Sierra2theSea

Tree Fruit Growers See Improvement
Overcoming challenges from the economy and Mother Nature, California tree fruit growers say their harvest is off to a solid start. Springtime hailstorms destroyed some peaches, plums and nectarines in the Central Valley, but farmers who have fruit to sell say their crops look good and consumer demand has been strong. Tree fruit growers say they’re starting to recover from a tough 2011 and the closure of some fruit packing and shipping facilities in 2009.
Strawberry Crop May Set Records
Just about halfway through their harvest, strawberry farmers and marketers say they could be headed toward record production. The harvest avoided severe trouble from springtime rain, which reduced last year’s final crop. California farmers have also increased strawberry acreage about 3 percent. Strawberry harvest will be concentrated along the Central California coast now as the Southern California harvest winds down.

Environmentally Efficient Cows

In 2006, a United Nations report entitled “Livestock’s Long Shadow” claimed that the livestock sector is a major player in climate change, “responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions … a higher share than transport.”  Appeals for reducing meat consumption to prevent climate change filled the public media, and they continue today (see this recent opinion blog from the New York Times).

At Alltech’s recent Symposium, UC Davis Associate Professor and Air Quality Specialist Dr. Frank Mitloehner explained why this greenhouse gas (GHG) statistic is misleading.  His examination of the issue is detailed in a 2009 study entitled “Clearing the Air: Livestock’s Contributions to Climate Change,” which was co-authored by Pitesky and Stackhouse.

At the Symposium, Mitloehner explained that livestock in developed countries actually make a fairly small contribution to greenhouse gas emissions: in the United States, livestock contribute only about 3 percent of anthropogenic emissions, as compared to 26 percent by transportation and 31 percent by electricity.  The 18 percent cited in the UN report is an international statistic, influenced by emissions percentages in developing countries.  In these countries, livestock make a greater contribution to total GHG production because the countries have smaller transportation and energy sectors.

Percentages of GHG production in developing countries are also influenced by land-use changes related to livestock production, such as deforestation. Many developing countries are converting land to pasture and cropland in an attempt to develop their economies, just as developed countries have already done.  According to Mitloehner, GHG emissions due to deforestation and other land-use change patterns inflate the worldwide, livestock-associated GHG production percentage by as much as one-third.

Mitloehner emphasized the importance of reducing GHG production by improving efficiency and productivity of livestock in developing countries, rather than decreasing milk and meat consumption.  The more productive the animal (for example, the more milk produced per cow), the lower the GHG emissions are for a particular amount of product.  Improving productivity can be achieved by improving fertility, health, and genetics of the animal, as well as by increasing digestibility of feed.  According to Mitloehner, the efficient nature of livestock production in the U.S. makes it a useful model for developing countries.

In the coming years, developing countries should focus on improving digestibility and developed countries should focus on waste management.  With the need to feed a world population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, increased productivity and efficiency, not decreased meat and milk consumption, is the key to reduced GHG production.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary last month in Bakersfield the United Farmworkers Union with barely 27,000 workers under contract- half of what they had- the UFW is not the union powerhouse once feared by California produce growers. But don’t count them out yet.
With some backing from the California government and a perceived worker shortage in the state the UFW is expected to sign the first major contract with large Central Valley tomato growers in coming weeks.
This week the UFW and tomato producer Pacific Triple E of Tracy are signing their first union contract during a ceremony in Stockton covering 800 workers
UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez will join the union’s negotiating committee and Pacific Triple E Operating Partner Jon Esformes in signing the agreement that comes after decades of battle and litigation.
In a news release Esformes said” When the UFW approached us last fall we found that we held many common ideals which allowed us to quickly establish a line of communication that was honorable, transparent and non-confrontational.”
“Working with the UFW will allow us to continue to enhance the level of mutual respect we have enjoyed for many years”he said.
The contract is said to provide wage increases of 12 to 57.4 % over the life of the agreement for hourly and daily rate employees. Other highlights of the contract include a pension plan, grievance procedure, seniority and job security.
Also expected to be signed soon is a contract with Manteca-based ACE Tomatoes. As with Tripe E, the UFW won an election years ago (1989) at Ace but but never got a union contract because the  farm company never came to the table, the union charges.
The UFW has charged growers with bad faith after elections are won dragging their feet for years to stall any contract. Last year they got  Governor Brown and the state to agree to new rules that gives them some new clout in talks with farmers.
Senate Bill 126, by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, now gives farmworkers greater protections in organizing disputes with growers, including allowing the state’s Agricultural Labor Relations Board to certify a union when it determines grower misconduct affected an election’s outcome. Brown signed the bill last summer.
Despite the kind words from Triple E’s spokesman the company and UFW have been going at it since 1975 when the union first won an election at the ranch that involves workers from several counties. The matter of the election was litigated by the company all the way to the state supreme court who found in the company’s favor.
The union won again in a state sponsored election in 1989 but it took until 1994 before Triple E and UFW began negotiations.
Now 18 years later, the workers will get that contract with UFW’s president Arturo Rodriguez asserting that it will make them the best paid tomato pickers in the nation.
California produces around 90% of all US tomato production.
On a roll, the UFW is pressing Governor Brown this summer to back overtime pay for farmworkers.

Wine Grapes Down 18:
Monterey County agriculture maintained its economic clout in 2011 with crop production values that exceeded $3.85 billion, Agricultural Commissioner Eric Lauritzen announced this week as he released the annual crop report.
While gross crop values declined slightly from 2010 – about $153 million, or 3.8 percent – agricultural production remained higher than any year prior to 2009. “We expect some fluctuations in production from year to year, based on market, price, weather and other factors,” said Lauritzen. “At the same time, agriculture’s consistent standing as the number one business in Monterey County underscores its importance to our economy.”
The 2011 Monterey County Crop Report calculated total crop values of $3,853,004,200. Leaf lettuce took over the number one spot with a value of $777.4 million (a 7 percent increase), compared to $713.9 million for strawberries (down 5 percent). Other top crops included head lettuce at $454.2 million (down 11 percent), broccoli at $297.3 million (no change), and nursery production at $260.7 million (down 2 percent).
Wine grapes fell 18%, following an even larger decline the previous year. But Rhonda Motil, Executive Director of the Vintners and Growers Association, expects a turnaround in 2012, saying, “The weather was perfect, early cluster counts are up and inventories are down, which indicate a much better year ahead.”
While public attention often focuses on the county’s number one crop, Lauritzen said the top ten crops are worth more than $100 million each and together generate more than $3 billion in production. “These dollars multiply as they spread into the rest of our local economy. An economic analysis released by my office this spring shows that all of our high-value, labor-intensive crops create many jobs in the field and throughout the community,” Lauritzen said.
“The resilience of Monterey County’s agricultural sector is noteworthy,” said Jeff Langholz, who co- authored the economic study. “Even with the recent dip in production value, the overall story for the past decade is one of impressive growth.”