- Author: Michael D Cahn
Date: Wed. April 3rd, 2024
Course 8:30 am – 12 pm
Location: Monterey County Agriculture Conference Room
1432 Abbott St, Salinas CA 93901
- Learn how to use CropManage to support irrigation and nutrient management decisions and record-keeping for your crops.
- Learn how to set up your ranch and crops in CropManage.
- Learn about the latest updates and how CropManage can assist with Ag Order 4.0
CropManage is a free online decision-support tool for water and nutrient management of vegetables, berry, agronomic, vineyard and tree crops. Based on research and field studies conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension, CropManage provides real-time recommendations for efficient and timely irrigation and fertilization applications while maintaining or improving overall yield.
At this free workshop, we will provide hands-on training so that you can learn to use the newest version of CropManage. Crops currently supported include many vegetables (carrots, cabbage, celery, broccoli, lettuce, tomato, spinach, etc.), berry crops (raspberry and strawberry), vineyards, tree crops (almond, walnut, pistachio, prunes, and pear), and agronomic crops (alfalfa and corn). CropManage is also available in Spanish.
Who should participate? Growers, farm managers, other farm staff, crop advisors, consultants, and technical service providers are welcome. The workshop is for both new and current CropManage users. Spanish translation will be available.
What to bring? This is a participatory workshop. Please bring a tablet or laptop computer so that you can follow along and participate in the exercises. Each participant will need a user account for CropManage. Please set up a free user account at https://cropmanage.ucanr.edu/ before the workshop. Please arrive early to set up your laptop or tablet computer on the wifi and get logged on to CropManage.
Registration is free: Please register here
by April 1, 2024. Seats are limited to the first 30 registrants.
Questions: Contact Michael Cahn at mdcahn@ucanr.edu / 831-214-3690
Agenda
8:30 – 8:50 am Registration and computer set-up
8:50 – 9:20 am Introduction
9:20 – 10:00 am Getting started with CropManage
10:00 to 10:15 am break
10:10 – 11:00 am Using CropManage for decision support and record-keeping
11:00 – 11:45 am Group exercise
11:45- 12 pm Discussion /Q&A/ wrap up
Continuing Education Units (CEU) for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) have been applied.
- Author: Michael D Cahn
Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024
Course 10:30 am – 2 pm
Drop-in office hours 2-3:30 pm
Location: Watsonville Public Library
275 Main St., Suite 100, Watsonville, CA 95076
- Learn how to use CropManage to support irrigation and nutrient management decisions and record-keeping for your crops.
- Learn how to set up your ranch and crops in CropManage.
- Learn about the latest updates and how CropManage can assist with Ag Order 4.0
- New—deep dive into advanced CropManage topics during office hours
CropManage is a free online decision-support tool for water and nutrient management of vegetables, berry, agronomic, and tree crops. Based on research and field studies conducted by the University of California Cooperative Extension, CropManage provides real-time recommendations for efficient and timely irrigation and fertilization applications while maintaining or improving overall yield.
At this free workshop, we will provide hands-on training so that you can learn to use the newest version of CropManage. Crops currently supported include many vegetables (carrots, cabbage, celery, broccoli, lettuce, tomato, spinach, etc.), berry crops (raspberry and strawberry), tree crops (almond, walnut, pistachio, prunes, and pear), and agronomic crops (alfalfa and corn). CropManage is also available in Spanish.
A new addition to the workshop are drop-in office hours for anyone already familiar with CropManage and does not want to attend the full program but needs more advance assistance or may have specific questions. Stop by at 2 pm and we will be ready to help answer your questions and dive deep into more advanced topics.
Who should participate? Growers, farm managers, other farm staff, crop advisors, consultants, and technical service providers are welcome. The workshop is for both new and current CropManage users. Spanish translation will be available. Lunch will be provided.
