Tuesday, Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner Gary Kunkel reported the 2007 crop value at a whopping $4.87 billion, 68 percent better than 10 years ago and more than half a billion dollars better than any previous year. It is also a new record. In 2006, the county's ag crop value was $3.87 billion.
“Milk gained nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars in value,” noted Kunkel. “That's really huge.”
Milk is the engine that drives agriculture in Tulare County. Total value for milk was $1,897,457,000. Milk makes up 39 percent of this year's total crop values and increased 61 percent over last year.
Prices, which vary in nearly all crops every year, were up substantially last year for dairymen. The average price paid, which is based on per hundred weight of milk, was up 50 percent to $17.90.
In 1997, dairy farmers received $12.41 per hundred weight. However, in 1997 the ag commissioner reported 382,000 head of livestock in the county, mostly milk cows. He reported that this past year, the number had grown to 615,000 head.
As a result, milk production is far above what it was 10 years ago. Last year, cows in Tulare County produced 105,855,000 hundred weight pounds of milk. In 1997, only 57,930 hundred weight pounds were produced.
“On balance, we had a good year,” said Mark Watte, who with his brother Brian farms and also runs a dairy west of Tulare.
While the value of dairy was up substantially, so were costs and the values of most crops in Tulare County.
Kunkel always points out that the county's crop values are gross values, meaning that higher values do not necessarily mean farmers are doing better. Higher costs of doing business – especially fuel – cut deeply into higher prices for their products, Kunkel points out.
Crops that feed the hundreds of thousands of dairy cows
in the county also gained value in 2007. Alfalfa hay, although there
were 10,400 less acres grown, grossed $159 million and the price per
ton jumped from $135 to $186. Alfalfa silage, another cow staple,
rose in price from $19 to $31.70 a ton. Barley grain jumped from $110
to $170 a ton, corn grain from $123 to $165 a ton and corn silage
from $24.70 to $32.70 a ton. Sorghum grain rose from $91 a ton to
$149, and Sudan grass, a fairly new crop in the county, rose in price
from $18 to $27.60 per ton.
Kunkel said corn prices were not “catastrophic,” but there
were up, as were all feed prices.
Watte said they benefited from both their dairy, but more from their farm operation. However, he said beside fuel costs, costs for fertilizer are also up, nearly double in some instances.
There were concerns that last year's freeze, which hit in mid-January, would hurt the crop report, but Kunkel noted that the damage was not as significant as first thought and the price paid for the oranges that did survive was excellent.
The fresh navel orange crop was down 35 percent, but the price was up from $520 a ton to $767 a ton and the overall value was off by just 4 percent. However, many growers were able to salvage some of their fruit for juice, with the value of processed navels up $13 million over last year.
Valencia oranges were also down, but the overall value of oranges was $533.6 million, off only $33 million from 2006.
“The big story was the strength of milk prices and how strong citrus prices held,” said Kunkel. “As milk goes, so goes Tulare County,” he added.
Not too surprising, there are not a lot of differences in the top 10 crops today from 10 years ago. Milk and oranges were No. 1 and 2 then, but grapes have been replaced by cattle at No. 3. Alfalfa was the No. 5 crop in 1997.
A big difference, but a trend for more than two decades, is the fall of cotton, once king in Tulare County. Cotton is now the 17th highest valued crop in the county. In 1997, it was No. 6. Cotton acreage has gone from 88,300 acres to just 23,100 acres over the past decade.
While the total value of all ag crops in the county is much higher than a decade ago, the number of million dollar crops is actually less – 46 today compared to 52 in 1997. Million dollar crops today that were not in 1997 include blueberries, Sudan grass and cucumbers. Gone from the list are sugar beets, cauliflower, nursery (foliage plants and cut flowers), avocados (mostly wiped out by 1990 freeze), apricots and sweet corn where acreage has dropped from 1,300 to just 198.
While it is way too early to predict this year, Kunkel said milk and orange prices are still strong and so far there have been no weather disasters, so he is hopeful.
Watte agreed, saying that milk prices and feed prices are staying up. “We're getting unprecedented numbers for alfalfa – record high prices,” he said of this year.
A recap of the top 10 crops:
Milk – The county's king crop only strengthened its hold in 2007 with the valuetoday higher than the total for the all county crops for any year prior to 1988. Total value: $1,897,457,000.
Oranges – While the freeze did hurt, the price was up, going from $520 per ton to $767 for fresh navels and $69 to $107 for processed navels. Total value: $533,604,000.
Cattle and Calves – The number of head was virtually unchanged, but the price per animal rose $10. Total value: $502,455,000.
Grapes – More acres and better prices led to a value of grapes that was $27 million higher than in 2006. Biggest jump was in table grapes, which rose in value by nearly $27 million. Total value: $477,623,000.
Alfalfa – Higher prices all around. Total value: $164,387,000.
Corn – Acreage was about the same, although there was a shift to more corn silage. Price was up significantly. Total value: $146,330,000.
Walnuts – A huge jump in price offset fewer acres and a lower yield in 2007. Total value: $119,126,000.
Peaches – A much bigger crop (36,000 more tons than 2006) offset a drop in prices. Total value: $88,863,000.
Almonds – One of the few commodities to see a drop in value. Production and acreage were up, but the price was off from what is was in 2006. Total value: $83,144,000.
