Tulare CountyFarmBureau NEWS Volume 371, Number 3 March … · NEWS Volume 371, Number 3 MARCH 2009 Tulare CountyFarmBureau {News Briefs ... times don't last forever, but tough people

NEWSNEWSMARCH 2009Volume 371, Number 3

Tulare CountyFarm BureauTulare CountyFarm Bureau

News Briefs{'Train the Trainer' Tractor

Safety Slated for Exeter

March CelebratesAgriculture

Tractor Safety is beingstressed in a series of seminarsthroughout the state sponsoredby a vast network of farmorganizat ions, insurancecompanies and Cal/OSHA. TheTulare County “Train theTrainer” session will be heldMarch 17 from 8am to noon atthe Exeter Memorial Building,324 N. Kaweah Ave., Exeter.

While any employee mayattend, the sessions are tar-geted to employers and supervi-sory personnel who will thenteach the safety skills andregulations to all other employ-ees that operate and maintainfarm and ranch tractors.

Topics include

• Regulatory Requirements

• Effective Training Methods

• Safety Training

• P r o p e r O p e r a t i o n &Maintenance

The cost is $40 per person. Itincludes a binder and alltraining materials. A certificateof completion will be presentedat the end of the session.

Agriculture will be celebratedacross the nation the week ofMarch 16. The Tulare CountyFarm Bureau and the TulareCounty Board of Supervisorswill jointly pay tribute to theoccasion at 9 a.m. during theregularly scheduled Tuesdayboard meeting March 17. TheSupervisors will present awardsto the 14 students from gradesK-12 whose artistic efforts wereselected for reproduction in the2009 Calendar Art contest. Arecord setting 1,899 entrieswere received this year.

Reservations may be made bycontacting the California CottonGinners and Growers Associations,1785 N. Fine Ave., Fresno CA93727; phone 559-252-0684 or fax559-252-0551

Come rain or shine, FarmBureau members are invited to anevening of meeting, greeting andeating March 12 at the T-BarDairy, 14851 Rd 168, Porterville –the home of Tom and FelomenaBarcellos.

“While Districts 1, 2 and 5 arehosting this event and offsettingsome of the cost, all members areinvited and encouraged to attend,”said TCFB President Ed Needham.

“We value our members and thisboard meeting and dinner awayfrom our Visalia office is an oppor-tunity to say thank you and listento our members' thoughts andconcerns,” he added.

The event begins with a regular4pm board meeting with guestswelcome. A social period begins at6pm and dinner will be served at6:30pm. The menu featuresbarbequed New York loin steak,which, according to host Tom, isoutstanding!

Tulare County Sheriff BillWittman will speak about currentissues following dinner and he willintroduce his deputies who areassigned to the Rural CrimePrevention Taskforce. Members ofthe Board of Supervisors from thedistricts have also indicated theywill attend and will encourageques t i ons/d iscuss ion f rommembers.

“Y'all come - we have a fantastic meal planned for you!” say the men who are hostingthe March 12 membership meeting and dinner near Porterville. From left they are,Roger Everett, Keith Cosart, Tom Barcellos and Joel Merritt.

March 12Districts 1, 2 and 5 Host Dinner at T-Bar Dairy

Another purpose of the out-of-office meetings is to introduceprospective Farm Bureau mem-bers to the organization. Membersare encouraged to invite as manynon-member friends as possible.The guests' dinners will be paidfrom the host districts' funds.

Dinner reservations, at $15 permember, are requested by March6. Payment may be made at thedoor. Telephone, 559-732-8301;fax, 559-732-7029 or e-mail,

Coming Up – The District 4dinner meeting will be heldApr. 9 at Jon Dolieslager'sTulare County LivestockSales Yard near Dinuba.

[email protected] hosts are Kevin Kohnen,

Terry Langiano and Keith Cosart,District 1; Tom Barcellos and JoeyAiroso, District 2; and RogerEverett and Joel Merritt, District 5.

Farm Bureau Leaders ShareConcerns with Lt. Governor

by Liza TeixeiraTCFB Program Coordinator

In mid-February, a handful ofTulare County Farm Bureau'sboard members and staff had aunique opportunity to sit down withL ieutenant Governor JohnGaramendi to discuss key issuesfacing agriculture in Tulare Countyand throughout the state.

Following opening ceremonies ofthe World Ag Expo, Garamendijoined the Farm Bureau delegationfor an informal lunch gathering atthe UC Cooperative Extension'sConference Room.

The meeting was designed to givethe Lieutenant Governor a clearview of the issues farmers in TulareCounty are most concerned about.

The issue of increasing regulatorypressure was high on the list ofconcerns. “The paperwork and legaldetails make it difficult, if notimpossible, to make a living fromfarming in California,” said TCFBPresident Ed Needham.

Regulatory Pressure

Beekeeper and citrus producerRoger Everett expressed his con-cerns about diesel engine regula-tions. “On top of all the responsibili-ties that come with farming, nowI've got to find a way to comply withthis new diesel truck rule and stillmanage to turn a profit. I don'tknow how we can be expected tocontinue to produce a high qualitycrop when a big portion of myresources are now going towardsatisfying new regulations.”

Throughout the meeting otherconcerns were expressed bydairymen Tom Barcellos and JoeyAiroso; beekeepers Steve Godlinand Everett; and citrus farmers EdNeedham and Larry Peltzer.

There were a myriad of issues:emissions standards, regulationsand fees, septic tank and well depthlaws, disappearing bees and theoverall dreary climate of Californiaagriculture.

“I wanted him [the Lt. Governor]to understand that we're not justcomplaining for the sake of com-plaining. We're genuinely con-

Steve Godlin, owner of SP GodlinApiaries, thanks Lieutenant GovernorJohn Garamendi for meeting with TulareCounty Farm Bureau's group by present-ing him with a jar of honey producedfrom his bees in Visalia.

See Garamendi on page 2

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPERPLEASE RECYCLE

Tulare County Farm Bureau does notassume responsibility for statements byadvertisers or for products inTulare County Farm Bureau News.

Executive Officers�

President Edward Needham13274 Perry Ct., Visalia, CA 93292First Vice President Larry PeltzerPO Box 48, Ivanhoe, CA 93235Second Vice President Steve Godlin34015 Road 140, Visalia, CA 93292Treasurer Chris Giannini4736 W. Country Ct., Visalia, CA 93277Immediate Past President Keith Watkins14852 Lipson, Visalia, CA 93292District 6 Representative Craig Knudson50560 Hogback Rd., Badger, CA 93603

Tulare County Farm Bureau News(SSN 07447086, USPS NO 643-680)is published monthly for $8.50 annually forTCFB members and $10 annually for non-members by Tulare County Farm Bureau,737 N. Ben Maddox Way, Visalia CA93292. Periodical postage paid at VisaliaCA. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Tulare County Farm Bureau News,P.O. Box 748, Visalia CA 93279.

TCFB Staff: Sandy Nixon, Mary RankinTCFB Program Coordinator: Liza TeixeiraTCFB Executive Director: Patricia Stever

TCFB News Editor: Shirley KirkpatrickE-Mail: [email protected]

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(559) 732-8301

Advertising: Valley Press/Valley VoicePO Box 571, Visalia, CA 93279(559) 733-3961

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President’s Notesby Edward Needham, [email protected]

{

Page 2 Tulare County Farm Bureau News March 2009

Executive Comments{by ,Patricia L. Stever Executive [email protected]

I hope all of you had the opportu-nity to visit the 42nd Annual WorldAg Expo this year. This annualthree day event continues to amazeme. It positively reflects the size,scale and impact that agriculturehas on California's economy andthe world.

Tulare County Farm Bureau,along with our state organization,CFBF, was present and many of ourmembers were involved throughoutthe showgrounds. As a result, therewere many opportunities forinteraction with members, which Ienjoyed.

The Expo also made it clear to methat even though agriculture is aminority in population numbers,we are a powerful majority when itcomes to our economic impact onthe world. The number of compa-nies large and small that wererepresented at the Expo is evidenceof the prowess of our industry andits related sales and services.

Still, as powerful as the agricul-ture sector appears to be, we stillface some very large challenges. Atthe top of the list is water.

The topic came up in almost all ofmy conversations with growers andvendors during the week. Clearly,everyone's livelihood depends onwater and there is great concernabout how agriculture will surviveduring these times of drought andcutbacks.

It may seem at times that wearen't making any progress, but letme assure you that the water issuecontinues to be a top priority of theFarm Bureau. Water is a very

difficult and complex problem toaddress and when you couple itwith the state's major budget crisis,the federal economy's plight,multiple years of drought condi-tions, and an ever increasingdemand on water resources,finding solutions is an even biggerchallenge.

Throw into the mix environmen-tal activism, court decisions,restr ict ions related to theEndangered Species Act – andyou've got a nearly impossible fightto the bitter end.

That's why it is so important thatwe continue to remind Californiansthat without water this state willface an even bigger crisis. A crisis ofsuch magnitude that solutions ofthe past just won't work to solve it.

Farmers should lead the way.Just as we do when we encounternew obstacles in our operations, wefarmers somehow must findsolutions. We are problem solversand I believe that farmers can find asolution to our water situation. Itmay mean attacking the problemfrom an entirely different direction.

I pledge to you my continuedcommitment and support to findingsolutions. Other TCFB leaders and Iwill be in Sacramento andWashington DC in the comingmonths working for solutions thatnot only benefit agriculture but ourrural communities, as well. Weknow one cannot survive withoutthe other and it will take creativesolutions, new ideas and unitedefforts to see us through thisdifficult year.

As we closed the chapter onanother successful World Ag Expo,I am reminded of a great statementmade at the opening ceremonies…“Tough times don't last, but toughpeople do.”

