789,000 $7,634,000 $5,690,000 $7,975,000 $7,682,000 $109,210,000 $137,286,000
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HEMP... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 partnership between Valley agriculture and Imperial Valley College. Currier called the hemp pioneering effort a “wild, wild West” that has created cooperation among Valley hemp growers as they compare notes about what works and what doesn’t work. While fall hemp crops seem to be doing better, Currier said yields of CBD from the summer crops were more than 50 percent below expectations. The low yields were “our biggest frustration,” he said. “We know how to grow things here, but we struggled beyond belief with hemp.” The grower, though, is certain that problems are temporary. “In five years, things will be different,” he said. He said the problems were because of the genetics of the seeds that were used. “All of the genetics were developed in Colorado and Oregon,” Currier said, states that have cooler summertime days and nights. In those states hemp “grows to the size of Christmas trees,” he said. Currier speculated that the main problem with local summer hemp yields was the Valley’s nighttime heat. “It never cools off. We need better seed genetics for the summer heat,” he said, adding, “we need a seed-breeding company to come here.”
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However, Currier and his company remain optimistic that hemp will succeed in the Valley. That optimism is behind their establishment of a hemp extraction facility at 520 Aten Road in Imperial. It should be open in mid-March, and by this time next year, Currier estimates it will employ 20 to 40 people. Currier, who is one of three hemp growers on the California Food and Agriculture’s 11-member Hemp Advisory Board, said they are also learning that the fall may be the window for growing hemp. The cooperation among the hemp growers “will help move us forward. A lot of guys are trying different things.” One of the unique aspects of the Valley’s hemp effort has been research partnerships that have been instituted between hemp growers and Imperial Valley College. In fact, Currier said IVC Superintendent/President Martha Garcia and Imperial County Supervisor Ryan Kelley are “100 percent of the reason we are growing hemp right now.” Kelley, who was the county Board of Supervisors chairman in 2019, and Garcia teamed to foster development of a research program to address water delivery issues. In April, the Imperial Irrigation District, caught between emerging federal and state
regulations, sent a letter to growers stating that the legal uncertainties prohibited water deliveries for hemp cultivation. The IID took the action to protect the Valley’s water rights. In its April 16 letter IID stated, “California is preparing a regulatory plan for submission to the USDA for approval and the USDA is in the process of establishing a federal regulatory plan. However, no USDA-approved California regulatory plan or USDA federal regulatory plan is currently in place and, therefore, hemp production remains illegal under federal law until either occurs.” The only provisions, the letter went on to say, that would allow the IID to deliver water to hemp crops were for educational purposes or under a pilot project of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Currier noted that the April IID letter “was a scary thing. We had crops in the ground.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its hemp regulations in October, but Robert Schettler, IID spokesman, said the district is awaiting final resolution. He said the California Department of Food and Agriculture has informed IID it will submit plans to the federal government by May 1. “This continues to be a priority for
the district,” Schettler said. “And we will continue to closely follow it at the state and federal levels with optimism.” The water delivery situation, though, has provided an opportunity for IVC students. Paid student interns, under the supervision of the college’s agriculture department and through agreements with hemp growers, research the crops. Sutton Morgan, owner of Primordia, LLC, was the first grower to encourage a program with IVC. “After (Morgan) came,” Garcia said, “within a matter of a week we had five to seven farmers” express interest. Currently, nine hemp operations are in the IVC research program, with one more coming in. There are 12 students involved in paid internship programs. Christina Tafoya, IVC’s vice president of academic services, pointed out that the interns are not just learning agriculture. “They are involved in sales and marketing also. This program is training students on the whole spectrum of production.” She added, “It’s an exciting industry for students.” IVC is one of three community colleges in the state working with hemp production, but Garcia said the local program is the most extensive in California. Once there is a resolution regarding
A closeup of hemp being grown in an Imperial Valley field. - Photo By Bill Amidon federal regulations, the internship program may end. However, Garcia said the effort will have lasting benefits because it has solidified IVC’s relationship with the agriculture community. “We have had the opportunity to work with local farmers in ways that we haven’t
in the past,” she said. “The program has demonstrated we could come together to improve the community.” For Currier and the other hemp farmers, the crop offers new opportunities. For growers who have concentrated on food and forage products, Currier said, “It’s cool we are growing medicine.” n
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VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 35
