Post on 17-May-2022
TulareCounty
FarmBureau
TulareCounty
FarmBureauNEWSNEWS
In This
Issue
MARCH 2015 | Volume 378, Number 3 www.tulcofb.org
Heat Illness Prevention RevisionsCal/OSHA Standards Board has approvedrevisions to the Heat Illness standards.… Page 7
Legislative UpdateGuest Commentary on the GroundwaterManagement Act and updates… Page 5
Annual Grocery Cart RaceYF&R members will celebrate National AgWeek in March with charity race… Page 9
Attention farmers and farm employees who need to renew or acquire a DL-267 endorsement!
Agricultural Hazardous
Materials Transportation Training
Thursday, March 19, 2015
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM Spanish 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM English
No cost to attend.
To register call the TCFB Office at 732-8301
Tulare County Farm Bureau
737 North Ben Maddox Way
Visalia, CA 93292
Class is good for three hours of Continuing Education Credits
This training is offered by the Tulare County Farm Bureau & California Highway Patrol. The class is for persons 21 years or older who
have a current class C driver's license. Participants will receive a DL-267 certificate that will enable them to legally transport hazardous
agricultural materials on public roadways, (within a 50 mile radius) without a commercial driver's license.
The KiwanisClub of Tularewill present its55th Farmer ofthe Year award tof a r m e r J i m iValov. The awardluncheon will beheld Wednesday,March 25 at12:00 pm at theHeritage Complex in Tulare. Thisyear's event occurs the week afterNat ional Agr icul ture Weekcelebrations.
Tulare Kiwanis Club Honors Jimi Valov as Farmer of the YearValov farms pistachios and
almonds in both Tulare and Kingscounties.
"Never in a million years would Ihave known," he said. "My wifeknew. All my kids were here. I didn'tknow."
Organizers said the award goes toa farmer who is involved in thecommunity. Valov said he hashosted events for the TulareLighthouse Rescue Mission andvolunteered at the school's booth.
Jimi has long been an activeleader and community volunteer in
Tulare and currently serves on theTulare Christian School Board ofTrustees. He received notice of thehonor last month during the WorldAg Expo while he was cooking mealsin the concession booth that raisesfunds for Tulare Christian School.
Valov currently serves on theBoard of Directors of the AmericanPistachio Growers Association andwas just named Chair to the boardat the organization's annualconference last month.
Valov and his family likesupporting local nonprofits because
of the work they do, he said. Valovrecently returned to farm in Tulareand Kings county areas afterspending some time in Kern County.
"I have been a farmer all my life,"he said. "It's what I have alwaysdone." And it's a rewardingoccupation.
To purchase pre-sale lunchtickets for $25 each, contact CelesteThomas at 686-5854 ext. 10936, orvisit Rabobank in Tulare, NSEInsurance, Garton Tractor, or FarmCredit West. Tickets will be $30 atthe door.
Jimi Valov
Youth Leaders Learn County GovernmentThe Youth Leaders are just over half-way thru their year of
leadership, civic exploration, government training and personalenrichment in the Farm Bureau's high school leadership class.Last month's seminar was their annual study of countygovernment and the actions, roles, and responsibilities of localgovernment and the interaction it has with agriculture andbusiness.
The leadership class met with public officials and key countyleaders at the County Board of Supervisors' chambers to learnabout the roles of County Supervisor, County AgriculturalCommissioner, and Chief Administrative Officer for the County.
Youth Leaders work with County
Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau
and discuss strategies and prepare
comments for the mock hearing.See Youth Leadership on page 8
See Water Allocations on page 13
The water year in California runs fromOctober 1 to September 30 and the contractyear for most Central Valley Project (CVP)contractors -- the system that supplies majorityof the water for Tulare County farmers andcities -- runs from March 1 to February 28.
As of press time the Federal Bureau ofReclamation had not officially released itsinitial allocation numbers, as accustomed inlate February. However, the numbers areexpected to be a low or even a zero allocation foranother year.
“While we were encouraged by storms inDecember, our very dry January illustrates just
Initial 2015 Water Supply Allocationshow precarious our water supplies can become,”said Mid-Pacific Regional Director David Murillo.
“Since 2015 may be another critically dry wateryear, we are being extremely cautious as wedevelop initial operation plans and allocations forCVP water contractors. By building on what welearned last year, I am confident that we canmaximize operational flexibility for the benefit ofall water users.”
The California Department of Water Resources'first snow survey for 2015, based on January 1conditions, showed the statewide mountainsnowpack water content to be about 57 percent
Page 2 March 2015Tulare County Farm Bureau News www.tulcofb.org
March is the month we celebrate
National Ag Week, March 16-22.
As agriculturalists, our jobs have
transformed over the years from
just being the farmer who grew the
crop to the person responsible for
educating the consumer on how
and where the crop was grown.We live in a country where the
consumer has many choices,
which is a good thing. Many
Americans used to have a
relationship to agriculture either
by being a farmer or by having
ancestors that farmed, but over the
last 20-30 years as the population
has grown, the number of farmers
has declined.It's sad to say, but many don't
know where their food comes from.
One of the Farm Bureau's
strengths is education, the need to
start early, and that it is an
ongoing job.Tulare County Farm Bureau has
a long list of programs dedicated to
the purpose of educating people
about agriculture. This includes,
but is not limited to our Youth
Leadership program which targets
high school aged youth; our school
garden program that works to
establish a working garden in every
school; the National Ag Week Radio
Campaign educating the general
public about how important
agriculture is to the local economy;
AgVentures! Day provides a hands
on agriculture field trip to 1,800
fourth graders; and many more!Another is our annual Calendar
Art Contest. Each year Farm
Bureau and the Tulare County
Office of Education team up to
conduct a simple art contest. Well,
this art contest draws over 750
entries! That means 750 kids from
ages 5-18 are learning about
agriculture and taking what
they've learned to create works of
art.And then, this art is mass
produced and distributed to every
classroom throughout the county
in the form of a calendar filled with
fun facts and information about
our industry.The calendar is released in
celebration of Ag Week, and this
year's calendar will be released on
March 17th. You can pick up your
personal copy at the Farm Bureau
President’s Notesby Joey Airoso, PresidentPresident@tulcofb.org
TulareCounty
FarmBureau
TulareCounty
FarmBureauNEWSNEWSExecutive Committee
District 1 Directors
District 2 Directors
District 3 Directors
District 4 Directors
District 5 Directors
Livestockyards Chairman
YF&R Committee Chair
CFBF Commodity Advisory Committee
Service Committees
President
1 Vice President
2 Vice President Josh Pitigliano (559) 359-1906Treasurer Dusty Ference (559) 303-1885Past PresidentCFBF District Director
Robert Blattler (559) 392-1700Phillip Cox (559) 732-9146Dan Dreyer (559) 804-0165
Tom Barcellos (559) 730-6895
Vincent Sola (559) 303-4521
Beth Baxley (559) 625-9615
Zach Stuller (661) 979-5016
Scott Lawrence (559) 734-7406
Joe Russell (559) 734-6948
John Guthrie (559) 784-6868David Vieira (559) 333-4300Matt Watkins (559) 647-7161
Ed Carroll (559) 967-2070
Alyssa Houtby (559) 737-8899
Animal Health & Welfare Jennifer Wessel, DVMApiary Roger EverettBeef Cattle Jon DolieslagerCitrus/Avocado Larry PeltzerDairy Joey AirosoFood Safety & Biotechnology Brody BlainForestry Jeff GletneGrapes Pat PinkhamHay Justin NuckolsHorticulture Sal SorianoPublic Lands Larry Duysen
Education (co-chairs) Sandi Gist-LangianoDavid Sharp
Finance Dusty FerenceFundraising Larry PeltzerLand Use (co-chairs) Craig Knudson
Larry PeltzerMembershipRural Health & Safety Larry Stoneburner, MDScholarship Ed NeedhamWater Resources Roger EverettYF&R State Representative Ryan Hesse
Joey Airoso (559) 967-5258
Roger Everett (559) 333-0283
Steve Godlin (559) 804-8680Ed Needham (559) 977-7282
Terry Langiano (559) 905-2838
Sal Soriano (559) 564-1207
Larry Peltzer (559) 804-1333
Matt Watkins
st
nd
(SSN 07447086, USPS NO 643-680)is published monthly for $9 annually forTCFB members and $10 annually for non-members by Tulare County Farm Bureau,737 N. Ben Maddox Way, Visalia CA93292. Periodical postage paid at VisaliaCA. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Tulare County Farm Bureau News,P.O. Box 748, Visalia CA 93279.(559) 732-8301
Executive Director: Patricia Stever Blattler
Program Coordinator: Carrie Crane
Administration: Sandy Nixon, Debbie Campbell
E-Mail: tcfb@tulcofb.org
Advertising: Kast & Company CommunicationsPO Box 7173, Visalia, CA 93290(559) 732-5030
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
PLEASE RECYCLE
Tulare County Farm Bureau does notassume responsibility for statements byadvertisers or for products inTulare County Farm Bureau News.
Education, It Starts Earlyand Never Stops!
For those who have been aroundFarm Bureau for a while youprobably are familiar with thepartnership and heritage of therelationship with the StateCompensation Insurance Fund,which dates back to 1943. I havesome news to share with ourmembership this month that willimpact our members who havetheir workers compensationinsurance through State Fund.
The State Fund's Farm Bureaugroup plan is going to be phasingout over the next year and a half,and any new policies written, orrenewing after April 1, 2015 willno longer receive the previousgroup discount associated withFarm Bureau membership.
The contractual agreement withCFBF and SCIF will continue untilDecember 31, 2016, and weremain committed to supportingthe State Fund partnershipduring that agreement period, butwe are sorry to inform ourmembers that discounts are goingto end as part of this relationship.