Plums – Another crop with a slightly down year. Fewer acres and a drop in price combined for a $2 million drop in value. Total value: $81,800,000.
Kings County - Like its neighbor to the
east, Kings County also set a new record in crop values last year,
Agricultural Commissioner Tim Niswander reported Tuesday.
Niswander reported the county's agricultural gross value for 2007
was $1,761,852,000, an all time high. The 2007 value is an increase
of 36.7% from the previous year.
Also like Tulare County, milk led the way. It was the number one ag commodity in Kings County with a value of $692.18 million, an increase of 69 percent over 2006.
Milk value makes up 45 percent of the total for the county.
Milk was followed by cotton, cattle and calves, alfalfa and pistachios.
The diary industry is reflected in the list of top 10 crops, with milk at No. 1, but cattle feed staples alfalfa at No. 4 and corn silage at No. 7. The value of cattle and calves was No. 3.
“Livestock and Poultry Products (mainly milk) received the highest gain of $278,080,000 (66.5%) from increased production coupled with raised prices,” Niswander reported to the Kings County board of supervisors. He said an increased acreage and specific price increases led to a $64,010,000 (25.4%) increase to Fruit and Nut Crops.
He also reported: Field Crops value was up $63,610,000 (17.5%) from favorable market conditions. Vegetable Crops (mostly processing tomatoes) increased $45,582,000 (60.9%) due mostly to increased acreage and yield. Livestock and Poultry increased by $22,696,000 (14.1%) mostly attributed to increased inventory. Apiary Products increased $848,000 due to increased pollination acreage and price.
“People need to realize the values reported are not in farmers' pockets, but instead are an actual stimulus to a minimum of $6.2 billion worth of economic activity from our local renewable natural resources,” said Niswander.
It is noted in the report that Kings County is ranked 11th in the state in ag values and first in the production of cotton seed. It produces 9.1 percent of all the milk and cream in the state.
Among the Top 10 Crops:
Milk – Production increased about 8 percent and the average price for market milk was $17.83 compared to just $11.40 the previous year. The county reported a gain of 22,000 head of dairy cows. Total value: $692,185,000.
Cotton – Once king of the county, cotton remains strong on the west side of the Valley. Acreage increased for pima cotton by 15,000 acres and the price was better in 2007. Total value: $234,836,000.
Cattle and Calves – A slight increase in the number of head – 285,000 compared to 280,000 in 2006, led to a gain in value. Total value: $161,296
Alfalfa – Another crop that gained from a huge price jump, even though the acreage was actually down from the previous year. Total value: $85,593,000.
Pistachios – A 40 percent increase in bearing acreage and a yield double a year ago led to a huge increase in the crop and from it going from its No. 10 rank to fifth. Total value: $78,810,000.
Tomatoes – A Westside crop, tomatoes also make a comeback, gaining four spots on the list of top crops in the county. The crop is almost entirely for processing. Total value: $70,498.
Corn Silage – This crop remained fairly stable, although it gained in value, but saw a reduction in acres. Total value: $49,273,000.
Walnuts – A jump in acreage, combined with a better price, led to a big gain. Total value: $46,033,000.
Peaches – Fewer acres offset by better prices. Total value: $41,199,000.
Visalia - The Visalia City Planning Commission heard a proposal Wednesday to convert about 1,000 square feet on the second floor of the former Togni-Branch building at 114 E. Main St. in Downtown Visalia from commercial to residential.
Sam Sciacca and his wife, Marlene, own the west portion of the building. They already have a tenant for the ground floor, Urban Chic, an upscale women's boutique with stores in Hanford and Idaho.
The planning commission heard plans from Sciacca and architect Thom Black to retrofit the second floor to create a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment. If approved, this project would be the first such conversion downtown. There are also apartments above Crawdaddy's at Main Street and Burke, but that building was designed to include residences.
“We're trying to promote living in Downtown Visalia,” Sciacca said. “That's what the council has told us they are leaning toward. They are encouraging developers to retrofit upstairs to residential use on the Visalia corridor of Main Street.”
Wednesday's site plan review was just one of the steps required before the commercial property can be rezoned. A conditional use permit must be approved and that step requires a public hearing. Plan revisions are common during a rezoning process. And after any changes, the studying and community input, the planning commission must decide whether or not to approve the conversion.
The idea of having a downtown that combines commercial and residential property attracted some support among those surveyed in an extensive study conducted by Downtown Visalians last year.
There are many Main Street locations that are vacant or underutilized. Sciacca noted the number of downtown buildings with second floors that are only used for storage.
“Upstairs is all wasted space, so why not do what the council has encouraged us to do?” he asked. “If it works and it is successful, we'll do it again. We think there's a market for it.”
Sciacca hired Mike Fistolera to do the project, based on designs created by Marlene Sciacca, who also designed the Sciacca Building at Conyer and Walnut.
In addition to the apartment on the second floor, plans provide a tenant with space downstairs where a washer and dryer would be provided. Other amenities would include granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, ceramic tile floors and a refrigerator. Sciacca said that the expected rent of $900 to $1,000 a month would make the location competitively priced.
Parking Fee Change Could Boost Downtown Visalia
Visalia - The City of Visalia is considering eliminating the parking in-lieu fee collected from new businesses coming into the Downtown area. The fee is used to pay for public parking spaces in the core area of the city and is triggered by a change of use.
