home
Home: News : Newsletters: May 2009

San Diego County Farm Bureau News
May 2009: Vol. 22. No. 8

MONTHLY COLUMNS

President's Message

Parting words from the outgoing president

by Chuck Badger

My term as president of the San Diego County Farm Bureau ends this month. It has been the fastest two years of my life. As I mentioned in my address last month, it’s been two years filled with challenges for our farming community. And yet, never has there been any doubt in my mind that we at the Farm Bureau would overcome these problems. This confidence comes from knowing the caliber of the people with whom I serve at the San Diego County Farm Bureau.

Our members are a hardy lot. Maybe it’s because farming takes a strength of character not always necessary in other professions. Where else is a profession so dependent on the weather? Or so vulnerable to pestilence? Or so threatened by government over-regulation? Thomas Jefferson was correct in his high estimation of farmers when he said,  “Cultivators of the earth are the most virtuous and independent citizens.” I count it a privilege to have worked with so many quality people here at the Farm Bureau.

I would especially like to thank those who have worked on the Executive Board these past two years. To Julie Walker, Noel Stehly, and Michael A. Mellano, who takes over as president this month, I say thank you for your innovative ideas and willingness to voice your opinion—even when it may have gone against conventional thought. To Dave Van Ommering, Ben Hillebrecht, Charlie Wolk, and Janet Kister, I thank you for your great example of leadership and sharing your wisdom based on years of Farm Bureau experience.

I would also like to thank my father, Chuck Badger Sr., who has been a great source of information and encouragement my whole life, but especially these last two years. And I would specifically like to thank him for being part of the group that hired our current executive director—Eric Larson. As many of you know, Eric does a fantastic job of representing our county Farm Bureau in myriad ways. His vast knowledge of the farming and political landscape serves our membership more than most will ever know. The combination of a great county Farm Bureau staff, incredibly talented board, and a strong membership gives me great confidence in the future of farming in San Diego. It has been a humbling experience to serve such a fine organization. I look forward to seeing you all at the annual meeting May 16th!

 

Top of Page

From the Executive Director

Whether you see it or not, Farm Bureau IS working for you

by Eric Larson

Each month in this newsletter, we publish a short list—usually six or seven items—we call “Farm Bureau Working for You.” While volunteers and staff do important work for our members every day, only select items that would seem broadly interesting make the list. Besides, a list of more than 20 items that included the mundane wouldn’t make very good reading. Also, we don’t include on the list the things we do for individual members such as helping them navigate a permit maze, get a fee waived, understand a labor law, deal with an insurance issue, or interface with a regulatory agency. Publishing the Monday Update, writing a newsletter, responding to media calls, and 15 to 20 of the meetings we attend each month don’t make the list, either.

By now you are wondering why this inventory of what Farm Bureau does is the lead for this column. Well, we took a couple of vociferous complaint calls recently from growers, one a member and one a non-member, that I’ll paraphrase as “Farm Bureau doesn’t do anything for me.” When members talk, we listen. When non-members talk, we listen as well, because we know fewer than half of the producers in this county have decided Farm Bureau is worthy of membership. We know what we are doing. Maybe we are just doing a poor job of telling the farm community.

There is another aspect of this challenge: We can’t prove the negative. For instance, what would transpire if there were no farm presence at the table with the County on habitat planning and revising the General Plan? What if no one was reviewing every piece of state and federal legislation that impacted agriculture? What if no one was speaking on behalf of growers on pest exclusion? Plenty of things we dislike are happening, but imagine what it would be like if agencies and legislators heard nothing from the farm community. When bad legislation doesn’t happen or a decision goes our way simply because we are in the room, there is no sound.

So it seems that tooting our own horn is in order. Better yet, if all our members became tooters (that doesn’t sound so good, but I think you know what I mean) the message will be heard by fellow members and prospective members alike. “Farm Bureau Working for You” needs to ring true with everyone in the farm community.Top of Page

From the Ag Commissioner

Bob Atkins, Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures

Shell egg quality program

The purpose of the shell egg quality control program is to monitor egg quality at production, wholesale, and retail facilities. This program ensures that shell eggs are wholesome, properly labeled, refrigerated, and of established quality. Local inspections are carried out by inspectors within the Standards Enforcement Program.