Nothing could be truer when youconsider the farm community ofTulare County. Certainly no oneunderstands tough times betterthan our farmers and rancherswho year in and year out strugglewith ever greater challenges andthreats to their businesses.

Recently I took part in a countyworkforce board meeting abouthelping put Tulare County back towork. One of the resoundingcomments throughout the day wasabout how rural communitiesknow tough times, probably moreoften than other parts of our stateand country. Thus, we're betterpositioned to weather thesecurrent difficult economic timesbecause we encounter them moreoften.

That is a very poignant thought,and it does reflect the tenaciousspirit and perseverance of ourrural farm communities. I was verypleased to see many of the peoplein attendance that day focus on theag economy — how to stimulateagricultural jobs and how topromote this important part ofTulare County's economic engine.

Over and over, the group men-tioned recent news reports that40,000 ag jobs are at stake due towater cuts. It was clear thatdecision makers from local govern-ment, business and the private

sector were concerned about thewater situation and how it affectsag jobs and all jobs here in TulareCounty.

As I pen this column I realize thatI don't have the solution to themess we're in. However, I wasencouraged by the dialogue withmy peers and the spirit of those Ivisited with over the last couple ofweeks. It was easy to see that evenduring tough times, the humanspirit can conquer all that isnegative and wrong in the world.

We all have a very tough roadahead in putting our country backon the right track. It would be niceto have the magic to bring the rainwhen and where we need it.

Of course, nobody can controlMother Nature, but I do agree withAgri-Center President CharliePitigliano, who said that maybe ifwe had 12 Farm Shows a year, wewould at least be guaranteed 12rain storms a year!

Not bad logic, considering howpredictably rainy weather tends tobe part of our World Ag Expo weekeach year!

As well stated before, toughtimes don't last forever, but toughpeople do and I am proud torepresent the toughest folks Iknow, the farmers, ranchers,dairymen and nurserymen ofTulare County who are no strangerto tough times. I know our agri-businesses are struggling rightnow, just like most businesses. Ialso know tough times will not lastforever – but Tulare County agri-culture will!

Tough Times Don't Last…But Tough People Do

In MemoriamIn Memory of

for the Scott Shannon Memorial Scholarship byC. Richard “Dick” Shannon

Rhonda RovaiE. & J. Gallo Winery

Trustees of the Tulare County Farm Bureau Education and Scholarship Fund are renewing theircommitment to reach an endowment fund that will reliably assure that scholarships are consistentlyawarded each year and funds are secure for those who are granted four-year scholarships.

Members are encouraged to make memorial donations to this fund• through gifts of money or property in any amount,• as a provision in a will or trust,• as a memorial contribution in memory of friends or loved ones.Donations should be made payable to the Tulare County Farm Bureau Education and Scholarship

Fund. Each contribution is tax deductible. Memorial gifts are acknowledged to the donor and to thefamily for whom the memorial is given. Mail to:

Tulare County Farm Bureau Education and Scholarship Fund

P.O. Box 748 • Visalia, CA 93279-0748

Farmers Share CommonFears at Expo this Year

Water Coalition Has WebsiteMany Tulare county farmers are participating in the Southern San

Joaquin Valley Water Coalition through seven sub-group coalitions:Kaweah and St. Johns Rivers Association

• Kaweah-Delta Water Conservation District• Kern County Water Agency• Kings River Conservation District• Kings River Water Association• Navalencia Resource Conservation District• Deer Creek and Tule River Authority

The Coalition now has a web site for farmers: www.ssjwqc.org.It provides information about the Irrigated Lands Regulatory

Program (ILRP), agricultural management practices and has links toother valuable websites.

•

cerned about the crisis we're facingand I'm not sure a lot of us willsurvive unless some major changesare made,” said Peltzer.

Garamendi was inquisitive andprovoked open conversation amongthe group. Godlin said, “He seemedgenuinely interested in what wehad to say. Hopefully he'll putsome serious consideration into theissues we highlighted for him.”

Although the lunch hour wasprimarily consumed by the discus-sion of serious topics, the meeting

closed on a lighthearted note. Asthe group thanked Garamendi forhis time, Beekeeper Godlin pre-sented the Lt. Governor with a jar ofhoney produced by his bees. Therewas some good natured banterabout whether it was sourced fromYellow Starthistle. Garamendi is acattleman and does not like theweed at all.

“My overall feeling of our meetingwas positive and we presented a lotof good information. I don't antici-pate that any immediate action willbe taken, but it doesn't hurt to haveour concerns heard one more time,”said Godlin.

Garamendifrom page 1

March 2009 Tulare County Farm Bureau News Page 3

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“We thank you for assisting COSstudents and enhancing so manyworthwhile programs of theCol lege, ” wrote Krist in M.Hollabaugh, executive director ofthe College of the SequoiasFoundation to the Tulare CountyFarm Bureau.

Hol labaugh acknowledged$6,500 in 2008 tax deductiblecontributions from TCFB for itssponsorship contributions, espe-cially support for the “Beyond theFarm” portable educational unit.The unit, pictured right, is taken toschools to help with their gardeningprojects and ag-science basedprograms about soils, nutrientsand water necessary for goodagricultural practices.

“We're proud of our partnershipwith COS in many worthwhileprojects that help further agricul-tural knowledge in our elementaryschools,” said Farm Bureau'sEduca t i on Commi t t e e Co -Chairman Sandra Gist-Langiano.

The efforts were given an espe-cially big boost when the college'shorticultural department devel-oped its 'Beyond the Farm' portableunit for school visits, she said. “Weare proud to contribute to itssuccess.”

COSThanksFB for

Support

Michelle Nuckols (left), gardening coordinator and agriculture teacher at Tipton Elementary School, is seen with the COS“Beyond the Farm” portable educational unit. Nuckols annually coordinates a spring celebration of agriculture at her schooland arranges with COS for college students to bring the trailer and interact with the Tipton students of all ages.

Tulare County Farm Bureauis gathering information fromour members about the roadconditions in Tulare County.TCFB District 2 Board Member,Tom Barcellos, is currentlyserving on the Tulare CountyMeasure R Citizens' OversightCommittee and is seekingfeedback about roads that havespecific needs including:safety, usage, access, alterna-tives and whether the roadserves as a farm or goodstransportation route. You maycontact our office to reportthese concerns by calling 559-7 3 2 - 8 3 0 1 o r e - m a i [email protected] to receive abrief online survey regardingroad conditions in your area.The survey should only take 2-3 minutes to complete. Thankyou.

Road Conditionsin Tulare CountyYour responsesare requested…


Editor's Note: The following

article appeared in the January,

2009 edition of the Tulare County

UCCE California Dairy Newsletter.

Authors are Betsy Karle, UCCE

Glenn County and Jim Reynolds,

D.V.M.

O n N o v e m b e r 4 , 2 0 0 8 ,Californians spoke loud and clearthat they want farm animals to behoused in a fashion that allowsthem the ability to stand up, turnaround and fully extend theirlimbs. While this legislation wasnot specific to dairy calves, wemight expect to see the issues ofdairy calf facilities brought up inthe legislature as an amendmentto the new law. Are you prepared todefend your method of calf rearingand take that message to yourlegislators and the public?

Calf housing should accommo-date the calves' behavioral, healthand nutritional needs in context ofan economically viable productionsystem. Important aspects of a calfrearing system are that it:

Commentary...

What Does Proposition 2 Mean for Dairies?1. Provides a sanitary and

comfortable environment.2. Allows basic behavioral

responses including most normalpostures’ and calf-to-calf interac-tion (visual and perhaps tactile).

3. Encourages physiologicaldevelopment (rumen develop-ment) by providing water and grainfrom day one of life.

In many cases, these needs arebeing met by the current systemand changes are not necessary.However, some common housingstructures limit the calf’s move-ment as she nears weaning. In thiscase, calves should be housed ingroup pens after approximately 70days of age to accommodate theirphysical and behavioral needs.Calves may also be raised ingroups from birth, provided thatstrict sanitary procedures are ahigh priority.

The California Dairy QualityAssurance Program and UC Davishave an excellent resource on thecare and welfare for dairy cattleand calves: “Dairy Cattle WelfareEvaluation Guide.” Dairy ownersare encouraged to get a copy of thisb o o k l e t a twww.cdqa.org/awh/dweg/ orwww.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/animalwelfare.

If, as an industry, we are unableto educate consumers and defendour animal welfare practices, we

can expect activist groups tocontinue to fill that void. HSUSand PETA will continue theirmarketing efforts to eliminateanimal agriculture. In fact, on thewebsite www.yesonprop2.com,the campaign manager shared hervictorious thoughts.

Among her comments: “Califor-nia is a big, big state. Ag is a big,big foe… Let's not stop now. Let'sbuild on this victory. Take tomor-row to rest… But then let's resumeour just and right struggle.Together… For the animals' sake.And for our own.”

Will the dairy industry beproactive and meet the expecta-tions of the people and consumersin California? The best answer tothe activists opposing our indus-try is to show that we truly areproviding housing that meets thecalf's needs.

A Specialty Crop AdvisoryCommittee has been formed by theCalifornia Department of Food andAgriculture to make recommenda-tions about Specialty Crop BlockGrant Program applicationsauthorized under the 2008 FarmBill.

“This 12-member advisorycommittee will help determineprojects that meet the agriculturalneeds of this state,” said CaliforniaSecretary of Food and AgricultureA.G. Kawamura.

The Central Valley is one of thenation's prime growing areas ofspecialty crops, such as fruits andnuts. Other specialty crops aredefined as vegetables, dried fruits,horticulture and nursery crops,including floriculture.

The 2008 Farm Bill amends theSpecialty Crop CompetitivenessAct of 2004, providing increasedfederal funding to states throughfiscal year 2012. It is anticipatedthat $49 million will be madeavailable in the current year, ofwhich approximately $14.5million would be allocated forCalifornia.

