With the New Year right around the corner, agricultural employers must review and update their overtime policies yet again to comply with Assembly Bill 1066. The timetable created by Assembly Bill 1066 back in 2016 will continue to be felt in the agricultural community until 2025. If you recall, the new law passed gradual change to overtime rules in order to align California Wage Order 14 overtime to be paid on the same basis as most other industries.

The changes are a phase-in schedule that require employers with 26 or more employees to pay overtime, effective January 01, 2020, after nine hours of work. The schedule for changes can be found here. Small employers with 25 or less employees can still pay straight wages for workdays that are 10 hours or less, or workweeks that are 60 hours or less. As a reminder, these small employers with 25 or less employees will be effected beginning January 01, 2022, at which point they will be required to pay overtime for workdays greater than 9.5 or workweeks over 55 hours.

Management can expect to see increased costs for labor for 2020 and beyond. If you are currently unsure how to plan for and calculate rates for overtime calculations, contact the experts at the Saqui Law Group, a division of Dowling Aaron Incorporated.

The mission of Spray Safe is “To encourage the safe application of agricultural chemicals through education and farmer to farmer communication and cooperation”. This is a free half day intensive training program, which offers Continuing Education Units for eligible employees and course work that focuses on the prevention of pesticide exposure incidents. It is also an excellent opportunity to improve communication among growers, chemical applicators and farm employees. There will be live demonstrations in English and Spanish on the topics of field worker safety; equipment calibration and maintenance; laws and regulations; and more. All agriculture employees are encouraged to attend.

To register for the Fresno-Madera Spray Safe training held on January 10 at the Fresno Fairgrounds, click here.

In addition, there will be a Tulare-Kings Spray Safe training on January 16 at the International Agri-Center, to register, click here.

If you have any questions regarding either training, please contact Elda Brueggemann at 559-455-9272 or by email at elda@agprocessors.org.

The Association’s Director of Technical Services Christopher McGlothlin was selected to participate in the Almond Board’s Almond Leadership Program for 2020.  The program is a yearlong program designed to provide a mentored experience for the next generation of leaders, and includes leadership training seminars, hands-on educational opportunities, field experience and a firsthand look at the inner workings of the Almond Board of California. Through the Almond Leadership Program, participants will learn how to effectively lead, manage and inspire others in the almond community; enhance business relationships; understand current social, political, scientific and economic issues facing almonds; and master communication and leadership techniques relevant to managing or retaining a leadership role in almond organizations and their local community. Congratulations to Christopher!

California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association and Western Agricultural Processors Association, in collaboration with several agricultural groups, are planning a Spray Safe event at the Fresno Fairgrounds on January 10, 2019. The event is free and open to all farmers, employees, pest control advisors, and applicators. Please mark your calendars and join us for a great day of education. To register and see class schedule for the Fresno-Madera Spray Safe event please click here.

In addition to this event, there will be a Tulare-Kings Spray Safe event on January 16^th at the International Agri-Center. To register for the Tulare-Kings Spray Safe event please register here.

The Association testified at last week’s hearing in Sacramento at the California Resources Board (CARB) in support of the voluntary incentive approach to replacing tractors in the San Joaquin Valley.  The hearing was important because CARB must consider a backstop regulation beginning in 2025 if the voluntary approach doesn’t prove successful.  Association President/CEO Roger Isom testified on the fact that agriculture did what it said it would do and over 1,000 tractors and harvesters have already been replaced. The San Joaquin Valley has now reduced 5.9 tons of NOx of the required 11 tons of NOx reductions for the State Implementation Plan (SIP) hearing.  Association Director of Technical Services Christopher McGlothlin testified on the fact that more than 1,550 ATVs have been replaced with electric UTVs, which was an unexpected surprise.  While there was very limited testimony in support of the effort, the SIP element update was approved.  The San Joaquin Valley reported at the hearing that more than $200 million in projects are awaiting funding.  Statewide over $97 million in projects have already been funded through the incentive program known as FARMER.  FARMER funding comes from CARB’s greenhouse gas “Cap and Trade Program”.  Unfortunately, after two years of funding in excess of $135 million, funding was reduced in fiscal year 2019-2020.  The Association is leading a coalition that will be working to increase that funding in fiscal year 2020-2021 and is already lobbying on that effort.

“As Governor Newsom reviews competing plans to get PG&E out of bankruptcy, we call on him to ensure that California ratepayers are protected,” said Western Agricultural Processors Association President and CEO, Roger Isom.

“We commend the parties involved for working with wildfire victims to ensure they receive fair compensation for PG&E’s prior wrongdoings,” said California Manufacturers & Technology Association President Lance Hastings. “To that end, we must hold PG&E accountable and also ensure that PG&E pays its obligations without further burdening ratepayers who already pay more than 50 percent more than the national average and are receiving unreliable service.”

In that regard, PG&E’s plan still causes significant concern. It would leave the company in a worse financial situation, $10 billion dollars deeper in debt than before the bankruptcy. It would be irresponsible for PG&E to emerge from bankruptcy over-leveraged and making hundreds of millions of dollars in annual payments to PG&E’s owners who prioritized profits over safety and got us into this mess.