Inspections are performed for quality, labeling and refrigeration at shell egg production and wholesale facilities. Inspection frequency is based on the volume of eggs handled and the compliance history of the location. Quality inspection of shell eggs are done by a process called “candling.” Candling consists of examining each egg separately by means of a device known as an egg candler that permits light to pass through each egg as the egg is turned to reveal the interior.

All shell eggs sold at retail must be labeled in compliance with federal guidelines which include product identity, responsibility (name, address, zip code) and quantity. The following additional labeling information must also be on all containers: the words “keep refrigerated,” size, grade, sell-by date, julian date (date of pack) and plant of origin code number.

When a violation (defect) of quality is found during an inspection, the eggs are rejected. The nature of the defect determines what appropriate action is taken. Defects can be removed or, in some cases, re-candling eggs maybe necessary to determine compliance.

Federal law requires shell eggs to be refrigerated and held at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Average ambient temperatures of refrigerated storage facilities and transport vehicles are taken by inspectors.

Preventing the introduction of disease agents into poultry facilities is a major concern to the shell egg industry. The impact of disease outbreaks is often devastating. County staff adheres to strict biosecurity guidelines for entering shell egg packing facilities.

Livestock agriculture is a major industry in California. In 2007, San Diego produced 64,020,833 dozen shell eggs valued at $56,338,333.Top of Page

Ag in the Classroom Update

AITC in action

Over the last 13 years, San Diego County Ag in the Classroom and its partners have launched and supported the following agriculture-related programs benefiting local education:

The Annual Fall Teacher’s Conference, a one-day event at the Del Mar Fairgrounds for county educators to tour a variety of farming facilities to see agriculture in action, review curricula offered in other schools, and inspire teachers to adopt an ag program in their classrooms;

Scholarships for elementary teachers in San Diego County to attend the annual California Foundation for Ag in the Classroom Teacher’s Seminar that teaches teachers how to bring the agriculture curriculum into their classroom;

The Green Machine, a K-4 “seed to table” mobile agriculture program that makes “school calls” with a van equipped with interactive in-class activities to demonstrate where our food comes from;
Adopt-a-School, which pairs farmers with local school garden programs;

Farmers@School, where elementary student teams shoot and produce short videos using agricultural exhibits at the San Diego County Fair and submit the video to the San Diego Office of Education’s annual iVIE (Innovative Video in Education) program where they can win technology gifts for their schools;

Garden grants to school teachers who have successfully integrated a school garden and agriculture into their curriculum;

With public financial support, future SDAITC plans include developing an Internet-based agriculture curriculum certified by the state and accessible in every classroom that delivers agriculture via technology to every student.

Farm Bureau Has Been Working For You . . .

  • Submitted comments on farm impacts in the Draft North County Multiple Species Conservation Plan
  • Filed legal brief on impacts to water rates from the SDG&E plan to de-energize during fire conditions
  • Attended LAFCO water symposium
  • Gave farm tour to Assemblymember Diane Harkey’s district and Sacramento staff
  • Testified at Regional Water Control Board hearing in support of the Carlsbad desalination plant
  • Made presentation to Rare Fruit Growers on state water situation
  • Attended Flower & Plant Association’s meeting with CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura

Ask the Farm Advisor

by Valerie J. Mellano, Ph.D.
UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego County

Q: I am looking for ways to meet the requirements of the water cutbacks. Do you have any suggestions?

A: As you probably have already figured out, your cutback will most likely force you to make some difficult choices regarding your crop production. While each water district will have the opportunity to implement the cutbacks in their own way, none of this translates to good news for the growers. Your percentage cutback will most likely be determined on previous years’ usage. The year(s) chosen by your district can work in your favor or against you, depending on your production at the time.

The first step should be a thorough review of your irrigation system and the needs of plants you are watering. There is almost always room for improvement. An efficient system will deliver the water to the plants and nowhere else, and it will deliver the needed amount for optimum production. This means that your irrigation equipment needs to be appropriate for the crops, in good condition, and frequently monitored. When you water and how frequently can also increase the efficiency of your system. In addition to timing and proper, uniform equipment, utilization of a system or database that factors in weather conditions, ET, soil moisture, etc., that will assist you in determining the amount of water to deliver to your crops is no longer just a suggestion but a necessity.