The Specialty Crop AdvisoryCommittee will consist of individu-als who represent the diversity ofCalifornia's specialty crop indus-try. Members receive no compen-sation, but are entitled to paymentof necessary traveling expenses inaccordance with the rules of theD e p a r t m e n t o f P e r s o n n e lAdministration.

CDFA SetsUp Specialty

Crop AdvisoryCommittee


Young Farmers & Ranchers Notes... by Melissa DePaoli

Tulare County Young Farmers and Ranchers members pose withHabitat for Humanity Resource Development Director DeannaSaldana who presented them with the President's Volunteer ServiceAward. L. to r., Matt Watkins, Sarah Bakalian, Joey Bakalian, Saldana,Kevin Kohnen and Michael DePaoli.

Tulare County Young Farmers and Ranchers received the

President's Volunteer Service Award for their dedication to

Habitat for Humanity at Habitat's annual board meeting.The non-profit organization is dedicated to building and

remodeling simple homes with the help of the homeowner

family and volunteers. Habitat houses are sold to the

families with affordable loans and there is no profit to

Habitat for Humanity.Tulare County YF&R members are involved in three to

five workdays each year. These Habitat workdays are spent

painting homes, installing flooring and lighting, roofing,

and many other projects that go along with building a

house.“This is a great opportunity for Young Farmers & Rancher

members to become more involved in the community and

work together towards a common goal,” said YF&R Chair

Josh Pitigliano.

Habitat for Humanity Presents Award to Tulare County YF&R

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Serving the Agricultural Communitiessince 1907

In an overall effort to rid

the county of the invasive

noxious weed, Yel low

Starthistle, the Tulare

County Weed Management

A r e a ( T C W M A ) h a s

announced it will treat

small infestations. It is

assumed that most range-

land farmers and others

with commercial operations

are making efforts to

control YST.Yellow Starthistle, a

native to Eurasia, was introduced to California around 1850 via South

America. It is now common in open areas on roadsides, rangelands,

wildlands, hay fields, pastures and waste areas. Recent reports indicate

that Yellow Starthistle infests between 10 and 15 million acres in

California.Spring is the optimum time to apply treatments and the small proper-

ties' program will be in effect through April. Milestone, a highly effective

and selective herbicide that has proven to be effective for the control of

Yellow Starthistle will be used, said Tulare County Director of University

of California Cooperative Extension, Jim Sullins.The WMA will charge $50 (minimum) for the first 1 to 3 acres and $15 per

acre for more than 3 acres.To arrange for assistance, call UC Cooperative Extension at 685-3303

8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday. After business hours, calls may be made

to the message center at 685-3309, extension 236. Indicate the call is

about the Yellow Starthistle control and a response will be made.The TCWMA is an organization of cooperating agencies, formed to

reduce the increasing populations of noxious weeds in Tulare County. For

additional information, contact Sullins at 685-3303.

County Assists in Starthistle Control

Yellow Starthistle

Dofflemyer Wins Prestigious AwardDry Creek farmer, rancher and

Cowboy Poet John Dofflemyer hasbrought fame to himself and recognitionof his wonderful Tulare County farmingheritage to the world.

He has been honored with theWrangler Award for the OutstandingPoetry Book of 2008 by the NationalCowboy and Western Heritage Museum(formerly the Cowboy Hall of Fame.)

Widely published in journals andanthologies, “Poems from Dry Creek” ishis 10th collection of poetry.

Dofflemyer and his wife, Robbin, willtravel to the museum in Oklahoma forthe April 18 ceremonies. He'll be pre-sented with a bronze replica of a CharlesM. Russell sculpture.

He's in good company. Past Wrangler Award winners includewriters, actors, producers and directors such as John Wayne, ClintEastwood, John Ford, James Stewart, Robert Redford, LouisL'Amour and Tom Selleck, to name a few.

John Dofflemyer


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By Mike KlimenkoFarm Bureau Group Manager

Cell phones are wonderful communicationstools, and with the continual technologicalimprovements, their use and reception isbecoming much more readily available in ruralareas.

As with any tool, however, cell phones comewith some built-in hazards. Not the same kindof hazard as a tractor's PTO, perhaps, butmisuse of a cell phone can result in a veryserious mishap.

A California state law was recently enactedmaking it illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving, unless a hands-freedevice such as a Bluetooth is used. It is also against that law to send or readtext messages while driving, which only makes common sense anyway.

Distractions that have been traced to cell phone use are known tohave resulted in several deaths and serious injuries from vehicle accidents.But these accidents aren't limited to roads and highways. Using a cellphone while operating a tractor or other piece of farm equipment can alsohave tragic results.

A list of safety tips has been compiled by a group calledcellphonesafety.org. While these tips are intended primarily for automobiledrivers, they can also be applied to operators of farm machinery:

Play it Safe When Using Your Cell Phone on the Farm

Mike Klimenko

• Abstain from talking on acell phone while you areactively driving.

• If you need to answer acall or make one, try to pull offthe road into a safe parkingarea.

• Make sure your phone iswithin easy reach, not some-where you might have to dig for it.

• Use a hand's free device like a Bluetooth headset or earpiece that allowsyou to talk while both hands remain on the wheel.

• Hands-free or not, postpone conversations that are either emotional orcomplex.

• Prior to getting on the road, practice driving while using your hands-freedevice in an open parking lot so you know how to use it properly withoutfumbling.

• Do not send a text message or try to read incoming messages whiledriving.

• Use your cell phone only in the event of an emergency in which you needhelp or someone else needs help.

Practicing cell phone safety is everyone's responsibility. There are plentyof studies that show any distraction that interrupts a driver's concentra-tion is potentially dangerous. Take your eyes off the road for a second andincidents can happen. Same thing goes for farm equipment operators.

The nation's first “cow-powered”truck, owned by Tulare CountyDairyman Rob Hilarides, made itsdebut during last month's WorldAg Expo in Tulare.

Two trucks that normally runon diesel have been converted torun on biomethane – producedfrom cow manure at HilaridesDairy. This renewable fuels modelreduces global warming emis-sions (methane from manure), airpollution (from diesel emissions)and dependence on fossil fuels,without a food-fuel trade-off inland use. Nationally, dairy cowscould power about one millionvehicles with clean-burningbiomethane.

“For us it made sense to investin this technology,” said Hilarides.Now we can utilize the dairy'spotential to power our trucks, inaddition to generating electricityfor our operations. This willsignificantly reduce our energycosts and give us some protectionfrom volatile energy prices.”

Hilarides explains the processand benefits on the WesternUnited Dairymen's website:

COW POWER CARRIES CALIFORNIA MILK TO MARKETHilarides Dairy's Truck Debuts at World Ag Expo

http://wud.telefeed.com/“In California, the manure is

plentiful, the technology is here andpublic-private partnerships canmake this work,” said AllenD u s a u l t , S u s t a i n a b l eConservat ion 's Direc tor o fSustainable Agriculture.

“Biomethane is the only vehiclefuel that is carbon negative. Theproduction process preventsgreenhouse gases from reaching theatmosphere, and the resulting fuelis clean burning. Across the nation,the benefit to the climate could be asgreat as taking 16 million cars offthe road.”

Converting cow manure intobiomethane involves proven tech-nologies that trap methane and turnit into clean-burning fuel. It is astraightforward process. Manure isflushed from the cows' stalls into acovered lagoon where bacteriaconvert the manure to biogas. Thetrapped gas is sent from the lagoonto a biogas upgrading system whichremoves impurities in the gas.Pressurized biomethane is put intothe truck's fuel tank. The truck isthen ready for the road.

“This project demonstrates thepride California dairy families havein providing innovative leadershipwhile trying to solve the energy andair pollution issues facing our

Rob Hilarides, owner of the Hilarides Dairy near Lindsay, added waste collectors tohis lagoons in 2004 to create electrical power from the methane gas. He has nowconverted his transport trucks to “cow power.”

Valley,” said Michael Marsh, ChiefExecutive Officer of WesternUnited Dairymen. “Rob Hilaridesis a great example of a Western

See Hilarides on page 12


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Dave Schaad, Acting StateExecutive Director for USDA'sFarm Service Agency in Californiaannounced that due to low milkprices FSA will be making pay-ments in April to producersthrough the FSA's Milk IncomeLoss Contract, or MILC, program.

The 2008 Farm Bill madechanges to the MILC program, mostnotably the addition of a dairy feedration cost adjustment in additionto changes to the payment rate andmodifications to the per-operationpoundage limit, depending on whenthe milk is produced.

“We will be making MILC pay-ments as a result of the low prices,but due to changes to the programordered in the 2008 Farm Bill, thepayments may be higher but willtake a bit longer to gather therequired data before payments canbe made," Schaad explained.

FSA makes MILC payments on amonthly basis when the BostonClass I milk price falls below $16.94per hundredweight (cwt) asa d j u s t e d f o r f e e d c o s t s .The monthly Boston pr icei s p o s t e d o n l i n e a t :http://www.fmmone.com/Northeast_Order_Prices/NE_Prices_mainnew.htm#Advance.

FSA determines the per hundred-weight payment rate for the appli-cable month by subtracting theBoston Class I price for that monthfrom the $16.94 MILC paymenttrigger price as adjusted for feedcosts, and multiplying the differ-ence by 45 percent. The paymentfactor of 45 percent will decline to34 percent on September 1, 2012.

The MILC payment trigger price of$16.94 is adjusted upward whenthe National Average Dairy FeedRation Cost for a month is greaterthan $7.35 per cwt. This rate willchange to $9.50 on September 1,2012.

The dairy feed ration cost iscalculated each month from theprice of feed ingredients used tocreate a 16 percent protein dairyfeed as reported by the NationalAgricultural Statistics Service(NASS).