State Fund has announced thatas they improve their actuarialprocess and have evaluated theirgroup discount plan performance,
they have found considerableoverlap in the group discount andtheir new tiered rating system.This means that after April 1, theFarm Bureau group plan discountoffered to agricultural memberswill be discontinued. Policyholders may be receiving notice ofthis change as of this newsletter'sprinting.
My hope is that our memberswho have benefited from thisrelationship will be able to accessaffordable coverage into thefuture, and whether it be withState Fund or another carrier,that they wil l continue tomaintain their Farm Bureaurelationship for many othervaluable benefits.
Insurance discounts have beenoffered through Farm Bureaumembership for many years toprovide affordable insurance forrural families.
As the face of insurance haschanged so much in California,and with the implementation ofthe Affordable Health Care Act,and now these changes in tieredrating with State Fund, two of ourmore significant partnershipshave had to come to an end. We no
longer have health care plans formembers due to the impact of“Obamacare” and now any newbusiness written or renewed withState Fund as of April 1 will nolonger be part of a groupdiscounted plan with FarmBureau.
We are sorry to see our groupp r o g r a m e n d w i t h S t a t eCompensation Insurance Fund,they have been a valuable partnert o F a r m B u r e a u ' s a c r o s sCalifornia, and have offeredtremendous access to free and lowcost training services, safety andhealth resources, and supportand sponsorship to many FarmBureau events and fundraisers.
Their loss control specialistshave become friends and partnersto our local office, and we will misshaving the relationship, but westill are committed to helping ourmembers access many other greatbenefits and resources throughtheir Farm Bureau membershipdues.
If you have questions about howthis could impact your State Fundpolicy, please contact your localagent or the Farm Bureau at 732-8301.
Executive Commentsby Patricia Stever Blattler, Executive Directorpstever@tulcofb.org
Farm Bureau and State Fund partnership
office or call the office at 732-8301
and we will be happy to mail one to
you.Ag Week gives us an opportunity
to toot our horn about the
importance of agriculture in our
society and what we have to look
forward to in the future. There's a
lot of exciting technologies which
w i l l b e imp l emen t ed in t o
agriculture that will help keep the
U.S.A. on top as one of the major
food suppliers on the planet, but
technology by itself doesn't do
much.It also takes the dedication and
passion for a way of life that you
love. That's what makes US
agriculture the best.The future looks bright, and I
would like to reiterate -- as
agriculturists our job is not only
producing food, but also telling our
story of how we produced it.So let's all celebrate Ag Week
together this year and be proud of
the important role we play in the
many lives around the world.
Maybe a toast is in order, an ice
cold glass of milk! Cow's milk!
God made it.
March 2015 Page 3Tulare County Farm Bureau Newswww.tulcofb.org
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ongoing recognition in TCFB's e-newsletter; recognition at various
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additionally receive the following; discounted
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TULARE COUNTY
TULARE COUNTY
StateCompensation
Insurance Fund
Netafim
Valley PacificPetroleum Services
Brian BlackFarming
Donations to the charitable fund are tax deductible.P.O. Box 748 • Visalia, CA 93279-0748
MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Scott Shannon Memorial Fund
In Honor of Mike & Sharon ShannonBy Geneva Shannon
SLATE OF POSITIONS
TULARE COUNTY FARM BUREAU
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2015-2016
The following district seats and officer positions will be up for election
and announced at the Annual Meeting of the Members on May 5, 2015.
TCFB District Director seats that require election:
Current Directorate District Candidates for 2015 Election
Robert Blattler District 1 Robert Blattler
Phillip Cox District 1 Phillip Cox
Terry Langiano District 2 Terry Langiano
Vincent Sola District 2 Vincent Sola
Zack Stuller District 3 Zack Stuller
Sal Soriano District 3 Nomination pending
Open Seat District 4 Nomination pending
John Guthrie District 5 John Guthrie
(The above districts match the Tulare County Supervisorial Districts)
Executive Committee Offices for Election, May 2015
President Joey Airoso Office of President
1st
Vice President Roger Everett Office of First Vice President
2nd
Vice President Josh Pitigliano Office of Second Vice President
Treasurer Nomination pending Office of Treasurer
I’m a TCFB member because...
Those of us involved inproduction agriculture inthis state are sorelyunderrepresented inSacramento. Weappreciate the influencewe have as individualsthrough the Farm Bureauas our voice in theCapitol. We also value theAg Alert newspaper andthe weekly insight into thelatest issues involvingCalifornia agriculture.
Rob HilaridesSierra Cattle Co.
Visalia, CAMembers Since 1993
In accordance with the following list of board
positions and officer positions will require election in May and are being noticed
to the membership of this corporation. Nominating Committee is currently
seeking candidates for the Board, and is accepting applications for
consideration. Interested individuals must be an Agricultural member in good
standing and complete an interview with the committee prior to nomination.
Elections will be held by mailed ballot if more than one candidate is nominated
for any of the positions listed below.
TCFB Bylaws Article V, Sec. 1-3
Ag Commissioner’s Cornerby Marilyn Kinoshita,Tulare County Ag Commissioner
Maintenance Gardenersand Pesticides
I occasionally receive complaintsfrom licensed Structural PestControl businesses who takeoffense when they see MaintenanceGardeners (MG) using pesticides asa regular part of their landscapework.
There are thought to be about17,000 MGs statewide who applypesticides without a QualifiedApplicator Certificate, category Q.Statewide, properly licensed MGsmake up just 20 percent of thetotal. The larger city centers havehundreds of “lawn guys” with noprotective equipment or training insafe pesticide handling.
This leads to trips to the doctorfor emergency care, which arein v e s t i g a t ed by the l o ca lAgricultural Commissioner (CAC).Leftover product improperly storedin soft drink containers is a veryreal problem that we encounterduring follow-up.
L a s t f a l l t h e C a l i f o r n i aD e p a r t m e n t o f P e s t i c i d e
Regulations (CDPR) surveyed theCACs, requesting ideas on how topersuade MGs to become certifiedand to maintain that certification.Many thought that consumereducation was paramount forhomeowners to make informeddecisions about the contractorsthey hire.
All Commissioners agreed thatmaking low-cost licensing examand training locally available wasimportant. There is no denying thatwe have an underground faction ofMGs who only become known whenwe find a problem. The languagebarrier and expense of certificationare sited as typical reasons.
I am an advocate of maintaining alevel playing field in a state likeCalifornia where, if growers anda g r i c u l t u r a l p e s t c o n t r o lbusinesses require certificationand continuing education, then soshould businesses who applychemicals within close proximity tofamilies and pets.
Page 4 March 2015Tulare County Farm Bureau News www.tulcofb.org
News Briefs
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Dairy Leader Program
Accepting Applications
TCFB Annual Meeting & Dinner
set for May 5
March 31 is the deadline to applyfor Western United Dairymen'shighly successful California DairyLeaders Program. Designed to trainthe next generation of California'sdairy leaders, the leadershipprogram consists of several sessionsdevoted to developing a betterunderstanding of the economic,legis lat ive, market ing, andenvironmental issues facing theindustry. The program applicationprocess is also open to individuals inallied industries. Allied memberapplications can also be downloadedfrom the WUD website atwww.westernuniteddairymen.com.The program's material will becovered in five multi-day sessions,including a trip to the nations'capitol to personally meet Californialegislators.
Save the date for the annualMeeting of the Members taking placeon Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at 6:00 pmat the Heritage Complex in Tulare.Agriculturalist of the Year,Agribusiness of the Year, Friend ofFarm Bureau and Service to FarmBureau awards will be announced atthis annual banquet. Scholarshipawards , y ou th l eade r sh ipgraduation, and many other FarmBureau programs will be recognized.Reservations to attend can be madein Apr i l . Bus inesses andorganizations in the community areinvited to decorate tables for theevent. Questions, please call FarmBureau at 732-8301.
Intern for CongressmanDevin Nunes
Californian wins CollegiateDiscussion Meet
Spring and summer internshipsare available for both CongressmanDevin Nunes' Washington D.C.office and Visalia office. Anyoneinterested in politics and publicaffairs, wants to gain professionalexperience, and can excel in a fast-paced environment are encouragedto apply.
Interns provide critical staffsupport and are often called on towork at public events, conductresearch, and help with specialprojects. The application process isnow open. For spring internships,candidates must submit theirapplications immediately; forsummer internships, applicationsmust be submitted by April 1, 2015.Both part-time and full-timeapplicants are accepted. All internsmust have a high school diploma.Additionally, they must be enrolledin or have recently graduated froman accredited college or university.For more information andapplications, please call (559) 733-3861 or (202) 225-2523.
A college student from Hemet haswon a national speaking contestsponsored by the American FarmBureau Federation. Levy Randolphrepresented California in theNational Collegiate Discussion Meet,which was held during late Februaryin Nashville. Randolph recentlygraduated from Fresno StateUniversity and is pursuing agraduate degree at the University ofFlorida. The Discussion Meetsimulates a committee meeting,with active participation expectedfrom each contestant.
Courtesy of Families Protecting the Valley
We did our best to follow thetestimony in the public workshopon the Temporary Change UrgencyPetitions submitted for the StateWater Project and the CentralValley Project. Translation: tryingto figure out why so much water istargeted for smelt versus people.
One of the first things we noticedwas how many agencies and howmuch time is devoted to trying tofigure out what makes the smelttick. It seems no one really knows.No one can give any definitivetestimony that all the water wedevote to the smelt is doing themany good. Nevertheless, we keepdoing it anyway.
Something else we noticed are therules the unelected bureaucrats areasked to follow. The EndangeredSpecies Act and correspondingBiOp (Biological Opinion) require
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Keeping Up With the SWRCBthe bureaucrats to make decisionsbased only on how the smelt isimpacted.