Once you are certain that your irrigation system is in good shape, the next decisions will involve any crop manipulations you can do to minimize water use during the highest water use months. This might mean that you harvest at a time when your plants are smaller or when they demand less water. Can you use this water cutback as an opportunity to prune or change crops and use less water?

Finally, you will need to pencil out the costs of your production and eliminate the crops or areas that are least productive. Which crops will provide the best return per acre and will allow you to stay within your water limitations? It may make more sense to keep less acreage of a thirsty, higher cash crop than to try to convert to low water use crops that will not return much upon harvest.

Editor’s note: If you have a subject you would like addressed in this Ask the Farm & Home Advisor” column, contact Val Mellano at (760) 752-4717 or vjmellano@ucdavis.edu.

Employer-Employee: Farm employment issues
Lost paychecks: Who pays the bank fees?

Excerpted from Farm Employers Labor Service (FELS) Newsletter

An employer sometimes must deal with having to stop payment on a check and then issue a replacement when an employee says he lost or misplaced his paycheck.

This prompts the question: May the employer deduct the amount of the resulting bank fees from the employee’s wages? The answer perhaps comes as no surprise: No, the employer may not do that, according to the California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE).

In a 1994 interpretive letter (posted online at www.dir..ca.gov/dlse/opinions/1994-01-27.pdf), H. Thomas Cadell, Jr., then-Chief Counsel of the DLSE, said: “[V]iewing the current state of the law, the Labor Commissioner concludes that any deduction by an employer for costs associated with the reissuance of a payroll check would be a violation of Labor Code §224
. . .[T]he employer may have a cause of action against the employee for recovery of costs associated with the reissuance of a payroll check. In such an action, of course, the employer would bear the burden of showing that the actions of the employee resulted in the loss suffered by the employer. However, even if the employer were successful in the action to recover these costs, the employer would not be able to deduct the cost form the employee’s wages absent a court-ordered garnishment. Such a garnishment action would be subject, of course, to all of the defenses available under the wage earners exceptions.”

Top of Page

Ag News Bites

New I-9 form now in effect

A new I-9 form (with revision date Feb. 2, 2009) went into effect April 3, 2009 and must be used for all new hires. The form is available on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Web site. The form had originally been scheduled to go into effect Feb. 2, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security postponed implementation to April 3. The USCIS has also released an updated Handbook for Employers on completing the I-9, which is available at www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/m-274_3apr09.pdf. The revised handbook reflects the new I-9 changes and additional requirements providing employers with helpful guidance and answers to frequently asked questions.

DA steps up enforcement on workers’ comp fraud

The San Diego County District Attorney’s office recently announced it has stepped up enforcement of workers’ compensation fraud and simultaneously launched a public awareness campaign aimed at curbing the problem. Enforcement efforts are focusing not just on employers, but also employees and healthcare providers. On the employer side, the DA’s office is seeing cases of no workers’ comp insurance (a misdemeanor), as well as employers providing workers’ comp coverage but inaccurately reporting the number of employees or the proper job classification (a felony). The DA’s office is offering to provide a 30-minute presentation to employers on the dos and don’ts of workers’ compensation at the employer’s convenience—days, evenings and even weekends. To request this presentation, call Deputy DA Dominick Dugo at (619) 685-6534.

Two new Farmers’ Markets open this month

Farm Bureau will open two new Farmers’ Markets in May. On May 6, the National City market will open in the revitalized area of Morgan Square and run from 2-6 p.m. every Wednesday thereafter. On May 13 and every Wednesday following, the San Marcos market will be held in Parking Lot “B” at the corner of Twin Oaks Valley and Craven roads on the campus of Cal State San Marcos and run from 3-7 p.m. Growers are invited to sell their products at these markets or any of the other markets launched over the past year (City Heights, Valley Center, Lakeside). Contact Casey Anderson at the Farm Bureau at (760) 745-3023.Top of Page