“While the dairy feed ration costadjustment benefits producers

Dairy Prices to Trigger MILC PaymentsChanges to the program willslow payments to producers

when feed costs are high, it alsomeans we must wait until thatmonth's National Average Dairy

Feed Ration Cost is known beforethe MILC payment rate can becalculated," explained Schaad.

"For example, while the BostonClass I price for February is $13.97

See Dairy Prices on page 11


A heavy blanket of fog hung over Tulare on that Sunday morning whenthe second running - er, fast walking – of the Great Grocery Cart Race wasbeginning. As it lifted, the assemblage came into view in the far corner ofthe FoodsCo parking lot where Race Chairman Kevin Kohnen laid down therules.

There were only three. If it wasn't written, it wasn't a rule and anythingwould go. The cardinal rules were 1) no running, 2) the cart pusher had tokeep his/her hands on the cart, and 3) the list keeper had to clutch the listand pen at all times. Precious minutes were added to a team's score ifviolations were spotted. Judges lurked throughout the store, keeping trackof the misdeeds.

Tape of all sorts – plumber's, duct and medical tape – anchored a personto the essential elements for all teams. And fast walking replaced running(in most instances).

What wasn't expected was the chicanery used, with no penalties, to gainan edge. Would you believe stealing items from another team's cart?Getting help from eager fans who came to watch? And using a cell phone forinner-store communication to a teammate?

The Great Grocery Cart Race, sponsored by the Tulare County's YoungFarmers & Ranchers, is just one of the many ideas used by Farm Bureaugroups throughout the nation to publicize Food Check-Out Week. This isthe time when the U.S. Department of Agriculture calculates that theaverage American will have earned enough disposable income to pay for hisor her food supply for the entire year.

The United States has a safe supply of affordable food. Here, it takes only10 percent of a family's or individual's disposable income. Consumers inother countries spend much more: France, 14 percent; Japan, 15 percent;China, 35 percent and Indonesia, 46 percent.

Race Purpose

The Tulare FFA team got off to a good start when they guessed three items on Kevin'slist. They are, l. to r., Alexa Roche, Hannah Pacheco, Mikaela Serafin and AmandaMeneses .

Rules?Anything Goes As Great Grocery Cart Race II Benefits FoodLink

First through the check-out line, but wait a minute! …Something's missing….hmmmm

In comparison to Food Check-Out Week, mostAmericans work until early March to pay for theirmedical care, housing and household opera-tions. And, according to The Tax Foundation,Americans work until mid-March to pay theirfederal taxes.

Still, the ultimate purpose for the TulareCounty YF&R is to gather food for the needy. The85 items on each team's shopping list wereselected to provide wholesome food products –with a few snack food items added – thatFoodLink of Tulare County can distribute to foodpantries in all areas of the county.

Race Chairman Kohnen added a few twists toprovide added point incentives to this year'scompetition. Before teams began their scaven-

Big BirdHannah to the rescue.Somebody stole our pintobeans!

You go that way, YF&R's Renee Prescott tells Matt Watkins as they strategize theirmoves.

Don't you think that matches the Big BirdChallenge? asks Karen Russell, right, asPrescott checks out the turkey's weight.

Come on, let's keep moving, Prescotturges Joe Bakalian, the cart pusher, andWatkins as they near the end of their list.

Busted! Chagrined, Russell and Prescott,wince as Kohnen announces time hasbeen added for running violations.

Hands on cart - pen in hand - cell phone?

RACE SURVIVAL TOOLS

FFA TEAM

YF&R TEAM

Appreciation is extended to Mark Hullfor some of the pictures used on these pages.


Left to right…The Farm Bureau Four, Chris Giannini, Joe Airoso, Ed Needham, Roger Everett; YF&R's Karen Russell, Joey Bakalian, Renee Prescott, Matt Watkins, and FFA'sAmanda Meneses, Hannah Pacheco, Mikaela Serafin and Alexa Roche.

EVERYONE WINS FOR FOOD CHECK-OUT WEEK…

ger hunt, he held up a frozen turkey. He promised 10 minutes off theoverall time for the team that selected one closest to its weight. FarmBureau got that one.

Kohnen said he shops at FoodsCo every week. He asked the teams tochoose five items from their list of 85 that are also on his list. The rewardfor each item guessed was three minutes off the overall time. FarmBureau and FFA each had three – Goldfish crackers, tortillas and spa-ghetti sauce.

When all three teams were checked out and paid (courtesy of moneydonated from YF&R, Farm Bureau and funds from each of the FB dis-tricts), Kohnen tallied the results. The YF&R team was trying to defend itstitle earned in last year's race. They didn't. They came in last, hamperedby two violations.

The Tulare FFA team placed second. Even though they were first tocheckout, they were delayed when a dollar-amount difference wasdiscovered. After checking, they discovered a bag of pinto beans had beentaken from their cart when they weren't looking. They had no violations.

Winners Are…TCFB Executive Director Patricia Stever and Roger Everett raise their arms in a victorycheer as the winning team is announced. Center is TCFB President and team memberEd Needham.

Race Chairman Kevin Kohnen, fourth from left, is joined by the happy winners, l. to r.,Joe Airoso, Chris Giannini, Roger Everett and Ed Needham.

Farm Bureau's team was last through the check out counter, but madeup for it with bonus points. The team, which benefitted greatly from theexperience of two-time participant Roger Everett and expert shoppinghelp from Joe Airoso's wife Laurie and Executive Director Patricia Stever,was declared the winner.

TCFB TEAM

YF&R Chair Josh Pitigliano unloads a pickup full ofgroceries.

A job well done…Sandra Beals, FoodLink's Executive Director, expresses her gratitude to the YF&R members after allthe grocery items are sorted and stashed. L to r, Josh Pitigliano, Robert Blattler, Beals, Kevin Kohnen, Chris Giannini.


by Liza Teixeira,

TCFB Program

Coordinator

Eager to learnabout their localgovernment, 24 ofTulare County FarmB u r e a u ' s Y o u t hLeadership studentsarrived at the Boardo f S u p e r v i s o r s 'chambers in Visaliaon a rainy Tuesdaynight. The group, allproudly wearing theirgreen leadershipshirts, was greeted byDistrict 1 Supervisor Allen Ishida; District 2 Supervisor Pete Vander Poel;and County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseau.

The students divided into three discussion groups led by the officials fortheir decision-making exercises. The first topic: Williamson Act. Afterweighing pros and cons each group decided the Williamson Act is animportant part of protecting agricultural land in the County. They allagreed that funding for the program should be continued.

The second exercise proved to be more challenging. The students weretasked with developing a County budget with $2 million dollars available tospend, but $3 million in requests.

They found themselves faced with requests from the sheriff, public

Youth Leadership TeamStudies Local Government

Education Corner...

defender, district attorney, proba-tion, auditor and informationtechnology needs. Each groupmade lists of what they thoughttook precedence and distributedfunds accordingly, with the ulti-mate goal of learning about budget-ing, priorities and the scope of theCounty's budget and expenses.

At the end of the evening, thestudents left with a better under-standing of how their local govern-ment operates and its importance.

“Most of the students seemed toknow very little about how theirlocal government operated beforewe began the meeting, but once theactivities got started, it was clearthat they were catching on quickly,”said TCFB director and youthleadership volunteer Keith Cosart.“They really interacted well with thesupervisors and Mr. Rousseau andI think they got a lot out of theexperience.”

Youth Leadership's next meetingwill be a legislative workshop heldat the Tulare County Farm Bureauoffice March 4 from 5 to 7pm.

The Youth Leadership group is joined by District 2 Supervisor Pete Vander Poel;District 1 Supervisor Allen Ishida; and County Administrative Officer Jean Rousseauafter an evening of interaction about local government.

Jacob Gomez makes his case to District 2 Supervisor PeteVander Poel about his plan to resolve the Williamson Actfunding dilemma.

Youth Leadership participants listen as District 1 Supervisor Allen Ishida explains theWilliamson Act and helps the students decide whether or not funding for the programshould be continued.


and below $16.94, we still won'tknow the actual MILC payment rateuntil late March when we receivefinal figures from NASS for deter-mining the National Average DairyFeed Ration Cost. That means theMILC payment for February cannotbe made until April."

The 2008 Farm Bill also excludesproducers whose non-farm averageadjusted gross income (AGI)exceeds $500,000 from receivingMILC payments. Producers willhave to sign an AGI statement whensigning up for the program. Moreinformation about the MILC pro-gram can be found on the FSAwebsite http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

Dairy Pricesfrom page 7

Education Corner...

Three students in Tulare Countyschools were declared regionalw inners in the Ca l i f o rn iaFoundation for Agriculture in theClassroom's annual creative writingcontest …for grades 3-8.

The students, accompanied bytheir parents and/or teachers, weregiven certificates of recognition atthe Tulare County Farm Bureau'sFebruary board meeting. They are

• , 7th grade, GeorgeMcCann Memorial Catholic School,Visalia, Stephanie Applegate,teacher. Title: “The Great MilkDebate”

• , 6th grade,Sierra School, Badger, MichaelMacDonald, teacher. Title: “The CowThat Wanted to Be Free”

• , 5th Grade, St.Paul's School, Visalia, DeborahPetty, teacher. Title: “Sunny thePeach Tree and his Journey ofFriendship”

This year's … contestwill begin this summer, for submis-sion on November 1, 2009. Entryforms and contest rules can bedownloaded at the Foundation'swebsite: www.cfaitc.org or call 1-800-700-AITC for information.

Imagine this

Imagine this

Emily Rosa

Sati Alexander

Cameron Jones

Imagine this…Three TulareCountyStudents WinRegional Honors

Creative writing regional winners in the Imagine this…contest pose with Farm Bureau President Ed Needham following presenta-tion of their awards. Students (from left) are Sati Alexander, Sierra School in Badger; Cameron Jones, St. Paul's School, Visalia andEmily Rosa, George McCann Memorial, Visalia.