Eliminating the fee could be a big boost for Downtown, says property owner and businessman Lloyd Mosley. “This is just what we need to fill up the empty buildings downtown,” says Mosley.
The idea came up at a recent Property Based Improvement District (PBID) meeting with city officials, downtown merchants and property owners.
Much of the meeting was spent wrangling over the city's decision to move forward on bike lanes on Acequia as a part of the conversion to a two-way street there.
Downtown merchants fear a loss of parking due to the bike lanes.
But while Visalia merchants didn't get the city to budge over the approval of the bike lanes, they did receive an indication from City Manager Steve Salomon that the city has heard their complaints over the parking in-lieu fees policy that critics say handicaps Downtown looking for new businesses to move in.
Salomon offered a compromise position over the fees that are set aside to build new parking spaces for downtown where many buildings have no on-site parking.
The tentative deal to be presented to the city council soon – would have the PBID organization back-fill an average amount the city now collects from the fee program – $25,000 a year – in return for eliminating the fee imposed on new businesses at the time they decide to come in.
“We have a tough time competing with Packwood Creek when businesses have to pay this fee when they compare a Downtown location,” says Mosley, citing an example of a new 3,500-square-foot restaurant considering opening downtown would be charged over $50,000 for this fee. Mosley says there has been a “steady deterioration” in the market downtown for new retail stores, shops and restaurants.
Council Member Greg Collins attended the meeting and appears to be supportive of the idea.
Second Story Conversions
Property owner William Martin, who attended the meeting, says this is good news up and down Main Street given the fact the parking fee won't be imposed on buildings like his (the old Palace Hotel) where expansion to the second floor is being contemplated. The city wants to encourage second floor uses. Including residential that would face a parking fee and a change of use fee before now.
That may have helped a plan to covert part of the old Togni building to a mixed-use residential unit to move forward just this week (see story this page).
Right now, depending on what kind of business you are looking at, your parking fee goes up or down depending on type of use. With no parking fee upstairs, it could make it more economical to remodel these units and get people to live in the Downtown area.
“If this goes through, I see plenty of new businesses coming to Downtown,” expects Mosley, including two eateries in separate empty buildings that Mosley owns in the 200 block of East Main.
One is Mosley's former clothing store building that shut down more than two years ago. The 4,100-square-foot building is being leased to Eric Charles who is planning to open Billy Rays – a jazz nightclub – likely before July 1, says Mosley. Charles told Mosley he recently secured his financing and now a potential fee decrease could help grease the skids. Charles is about half completed making modifications of the building, he says.
The second building is the former furniture building also on Main next to the Garden St. Plaza that is being leased by Jeff Puckett who has plans to open a Brazilian restaurant on the ground floor of the 4,500-square-foot building. (That would be the second Brazilian restaurant on Main.) Mosley says Puckett plans a venue featuring entertainment as well.
Besides the parking fee change, Salomon said the city is considering offering monies to do façade renovation Downtown that could increase the pace of remodeling in the area. Just how much and in what form the façade program might be offered has not been worked out.
A new city parking task force has been organized in recent months with hopes of making other changes to city parking policies, including the city's first private parking garage in some sort of joint venture with the city to the north of the Togni block.
The fee change could be good news for large downtown buildings being marketed currently – like the Buckman Mitchell building that will be vacated by June to make room for new tenants. Until recently, leasing has been slow going. Now, the policy change could speed up the leasing of the block-long building.
Likewise for other blocks on Main where buildings have sat empty for years – even as the town grows on its boundaries adding new retail and restaurants at the edge of town – in part because the costs downtown are higher than at the city's edge.
Martin, who sits on the parking task force, says he proposed an idea to the city to put a ticket machine and arm at the two Downtown parking garages to collect $1 a day for all parking. That would add up to $350,000 to the parking district a year instead of just $25,000 a year using the parking in-lieu fee program. “That system just doesn't work, plus it was emptying Downtown.”
Martin and the rest of the PBID board hope to convince the city to not put in dedicated bike lanes on Acequia, instead supporting shared bike lanes. The group will meet with the city bike committee in the next few weeks.
Visalia - McMillin Homes, a major factor in the Visalia housing market since 2002, is downsizing its sales staff, another indication of the nationwide new residential sales plunge.
McMillin currently has 15 residential projects in the Visalia area, including one scheduled for a May 24 grand opening. But the firm, which acquired the residential division of the Allen Group six years ago, has cut its sales staff to 20 from its previous 28 positions, a 29 percent cut, said Sandy Perlatti, senior vice president of marketing.
With some exceptions, McMillin residential projects have been staffed by two sales staff members but the company recently cut that to one. “This change was implemented in all divisions except San Antonio, Texas, which was already staffed in this manner,” Perlatti said. She added, “The current level of staffing at our sales center provides for each residential project to have a full-time sales counselor. We then have roving sales people to provide coverage for each salesperson on their days off or when secondary coverage is required.”
Although Visalia sales for the first quarter of 2008 are off 10 percent, the area generally did better than others that saw sales off by as much as 30 percent, she said.
Company-wide, the projection for 2008 is similar to 2007 when 1,041 sales were recorded with Visalia leading the way with 443.