FFA Ag-tivities

San Pasqual High School FFA

Chapter accomplishments:
This year, the San Pasqual High School FFA has three classes of Ag Science II and one Veterinary Science class. We have been involved in several fundraisers this year to help students with their projects as well as provide funds for our FFA activities. Last fall, the FFA was involved with stadium cleanup after every home football game. Our officers attended both sectional and regional leadership conferences. We also had six freshmen attend the regional Greenhand leadership conference in November. Our horse judging team participated in the Fallbrook field day in December and did great for their first event. We also grew poinsettias and sold them at Christmas. We had 20 students who raised fall pigs which have gone to market, and we already have our spring pigs which will be going to the Fair in June. We also have lambs, goats, steers, and turkeys at the school farm, most of which will be going to the Fair.

We had 44 fall gardens that our Ag Science students grow, and we have just completed planting our spring gardens. We sold roses and carnations at Valentine’s Day, and we will be selling hydrangeas for Mother’s Day.

Over the past year, San Pasqual FFA chapter has had many fun-filled events and accomplishments. Our State FFA convention was held in Fresno in April, and we sent 12 members to attend. Two members will receive their State Degree this year.

We also have Elementary Farm Day coming up on May 6 and 13, which is when elementary school students (1,200 scheduled this year) come and visit our Ag Department to learn about the animals we raise and where their food comes from. Most of the animals we raise go to the San Diego County Fair, where we show in both market and showmanship rounds. Last year, Jessie Montiero, our FFA vice president, won FFA Reserve Champion in veal calves. She also went on the Round Robin in showmanship where she placed 4th. Our chapter helped out with the million-can challenge, a canned food drive collection donated to Interfaith Community Services. We gave our members three days to bring in as many cans as they could, and we accumulated more 200 cans in that short time.

The end of the year is fast approaching, and we are looking forward to our end-of-the-year banquet on May 23. Then, we will be getting the flowers and valedictory leis ready for graduation on the 28th. As everyone else takes off for the summer, we will be getting our animals ready for the Fair, our final event of each year.

San Pasqual FFA Wish List

  • 50 foot garden hoses
  • Square shovels
  • Loose gravel rakes
  • Silver paint for silos 

If you can help the San Pasqual FFA by providing any of these items, please contact the Farm Bureau at (760) 745-3023 or High School FFA instructor Doug Moss at (760) 291-6007.

Ag in the Classroom Update

SDRILG - Bylaws for Irrigated Lands Group approved by Farm Bureau board - Now seeking volunteers to be considered for appointment to initial board

by Nancy Walery

Progress toward the incorporation of the San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group Educational Corporation (SDRILG) as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) continues, with the Farm Bureau board of directors unanimously adopting the group’s bylaws at the April 2 board meeting.

Seeking volunteers for board
The next step in the formation of the SDRILG is to seat a board of directors. The Farm Bureau board is now seeking volunteers from among the current 909 enrollees for consideration of appointment to the seven-member board. All volunteers seeking appointment will first be vetted through the SDCFB Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee will seek final approval from the SDCFB board of directors on June 4. Enrollees who are interested should call the Farm Bureau office at (760) 745-3023.

The initial board of directors will be appointed to staggered terms followed by fixed, three-year terms so that election years replace or reappoint only a couple members at any one time. The new SDRILG board will hold its first organizational meeting by the end of June, at which time it will select its officers and set the organization’s policy and direction. The board can meet as often as it deems necessary, with mandatory meetings twice per year. The primary communication method between the SDRILG board of directors, officers and enrollees will be through the San Diego County Farm Bureau’s monthly newsletter, Farm Bureau News.

Still time, room to sign up
The San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group (SDRILG) now has about 1,200 farms and more than 33,000 acres enrolled, but there’s room for plenty more. In fact, the economics of the group improve as the acreage grows larger, because each new enrollee means the per capita operating costs will be smaller as they are spread over a larger number of acres.

It is important to remember that all owners of agricultural operations—large and small—will be required to either file a Notice of Intent directly with the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) by Jan. 1, 2011 or join a monitoring group by Dec. 31, 2010. If you don’t want to report directly to the RWQCB and you haven’t yet joined the SDRILG, there is really no advantage to waiting any longer. Even though you have time before that deadline, by joining the group sooner, you will save on the enrollment fee, which is $150 per acre (capped at $750) now through June 30. On July 1, that enrollment fee increases to $200 per acre (capped at $1,000).

