Knowing whether your fresh market tomatoes have enough nitrogen at each growth stage can be very challenging because multiple amendments are often added to grow organically such as compost + sea bird guano + liquid fertilizers.  A small research team at the University of California are undertaking a study to demystify this information.  Through this research, we will determine the nitrogen demand in tomatoes and how much nitrogen is made available by each amendment, for each week over the season.  We would love to know what amendments you are using so that we can include them in our study.

Nitrogen in Organic Tomatoes Survey

Please help us make this research most relevant for you by completing the survey. Results from this research will be made publicly available. 

Thank you so much!   

Margaret

*For those who attended the Organic Production Meeting at UCCE in February and completed the survey then, THANK YOU!

Yolo RCD has partnered with Tehama County RCD to offer free irrigation evaluations for Yolo County. There are ten evaluations available this spring. It will be first come, first serve.  Only 10 available this spring.  See attached flyer.

What is the Mobile Irrigation Lab (MIL)?

It's a service that performs on-site evaluations of agricultural irrigation systems
in order to determine the efficiency rating and the application rate. The goal of the MIL
is to give growers an overall snapshot of their irrigation system, provide scheduling information,
and give recommendations to help improve efficiency.

How does it work?

The MIL manager will contact you to schedule an evaluation. You will need to
have a representative to meet with the MIL crew for approximately 10 minutes to
provide information about the irrigation system. The MIL only requires the grower to
have an irrigation system design map or the ability to draw a sketch of pipe locations.

If interested please contact Heather Nichols at;
Yolo County RCD
530-661-1688 x12
heather@yolorcd.org

We had a fantastic extension meeting on Thursday Feb 23!  Thank you to all who could join us, presenters and participants alike.

I have attached all presentations here for your reference.

Thank you, Margaret

SACRAMENTO — CDFA's State Organic Program (SOP) is pleased to announce a federal funding opportunity of $10.7 million for eligible applicants under the Organic Cost Share Program (NOCCSP). The SOP has applied to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) under the United States Department of Agriculture to assist in distribution of these funds. This money assists organic producers and handlers by offsetting costs related to SOP and California Department of Public Health registration fees, certifier certification fees, and transitional fees paid to certifiers as producers transition to organic. The cost share payments may be reimbursed up to 75 percent of costs per producer/handler for each scope (registration, certification, transitional); with a maximum of $750 per scope.

The FSA, in addition to administering the program, will also be directly accepting applications for reimbursement of funds. Operations will be subject to the same eligibility criteria and calculation of cost share payments, regardless of whether they apply though the SOP or local FSA office.

For producer or handler applications, FSA county offices will accept applications from producers and handlers for FY 2017; starting on March 20, 2017 and ending October 31, 2017.

In fiscal year 2015/16 CDFA processed and distributed a total amount of $1,543,929 to 1,917 producers and handlers.

For eligibility requirements and further details please visit the following website https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/is/i_&_c/organic.html or you may contact the SOP at (916) 900-5030.

–California Department of Food and Agriculture

 Source:

https://www.morningagclips.com/organic-certification-cost-share-program/?utm_content=articles&utm_campaign=NLCampaign&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_term=newsletteredition&utm_medium=email