Business News
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The 15-day public comment period began April 8 and comments will be accepted until April 22. This grant program and timeline for funding is contingent upon funding appropriation.
The program is designed to facilitate direct assistance to individual small-scale and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who need support applying for economic relief grant programs and assistance with business planning and marketing strategies.
This program has two components. Applicants can apply for one or both:
Part 1: Technical Assistance for Underserved Farmers and Ranchers – Funding for technical assistance providers to support farmers and ranchers in applying for economic relief grant programs and assistance with business planning and marketing strategies and other business economic recovery activities.
Part 2: Direct Grant Assistance for Underserved Farmers and Ranchers – Eligible entities are also able to apply as a “regional administrator” for grant funds to distribute directly to farmers and ranchers to aid in economic recovery and relief measures and/or leverage existing economic relief funding programs.
Comments must be submitted via email by 5 p.m. PT on April 22.
The Draft RFP can be found at: link https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/CUSP/.
To further assist those interested in submitting public comments and applying for the program, CDFA staff will provide information and answer stakeholder questions at a webinar workshop on April 19, 2021, from 1 to 3 p.m. (PST).
Registration information for the workshop is available on the CDFA Grants page: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3456781409008512015.
Interested stakeholders and members of the public are encouraged to register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. via GoToWebinar. The webinar ID is 852-164-859.
USDA’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Climate Advisor Robert Bonnie is scheduled to provide an update on USDA’s climate agenda and California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth will update the Board on the current water situation.
“California’s farmers and ranchers continue to make on-farm decisions that help to conserve water, sustainably deal with pest challenges and promote a healthy environment ” said CDFA Secretary Karen Ross. “As we look forward to the next Decade of Ag – California is well positioned to not only succeed in addressing the challenges ahead, but to also be a leader that helps set the foundation for others.”
A presentation by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance will also be featured focusing on the Decade of Ag.
Invited speakers include: Director Karla Nemeth, California Department of Water Resources; Robert Bonnie, USDA’s Climate Advisor; Erin Fitzgerald, U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance; Amrith Gunasekara, CDFA’s Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation; Mark McLoughlin and Andrew Cline, CDFA’s Plant Heath and Pest Prevention Services; Pam Marrone, Primary BioAg Innovations and Global BioAg Linkages; Paul Walgenbach, Bayer US Crop Science and other invited speakers.
“California agriculture will again experience limited water supplies this year as a result of ongoing dry conditions,” said President Don Cameron, California State Board of Food and Agriculture. “As a farmer this is challenging and it is something that not only impacts the farm but local communities, families and businesses. I’m encouraged the State is taking early action and look forward to continued collaboration as the water year progresses.”
The California State Board of Food and Agriculture advises the governor and CDFA secretary on agricultural issues and consumer needs. The board conducts forums that bring together local, state and federal government officials; agricultural representatives; and citizens to discuss current issues and concerns to California agriculture.
This meeting will have simultaneous audio translation in Spanish and can be accessed at 844-460-0074 at the start of the meeting.
Follow the board on twitter at www.twitter.com/Cafood_agboard.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The new relationship is effective May 1.
“We are proud to announce our new partnership with RNDC, one of the world’s leading wine and spirits distribution companies,” said Clay Shannon, proprietor, Shannon Family of Wines. “The foundation of RNDC’s long history of success starts with the strength of their leadership team who embrace strong family values that feel similar to our approach to business. In addition, the very impressive talent and determination of their sales group gives us great confidence in our future. Lastly, we believe RNDC’s company vision and commitment to innovation philosophically matches up with Shannon Family of Wines’ goal of becoming a leader in organic and sustainable farming. We appreciate the warm welcome we have received from our new partner and are excited to get started.”
“We are pleased to expand our relationship and look forward to continued growth with the brands from Shannon Family of Wines,” said RNDC’s Executive Vice President of Wine Russell Motz. “They are family-owned and sustainable. The fact that they plant it, grow it, and make it all at an affordable price are some of the many reasons we are excited about our future together.”
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
In January, the coalition called on the administration and congressional leaders to invest in a diversified water management portfolio that enhances water supply and quality for urban and environmental uses, while keeping water flowing to Western farms and rural communities.
Though the details of the plan are still forthcoming, the coalition said it looks forward to working with the administration and Congress on the larger need for Western water infrastructure, such as above- and belowground water storage and conveyance facilities, along with federal financial mechanisms for such water projects.
With Western states facing another drought and their importance in supplying much of the nation’s food supply, the coalition said it is even more critical to recognize the need for rural water infrastructure investments to capture and store water for use when it is needed most.
“To ensure that food can continue to be safely and affordably produced in the West, and that rural communities continue to have access to the water critical to their economies, it is important that water supply investment be included as a necessary component of a national infrastructure package,” California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson said. “We will continue to work with congressional leaders to build on the administration proposal with enhanced funding for water infrastructure.”
“Decades of neglect have rendered our federal water projects unable to meet the human and environmental needs of the West,” Western Growers President and CEO Dave Puglia said. “While highways and bridges are front and center in the administration’s proposal, federal investments in water storage and conveyance present an opportunity to strengthen our farming and rural communities while providing good-paying jobs and an economic boon for the construction industry.”
“The severe drought punishing much of the West only emphasizes the need to plan now for future droughts and provide the funding needed to not only fix, but to ‘build back better’ the national system responsible for delivering water to homes, businesses, farms and the environment,” Family Farm Alliance Executive Director Dan Keppen said.
“Appropriate investments in water infrastructure will assure that underserved rural communities throughout the nation have access to clean, reliable water,” Association of California Water Agencies Director of Federal Relations David Reynolds said. “Water infrastructure funding can help the nation adjust to climate change, better protect the environment and help ensure safe, abundant, local food supplies.”
“The Biden administration has put its opening hand in the infrastructure debate on the table,” National Water Resources Association President Christine Arbogast said. “We look forward to additional details and discussion on the Western water and rural water elements specifically mentioned in the president’s Build Back Better proposal. Infrastructure needs in the West are different from other regions of the country, and they deserve the attention and investment which will come from the vigorous debate which will now begin in earnest. We look forward to working with the administration and Congress on this critical effort.”
The coalition includes organizations from 15 states that collectively represent $120 billion in agricultural production, nearly one-third of all agricultural production in the country, and tens of millions of urban and rural water users.
How to resolve AdBlock issue?