What’s next
There are several more steps ahead for the SDRILG. In addition to enrolling more growers, later this year information that is required by the RWQCB will be collected from enrollees in order to ensure that each property is in compliance and not subject to the same enforcement that non-enrolled properties will be given.  In 2010, enrollment in the SDRILG will close to allow ample time to complete the technical documents that must be filed by the group.  Also in the near future will be a search for an engineering firm that will be retained to do the actual runoff field testing.

If you have not yet enrolled in the San Diego Region Irrigated Lands Group, don’t delay! Call the Farm Bureau office today at (760) 745-3023, send an e-mail to sdrilg@sdfarmbureau.org, or go to www.sdfarmbureau.org and click on the “Irrigated Lands Group” link.

PEST WATCH

Asian citrus psyllid

Treatments are causing a steady decline in pest populations in San Diego County, and in some areas treatments have concluded. One new find occurred in Tecate in the last week of March, but no new finds have occurred north of the Hillcrest area. A new find in early March at a campground in Bombay Beach in Imperial County north of Niland and close to the Imperial-Riverside county line caused an expansion of the quarantine area into Riverside County just north and east of the Salton Sea. Citrus greening disease has still not been detected at any inspection sites.

New pest-disease complex: Laurel wilt

The California Avocado Commission (CAC) recently reported to CDFA that a new fungus, Raffaelea lauricola, has been identified on the East Coast and is a threat to California agriculture. According to UCCE Farm Advisor Gary Bender, the fungus is spread by redbay ambrosia beetles, possibly brought in on pallets of nursery stock imported from China or India. The fungus is a deadly disease of redbay and other tree species in the laurel family (Lauraceae), which includes avocados, bay laurel, sassafras, camphor, and California laurel. The disease plugs the water conducting cells of an infected tree and causes it to wilt.

The fungus was discovered in Georgia in 2002 and has since spread naturally about 10-20 miles each year. A long-distance move was recently made by an unsuspecting Florida woodworker who used infected wood mulch on his avocado trees, and the trees died in about three months’ time. The disease killed the tree from the top down without the leaves ever falling off. According to the USDA Forest Service, more than 30 counties in Coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are infested. The red ambrosia beetle is only 1/16” long, and it bores holes into the trunk, leaving behind toothpick-shaped sawdust. It has already moved to within 100 miles north of Miami, where the state’s $30 million avocado industry is located as well as USDA’s wild avocado (germplasm) collection. In addition to nursery stock, the pest and disease could get into California on other woody materials, including firewood and woodworking projects. The CAC is urging CDFA to petition USDA-APHIS for a federal quarantine on this pest-disease complex. For more information, visit www.fs.fed.us/r8/foresthealth/laurelwilt/index.shtml. Report any concerns to the County Ag Commissioner at (858) 694-2739 or via e-mail to sdcawm@sdcounty.ca.gov.

Featured Articles

MWD announces water cuts

The verdict is in. With the final Sierra snowpack levels measuring 20 percent below normal following three straight dry years, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD), on April 14, 2009, approved water delivery cutbacks of 10 percent to its member agencies for the 12-month period July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.  That level of cut is based on a rolling water use average over several years, which results in an effective cut to the San Diego County Water Authority (CWA) of 13 percent of recent usage. 

Now the ball is in CWA’s court, which will soon publish what these cutbacks will mean locally, but predictions have already been well publicized. For the county’s Interim Agricultural Water Program (IAWP) users, no additional cutbacks will be imposed on top of the 30 percent reductions already in place since January 2008. Allocations to growers in the Special Agricultural Water Rate (SAWR) program will likely be cut by 13 percent, and growers paying full price for their water will be cut about 7 to 8 percent, the same as all municipal and industrial users served by CWA.  All growers are encouraged to pay close attention to actions by their retail agencies where the implementation of the water reductions will be regulated.