There is nothing in the law thatrequires them to take humanconsequences into account. This iswhy our elected officials need tochange the law. Until the law ischanged, the bureaucrats will keepdoing the same thing because that'swhat the law tells them to do.
The House of Representatives hasattempted to do this, however theSenate has refused to follow. Maybewith the new Senate this can bechanged, but they seem to have alot of other issues on their plateright now. And, of course, there'sthe issue of the Presidential vetowhich might be difficult or next toimpossible to override.
Remember that in 2010 formerFederal Judge Oliver Wanger foundthat the manager in charge of
See SWRCB on page 16
March 2015 Page 5Tulare County Farm Bureau Newswww.tulcofb.org
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Improving the system foradjudicating groundwater rightswas one of the matters nota d d r e s s e d i n l a s t y e a r ' sg r o u n d w a t e r m a n a g e m e n tlegislative package although somelegislators and the Governorindicated some interest in doing so.The Governor indicated last yearthat he would be bringing forthsuch a proposal this year.
Last year, Farm Bureau indicatedthat such improvements shouldhave been part of comprehensivegroundwater legislation. Therefore,Farm Bureau has been workingw i t h o t h e r a g r i c u l t u r a lorganizations and the Associationof California Water Agencies onlanguage to streamline theadjudication process where feasibleand intends to introduce thislegislation.
In some areas, good groundwatermanagement will include identifying
Legislative Update: Farm Bureau to Introduce Water Legislation
Guest Commentary
and defining groundwater rights,which must be done through anaction in court.
Currently this process is longerand less efficient than it could be ifcertain procedural rules aree s t a b l i s h e d . G r o u n d w a t e radjudication is a means of providingcertainty of one's groundwaterrights and, as such, having a systemfor doing so in a more efficientmanner than the current process isa worthy goal.
There is also discussion in theCapitol of moving groundwateradjudication from the courts to theState Water Resources ControlBoard, but Farm Bureau made itclear at a Senate informationalhearing on the issue in January thatwe prefer to use the courts forgroundwater rights determinationsas is currently the case.
Senator Fran Pavley, one of theauthors of the Sustainable
Groundwater Management Act, hasintroduced SB 226 that is to serveas another vehicle for adjudicationlegislation, but it is not clear whatthis legislation may ultimatelyinclude.
Farm Bureau's legislation isfocused on procedure and does notaddress any substantive principlesof water law or local groundwaterplanning. Key aspects of FarmBureau's current legislative draftare:
This bill would clarify the courtp r o c e d u r e s a p p l i c a b l e t ocomprehensive groundwateradjudications in order to reduce thetime and improve the efficiency ofthese actions. This does not meangroundwater adjudications will befast and simple, but that theprocess will be significantly moreefficient.
Specific provisions are intended toencourage early settlement and
avoid unduly disrupting localgroundwater planning efforts.
Three of the most significantimprovements are: a preliminaryhear ing to ensure that acomprehensive adjudication ofgroundwater rights is appropriate;clear rules on proper service ofprocess to all overlying landowners;a n d e a r l y d i s c l o s u r e s o fgroundwater use.
Other improvements addressdesignation of adjudication actionsas complex, phasing of thelitigation, efficient identification ofgroundwater basin boundaries andassistance to the court of a specialmaster, among other changes.
More details will be provided asthe legislation is introduced andmoved through the legislativeprocess. Any questions in regards toFarm Bureau's bill addressinggroundwater adjudication, contactthe TCFB office at 732-8301.
By Aubrey A. Mauritson, Esq.
On February1 1 , t h eKaweah DeltaConservationDistrict held aGroundwaterManagementWorkshop todiscuss recentgroundwaterlegislation andhow it will impact farming withinthe District. The workshop washeld during the World Ag Expolast month in the HeritageComplex. In case you missed it,the following is a summary of keypoints addressed at the workshopand further thoughts on therecent landmark legislation.
By now, most likely everyonehas seen at least one article onthe “Sustainable GroundwaterManagement Act”. The mostsimplistic summary of the Act canbe described as follows:
1. Department of WaterR e s o u r c e s ( D W R ) d r a f t sregulat ions appl icable togroundwater extractors.
2. Groundwater extractorsmust get together and form“groundwater sustainabilityagencies” (GSAs).
3. GSAs must come up with aplan how to “sustain” theirg r o u n d w a t e r b a s i n a n deventually must fulfill their ownplan.
4. If an extractor fails to join agroup, fails to submit a plan, orsubmits an inadequate plan, theState Water Resources ControlBoard (SWRCB) can begind ic ta t ing how and whengroundwater may be extracted.
The workshop presented a fourperson panel including: DoreneD'Adamo, board member, StateWater Resources Control Board(SWRCB); Mark Larsen, GeneralManager, Kaweah Delta WaterConservation District; ScottK u n e y , A t t o r n e y , Y o u n gWooldridge, LLP; and Mark
The Workshop
Groundwater Management Workshop held at World Ag ExpoWatte, farmer and Director for theConservation District. Below are afew key highlights from thepresenters.
Ms. D'Adamo from SWRCBaddressed why the Act is necessary.Arguments included that there hadnot been any major waterlegislation since 1913 in the State,there was a shift towardspermanent crops which causesgreater strain on resources, climatechange, an extended drought, andpoor management of resources.
Ms. D'Adamo cited water qualityconcerns related to sea waterintrusion, documented overdraftissues throughout the State anddeclining groundwater levels,subsidence issues, and ecosystemimpacts.
I have ex t r eme ly s t rongdisagreements with Ms. D'Adamoon several of her supportingarguments for the Act, includingthe absurd implication that no lawshave affected water rights since1913, but although her argumentsmay provide insight as to theadministration's theories as to thenecessity of the Act, they providelittle help on steps moving forward.
The critical component of Ms.D'Adamo's presentation is the roleS W R C B w i l l p l a y i n t h eimplementation of the Act. SWRCBhas been given the ultimateenforcement authority of the Act.
SWRCB has discretion tointervene when a groundwaterextractor has not followed the stepsof the Act and can dictate to thatextractor when and how muchwater can be extracted from a well.
Th is is obv ious ly h igh lydisconcerting and such concernhas been expressed to the SWRCBas acknowledged by Ms. D'Adamo.Ms. D'Adamo's response? SWRCBis simply too busy to wrangle withthese issues.
Practically, I buy Ms. D'Adamo'spos i t i on . SWRCB is toooverwhelmed to attempt to run anew enforcement department solelyon compliance of the Act at thistime. My concern is with the futureof this Act and the current
See Commentary on page 15
ambiguity of what exactly brings anextractor into or out of compliancewith the Act—an answer thatcannot be fully addressed untilDWR writes the actual rules andregulations.
As of now, it is clear that the Actprovides SWRCB can intervene if:1) no GSA is designated, 2) no planis submitted, 3) the plan is deemedinadequate , o r 4 ) SWRCBdetermines the basin is in acondition of long-term overdraft orextraction results in significantdepletions of interconnectedsurface waters.
Mr. Kuney, a longtime waterlawyer practicing out of KernCounty, provided a comprehensiveoverview of the groundwateradjudicat ive process . Analternative to following the stepsoutlined in the Act is for all users ina basin to file legal action in court.
The adjudicative process, inshort, asks the courts to decidewhat rights, if any, a potential wateruser has to a given body of water.Mr. Kuney provided great detail asto how long, costly and complicatedthe adjudicative process is and theuncertainties that arise throughoutthe process.
For example, a southernC a l i f o r n i a n b a s i n t o o kapproximately 18 years toadjudicate, with thousands ofparties involved, and countlessdollars spent in litigation andcourt fees. In the end, a singlejudge has authority to determinethe outcome.
It is clear attendees of theworkshop, and I believe manymore, understand how critical theimplications of the recentlegislation will be on currentfarming practices. However,many may have left the workshopin a state similar to my husbandand I asking, “Well, now what andwhat exactly can I do?”
The Act has been criticized forits impetuous path through theState legislature and to theGovernor's desk, althoughversions of the Act have beenfloating around for years. Manylobby ing s ides , inc ludingagriculture, claim some victoriesin the language of the bill.
For example, the Act providesthat nothing in the legislation
Actual Implications from
Current Language
Page 6 March 2015Tulare County Farm Bureau News www.tulcofb.org
The Tulare County Cattlewomenand Cattlemen are offeringscholarships based on academicachievement and leadership skills.Students must be planning topursue an education in theagriculture industry with alivestock emphasis. Below are therequirements for applicants and alist of available scholarships. Allscholarship applications are dueApril 1.
To apply:• Student must attend school
currently, or have graduated from ahigh school in Tulare County to beeligible.
• Undergraduate and GraduateStudents are eligible to apply.
• Student must major in anagriculture field with a livestockemphasis highly preferred
• Must complete and returnapplication by the due date of April1, 2015
• Please see attached forms forf u r t h e r i n s t r u c t i o n s a n drequirements. If your application isnot complete it will not beconsidered.
Available Scholarships:$1,500 – Marian Guthrie
Memorial Scholarship$1,000 – 2 scholarships in this
amount will be awarded to studentsplanning to major in the field ofagriculture preferably with alivestock emphasis.
The recipients of the scholarshipswill receive ½ of the scholarshipwhen the scholarship committeereceives verification of full-time (12units) fall semester enrollment at acollege or university. The second ½will be sent to the recipient whenverification of full-time (12 units)spring semester enrollment isreceived for the second semester.
It is the recipient's responsibilityto contact the scholarshipcommi t t e e a t Scho l a r sh ipCommittee, C/O Judie Church18905 Rd. 216, Strathmore, CA93267 to r ece i v e h i s/he rscholarship award by September2015 or sooner for the fall semester,and no later than February 2016 forthe spring semester.
For applications please contactt h e T u l a r e C o u n t yC a t t l e w o m e n / C a t t l e m e nScholarship Committee, C/O JudieC h u r c h , 1 8 9 0 5 R d 2 1 6 ,Strathmore, CA 93267 or by calling559-359-3586.