CHEMICAL... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10 market and the constantly changing requirements. The precision with which new agrichemicals work broadens the range of options PCAs can recommend for increasing crop yields and reducing damage from pest infestations. “In a sense, I work like a doctor in the field, advising a farmer on what steps to take for certain conditions,” he said. “My work starts before a seed goes in the ground.” Sometimes the PCA’s recommendation has nothing to do with chemicals. Miranda is a big fan of using long sheets of plastic to heat or “solarize” certain fields to reduce weed germination prior to planting. He also is a proponent of a crop rotation that includes certain crops, such as sesbania hemp, previously grown in the Valley, to increase nitrogen in the soil and reduce the need for soil supplements. A PCA’s recommendation must take into consideration what is going on beyond a specific field or crop. Miranda said what is appropriate for one crop could pose a problem for what is growing in the adjacent field or what is planned in the future crop rotation. “We grow so many different crops here it makes my job more challenging,” Miranda said. Miranda is especially enthusiastic about the latest generation of agrichemicals, known as “biochemicals” or “biopesticides.” According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Biochemical pesticides are naturally occurring substances that control pests by nontoxic mechanisms. Biopesticides generally affect only the target pest and closely related organisms, in contrast to broad spectrum, conventional pesticides that may affect organisms as different as birds, insects and mammals.” Many formulations of biopesticides are licensed for use on organic crops. One of the early biochemicals on the market is called azoxystrobin, which is derived from a strain of mushroom that was discovered to be
36 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
extremely effective at protecting itself by killing mold growing around it. Today azoxystrobin is widely used as an agricultural fungicide. Because biopesticides are less toxic and pose fewer risks, the EPA usually requires much less data to register a biopesticide than a conventional pesticide. “New biopesticides are often registered in less than a year, compared with an average of more than three years for conventional pesticides,” the EPA website states. Even with improving formulations and less broad-spectrum toxicity, ag chemicals remain very tightly regulated and their use is closely monitored by state and federal regulators. Miranda said Rockwood must file regular state reports that account for every drop of ag chemical it supplies and uses. All that effort helps ensure that the agrichemicals used to boost yields and protect crops from pests, weeds and other problems have -- like worker bees -- worked well and disappeared before beautiful, bountiful produce gets to market. These improvements are yet another example of food safety. n
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 At a time when genetically modified alfalfa is becoming more common, Clayton said, Imperial County has established its niche in the market for its natural forms of production. Considering that Imperial County’s seeds have both a national and international market, that’s a critical point. “There are those countries that do not want the genetically modified alfalfa,” Perez said. Victor Sanchez Jr., a second-generation bee handler from Westmorland, agreed bees are critical to the success of Imperial County’s ability to market its seeds and crops both nationally and internationally. Without the bees, he said, the Valley wouldn’t have such strong alfalfa, vegetable crops and even melon crops, which all depend on pollination. “Without the bees, we wouldn’t have the yields we have,” Sanchez said. “They help generate more production, so farmers can market their crops to other countries.” Sanchez’s company, Sanchez Bees Inc., handles both pollination and honey production. As a bee handler, he works solely with honey bees, which, he said, remain beneficial even with the addition of the leafcutters, because the honey bee can work in hotter temperatures deeper into the summer, and because they can cover more ground. He said the pollination side of his business represents the most revenue. Actually, he
added, honey production has seen a decline. Although the apiary statistics in the Imperial County crop report show an increase from 2017 to 2018, Sanchez said that is primarily due to the pollination side of the industry. “Honey production has become really tough,” he said. That is due, for one, to changing weather patterns, specifically less humidity, which leads to less nectar development, he said. Another factor is a decline in alfalfa production. While the 2018 crop report shows increasing alfalfa acreage in the Valley, Imperial County agricultural officials say the upcoming crop report for 2019 will show a decline in alfalfa and seed production due to a saturation of the Cory Clayton, owner of the Bee Cool company that market both nationally and internationally. However, the situation changes on a cyclical distributes leafcutter bees to alfalfa farmers. - Photo By Jimmy Dorantes and depends on market conditions. “I remain hopeful for the honey industry,” without the bees, the almond industry, which Sanchez said. A critical component of Sanchez’s is crucial to California’s economy, would not be business—along with other honey bee as successful. He added, “People need to understand how keeping companies in the Valley—is the need for pollination in the Central Valley almond crucial it is that we protect our bees. Without industry. Each year, he freights his bees by them, we don’t eat. Think about it, the bees truck to the Central Valley to aid in almond enable the growth of alfalfa, which is feed for the beef and pork we eat, and the seeds are pollination. “For us it is crucial because it is the state of feed for the chickens we eat. The bees are our pollination season,” he said, adding it is part of a chain reaction, and they are crucial equally crucial for the Central Valley because worldwide.” n
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 37
OWB PACKERS... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 to offer a comprehensive set of services to its customers. OWB Packers processes beef brands that are sold and enjoyed across the globe, such as: Brandt Beef Brawley Beef Heartbrand Akaushi Beef Mishima Reserve American Wagyu Imperial Valley Organics Imperial Valley Ranches Santa Carota Beef SunFed Ranch Washugyu by Super Prime Beef As its website states, the business is “run by producers for producers. We strive every day to perfect the art of the meat business.” On its founding, OWB Packers came on the scene a David among Goliaths in the beef processing world. Since then, it has steadily overcome the skepticism both from the industry and local cattlemen alike. Data from the facility details a powerful success story: OWB Packers now employs a workforce surpassing 600 team members and growing, (from a startup staff of 32) primarily made up of Imperial Valley Residents Harvests approximately 4,500 head a week (compared to about 200 at startup) Ships to markets throughout the U.S. and in Chile, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea,