Top of Page

New board member Alex Kallas focuses on ag education - Represents Ag in the Classroom on Farm Bureau’s board of directors

by Nancy Walery

Alex Kallas entered the field of agriculture in the late 1990s after the shine wore off of his work in the corporate business world. As a 20+-year contract and compliance negotiator/consultant for a number of large fortune 500 employers, labor unions, insurance carriers, banks and third party administrators, Kallas began to focus on the health maintenance organization industry, where he helped HMO’s revamp their operations to achieve greater efficiency as well as identified and developed new business opportunities within the organizations. But, in the 1990s, when insurers shifted away from their core business model of providing preventive care to emphasize eliminating risk in the insurance market, he found himself dismantling the very organizations and programs he had set up.

“At that point, the health care industry became more costly and my work was a lot less fun,” Kallas recalled, and he decided to switch gears and delve into the technology sector working in high-volume, high-speed network print technologies. But when he discovered that the corporate CIO’s and buyers weren’t interested in the lifecycle costs of their products once they were shipped out the door, he realized that his work philosophy was in direct conflict with the objectives of corporate business. He decided it was time to apply his organization-building skills to starting his own business that would focus on something that really mattered to him personally.

While recovering from injuries after a serious car accident in 2000, Kallas, who has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a minor in Earth Science from U.C. Santa Barbara, began investigating sustainable agriculture and subsequently developed his own business plan around that concept in a primarily educational format. In 2006, he launched Sustainable Agriculture Enterprises and two business units: Homestead Hydroponics, which conducts educational outreach to generate consumer-based projects promoting different methods of sustainable food production; and Clear Water Farms, which produces crops, as well as consults, designs, installs, and supports sustainable agriculture and resource conservation projects for the commercial sector.

But Kallas’ real passion these days is Ag PALS (Partnership for Agriculture and Landscape Sustainability), an educational non-profit membership organization he and his wife, Lacy, started in 2008, shortly before he joined San Diego County Farm Bureau and became a board member. Ag PALS is a grant- and membership-supported organization that promotes methods for sustainable food supplies in San Diego communities by working with educational organizations such as schools, garden clubs, community gardens, the San Diego County Fair, San Diego Ag in the Classroom (AITC), and other organizations dedicated to teaching people about growing plants, food, food safety, nutrition, environmental awareness, and conservation. Because the Ag PALS mission is so compatible with that of Ag in the Classroom, Kallas was a perfect fit to join the AITC effort.

The list of groups and projects supported by Ag PALS in the short time it has been in existence is long and impressive. In addition to its involvement in schools, clubs and organizations mentioned above, Ag PALS has had success working with at-risk children, young adults, U.S. veterans returning from service, people with disabilities, and the disadvantaged.

Ag PALS is also collaborating with the County of San Diego Health & Human Services Agency, the County of San Diego Probation Department, the County Office of Education, the county’s Childhood Obesity Initiative’s Government Domain, UC Cooperative Extension and the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation to begin “horticultural therapy” programs at the juvenile facilities in San Diego County. The focus: Create gardens at each facility to aid in rehabilitation therapy and provide education revolving around the creation of gardens and the correlation of nutrition. East Mesa youth detention facility will be the first unique program where students will learn about, design, build, and operate a solar-powered farm capable of producing 400 heads of lettuce per week for local food programs.

“Horticultural therapy is a recognized therapeutic practice to help reduce aggressive behaviors, stress, and encourage positive social activity,” Kallas said, adding that the county’s Behavioral Health Department has also shown considerable interest in supporting horticultural therapy for the project sites. “The program aims to teach rural and urban gardening methods to these youth so that they have skills that can transfer to home, work and educational environments.”

Get Kallas talking about Ag PALS or Ag in the Classroom, and you’ll quickly sense the energy and passion he brings to every project and recognize that this is where he was meant to be. It’s everything he wanted in his own business in terms of challenge, satisfaction and value. It’s light years away from the corporate environment he left, and he has never looked back.