“The decision to reduce the number of people on our sales force was a difficult one. This decision was one of many steps taken based on the production levels of our projects,” she said.
There was no indication if further cuts might be made. “We are a project-driven company, she said, adding, “For this reason we cannot predict what the immediate future holds or whether or not additional changes will be necessary.”
With so many varied predictions about the building industry, Perlatti said, McMillin is closely monitoring the market in an effort to remain flexible and make whatever adjustments are necessary.
Company, Product Line to Expand
Visalia - Gang Nail Truss, a major Visalia industry for nearly 50 years, has been acquired by Weyrick Lumber, a Templeton-based firm offering a variety of building materials.
Tim Rouch, president of Gang Nail, said Colin Weyrick has purchased a majority share of the Visalia firm which currently employs 68 people. No jobs will be lost and the name will remain the same, said Rouch, who will remain president of Gang Nail. Richard Rouch will remain chief administrative officer.
Colin and Candy Weyrick are the majority owners of the company.
Rouch said the ownership change and the merging of the two companies will provide the building industry not only with Gang Nail expertise and extensive experience in truss design and construction, but now will provide a wide range of building materials, including sand, gravel, drywall, contractor hardware, roofing, siding, windows and doors, in addition to top grade lumber products.
Founded in 1959, Gang Nail became one of the pioneers in the truss and building component industry and many of the structures in the area, including not only homes but commercial and community-oriented buildings, have locally designed and crafted trusses. It still operates from the original Shirk Avenue site just off Goshen Avenue which was to become Visalia's first industrial park. It has been a closely held second generation corporation which expanded several times and has employed more than 200 workers at times. Many workers have worked there several decades.
Gang Nail trusses form the structural backbone of many West Coast buildings and engineering, design and fabrication are combined in the multi-faceted services for the residential and commercial building industry. Many of the trusses produced in Visalia have been custom orders.
Company founder A.V. Munson (Uncle Muns) became a leader
in the building component industry arranging franchise rights with
then Automated Building Components (now Mitek), just after Cal Juriet
mailed the patents for “Gang Nail”
metal connector plates in 1955.
Rouch said Gang Nail Truss likely is the oldest Mitek fabricator, having left its mark on six decades of California building projects.
With the merging of Weyrick Lumber, Rouch said, there will be a number of changes at the site but no expansion. The reconfiguration will provide for locating a vast array of new materials for all the new products. He also said Gang Nail will continue to strive to be a “green industry” with forklifts being replaced by hoists and other devices.
What's New
The stalled expansion of the Ruiz Foods manufacturing plant in Dinuba looks like it may move forward. Owner Fred Ruiz says while they “have not made any commitment, we definitely plan to expand in Dinuba,” perhaps next year using plans the company drew up several years ago. Ruiz Foods has more than half the 40 acres it bought in Dinuba years ago – room to add an additional 50,000 to 100,000 sf. Those plans date from 2004 when the company put them on hold while they opened a new plant in Texas-now operational. City Planner Dan Meinert still has a golden shovel meant for the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion in Dinuba when it was shelved. That shovel may still come in handy. The Mexican food maker is the largest private employer in the county.
Great Lakes Airline is likely still weeks out of beginning service to Visalia and Merced linking to McCarran airport in Las Vegas. “We are having technical problems linking our computer system to United who will handle our baggage,” says a marketing rep for the airline.
Home Depot's building permit for its new store on Dinuba Blvd. and Riggin Ave. has been ready for three weeks but it hasn't been picked up yet. That may be because the big home improvement store hasn't made up its mind whether to move forward on the project after the City of Visalia denied its application to unload lumber in the wee hours. But sources tell the Voice the company is expected to go forward anyway. It has three months to pick up the permit, says the building department. In any case, it didn't plan to begin building right away. But another proposed retailer at this site is having second thoughts. Pet's Mart has either postponed the store or decided not to move forward at this time, depending on whom you talk to.
Statewide median home price dropped 29 percent to $414,000 in March 2008 compared to the year before ($582,000), reports Dataquick. In Tulare County, the median fell 15 percent to $210,000 from $249,000 a year before. That's half the price of existing homes statewide. Commute towns seem to have suffered the biggest declines, like Los Banos that dropped a whopping 45 percent from $360,000 to just $196,000.
When the new state-of-the-art, 6,500-square-foot library opens in Lindsay next month, it will open as part of the Tulare County Library, according to Lindsay City Manager Scot Townsend. The Tulare County Library's firing of probationary employee Brenda Biesterfeld – shortly after she reported to police that someone was viewing child pornography on a library computer in Lindsay – led some civic leaders to consider splitting from the county library system. “We sat down with (County Supervisor) Connie Conway and she really listened to our concerns,” Townsend said. “We believe she is going to address those concerns.” He added that city officials are also talking with the county librarian.
A subcommittee of the Visalia City Council will begin interviewing for the Planning Commission opening currently held by Sam Logan. Seven individuals submitted applications. They are: Troy Pennington, an architect with PMSM Architects; Steven King, a contractor with Tricon Building Solutions, Inc.; Paul Fry, general manager of the Visalia Fox Theater; Roland Soltesz, a deputy public defender for Tulare County; Phillip J. Cline, a deputy county counsel for Tulare County; Lindsay Bailey, an administrative analyst for new homes and development with Self-Help Enterprises; and Andrew A. Miller, chairman of the Visalia Memorial District Board of Directors.