“Governor Newsom should take this opportunity to hold PG&E accountable and make good on their commitments to pay victims,” said Michael Boccadoro, Executive Director of the Agricultural Energy Consumers Association.  “The Governor and bankruptcy court should consider alternative approaches to ensure that PG&E emerges from bankruptcy as a well-capitalized and stable utility that is not turning to ratepayers for another bail out.”

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The Agricultural Energy Consumers Association (AECA) is a longtime leading statewide utility ratepayer advocacy organization representing food, farming and food processing industries. https://agenergyca.org/

The Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA) is a statewide organization representing agricultural food and fiber processing industries. https://agprocessors.org/

The California Manufacturers & Technology Association, celebrating its Centennial Anniversary this year, has advocated for pro-growth laws and regulations before the California legislature and administrative agencies since 1918. Total output from manufacturing in California is $288 billion per year, 10 percent of the total economic output of the state. Manufacturers employ 1.3 million California workers paying wages more than $25,000 higher than other non-farm employers in the state. www.cmta.net twitter: @cmta

The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association wants to welcome Priscilla Rodriguez as the new Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Association.  Ms. Rodriguez has been working for our sister organization, the Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA), as the Director of Food Safety since 2015.  She will continue that role, but will also handle Regulatory Affairs for WAPA as well.  Ms. Rodriguez is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mathematics, and is currently working on a Master’s Degree from National University in Education Technology.  She is also a current member of Class 50 of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation.  Ms. Rodriguez is bilingual and came to WAPA from the Friant Water Authority where she worked for eight years.  Ms. Rodriguez has been responsible for providing safety and food safety services to members of WAPA, as well as contract services to our consulting clients including, cotton gins, cotton warehouses, food processing plants, packing houses and farms.

Last month, nomination papers were mailed to all members for the open board seats.  That’s because it’s time for nominations to be submitted for the upcoming election of directors to open positions on the Board of Directors of the California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association.    There are four (4) Ginner Director terms expiring this year, including Mike Davis, Wayne Gilbert, Kirk Gilkey and a Vacancy.  There are four (4) Grower Director terms expiring this year, including Gary Martin, Andrew Clark, and Vincent Marshall of Fresno County, and Steve Wilbur of Tulare County.   The positions are for these specific counties.  Nomination forms must be completed and returned to the Association office by Tuesday, November 26, 2019.  Please take time to nominate one or more candidates in good standing with the Association (and yourself if you intend to be a candidate) and make sure that each person you name agrees to being nominated and files the Candidate Statement form required to be placed on the ballot for the upcoming election. The form must be completed for each nomination, so please copy the form if you nominate more than one person and provide the form to each person you nominate.

The State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program (SWEEP) provides financial assistance in the form of grants to implement irrigation systems that reduce greenhouse gases and save water on California agricultural operations. Eligible system components include (among others) soil moisture monitoring, drip systems, switching to low pressure irrigation systems, pump retrofits, variable frequency drives and installation of renewable energy to reduce on-farm water use and energy.  CDFA is now accepting applications for the SWEEP program. Applications are due December 16, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. Late applications will not be accepted.

To apply, visit the CDFA website at https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/oefi/sweep/.  SWEEP staff will host three informational workshops:

Willows, CA – Monday, October 28, 2019
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Glenn County Office of Education
311 South Villa Ave.
Willows, CA 95988
Register for webinar participation at
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1423354487948559883

Modesto, CA – Tuesday, October 29, 2019
10 a.m. to noon
Stanislaus County Agricultural Center
Harvest Hall, Room DE
3800 Cornucopia Way
Modesto, CA 95358
Register for webinar participation at
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3882162654329651469

Bakersfield, CA – Wednesday, October 30, 2019
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
University of California Cooperative Extension
1031 S. Mount Vernon Avenue
Bakersfield, CA 93307
Register for webinar participation at
https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6168234245452706317

The California Cotton Ginners and Growers Association (CCGGA) in partnership with Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA) had the opportunity to tour California cotton and tree nut facilities in the Central Valley with staff from several congressional and legislative offices. The group included representatives from offices of Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Jim Costa, Congressman TJ Cox, State Senator Anna Caballero, State Senator Melissa Hurtado and Assemblymember Frank Bigelow. The Association was represented by President/CEO Roger Isom, Director of Technical Services Chris McGlothlin, and Director of Regulatory Affairs Jodi Devaurs. The group was able to learn more about the processes of a cotton gin as well as learn about the various regulatory pressure gins and growers must comply with to operate in California including air quality controls and incentive programs, labor, crop protection tools and impacts of the trade issues on the California cotton market. The tour included stops to CCGGA member Mid-Valley Cotton Growers Gin as well as WAPA members Summerfield Farms, a walnut huller, and Central California Almond Growers Association, an almond huller/sheller. CCGGA has made an effort to not only build relationships with elected officials, but to provide tours to staff as well to help in better tell the story of the California cotton industry.