What to bring? This is a participatory workshop. Please bring a tablet or laptop computer so that you can follow along and participate in the exercises. Each participant will need a user account for CropManage. Please set up a free user account at https://cropmanage.ucanr.edu/ before the workshop. Please arrive early to set up your laptop or tablet computer on the wifi and get logged on to CropManage.
Registration is free: Please register here
by March 4, 2024. Seats are limited to the first 30 registrants.
Questions: Contact Michael Cahn at mdcahn@ucanr.edu / 831-214-3690 or Sacha Lozano at slozano@rcdsantacruz.org / 831-224-0293
Agenda
10:30 – 10:50 am Registration and computer set-up
10:50 – 11:20 am Introduction
11:20 – 12:00 pm Getting started with CropManage
12:00 to 12:30 pm Lunch break
12:30 – 1:15 pm Using CropManage for decision support and record-keeping
1:15 – 1:45 pm Group exercise
1:45- 2 pm Discussion /Q&A/ wrap up
Drop-in office hours
2 – 3:30 pm Stop by to receive one-on-one assistance with CropManage and explore more advanced ways to use CropManage to understand nutrient and water needs of crops.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) for Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) have been applied.
- Author: Michael D Cahn
2024 Irrigation and Nutrient Management Meeting
Tuesday, February 20
7:55 am to 1:30 pm
Habrá traducción al Español
7:30 Sign-in and refreshments
7:55 Introduction
8:00 Managing runoff during the growing season and winter.
Michael Cahn, UCCE Irrigation Advisor, Monterey County
8:30 Satellite estimates of crop water use on the central coast and OpenET
Lee Johnson, CSU Monterey Bay/NASA
9:00 Update on using high carbon amendments for reducing nitrate leaching during the winter
Richard Smith, UCCE Vegetable and Weed Emeritus Advisor, Monterey County
Joji Muramoto, UC Santa Cruz, Organic Production Specialist
9:30 Cover crops for reducing winter nitrate leaching and controlling storm water runoff.
Eric Brennan, Research Horticulturist, USDA ARS
10:00 Break
10:15 Ag Order requirements for the upcoming year
Sarah Lopez, Executive Director, Central Coast Water Quality Preservation Inc.
10:45 UCANR Nitrogen and Irrigation Initiative: Opportunity for technical assistance.
Aparna Gazula, UCCE Small Farm Advisor, Santa Clara County
11:00 Using CropManage to help with Ag Order compliance.
Michael Cahn, UCCE Irrigation Advisor, Monterey County
11:25 DPR Surface Water Protection Program: An overview of ag. monitoring on the Central Coast.
Pedro Lima, Sr. Environmental Scientist Cal DPR
11:50 Introduction to pump efficiency
Bill Green, Fresno State University, Center for Irrigation Technology
12:00 Pizza and Salad Lunch (free!)
12:45 Demonstration of pump efficiency and variable frequency drives (Parking lot)
Crystal Sandoval-Leyva, Fresno State University, Center for Irrigation Technology
2:15 Adjourn
CCA and DPR continuing education credits have been requested
For more information, contact Michael Cahn @ 831-759-7377, email: mdcahn@ucdavis.edu
- Author: Paramveer Singh
- Editor: Michael D Cahn
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has introduced the new Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF) Regulation, with a mission to expedite the transition to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) across the state. This regulation affects vehicles with a gross weight rating (GWR) greater than 8,500 pounds which includes some commonly used pickup trucks such as Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 2500, Ford F-250 Ram 2500 and other models of similar or greater weight. There are some vehicles that are exempt from this regulation such as historical vehicles, dedicated snow removal vehicles, two-engine vehicles, and heavy cranes. This article tries to give a simple and brief overview of the regulation with exemptions and extensions.