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One of Hilarides Dairy’s “cow power” transport trucks.

United Dairymen member who cares for the environment and is willing totake a financial risk on a new approach to providing transportation fuel.”

This break-through came from a public-private partnership which aimsto develop a new model for replacing diesel fuel with renewable biomethanegenerated from agricultural sources such as manure and biodegradablewaste products.

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invested in this importantproject because of its significant potential to reduce diesel pollution inCalifornia's San Joaquin Valley and other comparable regions and becauseof the tremendous co-benefits for greenhouse gas reduction and energysecurity,” said Kerry Drake, Associate Director, Air Division, U.S.Environmental Protection Agency. “All of the partners contributed to theprocess of identifying and removing obstacles to widespread use ofbiomethane to fuel trucks and other vehicles.”

California Deputy Secretary of Energy Policy Coordination Dan Pellissiersaid, “Biomethane gives California a renewable fuel that is locally producedand consumed, clean burning, and carbon negative. Not only does it helpCalifornia meet our targets for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, itprovides clean, renewable energy without competing for the state's fertilefarmlands – which are crucial to feeding people around the world.”

Hilaridesfrom page 6

Tom Guinn, of the Tulare County Sheriff's Office, will send his tire and trashabatement crew to clear farm properties of unwanted and unsightly junk that hasbeen dumped at roadside. Just call the number above to make arrangements.

Feel Dumped On?

Call 625-FARM (3276)

Classification of conservation tillage practices in California irrigatedrow crop systems,” a UC ANR peer-reviewed publication, is now avail-able on the web at

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/Items/8364.aspxThis article sets out definitions and clarifies tillage system

terminology for California and has been prepared as an effort to dis-pense with “tillage system jargon*” that seems to be proliferating inrecent years.

Other UC ANR CT Workgroup publications are also available atthe ANR Publications repository and we hope to have them all availableat our Workgroup website soon.

*Reicosky and Derpsch (2003)

UC Releases ConservationTillage Publication


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Nuts • Citrus • Stone Fruit (661) 746-2623

“2008 was another billion-dollaryear for Sunkist, the 11th in thepast two decades – which includesfour freeze years,” SunkistPresident and CEO Russ Hanlintold the more than 500 growersattending Sunkist Growers 115thannual meeting at the VenturaCounty Fairgrounds. “In 2008 ourtotal revenues were up 8% over2007 and at $839 million dollars,payments were up 5%.”

Because 2007 was a freeze year,Hanlin noted that these figurestopped the pre-freeze 3-year-average by 4%. The results, headded, are especially gratifyingbecause they were achieved whilenot only dealing with a recordnavel crop but also whiletransitioning the sales organiza-tion to a more centralized struc-ture.

Helping the bottom line wereo n g o i n g i m p r o v e m e n t s i nSunkist's Citrus Juice & Oilsoperations, Hanlin added. In 2008Sunkist completed the plantconsolidation and now all citrusbyproducts are processed atSunkist's Tipton plant, drivinggreater economies of scale andincreased efficiencies. “We are now

Sunkist Celebrates Another Billion-Dollar Year

the leading high-quality, low-costproducer on the West Coast and atop supplier of value-added citrusproducts,” he added.

Hanlin reminded growers thatthe industry is changing rapidly.“Competition is increasing withoffshore fruit impacting bothdomestic and traditional exportmarkets in ever-expanding vol-umes with new trade agreementsadding to that competitive equa-tion. Customers continue toconsolidate, concentrating moreand more purchasing power infewer and fewer hands.”

Sunkist has restructured tomeet the demands of the newmarketplace, said Hanlin. “Overthe past year we took a long, hardlook at every aspect of our busi-

ness and made some significantchanges – both structural andprocedural. We have strategies inplace that allow us to more effec-tively compete in the global mar-ketplace. The result is betterservice at substantially lower costs– both to our growers – and to ourcustomers.”

Sunkist's sales organization isnow leaner and more efficient andeffective, tailored to today's marketneeds and employing the latest intechnological resources. “Trading'bricks and mortar' for electronictechnology,” Hanlin said, “we haverealigned our sales network tobetter serve customers, packersand growers.”

Although the year ahead will be

The California Public UtilitiesCommission recently made publictwo additional alternative routesfor Southern California Edison'shigh voltage transmission linefrom its Big Creek-Springville lineto the Rector substation on Rd148 in east Visalia.

The new routes are labeledAlternatives 5 and 6 on the PUCwebsite and are both north ofEdison's preferred Alternative 1.

“We're extremely pleased thePUC is considering other routes,”said George McEwen, co-chairman of PACE (ProtectAg r i cu l tu r e Commun i t i e sEnvironment), a large and vocalcitizen's group that formed afterlearning about Edison's plans toconstruct a 220 kV line identifiedas the San Joaquin Cross ValleyLoop transmission project.

PACE STUDIES NEW ROUTES FOR SCE LINEGroup Considers Submitting Its Own Alternative

The SCE application was madeofficial on May 30, 2008. The CPUCheld informational workshops inJuly and a public participationhearing (PPH) in November.

“Clearly, the PUC heard ourmessage about Route 1's detrimen-tal impacts to the Hwy 198 sceniccorridor, the cities of Farmersvilleand Exeter, homes and schools.

“But the new alternatives do notavoid or reduce any of the signifi-cant negative impacts on farmingand highly productive agriculturelands. The problems associatedwith this massive power line havenot been resolved for the communi-ties of Lemon Cove, Lindcove andWoodlake,” McEwen added.

The new Alternative No. 5 contin-ues to use the beginning of Rte 1from Lemon Cove to Ave. 314 whereit cuts westward along Hwy 245

about one mile. There it leaves theroadside to traverse through stillmore highly productive farmland. Itwill then tie into the nearly100-yearold Rector high voltage transmis-sion line near Cutler Park withinthe Visalia city limits.

Alternative No. 6 begins east ofElderwood and follows the originalAlternative No. 2 alignment to Hwy245. It then turns south, skirtingthe west side of Woodlake. It thentravels westward through orchardsto join the Rector line northwest ofIvanhoe.

“PACE is going to present its ownalternative – the one we've beensuggesting all along - which we'recalling Alternative No. 3 Revised,”said McEwen. “We're getting expertadvice from a respected transmis-sion line designer and other profes-

PACE Proposal

sionals. This path will have theleast detrimental impacts onagriculture, the environment,homes, cities and cultural fea-tures.

“We will propose an alternativethat avoids the environmentalpitfalls that make all the otheralternatives unacceptable.

“We're confident the PUC willtake our suggestions seriously.PACE expects to make a signifi-cant contribution to the environ-mental assessment process,”McEwen added.

While an officially revisedtimeline has not been published,it is understood the DraftEnvironmental Impact Reportmay be released sometime in May.The original schedule anticipatedthe DEIR would be released byJan. 30, 2009.

In these extremely difficult times in the dairy industry it is important to understand all of your

financial options. As a former dairyman I am eager to help you and as a realtor in an organization

with 30 years of experience in agricultural real

estate, I have the skills to assist you. Please

call me at (559) 786-3075, contact me at

“[email protected]” or call Craig Smith

and Associates at (559) 686-1688 and ask for

Joseph Cardoza.

Attention Dairymen

difficult, with demand constrainedby the unstable economic condi-tions worldwide, Hanlin saidSunkist is well positioned toweather the storm.

“While the next several monthswill not be easy,” he said, “there iscomfort in the fact that Sunkist isarmed with more than a century ofexperience to meet the challengesahead. Our business is headed inthe right direction, our staff isamong the most knowledgeable inthe business, our company isstrong financially and our vision isfocused. We remain the premiermarketer of citrus and my goal aspresident is to ensure that Sunkistcontinues to create value for ourgrowers.”

BECOME A BUSINESS SUPPORT MEMBERwww.joinfb.com • 559-732-8301

Tulare County Farm Bureau offers a special category of membership for those interested in supportingFarm Bureau as business owners. If you have a business, or merely want to show your support for theorganization, your membership in the Business Support category is encouraged.

Here's what you get in return for your annual dues:• A free listing every month on this page.• Discounts on display advertising in this newspaper.• All the benefits and services of Farm Bureau membership.• News of events and issues in

You will also receive the appreciation and support of the agricultural industry and Tulare CountyFarm Bureau members. Join us to accomplish our mission:

TCFB News and E-News.

To promote and enhance the viability ofTulare County agriculture.


Advanced BioTech LLC

Cal-Agro Seed Co., Inc.

Nutrius, LLC

Superior Supplements

Western Milling LLC

Bell-Carter Olive Co.

Cal Bean & Grain Cooperative

Ruiz Food Products, Inc.

ABAA Visalia Ranch,

Anton Caratan & Son

Winfried Baur

Hester Orchards

Halopoff & Sons

LeyCon, Inc.

Ron Michaelis

Bob C. Nuckols/Justin Nuckols

PB Ranches

Peterson Farms

Tri-T Farms

Whitson Farming, LTD.

California Controlled Atmosphere

Scout Specialties,

Consolidated Peoples Ditch Co.

Agri-Valley Irrigation, Inc., Rod Cantrell

Bennett & Bennett Irrigation

Bowsmith

Fruit Growers Supply

Hydratec

Rain for Rent,

Alberto Robles

Jose Martinez Labor Contractor

M & G Harvesting

Mountain View Ag Services

Orange Belt Ag Enterprises

Pick Pack & Haul Inc.

