Posts Tagged: farmer
Did You Miss the Farmer-to-Farmer Breakfast?
A room full of farmers came out on a rainy Wednesday morning to enjoy breakfast together. Our guest speaker, Domenic Fino of Golden Pacific Crop Insurance Services, came all the way from Dinuba, California. He is a farmer, with a family legacy of farming and has been in the crop insurance business for 17 years.
Revenue - While farm acreage and the number of zeros after the dollar sign may be smaller for local farms, revenue earned is revenue that can be lost and can be insured. Fino explained a type of insurance called Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) that was designed specifically for small to medium producers with diversified operations and unique specialty crops. WFRP has been around for the last five years but has only been available in Placer and Nevada Counties in the last two years. WFRP is currently available in all counties in all 50 states.
Records - Fino brought a wealth of experience and information to local producers. He helped explain that WFRP works only if the producer is able to keep proper records and has been reporting revenue on their taxes. “Garbage in, garbage out” Fino said, speaking of how important diligence in record-keeping and setting up the policy makes processing easier when there are claims.
Reporting - Whereas most types of insurance require claims to be made right after a loss, WFRP is unique in that a producer may only complete a claim after filing taxes for the year.
Restrictions – At the farmer-to-farmer breakfast, producers also learned of a few crops that are excluded from WFRP, mushrooms and timber. However, there is a program that can provide assistance for those products called Non-Insured Assistance Program (NAP) which is accessed through the Farm Service Agency. Several mandarin growers learned that while you must have at least two crops for WFRP with the second making at least 17% of your revenue, if you only sell mandarins, there is another option.
Single Crop Insurance - Mandarin only crop insurance is already available in six Southern California counties. Any mandarin farmer may request that type of crop insurance in their county. Once enough farmers request a single crop insurance in a county, it can create a bank of information that will eventually make that type of insurance written specifically for that county.
For more information about WFRP, visit the USDA Risk Management Agency website. https://www.rma.usda.gov/Fact-Sheets/National-Fact-Sheets/Whole-Farm-Revenue-Protection-2018
Did you miss this event? If you are interested in learning more about crop or whole farm revenue protection insurance, UCCE can provide information. Call 530.889.7385 or e-mail us, cefake@ucanr.edu or dmacon@ucanr.edu
Interested in attending a farmer-to-farmer breakfast? There is another one right around the corner. Wednesday, February 13, at Happy Apple Kitchen in Chicago Park. Look for a sign-up link coming soon.
Risk - What are You Waiting For?
Risk – What are you waiting for?
As the old saying goes, when it rains it pours. Nobody knows that better than we do right now, literally. For most farmers, rain is a good thing. However, for mandarin growers the amounts of rain and lengthy periods of high humidity are not good for mandarins in the middle of the season. This brings up the issue of risk on the farm. Drought, wildfire, food safety issues, crop loss, rain or frost damage are just a few of those risks.
Despite the periodic heavy rains, Placer and Nevada Counties are considered “abnormally dry” for this time of year according to the national drought monitor. After moderate and severe drought, this may seem like a fairly normal year. With shifting climates the “abnormal” could become normal over time. As we saw this fall, wildfire tore through thousands of homes and hundreds of thousands of acres. It seems the “most devastating wildfire in history” is becoming a headline each year.
While the risk of catastrophic wildfire seems to be increasing each year, rain and frost damage have historically plagued foothill farms. With travel throughout the world as easy as an overnight plane ride, international agriculture pests and diseases are also a real possibility here. I am not trying to scare you - I just want to highlight the need for farmers and ranchers to be aware of and plan for risks, and have the necessary resources to get through it.
Mother Nature is not the only risk; consider the romaine lettuce farmers on the Central Coast who had no market this fall when E. coli was found in that product. Even if one farmer did everything possible to maintain food safety, their crop may have been a total loss. Wouldn't you be glad to have crop insurance or revenue protection in place if you were in their shoes?
You will have the opportunity to hear from a fellow farmer and insurance agent, Domenic Fino of Golden Pacific Crop Insurance at the Farmer-to-Farmer Breakfast on January 9th at the Auburn UC Cooperative Extension office, from 8 to 11 AM. Sign-up today at http://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=26336 It's time to be informed and prepared to protect your farm.
Resources available on our website:
Risk Management https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/Farm_Business_Planning/FBP_Risk_Management/
Drought Planning - https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/Drought/Drought_Planning/
Financial Resources and Insurance programs https://ucanr.edu/sites/placernevadasmallfarms/Resources/Financial-Resources/
Oriental fruit fly found in Sacramento County
New Release from CDFA: SACRAMENTO, August 30, 2018 – A portion of Sacramento and Yolo...
Oriental fruit fly adult. [Credit: County of San Diego]
Beginning farmers invited to specialty crop training on Bay Area’s urban edge
Aspiring farmers are invited to apply for Urban Edge Sustainable Farming, a program that will expand the range of opportunities for beginning farmers in California by leveraging 550 acres of prime, protected East Bay farmland for training, farm business incubation and long-term leasing.
As baby boomer farmers retire, a new generation of farmers is needed to carry on the work.
“Small and mid-size farmers are vital to the strength of our local communities and the security of our food supply,” said Alli Cecchini, First Generation Farmers executive director. “If there are no farmers to keep fertile land in production, it will be sold to developers and we'll never get it back.”
First Generation Farmers received a grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to launch Urban Edge Sustainable Farming as a formal training and incubator program that combines classroom-style instruction with hands-on field training. The program is designed to provide beginning specialty crop farmers with the core agricultural production skills, business knowledge and the confidence they need to establish viable farm businesses.
“It's a very nice mix of practical application and applied science,” said Janet Caprile, who recently retired after 30-plus years as a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor. “It's very hands-on approach to education – more like an apprenticeship program. I've signed on to present.”
Urban Edge Sustainable Farming is a full-time, nine-month residency. In 2018, the course will run from Feb. 5 through Nov. 5, with a one-week break in early July. Beginning farmers will live on site in dorm-style housing for an immersive, cooperative learning experience. The curriculum is designed and delivered by First Generation Farmers and professional instructors from the National Center for Appropriate Technology and UC Cooperative Extension. Participants will also learn from working alongside the Cecchini family — successful, fourth-generation farmers who are bridging agricultural tradition with adaptation to 21st century practices and market demands.
The training covers a wide range of topics, including composting, organic practices, greenhouse management, pest and disease management, healthy soil management, cover crops and crop rotation, biodynamic farming, crop planning, food safety and handling, marketing strategies, financial record-keeping and business planning. First Generation Farmers will introduce participants to regional direct and wholesale markets.
“What UESF [Urban Edge Sustainable Farming] offers beginning farmers is unique in California: an opportunity to farm on historic farmland, in close connection with a traditional farm family, in a changing farming community on the edge of a major and expanding urban market,” said Poppy Davis, independent ag business and policy consultant and research professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law.
Urban Edge Sustainable Farming is open to all applicants, but the program prioritizes admission for beginning farmers with limited resources, military veterans, and those from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, including women, members of the LGBTQ community, people of color, immigrants and refugees. Because a diverse population of farmers makes for a stronger and more resilient farming community, the program aims to support farmers who often experience significant systemic barriers to starting their enterprise.
Up to 15 beginning farmers can be accommodated in the first cohort and applications will be accepted until the cohort is full. Applicants must be 18 years old and previous farm experience is not required. Tuition for the program is $4,000 and includes food and lodging. For more information and to apply, visit https://firstgenerationfarmers.org/uesf.
Preparing for the Unexpected
The Placer County agricultural community has lost a number of key members in the last several...