Tulare CountyCattlewomen andCattlemen Offer
Local Scholarships
Annual scholarship program forCharles P. Lake Rain for Rent callsfor applications now thru April 30.
This program is for students whohave already completed theirfreshman year of college, or havesophomore standing at a juniorc o l l e g e . S t u d e n t s s h o u l dspecifically list that they areapplying thru the Tulare CountyFarm Bureau organization.
Scholarships are available toundergraduate students majoringin Agricultural, Mechanical, Civiland/or Manufacturing Engineering
Rain for RentScholarships
See Scholarships on page 13
March 2015 Page 7Tulare County Farm Bureau Newswww.tulcofb.org
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The withdrawal of an "interpretiveru l e " i s sued by the U .S .Environmental Protection Agencyand the Army Corps of Engineerspleases farmers, ranchers and theirorganizations concerned about howthe rule would have governed theinterpretation of "normal farmingoperations" in the federal CleanWater Act.
T h e a g e n c i e s i s s u e d amemorandum of understanding inJanuary that stated, "Effectiveimmediately, the agencies herebywithdraw this interpretive rule asCongress directed." An omnibusspending bill approved by Congresslast December had directed EPA andthe Corps to remove the March 2014interpretive rule.
Kari Fisher, California FarmBureau Federation associatecounsel, said the interpretive rulehad not been needed in the firstplace, and noted that oppositionremains regarding the agencies'expansive "waters of the U.S." rule,which could be finalized thissummer.
"There was a lot of pushback onthis interpretive rule. Over 200members of Congress from bothparties requested that the agencieswithdraw it," Fisher said.
The interpretive rule becameef fect ive immediately uponpublication, without advance publicnot i ce and comment , andestablished binding and enforceablerequirements for farmers andranchers, Fisher said. Theinterpretive rule narrowed a Section404 exemption of the Clean WaterAct by tying it to mandatorycompliance with previouslyvoluntary Natural ResourcesConservation Service standards.
San Joaquin County winegrapegrower Brad Goehring said theinterpretive rule would haveresulted in the government defining"normal farming practices" and alsowould have affected the goodrelationship that farmers currentlyhave with NRCS for conservationprograms.
"If the interpretive rule was notwithdrawn, conservation programsthat farmers participate in toconserve land and improve air andwater quality would have suffered,"Goehring said.
While the interpretive rule hasbeen withdrawn, "the fight is not
over," Fisher said, noting that "theproposed rulemaking to redefine thewaters of the U.S. is still active, soFarm Bureau remains committed tochallenging the rule."
Erin Huston, CFBF federal policyconsultant, said Farm Bureauanticipates the final rule "willnegatively impact the ability of ourmembers to farm and ranch," andexpressed hope that Congress "willprevent any further expansion of theClean Water Act."
The rule would redefine andexpand the scope of watersprotected under the Clean WaterAct, and farm groups say it wouldunreasonably expand the agencies'jurisdiction over farmland. The EPAwill likely release a revised version ofthe rule later this spring.
Ron Carleton, EPA counselor foragricultural policy, told the FarmBureau group the final rule willdiffer from the original rule, and willreflect the more than 850,000comments the agency receivedabout the rule.
Learn more about Farm Bureau'sefforts to dispose of the proposedrule at http://ditchtherule.fb.org.
Agencies back off on‘interpretive rule' for Clean Water Act
The Cal/OSHA StandardsBoard approved a substantialrevision to the Heat IllnessPrevention Standard on February19. The revised standard willbecome effective May 1, 2015.
Many attempts from FarmB u r e a u a n d n u m e r o u sagricultural associations to makethese changes more reasonablea n d a p p r o p r i a t e w e r eunsuccessful, please take note ofthese changes and plan to attendheat stress trainings this spring toget up to date on all theseimportant changes that willimpact your spring and summertime operations.
Numerous changes were madeto the HIP standard. Theseinclude the standards of requireddrinking water for employees;sufficient shade is now requiredfor all workers instead of the
Heat Illness Prevention StandardsRevision Approved - Effective May 1
previous requirement of 25%;monitoring of cool down restp e r i o d s ; a n d e m e r g e n c yprotocols.
Temperature triggers were alsoincluded in the revisions. Underthe current standard of 85degrees to t r igger shaderequirements, it is now 80degrees. Revisions to the highheat measures were also made.
Under a new subsection titledAcclimatization, employees willhave to be closely observedduring a “heat wave”, meaningany day on which the predictedhigh temperature will be at least80 degrees and at least 10 degreeshigher than the average high dailytemperature of the prior five days.
For complete details of the newHIP requirements and moreinformation contact the TCFBoffice at 732-8301.
Page 8 Tulare County Farm Bureau News March 2015 www.tulcofb.org
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Throughout the evening thestudents had an opportunity to askquestions of each public officialand learn about the different roleseach play in county governmentand the difficult challenges eachone faces in their everyday duties ofrepresenting the citizens of TulareCounty.
This year's class had the pleasureof meeting with District 2Supervisor, Pete Vander Poel; JeanRousseau, Chief AdministrativeOfficer; and Marilyn Kinoshita,C o u n t y A g r i c u l t u r a lCommissioner.
The class then broke intoseparate teams and took part in arole-play exercise with a mockhearing over a land use dispute.The teams prepare for a mockpublic hearing in front of theirpeers (the elected board ofs u p e r v i s o r s ) a n d p r e p a r ecomments from each side providingreasons why the proposed projectshould or should not be allowed to
build on the agricultural land inquestion.
Throughout the evening thestudents gain an appreciation fordecision making, critical thinking,and learn to act on their feet. Theybuild a greater awareness too forthe difficult and complex roles ofhow government interacts with thelives of every day citizens and how itimpacts agriculture too.
Next on the horizon, the class willhave their Congressional Insightworkshop focusing on federalgovernment, and experience a “yearin the life of a freshman member ofCongress”. Then in April the classwill take their annual trip toS a c r a m e n t o t o v i s i t w i t hlegislators, tour state agencies,meet with the California FarmBureau Federation staff to lobby a
current piece of legislation affectingthe ag industry, and tour thecampus of UC Davis.
Youth Leadership is madepossible by major program sponsorSuncrest Bank and generouscontributions from the LandO'Lakes Community Foundationand Tulare County Farm BureauEducational and Scholarship FundTrust.
The 2014-2015 Youth Leadership class pictured with Supervisor Pete Vander Poel and County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau.
Youth Leadershipfrom page 1
March 2015 Page 9Tulare County Farm Bureau Newswww.tulcofb.org
Courtesy of the California
Cattlemen's Association
The California Department ofFood & Agriculture (CDFA) ispreparing to release a formal draft ofproposed amendments to thestatewide cattle trichomonosiscontrol program at the request ofCalifornia Cattlemen's Association(CCA).
California's trichomonosis controlprogram is widely supported bycattle producers and provides bothv o l u n t a r y a n d m a n d a t o r yrequirements to prevent the spreadof trichomonosis in the state'sbreeding herd.
The current control programrequires all out-of-state bulls olderthan 18 months of age to beaccompanied by a negativetrichomonosis test upon entry intoCalifornia and all bulls older than18 months of age sold at a publiclivestock auction market to likewisebe accompanied by a negativetrichomonosis test, unless beingsold for slaughter to an approvedbuyer.
In conjunction with CCA's policy,CDFA is proposing to strengthenthe intrastate sale requirement bynow requiring any bull over 18months of age sold for breeding,even those sold by private treaty, tobe accompanied by a negativetrichomonosis test.
While some of the details have yetto be worked out, CCA expects thata negative trichomonosis test mustbe presented to a brand inspector asa condition of change in ownership.
Although yearly trichomonosistesting of bulls will remainvoluntary, a new mandatoryidentification program will now berequired for all bulls undergoing atrichomonosis test by a veterinarianin California.
At the time of the test, theveterinarian will apply a color-coded feedlot tag to the bull tovisually demonstrate the bull hasreceived a trichomonosis test. Eachyear will be coded a different colorso producers can easily determinethe last time a bull was tested. CCApolicy also encourages CDFA tocoordinate yearly colors with thoseused by the Oregon Department ofA g r i c u l t u r e a n d N e v a d aDepartment of Agriculture tomaintain a level of consistency forcommuter herds.
It will remain mandatory for allapproved veterinarians conductingthe test to report both positive andnegative test results to CDFA. Herdsfound to have a positive bull willcontinue to be quarantined untilboth herd mate bulls and those oftheir “fence line neighbors” havebeen cleared with a negative testresult.
Positive bulls must remainquarantined by CDFA until movedto slaughter. The proposedamendments will also eliminate theuse of a culture test by aveterinarian and only allow for aDNA detection or amplification-based trichomonosis test toimprove accuracy.
CDFA ProposesAmendments to the
StatewideTrichomonosis
Regulation
See Trichomonosis on page 12
Page 10 Tulare County Farm Bureau News March 2015 www.tulcofb.org
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We all benefit from a safe, reliablefood supply produced by our veryown American family farmers. Tocelebrate our local agriculturecommunity Tulare County FarmBureau's Young Farmers andRanchers (YF&R) committee willhost their annual Grocery CartRace on Sunday, March 22beginning at 7:00 am in Tulare tocelebrate National Ag Week, March16-22.
Young Farmers and Ranchers Celebrate Local Agriculture with Annual Charity RaceNational Ag Week is a time to
recognize and celebrate theimportance of agr icul ture .Agr i cu l ture prov ides mosteverything we eat, use and wear ona daily basis. Farm Bureau and theYoung Farmers and Ranchersprogram strives to educate thosenot involved in agriculture theimportance of the industry.