R.A. Franco Farm Labor

Salud Tapia Farm Labor

Valley Pacific Farm Labor

PO Box 2920, Visalia 651-2042

6908 Ave 304, Visalia, 651-CORN

39494 Clarkson Dr.,Kingsburg 897-5862

4375 N. West St., Tulare 707-9019

PO Box 1029, Goshen, 302-1001

PO Box 338, Orange Cove 626-4411

Drawer D, Pixley 757-3581

501 S. Alta, Dinuba 591-5510

Claude Atkins15430 Avenue 296, Visalia 733-7350

1625 Rd. 160, Delano 661-725-2575

PO Box 3749, Visalia 818-678-1228

PO Box 536, Farmersville 594-5025

19480 Rd. 244, Strathmore 568-1102

PO Box 847, Exeter 592-4913

31734 Mill Dr., Springville

13144 Road 216, Porterville 784-2793, Gabriel Pena

12094 Ave. 408, Cutler 528-6997

26789 Rd. 188, Exeter 592-5274

29630 Rd. 44, Visalia 651-1301Kerry Whitson

18425 Avenue 264, Exeter 592-5860

39138 Road 56, Dinuba 591-8874

Gary & Carolyn Lunsford148 North M St., Dinuba 591-8234

James Silva, Jr.P.O. Box 366, Farmersville 747-1177

PO Box 11881, Fresno 285-3893

P.O. Box 190, Selma 896-0200

131 Second St., Exeter 592-9485

131 Rd 204, Woodlake 564-3525

County Line Rd & Rd 192 Delano 725-6656Mitch Martin

2474 W. Whitesbridge, Fresno 485-5610

PO Box 334, Exeter 592-9103

15364 Avenue 328, Ivanhoe 798-1071Miguel Gutierrez

PO Box 24, Lindsay 217-8194

Leonard Hutchinson41727 Road 125, Orosi 528-4756

Jesse OntiverosPO Box 1231, Porterville 784-0829

Tony Chavez, Jr.PO Box 1349, Porterville 539-3029

20084 Avenue 360, Woodlake 564-3620805-5390

296 N. Cambridge, Visalia 651-5900

Guadalupe Marroquin41629 Rd. 120, Orosi 696-5485

ENVIRONMENTAL

FEED SUPPLEMENTS& INGREDIENTS

FOOD PROCESSING

INDIVIDUAL

INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION

INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES

IRRIGATION DISTRICT

IRRIGATION SYSTEMS& SUPPLIES

LABOR CONTRACTOR

J G Farm Labor ServiceJavier Gonzalez8531 Road 234, Terra Bella

BANKING/FINANCIAL SERVICES

BATTERY SPECIALIST

BRUSH SHREDDING/TREETOPPING/HEDGING

BUILDING CONTRACTORS,SUPPLIES, ETC.

CELLULARCOMMUNICATIONS

COLD STORAGE

COMPOST SALES

COTTON

DAIRY

DEALER/BROKER

Bank of the Sierra Ag CreditPO Box 1930, Porterville 782-4432Farm Credit West

Stifel Nicolaus, David C. Sharp

Suncrest Bank

Tri Counties Bank

Tucoemas Federal Credit Union

Valley Business Bank

Westwood Capital Services / Dennis Sexton

Battery Systems

A-Peltzer Enterprises

Baker Topping, Inc.

Brush Control Inc.

McKeller Farms, Inc.

Milinich Enterprises, Inc.

Muller Farming

Peltzer Topping & Hedging

Reynolds Ranches

Kaweah River Rock Co.

Ralph Fuller Electric

Sierra Forest Products

W & E Electric

Next Step Communications

Anchor Warehouse Services

Earthwise Organics

New Era Farm Services

Tulare County Compost & Biomass Inc.

Jess Smith & Sons Cotton, LLC

Mid-Valley Cotton Growers Inc.

Amaral Dairy Service

Land O’Lakes

Randy Gorzeman

Nunes Bros. Dairy

Wasnick Bros. Dairy Supply

Warren Hettinga Dairy, et al

E and M Commodities

3000 W. Main, Visalia 732-4501

217 E. Caldwell, Visalia 622-1040

400 W. Center, Visalia 802-1000

2914 W. Main St., Visalia 741-2940

2300 W. Whitendale, Visalia 732-8892, Don Gilles

200 S. Court St., Visalia 622-9000

813 W. Oak Ave. #C, Visalia 741-9400

, Ron Roth1601 E. Main St, Visalia 651-0245

798-1034PO Box 48, Ivanhoe cell 804-1333

Mike Baker 804-4045Mark Baker 804-480233198 Rd 168, Visalia 798-8011


Jim Stailey Cell 906-0247PO Box 189, Ivanhoe Office 798-0557

Jon Milinich21275 Road 192, Lindsay 280-4747

, Patrick MullerJack Rabbit Chipping Services 732-1236

PO Box 10209, Terra Bella 789-9446Scott Reynolds

1389 S Westwood Ave., Lindsay 287-0000

P.O. Box 515, Woodlake 564-3302

253 W. Pine, Exeter 592-4633

9000 Rd. 234, Terra Bella535-4893, Cabinetry

12686 Ave 416, Orosi 528-3866

Bart Lang1307 S. Mooney, Visalia 636-1600

Garth Ramseier970 E. Meyer Dr., Exeter 592-4111

PO Box 9927, Fresno 275-3300

23004 Rd. 140, Tulare 686-3833

Gary Birdsong, Pres. / John Jones, Mgr.24478 Rd. 140, Tulare 686-1622

Libanio MendesPO Box 1187, Bakersfield (661) 325-7231

PO Box 901, Tulare 686-2823

413 North I St. Tulare 686-9644

400 South M, Tulare 687-8287

9599 Ave. 88, Pixley 757-3522

20439 Road 124, Tulare 686-0643

1012 North J, Tulare 686-4581

13002 Avenue 128, Tipton 752-4012

5934 W. Cutler, Visalia, 738-3176

AG EQUIPMENT

AG FERTILIZER &CHEMICALS SALES &APPLICATIONS

AG & INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES& SERVICES

AG-RESEARCH/TESTING& CONSULTING

AGGREGATES

AUTO DEALERS

AUTO PARTS

AUTO REPAIR

Exeter Mercantile, Bob Schelling

Farmers Tractor & Equipment Co.

Kings River Tractor

Lawrence Tractor Co., Inc.

Linder Equipment Co.

Quality Machinery

Biagro Western Sales, Inc.

Crumbliss & Horton, Inc.

Central Valley Management, Inc.

Crinklaw Farm Service

Eastside Chemicals, Inc.

Gillespie Ag Service, Dana Gillespie

Helena Chemical Company

Leffingwell Ag Sales

Natural Resources Group

Orange Belt Supply & Co.

Soil Basics Corp

SprayCo LLC

Tulare Ag Products

Agricultural Services Inc.

BioWorld Products LLC

Central California Implement


Shannon Bros. Co., Inc.

Tulare Firestone, Inc.

BASF Agricultural Research Station

Fruit Growers Laboratory, Inc.

Research for Hire

Turf Solutions, Inc.

Valley Tech Agricultural Services

Orosi Rock

Jim Manning Dodge Chrysler Jeep

Surroz Motors, Inc.

Will Tiesiera Ford Mercury

Pixley Auto Parts & Farm Supply

592-2121258 E. Pine, Exeter

1132 S. Main St., Porterville 784-4967, John Kellogg

1347 N. Century St., Visalia 627-0303

2530 E. Main St., Visalia 734-7406

311 E. Kern, Tulare 685-5000

3820 S. K St., Tulare 686-8701

Peter Alvitre35801 Road 132, Visalia 635-4784

24569 Ave 90 Terra Bella 535-4463

Frank Marshall, Sr.36040 Rd. 172, Visalia 798-1821

Dave & Tami Crinklaw13827 S. Zediker, Kingsburg 897-1077

5612 S. Hills Valley Rd.Orange Cove 626-4091

15301 Road 192, Porterville 784-9021

25114 Road 204, Exeter 562-5400

23576 Ave 96, Terra Bella 535-4461

34284 Road 196, Woodlake 564-1236

25244 Rd 204, Lindsay 562-2574


P.O. Box 7090, Visalia 625-9416, Robert Prather

3703 S. K Street, Tulare 686-5115

, Daniel DreyerPO Box 548, Lindsay 592-4297

Dale BarnesPO Bos 2920, Visalia 651-2042

1480 W. Inyo, Tulare 686-4747

934 W. Scranton, Porterville 781-4461

24478 Rd 140, Tulare 686-4701

Lionel Pires362 South K. St., Tulare 686-3313

10181 Ave 416, Dinuba 591-2548

3935 W. Victor, Visalia 734-9473John Corkins

1696 S. Leggett, Porterville 784-5787

3324 S. Jackie St., Visalia 636-1833

2120 S. K St., Tulare 688-5684

Gary Shekerjian14600 Ave. 420, Orosi 802-0029

194 W. Tulare St., Dinuba 591-4910

3000 S. Mooney Blvd, Visalia 732-4700

2101 E Cross, Tulare 688-7471

418 S. Main St., Pixley 757-3574



46031 Rd 124, Orange Cove 626-4629

131 Rd 204, Woodlake 564-3525

Gross & Stevens, Inc1121 E Acequia Ave, Visalia 734-4649

Horswill, Mederos & Soares, Attorneys

Mitchell Insurance Services

Nielsen & Associates Insurance

NSE Insurance Agencies, Inc.

Pine, Langley/Pedroncelli, Inc., CPA

Rauber & Johnson, Attorneys

R L Schafer & Associates

Ron Frazier, Financial Consulting

State Compensation Insurance Fund

Steve Bratcher & Associates, CPA

Valley Industrial & Family Medical Group

Vollmer, Daniel, Gaebe & Grove, CPA

Fresh Buyers Inspections, Inc

Pearson Realty

The Ranch Company

AAA Security Inc.

TriCal Inc

Citrus Research Board

Proteus Inc.

E M Tharp, Inc.

