California Agricultural Issues Lab
of the University of California
Modern Farmer / June 7, 2021
Droughts in California have been part of agriculture for a very long time…California is a wonderful place for many crops and that has not changed at all.
AIC DIrector Dan Sumner
Snowpack statewide is only at 59% of its April 1 average, based on electronic measurements according to the California Department of Water Resources. Farmers in the Central Valley producing water-intensive crops such as almonds and tomatoes are already facing some difficult choices. “It’s really serious, particularly in the Central Valley.”
UC Davis Agricultural Economist Daniel Sumner
The Galt FFA Agricultural Issues team, which worked with us at AIC a few weeks ago, recently won the California State Championship! They explored issues related to the Sustainable Ground Water Act.
Team members are Mia Arisman, Gabrielle Martin, Maico Ortiz-Hinojosa, Jose Santos Madison Sweat, and Nathan Villalobos.
They are preparing to represent California at the National FFA Convention in October in Indianapolis.
Congratulations to the team members, their teacher and coach Mr. Dane White and all of Galt High School.
A team of students from the Galt High School FFA recently visited Dan Sumner, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE) distinguished professor and director of the UC Agricultural Issues Center (AIC).
The students visited Sumner in the AIC to present their entry for the FFA Agricultural Issues Forum Leadership Development Event, and hear his suggestions. Sumner explained that this annual FFA competition has students pick an agricultural issue, then present all sides. The Galt High School students chose the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Sumner relayed that one student took on the role of moderator as the other students took on personas of people on various sides of the issue, such as farmer, environmentalist, rural community leader, etc.
“The students were very articulate, smart and thoughtful,” Dr. Sumner said, adding that UC Davis is a great resource for students interested in pursuing agricultural economics, and he enjoys and encourages such requests for interaction as the Galt High School teacher makes for his FFA students each year.
This conference examines labor-related issues in California agriculture. Fruits and vegetables were two thirds of the state’s $47 billion in farm sales in 2015, average agricultural employment has been increasing to 420,000, and most farm workers are aging unauthorized Mexican-born men who have settled in California with their families.
Four timely issues will be discussed. First is fresh-produce buyers requiring growers to abide by labor and other protocols that go beyond government regulations in order to sell commodities. Second is the four-S response of farmers to fewer new farm workers, including satisfying current workers, stretching them with mechanical aids, substituting machines for hand workers or switching crops, and supplementing with younger H-2A guest workers. Third is the enforcement of laws against unauthorized migration in the Trump Administration the effects on farm workers and agriculture. Fourth is a review of ALRB activities and the status of the state’s cannabis industry and its workforce.
There is no charge to participate.
This conference is supported by the UC Agricultural Issues Center, the UC Davis Gifford Center and Migration Research Cluster, the Giannini, Rosenberg, and WKF foundations, and the ALRB.
For further information, contact Philip Martin (plmartin@ucdavis.edu).
Agenda
8:15AM Check-in and Continental Breakfast
8:45AM Welcome
Philip Martin, UC Davis
Colin Carter, UC Davis
9:00AM Sustainability Certification Standards and Farm Labor Compliance
Chair: Daniel Sumner, UC Agricultural Issues Center and UC Davis
Nathan Smith, SureHarvest
Ernie Farley, Andrew and Williamson
Hector Lujan, Reiter Affiliated Companies
Kirk Wagner, Growers Express
10:30AM Break
10:45AM Farm Labor: Responding to Aging and Settling Workers
Chair: William Gould, Chairman Emeritus, ALRB
Philip Martin, UC Davis
Daniel Carroll, DOL
Daniel Costa, EPI
Fritz Roka, University of Florida
Don Villarejo, Davis
12:15PM Lunch
1:15PM Immigration and Farm Workers
Chair: Philip Martin, UC Davis
“What’s Next for Immigration,” Kevin Johnson, UC Davis
“Immigration Policy and Farm Workers,” Ed Kissam, WKF
Discussants: Amagda Perez (UC Davis), Cynthia Rice (CRLA), Cruz Reynoso (UC Davis)
2:45PM Break
3:00PM ALRB Issues and Cannabis
Chair: Genevieve Shiroma, ALRB
“Reflections on the ALRB,” William Gould, Chairman Emeritus, ALRB
“ALRB Today,” Julia Montgomery, ALRB GC
“The Economics of Cannabis,” Daniel Sumner, UC Davis
“Farm Workers and Cannabis,” Ed Blanco, ALRB
“Representing Cannabis Workers,” Pete Maturino, UFCW
4:30PM Adjourn
Friday, April 14, 2017
Kalmanovitz Appellate Courtroom
King Hall
UC Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616
NPR Marketplace Jan 4 2016
California’s years-long drought may be easing now that the snowpack is a bit higher up in the Sierras, and more storms are in the forecast. But that doesn’t mean it’s over, and that’s not good news for U.S. agriculture.
Click here for article (audio): https://www.marketplace.org/2017/01/04/sustainability/snowpack-means-hope-drought-ridden-farms
California is the nation’s largest farm state and a global market leader. Farms have steadily improved productivity per unit of water used, but the latest drought has exposed agriculture’s growing vulnerability to water shortages. This brief describes a number of opportunities to strengthen agricultural water management for the long term.
This publication is part of a briefing kit that summarizes a dozen of the state’s most pressing water management issues.
Napa, California, September 26, 2016
Agricultural Issues Center Director Dan Sumner spoke at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium. The Symposium was titled: “Game Changers for the Next Twenty-Five Years”.
Sumner spoke on ” Wine Industry Water Issues” on a panel with Andrew Bassak, Partner, Mannatt, Phelps & Phillips; LLP, Moderator and Paula Whealen, Principal, Wagner & Bonsignore Engineers
Richard Howitt,Jay R. Lund. August 2016
The Economic Analysis of the 2016 California Drought for Agriculture report estimates the impacts of the drought on agriculture.
“California’s agricultural powerhouse and its extensive water supply system have been challenged by recent years of drought. After four years of severely dry conditions, a wetter 2016 winter and spring helped California partially recover surface water storage and increased recharge to some aquifers. Nevertheless, statewide storage in reservoirs remains below historical average and groundwater remains in substantial overdraft in many areas.”