Valley Commerce Bancorp of Visalia, the parent company of Valley Business Bank, showed a net income in the first quarter of $418,000, or 17 cents per diluted share, compared to $593,000 or 24 cents per diluted share for the same period of 2007. The reason for the 29 percent decrease in diluted earnings per share is the Central Valley's real estate situation, the bank says. In the first quarter of 2008, the company added $400,000 to its loan loss reserves compared to no addition in the first quarter of the prior year. “Real estate based lending has been a significant and valuable contributor to our business over the years. Despite our adherence to conservative lending practices in this area, our exposure to potential losses has unavoidably increased as property values have fallen,” said Don Gilles, president and chief executive officer.
The federal investigation of SK Foods “is not immigration related,” says company spokesperson Lisa Crist after a raid by FBI and IRS agents earlier this month at company locations including Lemoore appeared to focus on unspecified documents. The raid sparked widespread speculation that the feds were looking to curb the company's alleged employment practices related to a suit brought by a former employee that claimed they hired undocumented workers.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a tribal-state gaming compact with the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians that opens the door for the tribe to develop a controversial casino and resort along Highway 99 in Madera County. The compact authorizes the tribe to operate no more than 2,500 slot machines at a single facility on the 305 acre parcel. The tribe has agreed not to engage in any gaming activities on its other Indian lands in the state during the term of the compact. The North Fork Mono Rancheria has since entered into separate Memoranda of Understanding with the County of Madera, the City of Madera and the Madera Irrigation District to mitigate potential impacts associated with the project. The tribe estimates that the resort casino and hotel would generate approximately 1,500 permanent jobs, 750 temporary construction jobs and 2,000 ancillary jobs and $45-$50 million in annual purchases of goods and services each year.
Tulare County Mostly Escapes Freezing Temps
Tulare County - Damage to crops from April 21’s freezing temperatures is showing up from Delano to Butte County, including spot damage in Tulare County.
“Globally, for the county as a whole, out of 41,000 acres of grapes, probably 4,000-6,000 acres suffered some damage,” said Tulare County Agriculture Commissioner Gary Kunkle.
He said, however, for the growers who had damage, in some areas it was catastrophic. “One grower had very significant damage and it's going to affect his crop,” he said of a grape grower between Visalia and Tulare.
For those who have damage, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the U.S Department of Agriculture is reminding growers to document and report possible crop losses. Growers who have crop insurance through their Insurance Agency or NAP policies with FSA, should also file timely notices of loss with their respective agencies. For NAP, a notice of loss must be completed within 15 days of the disaster occurrence or 15 days from the date damage to the crop or loss of production becomes apparent, said Kaye Rydberg, county executive director.
For more information, call 734-8732, ext. 2.
Farmers throughout California are reporting widespread and considerable frost damage, although crop losses in Northern California appear to be most significant. As farmers assess the impact of the cold snap, they're becoming dismayed as the signs of damage mount.
The morning of April 21 saw temperatures dip into the mid-20s in some areas and stayed well below freezing for many hours. In Tulare County, the coldest temperature reported was 27, but growers said luckily, the low temperatures here were for a short duration.
The low temperatures hit at a time when vineyards and fruit and nut trees are putting forth tender shoots, floweringbuds and developing “nutlets.”
Kunkel said the one vineyard he toured suffered severe “burning” of the new growth and it won't produce any crop this year.
Tulare County was not alone. Allied Grape Growers says some of its members are finding only light damage, whereas others report more than half of their crop may be lost.
Peach, prune and walnut farmers also are finding extensive damage in their orchards. Agricultural commissioners, however, caution that it may be the middle of May before the extent of damage can be estimated accurately.
In some areas the cold may have penetrated into the wood, damaging the interior of trees and vines. This damage is slower to manifest and therefore can go unseen for weeks.
In response to the cold, farmers did crank on irrigation systems, ran wind machines around the clock and responded to alarms triggered by low temperatures. Wind machines were used by Tulare County orange growers to protect their blossoms, which some walnut growers ran water and one grape grower near Delano used a helicopter to draw down warmer air.
“Usually this time of year we're more concerned about frost damage to our almond crop,” said Tod Kimmelshue, whose family farms in Butte County and who is a California Farm Bureau Federation director. “But the almonds didn't get much damage during this cold weather event.”
“We had pretty severe crop damage in our peaches,” said Sarb Johl, who farms in both Yuba and Sutter counties.
“With walnuts it's still a little early to tell, but we have a lot of pit burn. With peaches, we've got some orchards that are a complete wipeout. Other orchard acres are damaged, but the severity is unknown at this stage - it could be 50 percent to 75 percent.”
(Kate Campbell, a reporter for the California Farm Bureau Federation's Ag Alert, contributed to this story.)
UC Davis Professor
San Joaquin Valley - Focusing substantial effort on cleaning up smog precursor Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted from plants and animals won't pay off with any major beneficial impact on air quality in the San Joaquin Valley. That's the essence of several recent studies offered by UC Davis scientist Dr. Peter Green recently commenting on regulatory efforts aiming to improve our air.