“Ag PALS is where our heart and soul is, and Ag in the Classroom is one reason why we do it,” said Kallas. “Ag in the Classroom makes it all fun and exciting, and we can see the difference we are making. From a job security standpoint, we are in control of our own destiny. And no one can take that away from us.”Top of Page

 

Local 8th grader named regional award winner in Imagine This writing contest

by Nancy Walery

Valley Center Middle School teacher Mary Howard was persuaded several years ago by her dear friend and fellow teacher (who has since retired), Cathey Anderson, that having her students participate in California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom’s (CFAITC) annual Imagine This short story writing contest was a teaching opportunity that was too good to pass up. It’s not only a great creative writing opportunity for students, it’s also a great way to enhance student awareness on the importance of agriculture, a chance to participate in a statewide competition among student peers, and perhaps even a get shot at becoming a published writer.

A long-time passionate advocate and board member for SDCFB’s local Ag in the Classroom program, Cathey Anderson seems to have convinced Howard it’s an assignment worthy of repeating for her 8th graders every year, and it’s been paying off. When the 2008 contest’s 48 regional winners were selected in January 2009, she learned that for the third straight year, one of her students was selected.

Katherine Dufour, an 8th grader, wrote “Berry of the Vine,” a first-person story about Dufour’s summers in Valley Center picking the berries on her family property, packing them or making jam, and then setting up a roadside stand and selling her products to the passersby. In wisdom beyond her years, she even recognizes the challenges facing farmers who do this as their livelihood.

“I still remember my first summer of selling,” Dufour wrote in her essay. “I was giddy with the thought that someone might finally reward me for all my hard work. I sat out for two and a half hours before someone finally slowed their car to a halt. I was smiling inside and out . . . I was so pleased with myself because I was able to say that I had earned that money because I had worked toward it and I had taken on the responsibility to make it happen . . . Through the berries and the great gift of our fertile land, I was able to realize how many forces had to work together to make something so simple happen. I thought about all the farmers who relied on their land and the weather to produce something so significant.”

“This is not the first time Dufour has written an essay with an environmental spin,” said Howard, whose only involvement in the school’s vibrant agriculture program is to substitute when the ag teacher is absent. “Many students today are aware of the need to conserve and ‘go green,’ and that plays into Katherine’s background as a writer.” Howard said Dufour will be recognized for her award at an upcoming school assembly, where she will also receive a recognition plaque and a youth-oriented book about agriculture from CFAITC. “This recognition by her peers is so important,” said Howard. “Getting accolades, praise and credit from outside the classroom validates them as writers and teaches them that, by experimenting and taking risks in writing, they can be rewarded.”

More than 10,000 stories were entered in the 2008 Imagine This contest from throughout the state, and each was judged based on eight areas of criteria including originality, grammar and an appreciation for agriculture. The 48 regional finalists were then considered for one of six state-level winners.

The Imagine This contest is a cross-curricular program that combines ag literacy and language arts. It is one of several programs coordinated by the CFAITC to encourage teachers and students to discuss agriculture’s role in today’s economy and society. For more information visit www.cfaitc.org.Top of Page

Ag in the Classroom raffle is a win-win

by Nancy Walery

It’s a time-honored event at San Diego County Farm Bureau’s annual meetings to raffle off a bushel of cool prizes donated by members and friends of Farm Bureau to raise money for San Diego Ag in the Classroom (SDAITC), a nonprofit corporation to support agriculture education in our schools. As of press time, the Ag in the Classroom board of directors was still hard at work lining up the raffle and silent auction offerings for this year’s event on Saturday, May 16, so you’ll want to come to the picnic to check out the complete collection.

No matter how grand the raffle and silent auction, the biggest beneficiary of the annual event is always San Diego Ag in the Classroom, whose mission since its inception has been to promote agriculture education in local schools.

“We try to out-do ourselves every year when we go out in search of raffle and auction items that will encourage members to open their hearts and wallets to the cause,” said Alex Kallas, a member of SDAITC’s board of directors. “And I know there are many others reading this who have something exciting to contribute to our collection of prizes. At a time like this, with the economy down, donations are also down, making now an even more critical time to continue support for AITC to keep local agriculture viable—in the field as well as in our classrooms—for future generations.”