“We look forward to the annualGrocery Cart Race every year. It's a
fun filled event that serves as afriendly competition and a greatway to give back to the communityand to celebrate National Ag Week,”said Lauren Crivelli, this year'schair of Grocery Cart Race.
“We're excited to celebrateagriculture while filling our cartswith food that is donated to a localfood charity in support of those whoexperience food insecurity in ourcommunity.”
The race itself consists of teamsthat will compete in a timed event tofill their shopping carts with apredetermined list of food items.Grocery Cart Race takes place atFoodsCo, located at 1210 E.Prosperity Avenue in Tulare. Lastyear, Grocery Cart Race teamsraised approximately $1,250 for thepurchase of food resulted in over athousand pounds of food donated
Senators Move to EndTrade Embargo with Cuba
Last month a bipartisan group ofSenators introduced the Freedomto Export to Cuba Act. Thislegislation would end the U.S.embargo of trade with Cuba, whilep r e s e r v i n g h u m a n r i g h t sconditions and property claimsagainst the Castro government,some of which have pended formore than 50 years.
Under the terms of the legislation- introduced by two GOPlawmakers and four Democratcolleagues - U.S. companies wouldbe able to extend credit to theCuban government for the first timesince 1961. This section goes towhat critics say is one of the biggestimpediments to doing businesswith Cuba, namely the inability to
get bank financing on sales.The bill repeals the broad
prohibition on doing business withCuba, later laws designed toenforce the embargo, lawsrestricting transactions U.S.-owned/controlled companies andCuba, as well as limitations ondirect shipping between U.S. andCuban ports.
The bill is supported by the U.S.Agriculture Coalition for Cuba, 40producer, agribusiness and othergroups, along with privatecompanies, who want to see theembargo lifted. Ag exports to Cubain 2014 totaled $291 million, thelowest in 13 years, according to theU.S.-Cuba Trade & EconomicCouncil.
See YF&R on page 13
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Page 12 March 2015Tulare County Farm Bureau News www.tulcofb.org
The proposed amendments willalso offer new conditions for buyersseeking to purchase bulls solely forslaughter at a public livestockauction yard. Buyers purchasingbulls older than 18 months of agesolely for slaughter will be allowedto do so without a trichomonosistest but must first sign a slaughterchannel agreement that will be keptat the public livestock auctionfacility for inspection at the requestof CDFA staff.
The agreement bulls over 18months of age purchased without atr ichomonosis test can bepurchased solely for slaughter,must never be allowed to cominglewith intact female cattle and requirethe buyer to identify the location thebull will be kept and slaughtered.
With his or her signature, a buyerwill also recognize that a violation ofthe agreement could result in severefines or further prosecution fromthe District Attorney for bullspurchased at a public livestockauction market for breeding; CDFAwill still require a current negativetrichomonosis test be madeavailable prior to the bull leavingthe facility.
CDFA also plans to bringconsistency to the regulations byclarifying that bulls sold solely forexhibition purposes can be soldwithout a trichomonosis test bothinterstate, which is current law,and now intrastate as well. Similarto slaughter bulls, these bulls mustremain confined at the exhibitionsite and never be allowed tocomingle with intact female cattle.
For more information on theproposed changes or the currentCalifornia trichomonosis controlprogram, please do not hesitate tocontact Justin Oldfield in the CCAoffice at (916) 444-0845.
Trichomonosisfrom page 9
Cal i f o rn ia farmer -ownedcooperatives requested thatUSDA hold a hearing that wouldes tab l i sh a Federa l Mi lkMarketing Order in California.Included with the request,submitted in February, was adetailed proposal supported bythe three cooperatives, whichrepresent roughly 75 percent ofthe milk produced in the state.
The petition submitted byCalifornia Dairies Inc., DairyFarmers of America and LandO'Lakes; proposes to keepCalifornia's current quota andpooling system in place whileadopting the federal orderpricing formulas for all classes ofmilk. Processors buying milkfrom California grade A dairiesalso wouldn't be allowed to“depool”, according to theproposal.
Currently, California dairyfarmers opera te under astatewide milk pricing system,whereas the majority of the
California Dairy Co-ops Petition for Federal Marketing Ordernation's farmers operate under aFederal Milk Marketing Order,which provides uniform dairyprices for milk based on marketprices.
It's believed by shifting to aFederal Order system, Californiadairy producers within thesecooperatives will receive a moreequitable market-based milkprices.
The proposal has also received astamp of approval from the state'sdairy advocacy groups includingCalifornia Dairy Campaign, Milkproducers Council and WesternUnited Dairymen.
“We are pleased this detailedproject has finally come tofruition, stated Western UnitedD a i r y m e n P r e s i d e n t , T o mBarcellos.
“It confirms what we have knownfor a long time, pointing out theinequities in milk pricing that ared e t r i m e n t a l t o C a l i f o r n i aproducers.”
As the first step in a process
which could take up to two years,the proposal requests USDA toannounce a regulatory hearingthat will provide the opportunityfor dairy interests to provideinput.
USDA is giving industry partiesuntil April 10, 2015 to submitalternative proposals. It isexpected that California dairyprocessors will submit a differentproposal to USDA.
An informational session,hosted by USDA, is expected totake place sometime in May.
“We encourage producers tostay engaged,” says Barcellos.“So that we can maintain theintegrity of the proposal."
Other states, while unable tovote on the proposal, also maysubmit comments to USDAduring the hearing process. Afterthe agency puts out a finalversion of the California federalorder, a two-thirds majority byCalifornia producers is requiredto approve it.
There are large amounts ofchemicals commonly stored onfarms today, and they bring twomajor concerns. First, farmchemicals can be dangerous tofamily members who are unfamiliarwith proper handling. And second,agricultural chemicals are costlyand prime targets for thieves.
Nationwide offers these tips tohelp guard against both concerns:
For tanks/chemical storageinstall locks on all tanks; keeppesticides and all chemicals in alocked, well-ventilated storageroom; equip bulk storage tankswith locks; consider receivingchemical deliveries just before youneed them and return any unusedmaterials to the distributor soonafter to reduce chemical storagetime; mark all storage tanks withthe contents to help emergencyresponders; and store chemicals onshelves rather than concrete floors.
For vehicles, keep all in a securegarage or locked area of yourproperty and if vehicles must bestored outdoors, park them in well-lit areas. Lock the doors and fitthem with lockable tank caps.
In General security, be aware ofunfamiliar vehicles on or near your
Simple StepsTackle Chemical
Concerns
See Chemical Concerns on page 13
March 2015 Page 13Tulare County Farm Bureau Newswww.tulcofb.org
March
April
1 TCFB Scholarship Applications Due, postmark acceptable3 Membership Committee Meeting, 4:00 pm, TCFB3 Executive Committee Meeting, 6:00 pm, TCFB5 Forklift Training (English Session), 8:00 am, Kaweah Lift, Visalia
(pre-registration)5 Nominating Committee, 4:00 pm, TCFB6 Forklift Training (Spanish Session), 8:00 am, Kaweah Lift, Visalia
(pre-registration)6 Tulare County Fair Foundation Lending A Helping Hand Fundraiser, 6:00 pm,
Tulare Fairgrounds9-11 CFBF Commodity Advisory Committee Meetings & Leadership
Conference, Sacramento10 Irrigated Lands Regulation NMP Workshop for Growers, 8:30 am,
SCE Energy Center, Tulare10 YF&R Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm, TBD12 TCFB Board of Directors, 4:00 pm, TCFB14 TCFB Education and Scholarship Fundraiser/Gala, 6:15 pm, Visalia
Convention Center16 Youth Leadership Congressional Insight Seminar, 5:00 pm, TCFB17 Farm Bureau Calendar Art & Ag Day Presentation, 9:00 am, Board of
Supervisors' Chambers19 Hazardous Materials Training, Spanish/English, 9-5 pm, TCFB22 YF&R Grocery Cart Race, 8:00 am, FoodsCo. in Tulare23 Scholarship Committee, 4:00 pm, TCFB24 Education Committee Meeting, 4:15 pm, TCFB25 Tulare Kiwanis Farmer of the Year Lunch, 12:00 pm, Heritage
Complex, Tulare25 School Garden Workshop, 4:00 pm, COS Campus, Tulare26 Common Threads Luncheon, 11:00 am, CSU Fresno Residential
Dining Hall26 Land Use Committee, 4:00 pm, TCFB31 Finance Committee, 4:00 pm, TCFB31 Executive Committee, 6:00 pm, TCFB
3 Good Friday, TCFB Office closes at 12:00 pm9 TCFB Board of Directors, 4:00 pm, TCFB9-10 Youth Leadership Trip to Sacramento, overnight14 YF&R Committee, 6:30pm, location TBD15 County Ag Policy Advisory Committee, 3:00 pm, Tulare Co. Ag Building23 QuickBooks Seminar hosted by Tri-Counties Bank, TCFB Office
(pre-register)28 Education Committee Meeting, 4:15 pm, TCFB28 Executive Committee, 4:00 pm, TCFB29-30 CFBF County Managers Conference, Central Coast
Calendar
HP Heritage PlatinumHG Heritage GoldA AssociateAG AgriculturalBS-AG Business Support AgBS-A Business Support AssociateCG Collegiate
New Members
Tulare County Farm BureauWelcome to our new members!
January 2015District 1
District 2
District 3
Ag High Sierra Labor Service/Alejandro D. Ramos,Farmersville
Ag Janie Sustaita, Tulare
PH Duarte Nursery Inc,Hughson
A Empire Supply Co Inc /Ronald A. Bueno, Visalia
A Salvador Monzon, Visalia
District 5A Alexander Alcazar, PortervilleAg Hector A. Godinez / HG Farm
Labor Contracting, PortervilleAg Ubaldo V. Vera / Vargas
Labor Service, PortervilleAg Mayra Vielma / M Vielma
Harvesting, Porterville
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TIER 3FEATURING
THE JOHN DEERE -
ALL DIGITAL
ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER
• SIMPLE
• COMPACT
• EFFICIENT
• FUEL CONSUMPTION
6.25 gals per hr.