Who is Affected: The ACF Regulation applies to growers with either $50 million or more in gross annual revenue or owning, operating, or controlling 50 or more vehicles over 8,500 lbs. Hence, many growing operations in the region will fall under the regulation which classifies such growers as “High Priority Fleet”. Growers who fall under this category will need to start complying with the regulation in the upcoming year. Additionally, entities that are engaged in drayage (freight hauling) operations at seaports and railyards, as well as fleets owned by State, Local, and Federal government agencies are also affected by this regulation.
Compliance Requirements for the Growers:
a) The first part of the regulation is submitting a compliance report which includes information about the ownership and of each vehicle in the fleet. The first compliance report needs to be submitted through the Truck Regulation Upload, Compliance, and Reporting System (TRUCRS) by February 1, 2024, and subsequently it should be uploaded each year until 2045. The report should contain information about
- Fleet ownership details
- Details about each vehicle in the fleet such as VIN, make, model, weight, etc.
- Selection of ZEV transition option (discussed below).
b) The second part of compliance is choosing a pathway to transition to zero-emission fleets. There are two possible pathways:
- Model Year Schedule Option:
- Starting January 2024, any new vehicles with a gross weight over 8,500 lbs. (eg. Ford F-250, Ram 2500) must be a ZEV.
- However, if the new gasoline/diesel-powered were ordered for purchase before October 1, 2023, can be added to the fleet.
- Further, existing gasoline/diesel vehicles must be removed from the fleet when mileage exceeds 800,000 miles or when it exceeds a lifespan of 18 years.
- ZEV Milestones Option:
This option allows fleet owners to gradually introduce ZEVs into their fleets between 2025 and 2042, depending on the type of vehicle and its usage. Under this option, the entire fleet is categorized into three vehicle groups:
- Group 1: Includes box trucks such as refrigerated vans and trucks, vans, buses with two axles, yard tractors, light-duty package delivery vehicles (means a vehicle with a gross weight equal to or less than 8,500 lbs. with equal to or greater than 100 cubic feet of cargo-carrying volume).
- Group 2: Includes work trucks, day cab tractors (on-road tractor without a berth designed for resting or sleeping), pickup trucks, buses with three axles.
- Group 3: Sleeper cab tractors (a tractor with a berth designed for resting or sleeping at the back of the cab) and specialty vehicles.
Each group of vehicles must transition to ZEV by the dates and milestones indicated in the table below.
Here's the table that shows ZEV Fleet Milestones that a grower must achieve by group and year.
Here is an example calculation for a fleet for the calendar year 2030: Let's say a fleet has 100 Group 1 vehicles, 50 Group 2 vehicles, and 30 Group 3 vehicles. By 2030, the fleet must have 25% ZEVs for Group 1, 25% for Group 2, and 10% for Group 3 (from the above table). Number of ZEVs required would be as follows:
Group 1: 100 vehicles x 25% = 25 ZEVs
Group 2: 50 vehicles x 25% = 12.5 ZEVs
Group 3: 30 vehicles x 10% = 3 ZEVs
So, the total ZEV Fleet Milestone for that year is 40.5 ZEVs, which rounds up to 41 ZEVs needed.
A crucial point to keep in mind is that the ZEVs do not need to be in a particular group (1,2,3). It is the total number ZEVs purchased that CARB is going to consider for compliance. As long as the ZEVs added have a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 8,500 lbs., it can count towards compliance regardless of the three groups. Thus, a fleet owner can use any combination of ZEVs from the three groups to comply. For more information, please visit Advanced Clean Fleets Regulation Zev Milestone Option
b) Exemptions and Extensions: Presently the number of models of ZEVs that are suitable for on-farm use is limited and the supply of these types of vehicles has not ramped up yet. Also, it would take time and significant investment before there is a substantial charging infrastructure in place to support a fleet of ZEV. Fortunately, there are exemptions and extensions for specific circumstances. For example, if you have an old vehicle that is rarely used (less than 1,000 miles a year), you might not have to get rid of it. And if you can't find an electric replacement for your aging vehicle, you can ask for permission to buy a similar non-ZEV. If setting up charging stations is going to delay the transition to ZEV, you can also ask for more time. The same goes for delays in purchasing new electric vehicles due to circumstances beyond your control, such as a shortfall in supply. If you can't find an electric replacement, you might be able to buy regular gasoline or diesel engine vehicle.
