Celebrating West Side Agriculture 2020

20.03.2020 Views
14 | HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020State government needsto work with farmers,not against themFarmers have no end ofworries: Will it rain too little?Will it rain too much?What is ailing the bees?Will the price of nuts behigh enough to cover mycosts?State government can’tdo much to alleviate suchworries. But we shouldn’tbe increasing them by pilingmore regulations andreporting burdens onto thebacks of farmers.Start with trucks. You’llfind them on every farm.Under a 2014 law, dieseltrucks made before 2010are supposed to be removedby 2023. Most ofthe gross polluters are bigrigs used to haul goodsup and down California’shighways. Since only arelative few big trucks areused in farming, farmerswere given limited exemptions.A 2018 lawsuit forcedthe state to alter its rulesfor granting those exemptions.Now, relatively smalldiesel trucks – includingmany pick-ups – fall underthe state’s stricter rules.So a farmer who bought aone-and-a-half-ton truck in2009 to haul farm equipmentfrom one orchard tothe next will have to replaceit. Never mind thatshe might use that truckonly six or seven timesa year or that it rarelyleaves the farm; it’s got togo.For keeping an infinitesimallysmall amount ofcarbon out of the air, thesmall farmer will pay anenormous cost - $80,000 to$100,000.That’s nothing comparedto the threat of lawsuits.Farmers are not secretive,especially with each other.Sharing information aboutwhat works (and whatdoesn’t) is an essentialpart of neighbors helpingneighbors. For example,when farmers began applyingfertilizer throughADAM GRAYdrip and micro-irrigationsystems – now it’s calledfertigation – they sharedtheir methods and now it’scommon practice.Farmers are requiredto share how much fertilizer,like nitrogen, theyuse with their local FarmBureau. Nitrogen helpsplants grow and increasesyields, but using too muchallows it to seep throughthe root zone and into thegroundwater below. Thebureau compares yieldto use, and if a particularfarmer is using too much,they are asked to explain.Fertilizer is expensive, somost farmers are amenableto learning about bettermethods.In my district, farmersmeet annually to discusspractices, problemsand solutions. Earlier thismonth, some 3,000 farmers,mostly from District21, got together to shareinformation.Now, other entities areinsisting this specificfarming data should bepublic, making it availableto people who don’tunderstand farming orwho don’t like it. Suchpeople could use that datato sue individual farmersfor using more fertilizerthan they deem necessary.Big, corporate farms -still rare in my district -have experts to deal withall the regulations and reportingrequirements imposedby the state. Smallfarmers have only themselves.Sadly, these requirementsare driving manysmall farmers to sell outand move on. Often, thebuyers of their farms arelarge corporations.As my friend WayneZipser, executive directorof the Stanislaus CountyFarm Bureau, told me,“We’re seeing consolidationof farms and dairies,and a lot of it has to dowith regulations. The littleguy has to do all this reportingand replacing ofequipment, but that littleguy needs to be out on atractor.”Virtually everyone inmy district knows a farmer.We trust them to farmin safe and sustainableways. Why? Because it’sin their best interest - andours.Farmers in the NorthernSan Joaquin Valleyproduce food we can trust,food we all want to eat.Worries over water, beesand fees are enough forthem to deal with.At some point, pilingmore regulations, rulesand reporting requirementsonto their proverbialplates will mean takingfood off ours.Adam Gray representsthe 21st Assembly District,which includes all of Mercedand part of Stanislauscounties.ClassifiedsGet The Job Done!Call 862-2222 To Place Your Ad Today!Walnut Grower, Huller and ProcessorServing the West Side with Quality and IntegrityThanks to Our Growers for Your Continued SupportContact Kirk Jensen for Information16801 Highway 33Patterson, CA 95363209/892-3458 • 209/892-5036 FAXkirk@pattersonnut.comSuperiorTRUCK LINES, INC.Proud to be a part of theWest Side Ag Economy!Main Office (209) 862-9430Turlock Office/Yard (209) 669-6931Lemoore Office/Yard (559) 924-6418Tulare Office/Yard (559) 684-1969

THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 HONORING WEST SIDE AGRICULTURE | 15Giving farmers a voice in Washington on critical issuesAnyone who eats foodshould care about ourfarmers. But not enoughdo. People in Washingtoncan’t see beyond their dinnerplate and have no ideawhere their food comesfrom. Our farmers deserverespect and supportfrom everyone – especiallyour elected officials.I fought to serve on theAgriculture Committee inCongress because farmingis the lifeblood of ourlocal economy here in theValley. It is also a key partof who we are – and it hasbeen ever since my greatgreat-grandfathercame toManteca to farm peachesin the 1850s.My job is to be a megaphonefor our valley farmers’concerns and a bulldogfor their interests. Notenough is getting done outthere in Washington, butI’m proud to have notchedseveral important accomplishmentson behalf ofthe men and women whogrow food to feed AmericaYou can’t talk aboutagriculture in Californiawithout talking about water.Everyone knows wejust came off the worstdrought in the state’s history– and with a recordlowrainfall for most ofCalifornia in February,it is more important thanever that we grow andsecure our water supply.JOSH HARDEREnough with the fighting,we need real results.That’s why the very firstbill I introduced was a bipartisansolution that isalready gaining tractionin Congress - even in themidst of the partisan chaosin D.C. The SAVE WaterResources Act wouldmake key investments inour water infrastructureand support important scientificadvancements thatwill help our farmers havethe water they need to dotheir jobs.My bill would increasewater storage here in thevalley and help farmersprepare for the stringentdemands in the state’sgroundwater managementlaw. It would also investmillions of dollars in ouraging water infrastructureto help us prepare fordroughts. Finally, it wouldprovide incentives for thedevelopment of privatesectortechnology to cutevaporation in our reservoirsand help SouthernCalifornia develop desalinationtechnology so theydon’t have to steal our water.My bill has support fromlocal elected officials ofboth parties. And we evenhad the Stanislaus CountyFarm Bureau celebratingthe bill’s announcement– next to representativesfrom the Sierra Club. Wefocused on projects andpolicies that will help usmove forward without allthe fighting.It also names four projectshere in the valley andstatewide that supportour water supply, the DelPuerto Canyon Reservoir,the North Valley RegionalRecycled Water Program,Sites Reservoir, and LosVaqueros. It has alreadyreceived a hearing and hasbroad bipartisan support. Iam proud we’ve worked tobring the first new federalfunding to our area for awater storage project in50 years. We got $14 millionin the federal budgetfor the four projects in mybill. Combined, they willincrease our water storagecapacity by about two millionacre-feet. That’s howmuch storage we’re short.Droughts aren’t the onlythreat to our water infrastructure.Some farmershave noticed a furry invaderwho threatens ourlevies and canals – thenutria – a giant swamprat from South America.Nutria were first spot-ted in 2017 and since thennearly 100,000 have beenremoved from an area betweenthe Delta and MercedCounty.These things are a menace.They threaten ourwater infrastructure butcan also eat the roots ofalmond trees and destroyour native wetlands. Iworked with Louisiana RepublicanGarret Graves topass a bipartisan bill thatwill provide the federalsupport California farmersneed to get rid of thesepests. The program we’rebringing back workedwonders for Maryland –and we hope it can do thesame for our farmers inCalifornia.But water infrastructure(and the critters threateningit) aren’t the onlyconcern for our farmers.I also hear from peopleconcerned about trade. Iwas proud to support thebipartisan United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement(USMCA) last year.thank you farmers...When some people balkedat the deal, I pushed forit to be brought up for avote. My community neededit, plain and simple.The agreement will givevalley farmers access andcertainty when it comes toselling their products toour trade partners to thenorth and south. This bipartisandeal also protectsAmerican workers fromhaving their jobs shippedoverseas. It should be thetemplate for how we do allof our other trade dealsmoving forward. Next,we’re focused on tradedeals with China and Indiaespecially.The other major issueI hear about is access tolabor – which is why I supportedthe passage of thefirst bipartisan immigrationbill the House of Representativeshas passed indecades. The bill wouldgive our farmers the guaranteedsource of farm laborthey need to work thefields. I heard way too oftenabout dairy farms thatwere struggling becausethey didn’t have the laborthey needed. This billwould fix that.My mission in Washingtonis to work with folkson both sides of the aisleto get things done. Andit’s working. I also want tohear your ideas for how wecan improve federal policyto help your business. Andmy office is always hereto help if you’re having anissue with the USDA orany other federal agency.Give me a call in Modestoat 209-579-5458 if you needhelp.Thank you to all ourfarmers for feeding ourcountry. We couldn’t doanything else without yourefforts.Josh Harder representsthe 10th District of Californiain the United StatesHouse of Representatives.Supporting Our West SideAgricultural Community1. Have something new to talkabout at the water cooler.2. Unlike television, you won’tmiss a word.3. Keep up on the local Sportsand School Districts.4. Follow the City Government.5. Get the 411 on the coming eventson the West Side.Want more reasons? Visit ourwebsite, and find countless otherreasons to read!www.westsideconnect.commattosnewspapers, inc.1021 Fresno Street - Newman 209.862.2222For ALL of Your Mortgage Needs!NEW! Rural Ag Hobby Loans, 5-160 Ac. with Residence• Refinances and Purchases• Buyers Agents/Sellers Agents:Protect Your Transaction SafeGuard Commitment with minimum$15,000 assurance 15 day close• Conventional & USDA: FICO aslow as 620• FHA & VA: FICO as low as 580• Down Payment Assistance:7 programs to fit your needs.Minimum FICO 620• Self Employed: 12 month BankStatement ProgramSusan “V” FaustinoMortgage Loan Officer - NMLS ID 269245Office: (209) 862-1717Cell: (209) 678-2838sfaustino@amerifirst.us1300 Main Street • Newman1560 Fulkerth Road • Turlock907 6th Street • Los BanosAmeriFirst Financial, Inc., 1550 E. McKellips Road, Suite 117, Mesa, AZ 85203 (NMLS # 145368). 1-877-276-1974. Copyright 2018. All Rights Reserved. Thisis not an offer to enter into an agreement. Not all customers will qualify. Information, rates, and programs are subject to change without prior notice. All productsare subject to credit and property approval. Not all products are available in all states or for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations apply. AZ: ArizonaMortgage Banker License No. BK0013635; CA: Licensed by The Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act; CO:Regulated by the Division of Real Estate; GA: Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee; NJ: Licensed by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance; WA:Washington Consumer Loan Company License No. CL-145368.your hard work and dedication bring fresh,healthy foods to our tables all year long!Manuel Canga, M.D.general & Family Medicine1248 Main Street, Suite D • Newman

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Celebrating West Side Agriculture 2020

Special section of the West Side Index & Gustine Press-Standard honoring our local agriculture industry. ... View more Special section of the West Side Index & Gustine Press-Standard honoring our local agriculture industry.

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Special section of the West Side Index & Gustine Press-Standard honoring our local agriculture industry. Special section of the West Side Index & Gustine Press-Standard honoring our local agriculture industry.