Central Valley Roll-off & Recycling

Ensave Inc. / Ag Efficiency Plus

Southern California Edison

Gerald Haggard

Valley Veterinarians, Inc.

Doug DeLeo Welding Inc

Cal Gro Pump Service Inc.

Kaweah Pump, Inc.

US Farm Systems

Willitts Equipment Co, Inc

Kens Stakes & Supplies

791 N. Cherry, Tulare 686-3861

Kelly Mitchell2236 W. Sunnyside #3A, Visalia 713-1315

Bill Nielsen502 N Kaweah, Exeter (800) 842-8818

Ken Stevens160 South D, Exeter 592-9411

William Pine5100 W. Cypress, Visalia 625-9800

James C. Johnson1007 N. Demaree St., Visalia 741-1800


10885 Ave. 360, Visalia 738-8523

Joe Gonzalez, District Manager10 River Park Place East, Fresno 433-2600

1124 N. Chinowth Rd., Visalia 627-6916

225 S. Chinowth, Visalia 627-3222755 E. Terrace, Tulare 685-8800

100 Willow Plaza, Suite 400, Visalia 733-1051

, Kevin BenoPO Box 3745, Visalia(559) 733-5556

, Jim Olivas1820 S. Central St. #C, Visalia, 732-7300

, John Grimmius3904 W. Caldwell, Visalia, 733-3232

321 E. Noble, Bldg. C, Farmersville 594-5600

P.O. Box 1327, Hollister 651–0140

323 W. Oak, Visalia 738-0246

1830 N. Dinuba Blvd., Visalia 733-5423

15243 Rd. 192, Porterville 782-5800


(incentives & free energy audits)Katherine Long, Program Manager

800-791-7541

2425 S. Blackstone St., Tulare 685-3246

251 South F St, Exeter 594-5215

2861 S. K St., Tulare 686-1447

PO Box 878, Lindsay 562-3700

Bob TracyPO Box 335, Dinuba 591-4702

15499 Ave 280, Visalia 747-0755, John Houle

4555 South “K”, Tulare, 685-0340

15445-B Ave. 296, Visalia 734-6342

193 S. Mariposa Ave,Visalia 747-1313

Ward R. Stringham, Attorney at Law756 E Tulare Ave, Tulare 686-1747

QUALITY CONTROL

REAL ESTATE SALES &DEVELOPMENT

SECURITY

SOIL FUMIGATION

STATE MARKETING ORDER

TRAINING & EMPLOYMENT

TRUCK & TRAILER

TWINE RECYCLING

UTILITIES

VETERINARY SERVICES

WELDING FABRICATION

WELLS/PUMPS/PIPE

WOOD STAKES

DIRECTORY OF FARM BUREAU BUSINESS MEMBERS

LAND LEVELING/RIPPING/ORCHARD REMOVAL

LIVESTOCK

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

PACKING HOUSES

PACKING HOUSEEQUIPMENT SUPPLIER

PETROLEUM DISTRIBUTORS& PRODUCTS

PRODUCE BROKERAGE &MARKETING

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Barnett Land Leveling Co.

C & D Orchard Laser Leveling

Wood Bros., Inc.

Arrow Head Cattle Co.

Bamford Dairy Cattle LLC

Stuhaan Cattle

Tulare County Stockyard Inc.

Visalia Livestock Market

Central California Tristeza EradicationAgency

College of the Sequoias Farm

Kings River Conservation District

Porterville Chamber of Commerce

Tulare Chamber of Commerce

Tulare County Fair

Tulare County Sheriff’s Dept - Prison Farm

Visalia Chamber of Commerce

Gillette Citrus Co.

Golden Maid Packers

Paul Enos Packing, Inc.

Sequoia Orange Co., Inc.

Venida Packing Company

Visalia Citrus Packing GroupGolden State Packers

MAF Industries, Inc.

Delta Liquid Energy

J.C. Lansdowne Inc.

Valley Pacific Petroleum Services

The Chuck Olsen Company

Trinity Fruit Sales

Buckman-Mitchell, Inc.

Dennis R. Keller/James H. Wegley, WaterEngineers

Bret Bastrire, CPA

Franklin & Associates Taxes, Bookkeeping,Financial Planning, Real Estate

Gilman, Harris & Travioli,

M. Green and Company LLC

Hocking Denton Palmquist, CPA

2300 N. Gill Rd., Exeter 592-2767

16536 Ave. 288, Exeter594-4769, 741-9613 or 625-4149

, Don WoodPO Box 216, Lemoore 924-7715

,Bill Freeman9303 W. Airport Dr, Visalia 625-9900

Gale, Arlene & Todd Bamford3212 Ave. 352, Traver 897-1800

, Dane Stuhaan4811 Ave 272, Visalia 688-7695

Jon Dolieslager9641 Ave. 384, Dinuba 591-0884

, Randy BaxleyPO Box 2529, Visalia 625-9615

22847 Rd. 140, Tulare, 686–4973

2245 S. Linwood, Visalia,730-3916

4886 E. Jensen Ave., Fresno 237-5567

93 N. Main, Ste A, Porterville 784-7502

26 North L St,Tulare 686-1547

215 Martin Luther King Jr., Tulare 686-4707

Tom Guinn36000 Rd. 112, Visalia 93291

220 N. Santa Fe, Visalia 734-5876

10175 S.Anchor Ave., Dinuba 626-4236

19812 Rd 232, Strathmore 568-2030

14257 Ave. 320, Visalia 738-8331

150 W. Pine, Exeter 592-9455

Verne Crookshanks19823 Ave. 300, Exeter, 592-2816

19743 Ave. 344, Woodlake 564-3351

Denny Bilton, Director of SalesPO Box 218, Traver 897-2905

(propane)Dennis Parker648 N Farmersville Blvd, Farmersville 747-0618

8601 W. Roosevelt Ave, Visalia 651-1760

1633 E. Mineral King, Visalia 732-8381

PO Box 6487, Visalia, 651-5900

David White 322-71009493 N Fort Washington Ste 102, Fresno


209 S. Locust, Visalia 732-7938

3330 W Mineral King #C, Visalia 625-9240

Paul Franklin65 W Olive, Porterville 782-1941

313 E. Caldwell, Visalia 627-2725

Kevin M Green308 South M St., Tulare 688-7401

3326 W. Mineral King Ave, Visalia 625-4444

an Accountancy Corp

Jack Griggs Inc1149 S Kaweah, Exeter 592-3154

Welcome, New BusinessSupport MemberLABOR CONTRACTOR

J G Farm Labor ServiceJavier Gonzalez

8531 Road 234, Terra Bella

MARCH

7 Fundraiser Gala,10 TCFB Education Committee12 Spring Citrus Meeting

12 TCFB Board Meeting

15-18 CFBF to Washington, DC

20 Beef Quality Assurance Program

24 TCFB Scholarship Committee

26 TCFB Land Use Committee31 TCFB Finance Committee31 TCFB Executive Committee

Spring Citrus Meeting to Focus On Water Needs

Dairy Herdsman Shortcourse Set for April in Tulare

Visalia Convention Center, 6:15pm, Assembly Hall, 4:15pm

, Tulare County Ag Bldg., Tulare,9am-noon

– all are welcome, Districts 1, 2 and5 hosting at T-Bar Dairy, 14851 Rd 168, Porterville –Home of Tom and Felomena Barcellos, 4pm meeting;6pm social; 6:30 dinner

– Craig Knudson, District 6director, attending for Tulare County

, Vet Med Teaching &Research Center, 18830 Rd 112, Tulare, 9:30am-2pm.Registration required, $25 per ranch/premise, fax 559-685-3319

, Assembly Hall, 2pm

, Assembly Hall, 4pm, Assembly Hall, 2pm


“Irrigation in a short water year” is the first topic up fordiscussion at the Spring Citrus Meeting, coordinated by TulareCounty Citrus Farm Advisor Neil O'Connell. It will be heldMarch 12 from 9am to noon in the county agricultural building,4437 S. Laspina Street in Tulare.

Dr. David Goldhamer, Cooperative Extension watermanagement specialist from the University of California, Davis,has studied deficit irrigation practices in citrus for many years.He will guide growers in how water reduction may affect thisyear's production and how they can maximize their irrigationpractices.

Other topics include the use of the new pesticide Movento incontrolling citrus peelminer and Citrocola scale; rootstock andvarietal development, and how to look at grower returns.

The University of California Cooperative Extension issponsoring a shortcourse designed for working dairy employeesApril 21-23, 2009 at the Consumer Education Pavilion UC DavisVeterinary Medicine Teaching & Research Center, 18830 Rd 112in Tulare.

The purpose of the session is to provide the people who do theactual work on the dairy the opportunity to receive informationabout the latest technology and training in all aspects of dairymanagement.

The registration fee is $260. Companies or dairies with morethan one participant will be charged $260 for the first person and$220 for others. The fee includes a notebook with handouts,lunch, plus shortcourse shirt. Preregistration is required; noregistration at the door will be accepted.