(When run with our
130hp fiberglass fan)
to the local food bank. Proceedsthis year will also be donated toTulare County FoodLink.
Young Farmers and Ranchersdevelop leadership skills while
YF&Rfrom page 10
Scholarshipsfrom page 6
Chemical Concernsfrom page 12
Water Allocationsfrom page 1
or Construction Management.Agribusiness majors may also beconsidered.
Students must be attending anaccredited four-year college oruniversity or have sophomorestanding at a junior college andinterested in fulfilling a career at an a t i o n w i d e c o m p a n y i nagricultural irrigation, trenchlessunderground technology or fluidpumping systems.
You may contact Farm Bureau at732-8301 or by ema i l a ttcfb@tulcofb.org to request theapplication and instructions. Theapplication is not available online,and must be accessed by requestthru a partner organization such asan accredited four-year universityor local Farm Bureau.
Over 185 Ag Properties FOR SALE
in San Joaquin Valleywww.citrusboys.com
Call Matt McEwen 559.280.0015
or
Roy Pennebaker 559.737.0084
Water Wells and PumpsWell Rehabilitation & Pump Rebuild
WWW.WOODWARDDRILLING.NET
707-374-4300
volunteering time as active, vitalmembers of the county FarmBureau. For more informationabout joining YF&R, contact theTulare County Farm Bureau at732-8301 or yfr@tulcofb.org orfollow the group on Facebook.
farm; watch for suspiciousactivities; never leave ignition keysin vehicles or equipment; be sureyour property is lit well at night;consider video surveillance; installalarm systems that are wireddirectly to local law enforcementoffices; restrict employees' accessto computer farm records; andreview your insurance policy withyour agent to be sure you knowwhat's covered.
of normal for the date, which is only17 percent of the average April 1measurement when the snowpackis normally at its peak before thespring melt.
With the lack of snowfall inJanuary and February, thosenumbers have fallen to 35 percentof average for the date and only 15percent of the average April 1measurement.
State officials who oversee the
State Water Project - California'sother chief water system - havealready announced they will beissuing a 15% water allocation forfarmers, up from the 10%allocation released in January.
BECOME A BUSINESS SUPPORT MEMBERwww.joinfb.com • 559-732-8301
Tulare County Farm Bureau offers a special category of membership for those interested in supporting Farm Bureau as business owners. If you have a business, ormerely want to show your support for the organization, your membership in the Business Support category is encouraged.Here's what you get in return for your annual dues:
• A free listing every month on this page and in the new online directory.• Discounts on display advertising in this newspaper.• All the benefits and services of Farm Bureau membership.• News of events and issues in TCFB News and E-News.
You will also receive the appreciation and support of the agricultural industry and Tulare County Farm Bureau members. Join us to accomplish our mission: Topromote and enhance the viability of Tulare County agriculture.
Accountants
Ag Chemical, Fertilizer Sales& Applications
Ag Equipment
Agricultural IndustrialSupplies & Services
Ag Research, Testing& Consulting
Baker, Peterson & Franklin, LLP, CPA
Bret Bastrire, CPA
Gilman, Harris & Travioli,An Accountancy Corporation
Hocking, Denton & Palmquist, CPA
M. Green & Company, LLP, CPA
Pine, Pedroncelli & Aguilar, Inc., CPA
Steve Bratcher & Associates, CPA
Vollmer, Daniel, Gaebe & Grove, LLP, CPA
American Ag, Inc.
Central Valley Management, Inc.
Crumbliss & Horton, Inc.
Farmers Fertilizer & Supply
Gillespie Ag Service
Helena Chemical Company
Leffingwell Ag Sales Company, Inc.
McLean Spray Co., Inc.
Natural Resources Group
Polymer Ag, LLC
Spray Co, LLC
TriCal, Inc.
Tulare Ag Products
E. M. Tharp, Inc.
Exeter Mercantile
Farmers Tractor & Equipment Company
Garton Tractor, Inc.
Krone California
Lawrence Tractor Company, Inc.
Linder Equipment Company
Quality Machinery Center
Visalia ATV Motorcycle
California Controlled Atmosphere
Central Calif Implement
Clear Innovation
Fruit Growers Supply
Fruit Growers Supply
Fruit Growers Supply
Scout Specialties
Shannon Bros Company, Inc.
Sierra Packaging Solutions
Tulare Firestone, Inc.
California Fresh Fruit Association
Citrus Research Board
Fruit Growers Laboratory, Inc.
Innovative Ag Services, LLC
Julie Maldonado970 W. Alluvial Ave., Ste. 101, Fresno 432-2346
Bret Bastrire3330 W. Mineral King Ave., Ste. C, Visalia
625-9240
Megan Travioli313 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia 627-2725
Craig Swearingen3326 W. Mineral King Ave., Visalia 625-4444
Kevin M. Green308 S. M St., Tulare 688-7401
William Pine3924 W. Caldwell Ave., Ste. B, Visalia 625-9800
Steve Bratcher3326 W. Mineral King Ave., Visalia 625-4444
100 Willow Plaza, Ste. 400, Visalia 733-1051
Gerald GaskinPO Box 80416, Bakersfield (661) 635-0778
Frank J. Marshall, Sr.36040 Road 172, Visalia 798-1821
24569 Avenue 90, Terra Bella 535-4463
Jeff Penner36071 Burke Dr., Traver 897-1500
Dana Gillespie15301 Road 192, Porterville 784-9021
Tom Griffiths25114 Road 204, Exeter 562-5400
Geary Austin23576 Avenue 96, Terra Bella 535-4461
Michael Mc Lean19725 Avenue 300, Exeter 799-3611
34284 Road 196, Woodlake 564-1236
PO Box 282, Orange Cove 495-0234
PO Box 7090, Visalia 625-9416
Shelley LomantoPO Box 1327, Hollister 651-0140
Robert O. Prather3233 S. I St., Tulare 686-5115
Morris A. Tharp15243 Road 192, Porterville 782-5800
Bob Schelling258 E. Pine St., Exeter 592-2121
1132 S. Main St., Porterville 784-4967
4780 S. K St., Tulare 686-0054
1950 S. Blackstone, Tulare 687-0283
Scott Lawrence2530 E. Main St., Visalia 734-7406
311 E. Kern Ave., Tulare 685-5000
Jim Maciel3820 S. K St., Tulare 686-1579
Martin Crum2500 E. Mineral King Ave., Visalia 739-7866
Jim Mitchell39138 Road 56, Dinuba 591-8874
William S. Longan1480 W. Inyo Ave., Tulare 686-4747
Tom Hart3506 Moore, Rd., Ceres (209) 595-0338
Margaret Long46031 Road 124, Orange Cove 626-4629
934 W. Scranton Ave., Porterville 781-4050
Rick Hopper131 S. Blair Rd., Woodlake 564-3525
Gary L. Lunsford148 N. M St., Dinuba 591-8234
Chris Shannon24478 Road 140, Tulare 686-4701
2475 Ave. 400, Kingsburg 897-0711
Lionel Pires362 S. K St., Tulare 686-3313
978 W. Alluvial, Ste. 107, Fresno 226-6330
217 N. Encina, Visalia 738-0246
Neil G. Jessup9415 W. Goshen Ave., Visalia 734-9473
Nathan Heeringa1201 Lacy Blvd., Ste. 5, Hanford 587-2800
592-4357
Allan Powersports Inc.
BASF Agricultural Research Station
John Allan30681 N. Highway 99, Visalia 651-9014
10181 Avenue 416, Dinuba 591-2548
Napa Auto Parts
Bayer CropScience
940 E. Main Street, Visalia 734-6272
Rick Wescott33172 Road 148, Visalia 972-7503
Tulare Kings Hispanic Chamber
Ramsey N. Aswad, LLC
Duarte Nursery, Inc.
Community Recycling & Resource Recovery, Inc.
Woodward Drilling Company
Armondo Apodaca1100 W. Main Street, Visalia 734-6020
Wine Grape Brokers120 N. Willis Street, Visalia 636-3421
Ed Needham1555 Baldwin Rd., Hughson
Tim Stehr9189 De Garmo Ave, Sun Valley (818) 767-6000
Wayne G. Woodward
550 River Road, Rio Vista (707) 374-4300
(209) 531-0351
Pena's Disposal ServiceArt Pena12094 Avenue 408, Cutler 528-3909
Visalia Chamber Of Commerce
Paul Enos Packing, Inc.
Sequoia Orange Company, Inc.
The Chuck Olsen Co
Venida Packing Company
Visalia Citrus Packing Group
Res Com Pest Control
Delta Liquid Energy Propane
Jack Griggs, Inc.
J.C. Lansdowne, Inc.
Valley Pacific Petroleum Services, Inc.
Craig Smith & Associates, Inc.
Manuel Ortiz Ag Real Estate
Pearson Realty
The Ranch Company
Schuil & Associates
Cal Agro Seed Company, Inc.
Plant Food Systems, Inc.
Gerald C. Haggard, DVM
Valley Veterinarians, Inc.
Cal Gro Pump Service, Inc.
Kaweah Pump, Inc.
Carver Pump Service/Tommys Pump Service, Inc.
US Farm Systems
Willitts Equipment Company, Inc.
Witzel Pump Service
D & S Ag Designs, Inc.