38 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
Mexico and Singapore. As of December 2019, the facility is certified to ship to markets in the European Union Brandt recalls the early days of the plant’s relaunch as OWB Packers. “Just getting the operation back online was huge. We’re blessed with the team we have. Without them we would not be where we are today.” What makes everything work, he says, is the team’s shared commitment to transparency and respect. “Our core value is respect,” Brandt said. “Respect for each other, the animals we are sacrificing, our community, our environment, and our customers. It is part of everything we do.” Signage posted throughout the state-ofthe-art facility serves as reminders of the importance of respect as does the design of the facility itself: A Dr. Temple Grandin design that upholds the responsible treatment of animals. OWB Packers provides a lifeline for the Imperial Valley cattle industry that was left reeling from the shutdown of the National Beef plant, which then necessitated shipping cattle to far-flung processing plants instead. When OWB Packers reopened the plant, an enormous amount of value had left the Valley. According to the Imperial County Agricultural Commissioner, however, as OWB Packers has
Boxes of beef, processed and packed as specified for its label, are chilled in the vast cooler at OWB Packers in Brawley before they are shipped to market. - Photo Courtesy Of OWB Packers grown, in 2018 alone the gross value of cattle in local feedlots rose to $469.8 million (an increase of over $82.5 million from the prior year). Kay Day Pricola, executive director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business
(COLAB), said as Imperial County is one of California’s biggest cattle counties, “the feedlot operators recognized the benefit and need for a local processing facility. OWB is local and committed to meeting the industry’s vital need.” n
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 39
DREC ... CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30
Zuria Lemus-Noriega picks carrots from Farm Smart - Photo By Alejandra Noriega
event. The camp was divided into five topics, one topic per day. The topics were water, food, land, energy and air. Each day highlighted the basic concept as well as major environmental issues, shown through group activities and active discussions. With so much preparation done before camp officially began, I enjoyed watching the youth counselors conduct the lessons and implement the activities. There was one topic that I enjoyed observing the most: food. On food day, the campers took a wagon ride around UC DREC’s research fields, making various stops along the way. On one stop, the campers participated in irrigating a piece of land using siphon hoses and learned how important water is when growing our food. The campers then visited the cattle feedlot and sunflower patch, where counselors and campers discussed cattle and sunflowers as a food source. After the tour, campers were then welcomed to pick cherry tomatoes from Farm Smart’s local garden. Once the campers returned to the classroom, the counselors and campers discussed how to make healthy food choices using MyPlate and then applied the MyPlate concept through a healthy snack. After the snack break, campers formed into groups and played a Jeopardy game, testing their knowledge of what they learned that day. The campers enjoyed the friendly competition and I was delighted to see that all campers knew the answers to every single question. The best part of camp was the fact that every day of the camp’s week was like what I just described. Every camper was fully engaged in the discussions and activities. There was so much content for five days and it was clear that active learning took place throughout the camp’s events.
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40 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST
Corn is harvested in an Imperial Valley field. - Photo By Jimmy Dorantes Even with the camp finished, I remained impressed by the youth counselors’ leadership and initiative in teaching the campers about sustainability. The counselors were quick to react and adapt to any schedule changes during the camp day and were actively interacting with the campers every day. These counselors recognized the fact that the campers view them as role models and thus mindfully lived up to that expectation. There was a bond that strengthened not only between
counselors and campers but amongst the campers themselves. There were campers that attended the camp in previous years. These campers welcomed new campers and helped each other understand the content and perform the activities. The 4-H program emphasizes its learning method of youth teaching youth. This was truly shown during the camp week and I am glad to have been a part of this event. n
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ORGANIC GROWER YEAR
PRODUCERS
ACRES
ORGANIC ACREAGE PRODUCTION OPERATIONS GROSS VALUE
2018
52
46,850
$181,753,731
2017
55
45,216
$181,482,000
2016
48
33,505
$242,403,000
2015
36
31,935
$275,382,000
2014
28
25,156
$159,938,000
PRODUCTION
50,000 45,000
The Organic Program is responsible for enforcement of the federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 and the California Organic Products Act of 2003. These statues protect consumers, producers, handlers, processors and retailers by monitoring and inspecting fresh commodities grown, labeled or sold as organic.
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40,000 35,000 30,000 25,000 2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST 43
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44 VALLEY AGRIBUSINESS & DESERT GROWING DIGEST