A contingent of California State University, Bakersfield professors, Central Valley growers, government leaders and scientists shared their forecast on agriculture at a symposium in Fresno on Friday amid the recent deluge of rain, supply chain disruptions and the urgency to adopt practices that will help California achieve its ambitious climate goals.
Secretary of Food and Agriculture Karen Ross told the 700 in-person and virtual attendees of the “What’s the Future of Agriculture” summit that California crops are the envy of the world and that despite challenges, the pandemic and other disruptors, farmers and ranchers are innovators and can be part of the climate solution.
“There are 69,000 farms in California, 70 percent of which are under 100 acres,” she noted. “We want to partner with our farmers and ranchers to achieve results and not just rely on the regulatory process. There is a place for regulation, but when it comes to restoration, habitat and biodiversity, working directly with farmers and ranchers, environmental conservation and restoration groups is where we want to be.”
Aaron Hegde, professor and chair of the Economics Department at Cal State Bakersfield, noted that the evolution of agriculture requires the involvement of the public, as well as producers and regulatory agencies.
“Often, there is lack of communication,” said Hegde, who led a panel that addressed the economics of agriculture. “It’s about training, learning and sharing information and discussing it. There are always tradeoffs. How does the public help? Farmers and producers want to live in healthy communities as they also live there. How do you make sure the food is safe? It starts with knowing the issues and coming up with solutions.”
Also on the CSUB panel was Yuliana Lacsina, corporate controller for Crop Management, which farms about 6,000 acres — mostly citrus — across the Central Valley and is headquartered in Delano.
She noted that the current climate has been a mixed bag, especially for citrus, Kern County’s No. 2 crop in 2021 with a value of $1.35 billion. The war in Ukraine has spiked fertilizer prices, as has China’s export ban. On the other hand, the rain will allow growers to push back irrigation dates by a month or more, saving on water costs.
“But we’re projecting an extra $100,000 per acre foot in fungicide spray due to increases of diseases such as brown rot, which is a soil-borne fungus that jumps up on the base of the tree when it rains,” she said after the conference. “Overall, I do feel it’s a positive year for citrus. You do have higher costs coming with the extra pesticide sprays, but the savings we’re going to have in water will be significant.”
The CSUB panel also discussed concerns over an aging workforce.
“Ag is not attracting younger individuals,” said Abe Padilla, a 23-year veteran of the nut business and a founding faculty member of CSUB's agribusiness program. “I see industry putting additional effort into technology and trying to figure out how to replace that aging workforce. Technology is an option, but we also need to incentivize individuals to work in the industry. The industry has changed my life but it’s up to us to make it attractive to younger people.”
Several growers at the daylong symposium at Fresno State addressed the need for increased flexibility and adaptability on the part of the state. Bill Smittcamp, president and CEO of Clovis-based Wawona Frozen Foods, emphasized the need for flexibility and adaptability at the state level.
“In agriculture, we can plan. We can forecast. But it’s never the same year to year," he said. "When things change, we have immediate needs, and we need to have to be able to change on a dime.”
Joe Del Bosque, owner of Firebaugh-based Del Bosque Farms, echoed Smittcamp.
“Government is failing to react nimbly. We need new measures and new protocols,” he said.
Sponsored by The Maddy Institute — in partnership with the Livermore Lab Foundation, Fresno State, CSU Bakersfield, CSU Stanislaus, UC Merced and Climate Now — the summit offered an opportunity for key agricultural leaders to discuss not only California’s 2045 net-neutrality deadline, but specific challenges often related to water, pricing, subsidies and policies.
University-led panels offered innovative ideas on economics, repurposing lands, enhancing and preserving water as well as what an experimental “smart farm” might look like in the future.
In addition, farmer and producer panels throughout the date also addressed the Sustainable Groundwater Management, passed by California in 2014.
“In the long-term, SGMA is the right thing to do, but it’s challenging to get there,” said Dennis Parnagian, owner of the Fowler Packing Company.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory senior staff scientist Jennifer Pett-Ridge, a soil expert, provided the overall technical context for the event by identifying local and national opportunities for sustainable and productive farming.
“Soils are at the nexus of carbon and energy, water and food security,” noted Pett-Ridge. “We’re focusing on sustainable production systems, incentives, just outcomes and the scientific rigor to ensure climate benefits are measurable. Lawrence Livermore National Lab wants to provide the tools and data to shape state and national climate action plans.”
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