Kens Stakes & Supplies
Gail Zurek220 N. Santa Fe Ave., Visalia 734-5876
Paul Enos14257 Avenue 320, Visalia 738-8331
James Wilson150 W. Pine St., Exeter 592-9455
Chuck OlsenPO Box 6487, Visalia 651-5900
Verne CrookshanksPO Box 212, Exeter 592-2816
PO Box 2800, Visalia 635-3000
Tony Taylor305 S. M St., Tulare 685-8989
321 E. Noble Ave., Bldg. A,, Farmersville 592-9681
D W. Griggs1149 S. Kaweah, Exeter 592-3154
Steven C. Lansdowne8601 W. Roosevelt Ave., Visalia 651-1760
Geoff Howard1633 E. Mineral King, Ave., Visalia 732-8381
Craig Smith1695 E. Prosperity Ave., Tulare
737-1750
Manuel Ortiz230 North J Street, Tulare 972-0909
Jim Olivas3447 S. Demaree St., Visalia 732-7300
John H. Grimmius3449 S. Demaree St., Ste. B, Visalia 733-3232
Marc Schuil5020 W Mineral King Ave, Visalia 734-1700
Dan Miller6908 Avenue 304, Visalia 651-2676
Mark BradyPO Box 775, Zellwood, FL 731-1267
302 S. F St., Exeter 592-5210
Pete Kistler2861 S. K St., Tulare 686-1447
9817 W. Grove Ave., Visalia 651-0802
Bill Gargan15499 Avenue 280, Visalia 747-0755
Brian Geary26473 Harrison Rd., Visalia (855) 622-7837
Jean Houle2955 S. K St., Tulare 685-0340
30548 Road 196, Exeter 594-5020
Timothy J. Witzel22741 Avenue 178, Porterville 781-5515
Steve Meza6944 Avenue 304, Visalia CA 651-9887
Joe Hallmeyer193 S. Mariposa Ave., Visalia 747-1313
686-1688
Wade Brown5103 W. Goshen Ave., Ste. E, Visalia 625-1133
Michael Graham2280 S. K St., Tulare 686-2000
Brown's Custom Jewelry
Valley Pump & Dairy Systems
Packing Houses & ProduceBrokers
Pest Control
Petroleum Distributors& Products
Real Estate
Seed & Plant Supplements
Veterinary Services
Waste & Recycling Service
Wells, Pumps & Pipe
Wood Stakes & TrellisSystems
Specialty Stores
Trees and Vines
Valley Real Estate
Staffords Chocolates
Tom McGuiganP.O. Box 7087, Visalia 907-0023
Rob Taylor882 W. Henderson Ave., Porterville 359-3020
DIRECTORY OF FARM BUREAU BUSINESS MEMBERS
Feed and NutritionSupplements
Fertilizer
Food Processing
Forestry Products
Insurance
Irrigation Systems, Supplies& Districts
Livestock
Marketing
Orchard Services
Other Organizations& Individuals
Medical Services
Nutrius, LLC
Western Milling, LLC
Soil Basics Corp
Bell-Carter Olive Company
Crisp California Walnuts
Horizon Nut Company
Sierra Forest Products
Buckman-Mitchell, Inc.
DG Insurance Agency, Inc.
Golden State Crop & Insurance Services
Mitchell Insurance Services
Karen Munger Insurance Services
Nielsen & Associates Insurance
NSE Insurance Agencies, Inc.
State Compensation Insurance Fund
Bowsmith, Inc.
Fruit Growers Supply Company
Irritec USA
Rain for Rent
Allflex USA
Arrow Head Cattle Co., Inc.
A-Peltzer Enterprises
Baker Topping, Inc.
Barnett Land Leveling Company
Peltzer Topping & Hedging
Reynolds Ranches
College of the Sequoias
Exeter Chamber of Commerce
International Agri-Center, Inc.
Porterville Chamber of Commerce
Tulare Chamber Of Commerce
Tulare County Fair
Tulare County Office of Education
Tulare County Sheriff's Department
Brian McCutcheon39494 Clarkson Dr., Kingsburg 897-5862
PO Box 1029, Goshen 302-1001
PO Box 2609, Visalia 651-2772
PO Box 338, Orange Cove 626-4411
David Silveira20500 Main St., Stratford 947-3800
Ali Turgeon26487 N. Highway 99, Tulare 685-3663 x250
9000 Road 234, Terra Bella 535-4893
500 N. Santa Fe, Visalia 733-1181
309 N. Garden St., Visalia 733-0221
Kristine Fox108 E. 7th St., Hanford 381-8981
Kelly Mitchell1039 N. Demaree St., Visalia 713-1315
Karen Munger2902 W. Main St., Visalia 733-2663
David Nielsen502 N. Kaweah, Ste. A, Exeter
(800) 842-8818
Ken Stevens160 S. D St. , Exeter 592-9411
Mike Burns (415) 309-43952300 River Plaza Drive, Sacramento
131 Second St., Exeter 592-9485
131 S. Blair Rd., Woodlake 564-3525
Greg Gostanian5540 W. Buena Vista Ave., Visalia 275-8825
Mitch Martin21500 W. Manning, San Joaquin 693-4315
Tom Polich31045 Tower Road, Visalia 783-6989
Bill Freeman9303 W. Airport Dr., Visalia 651-1800
Larry Peltzer17396 Avenue 344, Visalia
(888) 798-1034
Michael BakerPO Box 1537, Tulare 804-4045
Lonnie Barnett2300 N. Gill Rd., Exeter 592-2767
Tim D. PeltzerPO Box 10209, Terra Bella 789-9446
Scott Reynolds1389 S. Westwood Ave., Lindsay 287-0000
915 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia 730-3700
Sandy Blankenship101 W. Pine St., Exeter 592-2919
Jerry Sinift4450 S. Laspina St., Tulare 688-1751
93 N. Main St., Ste. A, Porterville 784-7502
220 E. Tulare Ave., Tulare 686-1547
215 Martin Luther King Jr., Tulare 686-4707
Jim Vidak2637 W. Burrel, Visalia 733-6101
Tom Guinn36000 Road 112, Visalia 735-1913
594-5500
James Silva, Jr.PO Box 366, Farmersville 747-1177
Domonic Rossini5470 E. Home Ave., Fresno (661) 809-6282
R. Steven Alcocer225 S. Chinowth St., Visalia 627-3222
741-0951
Consolidated Peoples Ditch Company
Netafim USA
Valley Industrial & Family Medical Group
CIG Central Valley InsuranceScott L. Bosler4142 S. Demaree, Visalia 802-4094
Stuhaan Cattle Corporation
MC Solutions
Dane Stuhaan1255 N Cherry St PMB 573, Tulare 688-7695
Mandy Critchley1384 Ave. 384, Kingsburg 799-4744
Research for Hire
Valley Tech Agriculture Services
Dias Law Firm
Horswill, Mederos & Soares, Attorneys at Law
Rauber & Johnson, Attorneys at Law
Ward R. Stringham, Attorney at Law
Tulare County Stockyard, Inc.
Visalia Livestock Market
Groppetti Automotive Family
Jim Manning Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram
Battery Pro
Gross & Stevens, Inc.
Pixley Auto Parts & Farm Supply
Quality Paint & Body
Tucoemas Federal Credit Union
Wells Fargo
Westwood Capital Services
New Era Farm Services, Inc.
EMD, Inc.
Doug DeLeo Welding, Inc.
Ralph Fuller Electric
Russell Paving
W & E Electric
John Corkins1696 S. Leggett, Porterville 784-5787
2120 S. K St., Tulare 688-5684
Michael A. Dias502 W. Grangeville Blvd., Hanford 585-7330
Dennis Mederos791 N. Cherry St., Tulare 686-3861
James C. Johnson1007 N. Demaree St., Visalia 741-1800
Ward R. Stringham756 E. Tulare Ave., Tulare 686-1747
Jon Dolieslager9641 Avenue 384, Dinuba 591-0884
Randy Baxley733 N. Ben Maddox Way, Visalia 625-9615
Mike MoraPO Box 1431, Visalia 334-6202
James Manning194 W. Tulare St., Dinuba 591-4910
Joey AguiarPO Box 2032, Tulare 687-9413
1121 E. Acequia Ave., Visalia 734-4649
William W. Van Scyoc418 S. Main St., Pixley 757-3574
739 N. Ben Maddox, Visalia 734-3501
509 S. Pinkham St., Ste. B, Visalia 741-2940
Linda Reese
2300 W. Whitendale Ave, Visalia 732-8892
Bill Hoover3300 S. Demaree St., Visalia 622-3023
Dennis Sexton813 W. Oak Ave., Ste. C, Porterville 741-9400
Douglas L. Graham2904 E. Oakdale, Tulare 686-3833
Lolen East4930 W. Kaweah Ct., Ste. 200, Visalia 636-7000
Doug DeLeoPO Box 878, Lindsay 562-3700
253 W. Pine, Exeter 592-4633
Joe Russell1110 N. Cain St., Visalia 734-6948
Larry W. Edwards12686 Avenue 416, Orosi 528-3866
AAA Security, Inc.
Smokin’ Barrel Firearms
Will Tiesiera Ford Mercury
Battery Systems
Bryan Company
Skip Rouch Construction
Valley Cleaning & Restoration
321 E. Noble Ave., Bldg C, Farmersville 594-5600
Robert J. Gaalswyk3222 N. Demaree St., Ste. D, Visalia 625-5855
Bruce Boren2010 E. Cross Ave., Tulare 688-7471
1601 E. Main Street, Visalia 651-0245
Ken BryanP.O. Box 2565, Visalia 732-3516
54773 Chinquapin Dr., Springville 542-3000
Robert J. Lassotovitch641 S. Plano Street, Porterville 781-4800
Agriculture Services andCustom Harvesting
Attorneys & Legal Services
Auctions
Automotive Dealers
Automotive Service & Repair
Banks & Financial Services
Composting & CompostSales
Computer Sales & Service
Contractors
Ag Theft & Security Services
Brian Black Farming
Bank of the Sierra Ag Credit
Dan Freitas Electric, Inc.