San Diego County Ag in the Classroom (SDAITC), was launched as a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in 1996 by longtime SDCFB board member and past president Charley Wolk. Wolk decided San Diego County needed a local chapter of the state program, California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom, to raise more funds to make agriculture a substantial educational component in local schools. Over the past 13 years, SDAITC and its partners, which have included Mission Resource Conservation District, UC Cooperative Extension, San Diego County Office of Education, Solana Recyclers and the California Avocado Commission, have been responsible for introducing a variety of comprehensive programs throughout the county.

But SDAITC operates on a limited budget that depends on donations to accomplish its mission. With the raffle ticket fund raiser representing about 20 percent of SDAITC’s annual income, every contribution is significant to its bottom line.

“Ag in the Classroom is how we can keep agriculture thriving in San Diego County,” said Kallas, who sits on the AITC board with SDCFB past presidents Janet Kister and Charley Wolk, educators Martha Deichler, Cathey Anderson, and Stacy Konyn, and Diana Hussey of the Natural Resource Conservation Service. “With support from the membership and the community, we will determine how local agriculture is going to look five, 10, and 20 years from now.”

San Diego County Farm Bureau’s 2009 Annual Meeting starts at 3 p.m. at the Hillebrecht Farm in Escondido. Watch for your invitation in the mail with complete details, which will include your opportunity to buy raffle tickets benefiting the San Diego County Ag in the Classroom. Tickets will also be available for sale at the event. So be sure to stop by the ATM or bring your checkbook and remember that giving generously to the raffle is an investment in keeping local agriculture thriving for future generations. If you can’t make it to the event, you can still support SDAITC by buying your raffle tickets in advance, because attendance is not required to win.

Members: If you have a raffle prize you would like to donate, or you have a relationship with a corporation who might be interested in becoming an SDAITC sponsor, please contact the Farm Bureau at (760) 745-3023.Top of Page

Farm Bureau establishes four new governance policies

by Nancy Walery

In an effort to combat fraud and misappropriation of funds within nonprofit corporations, the Internal Revenue Service is requiring the filing of a new Form 990 beginning with fiscal years ending in 2008. The form asks four new governance questions, and, in order to answer “yes” to those questions, San Diego County Farm Bureau has four new governance policies regarding conflicts of interest, whistleblower protection, document retention and destruction, and executive compensation.

SDCFB prepared these four policies with assistance from the California Farm Bureau Federation, and the policies have been reviewed by the Executive Committee slated for approval by the board of directors on June 4, 2009. A brief description of each policy is provided below.

Conflict of Interest Policy: This policy defines the conflicts of interest that may exist in the course of Farm Bureau business, how those conflicts will be managed, and who must complete and sign the policy, which will be renewed annually. Each director, officer and employee is obligated to disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest they are aware of and accept an ongoing responsibility to recognize and bring to the attention of the SDCFB president any potentially new conflicts of interest whenever they arise.

Whistleblower Policy: The Whistleblower Policy is intended to encourage and enable employees and others who, in good faith, report a violation or suspected violation of Farm Bureau’s Code of Conduct. It also allows them to raise those concerns within Farm Bureau prior to seeking resolution outside the organization without fear of harassment, retaliation or adverse employment consequences. The policy includes to whom those concerns or complaints should be reported and the procedure for handling reported violations or concerns.

Document Retention and Destruction Policy: This policy details Farm Bureau’s obligation to retain certain types of corporate records for specific time periods and each employee’s obligation to fully comply with the records retention/destruction policy and schedules. Several categories of documents that bear special consideration are detailed in the policy and include: corporate records and filings, finance and administration, insurance records, real estate and tax records, communications, consulting services, human resources, general administration, and documentation pertaining to potential litigation. The policy must be signed by each employee and kept on file in the Farm Bureau office.

Compensation Policy: The Compensation Policy specifies the formation of a Compensation Committee that is responsible for the review and approval of compensation for top management employees, specifically the salary and benefits of the SDCFB Executive Director. The policy defines who the committee members are and the process in determining proper compensation.

As a normal course of business operations, SDCFB routinely orders an annual audit of its records and procedures, which is conducted by an independent outside CPA firm. Farm Bureau welcomes the increased scrutiny to demonstrate that its membership funds are used properly and in keeping with the mission of the organization. The details of these annual audits are available to any Farm Bureau member for evaluation by contacting the Farm Bureau office.Top of Pag