Green spoke to the Valley Air Board recently regarding proposed rule 4566 that would force composting operations to invest in costly new measures to cut VOCs (see “Earth Day Shootout” article in the last Valley Voice). Green told the Air Board meeting that one measure suggested under the new rule – tarping of farm fields to cut emissions from chipping operations – would result in additional vehicle trips that could mean an increase in the other major precursor to smog – nitrogen oxides (NOxs).
“We've done about all we can to decrease volatile organic emissions that are abundant in the natural background,” says Green. “The real problem is with NOx – mostly from burning petroleum in motor vehicles,” he says. “On that issue, there is a state battle with the federal government over how fast we can go to clean that up.” He notes the current struggle over whether California can regulate tailpipe emissions.
Green, in a letter to the Valley Air Board, cited their own Guiding Principles in the Valley Ozone plan that says “give precedence to nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. Any increase in NOx, even a small one, is a big step backward that must be avoided.”
Green says studies just published in Atmospheric Environment (Feb. 08), a peer-reviewed journal –– suggests the same conclusion with dairy cow emissions – that decreasing reactive organic compounds (the same as VOCs) from dairy cattle by decreasing the ethanol concentrations emitted from the feed source digestion – “will not likely lead to decreased ozone concentrations in the San Joaquin Valley.”
Still, the San Joaquin Air Board is targeting VOCs from Valley dairies and other ag sources largely because regulators feel duty-bound by court order – due to lawsuits – to reduce VOCs as part of the clean air plan. “I don't know of any scientific disagreement with our findings – instead bureaucrats just shrug that they have to do it.”
Green joined fellow UC Davis professor Frank Mitloehner in this new study who made headlines in the Valley a few years ago disputing regulatory mandates based on an emission factor for dairy cows far in excess of what could be scientifically justified. Some had complained that cows were a bigger contributor to smog than cars, based on a 1938 study.
Now, in this follow-up study based on measurements in a smog chamber, he came to the same conclusion that dairy emissions are much lower than would have been predicted based on current regulatory profiles.
The conclusion of the recent study: “Based on these results, the ozone formation potential of emissions from dairy cattle in California seem to be lower than previously estimated.”
A 2007 study on the same subject found that dairy emissions were likely 6 to 10 times smaller than suggested by current estimates. Despite that, the Valley Ozone Plan plans to decrease VOCs by 15.8 tons a day out of an estimated 17.6 tons a day inventory.
Essentially by overestimating the problems, the regulatory body can suggest how much cleaner the air will get by requiring big cuts in pollution that are not there – but look good on paper.
Green says the same comparison can be reached about tighter rules aimed at composting and ag pesticide emissions. The later is referenced in the April 17 letter to the board pointing to the aerosol plan aimed at reducing PM2.5 emissions that he predicts will be “ineffective.”
Target NOx Emissions
“The real benefit of regulation comes from targeting NOx emissions that play a huge part of the problem,” says Green, noting that regulatory efforts to clean up air vehicle emissions make more sense than “focusing on dairy cow burps or composting emissions.” Instead it's “the man-made emissions we ought to be targeted on, not those from trees, plants or animals,” he says.
“Some say the dairy cow emissions are so bad we ought to move the industry out of California,” says Green. “But that makes no sense because of the millions of California consumers who use the product daily, we would then have to truck it in from out of state to satisfy our needs – that means tons more NOx,” suggests Green. The same logic would have all our food come from overseas. Instead, on a hopeful note – the U.S. appears to be going in the opposite direction – growing food close to urban areas.
“What makes sense is to grow the food close to the population to reduce vehicle trips.”
Green says he supports efforts to reduce methane emissions making biogas for example that will cut greenhouse gas emissions in the future. But targeting VOCs from biological sources won't clean up our air.
Urban sprawl in the Valley is a much bigger problem than open fields, compost piles and dairy cows, concludes Green whose views at the recent air forum were cheered by ag groups desperate for ammunition against an onslaught of environmental regulations – most of it prompted by lawsuits – that farmers have been facing for the past few years. In fact, open fields are the very antidotes for urban sprawl – essentially a pollution control mechanism. Green spoke April 17 in Tulare County to citrus growers about the same subject.
There is at least some indication Green's testimony and that of stakeholders has sunk in and may yet have some effect on the proposed composting rules. Valley Air officials have proposed to meet with stakeholders soon before moving forward on the proposed rule that had been set to take effect next January.
By Rick Elkins
Visalia - Visalia's first “Green” senior housing project will soon be taking shape at 1120 East Tulare Avenue.
Christian Church Homes of Northern California got planning commission approval Monday for its fourth senior housing project in the city, but the first “green” project, said Glenna Sanders, operations manager for the company.
The latest project will contain 42 units in two stories. Each unit, at 528 square feet, will have a living and dining area, with a full-sized kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The units are not furnished, but the company will assist the renter in finding furnishings if needed. Pets are also accepted.
Making it green, pointed out Sanders, is the “open indoor courtyard that will cool and heat itself. It will be 70 to 72 degrees all the time.”
“Some residents will open their front door and look as if they are outside,” she explained of the open area. The complex will be GreenPoint Rated, meaning it will be energy efficient, conserve resources, have improved air quality and conserve water.
“The interior courtyard will provide unconditioned outdoor like space with year-round comfort using passive means of heating and cooling. With the solar tracking skylights, the interior courtyard will be flooded with daylight, reducing the energy load in the common areas. Shade devices will be included on apartment windows to reduce the cooling load and increase the energy savings for tenants,” said the application that went before the city planners. The courtyard will have benches for residents to sit and visit.