Brian Black16760 El Rio Drive, Visalia 594-6834
PO Box 1930, Porterville 782-4432
Dan Freitas983 E. Levin Avenue, Tulare 686-9572
E & M Ag Services, Inc.
Good Fellas Harvesting
Central Valley Community Bank
Farm Credit West
Golden State Farm Credit Associate ACA
Stifel Nicolaus
Suncrest Bank
Tri Counties Bank
Matthew BakkePO Box 7208, Visalia 625-5020
P.O. Box 9, Tipton 359-1907
Erin Probasco
7100 N. Financial Drive, Ste 101, Fresno 323-3472
Don O Dell200 E. Cartmill, Tulare 732-4501
PO Box 1838, Hanford 584-5401
David C. Sharp217 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia 622-1040
400 W. Center Ave., Visalia 802-1000
Houk and Hornburg, Inc.Thomas E. Hornburg206 S. Mooney Blvd, Visalia 733-1065
Cooperatives
Dairy & Dairy Services
Dehydrators
Employment Services& Safety Training
Engineering
Farm Labor Contractors
Farm Management
Farms & Ranches
Energy & Utilities
Cal Bean & Grain Cooperative
Land O' Lakes
Mid-Valley Cotton Growers, Inc.
Airoso Dairy Farms
Amaral Dairy Service
Nunes Bros. Dairy
Riverview Dairy
Valley Nutrition
Wasnick Bros. Dairy Supply, Inc.
World Wide Sires, LTD
Hester Orchards, Inc.
Tulare County Workforce Investment Board, Inc.
R. L. Schafer & Associates
Keller & Wegley Engineering
Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group
Alberto C. Robles, Farm Labor Contractor
Salud Tapia Farm Labor
Agricultural Services, Inc.
Anton Caratan & Son
Crinklaw Farm Services
Foothill Ag Services
ABAA Visalia Ranch
Barcellos Farms
Halopoff and Sons, Inc.
LeyCon, Inc.
Bob Nuckols Hay, Etc.
PB Ranches
Peterson Farms
Tri T Farms
W.F. LTD
PO Box D, Pixley 757-3581
Steve Ballard400 S. M St., Tulare 687-8287
Stan CreelmanPO Box 149, Tulare 686-2823
P.O. Box 1087, Tipton 757-3598
Frank Orique413 N. I St., Tulare 686-9644
20445 Road 124, Tulare 686-3065
Randy W. Gorzeman9295 Avenue 88, Pixley 757-3522
Dan Waldner113 N. Church, St., Suite 403, Visalia
Robert M. Wasnick1012 N. J St., Tulare 686-4581
Mike Rakes5545 Avenida De Los Robles, Visalia 622-2222
Gary Hester26800 A Road 164, Visalia 594-5025
Adam Peck309 W. Main St., Ste. 120, Visalia 713-5200
Richard Schafer2904 W. Main, Visalia 734-1348
Dennis Keller209 S. Locust, Visalia 732-7938
130 N. Garden St., Visalia 636-1166
Alberto Robles20456 Avenue 256, Exeter 909-0630
Salud Tapia19070 Road 212, Strathmore 804-4345
Daniel W. DreyerPO Box 335, Exeter 592-4844
PO Box 2797. Bakersfield (661) 747-7700
Dave Crinklaw13837 S. Zediker Ave., Kingsburg 897-1077
Edward Needham3921 E. Mary Ave., Visalia 977-7282
Claude Atkins15430 Avenue 296, Visalia 733-7350
Tom Barcellos14857 Road 168, Porterville 752-4360
John Halopoff
19480 Road 244, Strathmore 568-1102
PO Box 847, Exeter 592-4913
Bob C. Nuckols13144 Road 216, Porterville 784-2793
Gabriel Pena12094 Avenue 408, Cutler 528-6997
Jay Peterson26789 Road 188, Exeter 592-5274
John P. Toledo29630 Road 44, Visalia 651-1301
Kerry WhitsonP.O. Box 397, Exeter 358-1252
Animal Health International
Johnston Calf Pens
Leal Dairy
Altsys Solar Inc.
CalCom Solar
Pacific Gas & Electric Company
Southern California Edison
Southern California Gas Company
Ultratech Industrial Systems Inc.
Mc Kellar Farms, Inc.
Micke Farms
8711 West Doe Ave, Visalia 970-584-5321
Barry Johnston12385 Road 96, Tipton 803-2253
Steve Leal7027 Ave. 208, Tulare 688-8367
909-2594
1434 E. Tulare Ave., Tulare 688-2544
Nic Stover9716 W. Grove Ave., Visalia (661) 376-0543
Ann Kloose705 P St., Fresno 263-5308
Bill DeLain2425 S. Blackstone St., Tulare 685-3213
Matthew Hendrick404 N. Tipton St., Visalia 739-2389
8244 W. Hillsdale Court #5, Visalia 651-1200
PO Box 189, Ivanhoe 798-0557
Gerald MickeP.O. Box 11026, Terra Bella 784-4322
California Safety Training CorporationBen Laverty2130 Brundage Lane, Bakersfield (661) 377-8300
Josh PitiglianoPO Box 9, Tipton 752-4319
Roger EverettPO Box 1656, Porterville 333-0283
Pitigliano Farms
Terra Bella Honey
Check out
our online
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Page 14 March 2015Tulare County Farm Bureau News www.tulcofb.org
March 2015 Page 15Tulare County Farm Bureau Newswww.tulcofb.org
Call Kast & Company at(559) 732-5030
Do you want to advertisein the TCFB News?
“determines or alters surface water
rights or groundwater rights under
common law or any provision of law
that determines or grants surface
water rights.” The Act also provides
for local control of managing
groundwater resources.
H o w e v e r , f r a n k l y , t h e s e
statements provide more lofty goals
than practical aspects of the Act.
The concrete aspects and deadlines
of the Act are as follows:
1. Department of Water
Resources (DWR) will write rules
and regulations regarding “plans”
by June 1, 2016;
2. G r o u n d w a t e r
Sustainability Agencies (GSAs)
MUST be formed by June 30, 2017;
3. GSAs must submit plans by
J a n u a r y 1 , 2 0 2 0 , a n d
new/updated plans every five years
thereafter; and
4. G S A s m u s t r e a c h
sustainability by January 1, 2040.
P r i o r t o D W R a d o p t i n g
regulations, the Act provides that it
shall conduct three public meetings
to consider public comments. Draft
regulations shall be posted on
DWR's website at least 30 days
prior to the public meetings.
Unfortunately, the Act only
provides that one meeting shall be
located somewhere in northern
California, the central valley, and
southern California. Further detail
on the exact time and location of
these meetings are currently
unknown. Keeping an eye out for
the draft regulations and public
meetings will be critical to providing
public comment and feedback on
proposed regulations.
Joining a GSA is critical and
getting a start on that process now
is a must. A GSA is defined simply
as “one or more local agencies”. A
“local agency” is defined under the
Act as “a local public agency that
h a s w a t e r s u p p l y , w a t e r
management , or land use
r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s w i t h i n a
groundwater basin.”
Each groundwater extractor
should begin thinking about what
local agency, or combination of
agencies, makes the most sense to
self-regulate any kind of plan for his
or her local area.
There is much left to be deter-
mined under this Act. Further
legislation is expected and regula-
tions are on the way. While much is
left to be determined, the next key
steps are to hopefully influence and
assist DWR in the drafting and
adoption of regulations as well as
begin formation of sensible and
practical GSAs that understand
and can respond appropriately to
local needs and concerns.
Tulare County Farm Bureau has
already reported several local sub-
basin conversations are beginning.
These discussions will be critical in
the upcoming months.
Aubrey Mauritson is an attorney
and citrus farmer. She can be
reached at aubreycairns@aol.com.
Commentaryfrom page 5
Page 16 Tulare County Farm Bureau News March 2015 www.tulcofb.org
federal delta smelt regulatorymeasures was "that of a zealot,"making her "unworthy of belief."He expressed sadness and"remorse for our justice system forwhat has been placed before theCourt.”
The court concluded its hearingby finding that, as a whole, thefederal agencies in this case are"unworthy of their public trust.”
The science of the delta smelt hasnot advanced. They can no moreprove today that increased waterfor smelt does them any good, anymore than they could in 2010.
We know this: if you give a farmerwater he can tell you what you'regoing to get, how many tomatoes,how much garlic, how manyalmonds or grapes. You know howmany workers will be employed.You can calculate how the moneycirculation impacts the economy.
If you give fish the water they giveyou a bunch of maybe's, could be's,and hope. They can't quantify whatthe water will do and can't quantifywhat it has done. It's very iffy.
They have no conclusive science,yet they still get the water. Wesuggest the Board spend more timeon the ammonia spilled into theDelta (The Great Delta Toilet Bowl)by wastewater treatment plants like
Sacramento's and also considerhow many smelt are eaten by thestriped bass.
The Board concluded theirmeeting by deciding to study theissue further until their nextscheduled meeting in early March.
That means we haven't beenpumping additional water for thepast two weeks while waiting forthis meeting and we won't pump forthe next two weeks while we dofurther studies. While the can getskicked down the road we continueto go without. Status quo.
This is a relatively small thing inthe scheme of things. If we can't getthis done, how can we ever hope todo big things like dams?
Editors' Note: Tulare County Farm
Bureau and numerous other
agricultural associations submitted
letters to the SWRCB asking for the
board to reconsider their executive
director's determination to curtail
pumping and thus restrict more
water from flowing to the Valley.
Busloads of local farmers, farm
employees, concerned citizens,
activists, and leaders from the
South Valley attended the SWRCB
hearing on February 18 but to no
avail, the State Water Board seemed
to be unaffected by the outpouring of
people at the hearing. Farm Bureau
will continue to monitor the situation
and advocate for water deliveries
for agriculture use.
SWRCBfrom page 4