To register, contact Gerald Higginbotham, UCCE Dairy Advisor,at 559-456-7558 or register online athttp://cefresno.ucdavis.edu/Dairy/Dairy_Herdsman_Shortcourse.htm

17 “Train the Trainer” Tractor Safety Seminar

25 TCFB Fundraiser Wrap-Up Meeting

, ExeterMemorial Bldg., 8am-noon


Executive Committee

Livestockyards Representative

Young Farmers &Ranchers Representative

District 1 Representatives





Commodity Advisory State Committee Representatives

President

2 Vice President Steve Godlin (559) 804-8680Treasurer Chris Giannini (559) 901-2825Immediate Past PresidentCFBF District Director

Livestockyards Chairman Sam Travioli (559) 636-3062

YF&R Chair Josh Pitigliano (559) 752-4319

Keith Cosart (559) 592-2821Kevin Kohnen (559) 564-0146Terry Langiano (559) 686-2079

Joey Airoso (559) 967-5258Tom Barcellos (559) 730-6895

Beth Baxley (559) 625-9615Brian Blain (559) 732-5365

Irene Bly (559) 798-0346Jon Dolieslager (559) 591-0884(vacant)

Joel Merritt (559) 784-8916Roger Everett (559) 333-0283(vacant)

Apiary Roger EverettBeef Cattle Jon DolieslagerCitrus/Avocado Chris LangeDairy Joey AirosoFood Safety & Biotechnology Brody BlainForestry Jeff GletneGrapes JR ShannonHay Justin NuckolsHorticulture Sal Soriano

Sugar Beets/Dry Beans

Edward Needham (559) 977-7282

1 Vice President Larry Peltzer (559) 798-0051

Keith Watkins (559) 834-5345Craig Knudson (559) 337-2140

(vacant)(vacant)

Public Lands Larry DuysenSpecialty Crops Josh Pitigliano

Terry BakerOPEN

Education (co-chairs) Sandi Gist-LangianoDavid Sharp

Fundraiser David Sharp / Keith WatkinsLand Use Brian BlainMarketing Bob McKellarMembership Ed NeedhamProperty Keith WatkinsRural Health & Safety/Rural Crime Prevention Larry Stoneburner, M.D.Scholarship Chris GianniniWater Resources Keith WatkinsYF&R State Rep Michael DePaoli

st

nd

Service

Membership

TCFB Board of Directors

Calendar} March 2009 Tulare County Farm Bureau News Page 15

SPEAK OUT!Make your voice heard with yourelected leaders:

President Barack H. Obama (D)

US Senator Dianne Feinstein (D)

US Senator Barbara Boxer (D)

US Representative Devin Nunes (R)

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)

The White House1600 Pennsylvania Ave.Washington DC [email protected]

331 Hart Office BuildingWashington DC [email protected]

112 Hart Office BuildingWashington DC [email protected]

1013 Longworth BuildingWashington DC 20515202-225-2523113 N. Church Street, Ste 208Visalia CA 93291559-733-3861www.house.gov/nunes

First Floor, State CapitolSacramento CA 95814916-445-2841http://gov.ca/gov

State Senator Roy Ashburn (R)

Assemblywoman Connie Conway (R)

Assemblyman Danny Gilmore (R)

Tulare County Board of Supervisors

18 DistrictState Capitol Room 3063Sacramento CA 95814916-651-40185001 California Ave Room 105Bakersfield CA [email protected]

34 DistrictState Capitol Room 2174Sacramento CA 95814916-319-2034113 N. Church St., Ste 504Visalia CA [email protected]

30 DistrictState Capitol Room 5126Sacramento CA 95814916-319-20301489 W. Lacey Blvd. Ste 105Hanford CA [email protected]

Administrative Building2800 Burrel AveVisalia CA 93291559-636-5000Allen Ishida, D1Pete VanderPoel, D2Phil Cox, D3J. Steven Worthley, D4Mike Ennis, D5

th

th

th

New Members

DISTRICT 1

DISTRICT 3

DISTRICT 4

V, Atlas Walnut LLC, Brody Blain, VisaliaV, John & Margaret Pereira, Pereira Dairy & Farm, TulareS, Yolanda Valdovinos, FarmersvilleV, Harold & Carol Waddell, LindsayV, John Zapalac, Lemoncove

V, Heath & Melissa Faria, H & J Hay Co, VisaliaV, Dan & Donna Moody, Visalia

V, Peltzer Groves, Inc, Woodlake

Welcome, new Tulare County Farm Bureau MembersJanuary, 2009

V = voting memberS = sustaining memberB = business support

INSURANCE

GARY LAUX

TRI-L BRUSH SHREDDING1359 W. Teapot Dome Ave. • Porterville, CA 93257-9378

559-781-2741

559-781-6622 FAX

559-783-3212 CELL

688-1977688-1169

FAX 688-3709

D ST OF E

ESIGN ERVICE

AKE FF

REE STIMATES

M TICHAEL AYLOR

West Valley Supply

C&D

OrchardLaser Leveling(559) 741-9613

SPECIALIZING IN WALNUTS, ALMONDS AND PLUMS

David Clements Kenny DoyleHome (559) 625-4149 Home (559) 594-4769Pager (559) 749-8380 Pager (559) 735-7380

J. C. LANSDOWNE, INC.Distributor

Fuels Greases

Lubricants Soaps

Chemicals Additives

STEVEN C. LANSDOWNEMailing Address Bulk Plant

P.O. Box 6070 8601 W. Roosevelt Ave.

Visalia, CA 93290 Visalia, CA 93291

Fax (559) 651-8156 Phone (559) 651-1760

NURSERY

NURSERY

IRRIGATION SUPPLIES

ORCHARD LEVELING

FUEL

INSURANCE

IRRIGATION

STEEL & INDUSTRIAL HARDWARE

PUMP SERVICE

Soults Pump & Equipment Co.

Manufacturers ofLASSEN PUMPS

Parts for All Pumps

DAIRY SPECIALISTS

TURBINES

PRESSURE PUMPS

DITCH or LOW LIFT

SUBMERSIBLES

DAIRY SUMP

TAILWATER

FLUSH PUMPS

2873 W. Inyo Ave.

Tulare, Ca 93274

CONTR. LICENSE 397897

Telephone (559) 686-8761

PUMP SERVICE

COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL AGRICULTURAL DAIRY

26710 S. MOONEY LVDB ., VISALIA, CA 93277

IRRIGATION SUPPLIES

IRRIGATING THE VALLEY SINCE 1967

DESIGN THROUGH INSTALLATION

559-673-4261

559-674-0490

19170 Hwy. 99

Madera, CA 93637

STEEL

INDUSTRIAL HARDWARE

Flat – Square – Round – Angle – Channel – Beam

Pipe – Tube – Sheet – Plate – Rebar

Tillage Implements Fasteners Chain Bearings Chain Drives

V-Belt Drives Pipe Fittings Hose Spray Equipment Safety Equipment

– – – – –

– – – –

Industrial Hardware(559) 582-4417Fax 582-7136

12918 Hanford/Armona Rd.

Steel(559) 583-7746Fax 583-9457

12600 S. 10th Ave. Hanford, CA 93230

BRUSH SHREDDING

ORCHARD & VINEYARD CLEANING

Orchard & VineyardLiebelt Inc.

DEEP RIPPINGSHALLOW RIPPING

DISCINGDOZING

SHREDDING

Myron Liebelt559-638-3771559-859-2728

Ryan Liebelt559-638-3771559-859-2729

28

years inbusiness!

Clearing


Specialists

Crop Insurance

Farm Programs

in

&

2336 W. Sunnyside, Suite A Visalia, California 93277

phone 559.713.1315

fax 559.713.1316

agins-fsa.com

Kelly MitchellLic#OC27067

PUT YOUR BUSINESS CARD HERE

FOR ONLY $50 A MONTH

CALL THE VALLEY VOICE AT 635-3200

DOMESTIC AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL� �

24-HOUR DAIRY SERVICE

(559) 734-6342

15445 B AVE. 296, VISALIA, CA LIC. #675312�

SALES SERVICE REPAIR� �

Disaster Restoration &Residential/CommercialCleaning & ConstructionServices

ServiceMaster by Benevento

Fax: 559/625-5080www.servicemasterbybenevento.com

Contractor License #723039

559/625-8554800/399-CLEAN (2532)

Carpets/Rugs • Fabric/Carpet Protector

Disaster Restoration • Fire/Water/Smoke Restoration

Upholstered Furniture • General Housewide

Mold Remediation • Sanitizing • Wood Floors

Window Cleaning • Emergency Restoration Services

Walls • Construction Services • 24-Hour Emergency Services

by Benevento CleanClean

ServiceMASTERServiceMASTER

Serving Tulare & Kings Counties for over 25 years

After hearing from rural residentsand environmentalists alike, StateWater Resources Control Boardofficials say they will rewrite pro-posed new state regulations onseptic systems.

“The State Water Board is sensi-tive to the concerns raised at thepublic workshops, and the regula-tions will be revised followingconsideration of the public com-ments, as appropriate,” the boardsaid in announcing the changes.

Rural residents had becomeincreasingly concerned about theproposed regulations that werewritten to conform to mandatescontained in a new state law passedin 2000, known as Assembly Bill885.

Back to the Drawing Board for Septic Rules(excerpted from Ag Alert, 2-04-09 by Dave Kranz)

The regulations would haveimposed inspection and reportingrequirements on property owners.The law aims to prevent dischargesof waste that impair or threatensurface water or groundwaterquality.

The proposal would have requiredpersons who discharge waste thatimpairs or threatens water to file awaste-discharge report with aregional water board. Regionalboards would be allowed to issuewaivers of the reporting require-ment, but only after septic systemswere inspected for solids accumula-tions and groundwater sampleswere collected and analyzed fornearly 20 different potential compo-nents.

Under the regulations, the inspec-tions would have had to be per-formed every five years, at a cur-rently estimated cost of $325 perinspection.

Under the proposed rules, prop-erty owners with a septic systemwithin 600 feet of a surface waterbody that does not meet waterquality standards would have facedadditional requirements, including

potential retrofit of septic systems.“We welcome the rewrite of these

regulations,” California FarmBureau Federation Water ResourcesDirector Danny Merkley said. “FarmBureau will continue to work withthe board to make sure the eventualregulations safeguard water qualitywithout putting undue burdens onpeople who live in rural communi-ties.

Documents

Tulare CountyFarmBureau NEWS Volume 371, Number 3 March … · NEWS Volume 371, Number 3 MARCH 2009 Tulare CountyFarmBureau {News Briefs ... times don't last forever, but tough people