In addition to the courtyard, there will be room outside for a vegetable garden residents can tend to themselves. The complex will sit on 2.6 acres.
The company has three other sites in town; Town Meadows, which is 100 units, Oak Meadows, which is 60 units and The Meadows, which is 100 units. The first two are rented at no more than the resident's ability to pay, which is no more than 30 percent of their adjusted income. The Meadows is tied in with the Visalia Housing Authority which subsidizes the rent. The new complex will also offer low rent, but rent costs have not been announced.
Sanders said finding renters has not been a problem. “It's been wonderful. We've been blessed,” she said.
Sierra Meadows be the 59th complex built by Christian Church, which has been in business 47 years, said Sanders. It is developing the project along with Visalia Senior Housing, which is made up of four local churches.
Construction should begin next year with the complex opening in 2011.
Tulare County - In 2006, more than 500 children aged 5-17 in Tulare County had to seek treatment at a hospital emergency room for their asthma. This is one of many facts reported by the Tulare County Asthma Coalition in its annual report. (Copy of the report will be included with the May 8 issue of the Voice.)
The annual report is one of the ways the local Coalition marks World Asthma Day which is on May 6 this year.
“We need to protect these students in school with a variety of chronic conditions, such as asthma,” said Diane Sepeda, acting director of the Coalition.
Asthma is an inflammatory disease of the lung that is one of the most chronic diseases of children. The annual report notes that in 2005, the last year figures are available, 27.6 percent of Tulare County children ages 5-17 had been diagnosed with asthma, compared to 18 percent statewide. The geography of the Central Valley tends to make asthma more common.
“Asthma is a major public health problem in Tulare County, and World Asthma Day provides a perfect opportunity to improve local understanding of the burden asthma places on all of us. Our Report to the Community on Asthma will address our local disparity, projects implemented and local recommendations. By joining together with others concerned about asthma, we feel that we can begin to help relieve this burden,” said Sepeda.
The Valley is known for trapping airborne pollutants,
putting people with respiratory problems such as asthma at greater
risk. Studies show that ozone and particulate matter not only increase
symptoms, but can cause asthma.
The Asthma Coalition has worked with schools to reduce those triggers.
The Coalition has implemented a daily air quality notification system
and schools in Visalia and Tulare fly flags each day indicating the
level of pollution based on the air quality index.
The Coalition is also working with schools to plant low-allergy or asthma-friendly landscaping. It provides both a brochure on best practices for landscaping, as well as assisting schools in choosing plants and shrubs.
Another way the Coalition assists schools is through
its Indoor Air Quality Maintenance and Prevention Tools program. It
is in the process of partnering with Tulare County Schools to evaluate
school sites for environmental triggers and to identify low-cost solutions
to minimize things that could put children at greater risk from asthma.
The report can be found on KJUG's web-site, www.westcoastbroadcasting.com,
during the month of May, as well as at the coalition's Kid's Zone
at KJUG Radio's Jugfest music festival on June 7 at Plaza Park in
Visalia.
You Can Control Your Asthma
Asthma control is the goal of treatment and can be achieved
in the vast majority of asthma patients with proper management. A
person's asthma is under control when he or she has:
· No (or minimal) asthma symptoms.
· No waking at night due to asthma.
· No (or minimal) need to use “reliever” medication.
· The ability to do normal physical activity and exercise.
· Normal (or near-normal) lung function test results (PEF and
FEV1).
· No (or very infrequent) asthma attacks.
For more information on the programs offered by the Coalition call 685-3494. For further information about the Report to the Community on Asthma go to www.CalAsthma.org.
By Rick Elkins
Visalia - With so many stories in the news about bad teenagers, it might be easy to become discouraged about the prospects for the future. But then, a young man like Jon-Paul Salvador comes along to give hope.
Jon-Paul, called JP, is a driven and focused young man who just received his Eagle Scout badge, an honor few achieve, yet one that requires intelligence, drive and family support to realize.
“My parents got me into it (scouting) when I was young. Even as a Tiger Cub, a goal I set for myself was being an Eagle Scout,” said the 18-year-old who also recently found out he is one of the 50 incoming freshmen at Fresno State next fall who have received a full-ride, four-year Smittcamp Scholarship.
The son of Tony and Carol Salvador, the El Diamante senior was captain of the Valley Championship El Diamante football team, captain of the soccer team and a three-year performer in the high school band. But, it is scouting that is dear to his heart.
“It's been a big part of my life. Only things I've been with longer are my church and my family,” he said.
To reach Eagle Scout status, a scout must do a community service project. JP designed, raised the funds and constructed benches for an outdoor area at Pinkham Elementary School. In addition, you must earn 21 merit badges. He has 31.
He sent out requests to local schools for his community service project and it was John Davis, principal of Pinkham, who responded.
“I knew what a high quality, good character young man he is,” said Davis of his positive response. They two met and JP went about the task of creating a special area where parents and children can wait and gather after school.
The finished product is four benches on a grassy area, including one that wraps around a large redwood tree. The Eagle Scout also planted three new trees and ground cover for the fence and it is his duty to maintain the benches for at least four years.