To apply for exemptions or extensions, growers must email the supporting documents as evidence for the exemption or extension to TRUCRS@arb.ca.gov.
Here's an example situation where one could apply for an extension due to a delay in the electric vehicle delivery. If you ordered a ZEV at least one year before the compliance date, but the delivery of the vehicle was delayed, you can keep using your old vehicle until the new ZEV arrives by qualifying for an extension. The fleet owner must email following information to TRUCRS@arb.ca.gov during the annual reporting period:
- VIN of the combustion engine vehicle for which the extension is being requested.
- A written, signed, and dated legally binding purchase document that provides information about the owner's commitment to purchase the ZEV, date of the purchase, and that the purchase is for immediate delivery to the owner.
c) Enforcement and Penalties
- Penalties may be imposed on individuals or entities failing to comply with the Advanced clean fleet requirements, including submitting false information.
- Penalties also apply for missing reporting deadlines, beginning January 1, 2025.
- CARB agents have the right to verify compliance records through inspections.
Concluding Remarks
The ACF Regulation marks a substantial shift towards zero-emission vehicles in California. For growers, staying in the loop, submitting compliance reports on time, and figuring out the best path for your fleet is key. Following these rules isn't just about compliance; it's a step towards a greener, more sustainable future for the Salinas Valley and beyond. Growers with hauling operations or High Priority Fleets need to be aware of the compliance requirements and available options.
Navigating this new regulation can be a bit of a puzzle. At first glance, it seems strict and challenging, especially for growers being asked to electrify commonly used pickup trucks starting next year. However, there's a silver lining – plenty of exemptions and extensions exist for growers to meet the electric vehicle replacement requirements over a longer period than is indicated in the timetable. Still, it's no walk in the park; it'll demand a chunk of your time and effort, thanks to the paperwork, monitoring, and reporting that comes with it.
The primary goal of this article is to connect with growers, sparking a conversation about this regulation. We want to field your questions, uncover the main obstacles you might face in compliance, and, just like UCCE did with the Ag Order on Water Restrictions, convey these challenges and feedback to the regulatory authorities Our goal is to ensure your voice is recognized in this ever-changing landscape, reassuring you that, as always, UCCE is here to provide any help or assistance you may need.
- Author: Michael D Cahn
- Author: Aparna Gazula
Thursday December 7, 2023
9:00 am - 11:00 am
Workshop will be presented on Zoom
Apply for California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) grant funding – Healthy Soils Program (HSP) and/or State Water efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP). Receive up to $200,000 in grant funding to improve soil health of your farm or increase irrigation and energy efficiency through two CDFA incentive grant programs. Grants can pay for cover crops, and soil amendment applications, as well as irrigation system improvements, variable frequency drives (VFD) for pumps, and solar arrays to offset energy costs associated with pumping.
During the workshop we will:
- Provide a comprehensive review of HSP and SWEEP grant programs
- Show you how to assemble a strong grant proposal
When: Thursday, December 7, 2023, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Where: Via Zoom, link will be emailed to registered participants
Registration:
Register for the workshop and workshop resources: https://ucanr.edu/hsp-sweepworkshop
OR send an email to either:
Bailey Smith-Helman, bsmithhelman@ucanr.edu
Aparna Gazula, agazula@ucanr.edu
Questions: Contact bsmithhelman@ucanr.edu | 831-239-9465 or others as listed above.
Grant info.: Online applications. More details at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/
Free One-On-One Technical Assistance to Apply for Grant Funds Need help in developing and/or submitting your project proposal? Schedule your free one-on-one Technical Assistance session, contact Bailey Smith-Helman, or others as listed above, for additional information. |