The project is one of the main components of becoming
an Eagle Scout. “You must plan, organize and carry out all aspects
of a community service project,” he said, including raising
the money needed. He raised about $3,000.
Davis was impressed.
“It was just a beautiful, professional job. The whole process was really well done. I was the one who felt honored,” said the principal.
The young man's father is very proud of his son. “I've learned from him about fatherhood by being involved in scouts,” said Tony. His younger son already has a goal to become an eagle scout and there is also a younger daughter in the family.
Jon-Paul said his parents have always been supportive. “They have kept me on track and focused,” he said.
Jon-Paul said the project was a good lesson in life.
“It helped me to better manage my commitments,” he said.
A 3.9 grade point average student, he plans to major in criminology
and wants a career with the California Highway Patrol.
“It makes you feel these young people are securing a good future for us,” praised Davis.
By Miles Shuper
Tulare County - Changes in Tulare County Library fees, including the elimination or reduction of some, have been approved, effective July 1.
County Librarian Brian Lewis told supervisors Tuesday that despite an overall loss of about $15,000 in annual revenue, the library administration “feels that the library can absorb the loss in revenue in the name of improving and equalizing services throughout the county.”
The new schedule includes adding or increasing fees for conducting obituary researches out of the San Joaquin Valley Library System (SJVL), hold fees for materials not picked up or loan materials from outside the SJVL interagency system.
There will no longer be 50 cent fees for holding materials or $ 1 fees for talking books and VHS tape rentals.
Lewis said there has been an increase for genealogical obituary research requiring staff time, especially when the researcher provides incorrect or incomplete information. The average time spent on such research, Lewis said, is about one hour and that most requests are from outside the SVVL area.
The county's head librarian said the 50 cent “hold fee” in fiscal 2007-08 cost the county about $7,800, but an increase in service and usage “is well worth” the overall loss and that the library can maintain the decrease in revenue for years to come without hurting services.
When the fee was dropped for a year, the number of holds doubled to 31,200 from about 15,600, Lewis explained, adding that the holds were distributed pretty evenly through the 15 branch libraries in the county's system.
But, as anticipated, there was an increase in the number of held materials not picked up. Lewis explained that since the service was free of charge, some customers were not serious about their needs, resulting in wasted staff time.
To discourage that practice, the $1 per hold fee is being added, not to recoup lost staff time but to discourage the placement on holds when there isn't a real intent to pick up the materials. Lewis had requested a 25 cent fee, but supervisors upped that to $1, noting that even that amount still does not cover staff time. Supervisor Steve Worthley noted it is not a fee for services but actually a penalty.
Talking book fees also have been eliminated for three reasons: no other Valley libraries charge for them, the cost of talking books is now comparable to that of regular books and when another SJVL system user checks out a talking book, the $1 fee was charged. Lewis said revenue lost by eliminating the fee can be absorbed by the library budget.
As an aside, Lewis said another benefit of making talking books more readily available is it could reduce the potential of persons reading while driving.
With no new VHS tapes being purchased by the library and few new ones being produced, rental fees also will be eliminated and, Lewis said, sometime this fiscal year the library will stop carrying them.
But it will cost 50 cents more for borrowing books outside the Valley library system. The current fee of $2 will increase to $2.50, more in line with the mailing costs, Lewis explained.
In other action, supervisors:
- Directed County Counsel staff to continue with the current format
of the “significant exposure to litigation” items listed
on the closed session section of the Board of Supervisors meeting
agenda. The Visalia Times-Delta had requested that additional information,
allowed for but not required through Brown Act (public information)
provisions, be printed on the agenda of closed session items.
- Approved a new fee schedule for some Tax Collector office procedures in accordance to cover actual costs of services. The result is expected to generate about $60,000 as the county attempts to recover actual costs. Some fees have not been changed in more than five years, a fact which Supervisor Worthley said puts the county in a bad light by having to make substantial increases in some cases. Tax officials noted, however, that at least one fee was being cut due to automation and increased efficiencies. New fees, to become effective July 1 include: Parcel map clearance from $32 to $100; returned check fees, $30 to $69; research and personal assistance, $15 to $40; unsecured fee increases including lien fees, $13 to $35; field visits, $15 to $73; and judgment fees, $100 to $195.
- Approved, effective June 1, a $1 increase in recording fees for the Assessor-Clerk Recorder to implement the Social Security Truncation Program, mandated by state law. It provides for only the last four digits of Social Security numbers to be printed on recorded public documents available as public records.
- Continued until May 20, consideration of a tentative subdivision map for a 36-lot residential subdivision on 15.8 acres southwest of Dinuba and east of Kingsburg for further consideration of environmental impact studies. Adjacent property owners claim traffic impacts on Avenue 396 and consideration of water quantity and potential water quality issues have not been given adequate consideration.
- Accepted a check for $88,830 from the Alliance Program
with Office Depot which dispersed a total of $376,852.46 to 33 agencies
and organizations for rebates as a result of a unified supply purchasing
program. This year's total was 17 percent more than last year. Other
major recipients were Visalia Unified School District, $91,702.61;
Porterville Unified School District, $30,251; Lindsay Unified, $19,061;
City of Visalia, $13,832; Cutler Orosi Unified, $13,503; Tulare City
Schools, $14,229; and Tulare County Superior Court, $8,868.
The above stories are the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.
May 1, 2008
