ALMOND ADVANTAGE
JAN / FEB 2015
Cover Photo Credit: Almond Board of California
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Table of Contents
Upcoming Events
2
West Coast Port Slowdowns
4
A New Year & Much To Do
March 11, 2015
AHPA Board Meeting
Riverwest Processing, Glenn CA
6
Dairy: Focusing on the Win-Win
8
Cal OSHA Consulting Services
10 34th Annual Convention
12-14 Almond Hulls Standards Update
18 In a Nutshell
20 New Members
22 New Chloropicrin Requirements
April 27-May 1, 2015
Annual AHPA Convention
Hilton Waikoloa Village, HI
May 14, 2015 5:30-7:00pm
Almond PAC Fundraiser
Imbibe, Bakersfield CA
June 17, 2015
Fork Lift: Train the Trainer
Blue Diamond Growers, Salida CA
PRESIDENT'S
MESSAGE
AHPA Voices Impacts of the
West Coast Port Slowdowns
By Kelly Covello
The labor dispute between the Pacific Maritime
Association (PMA) and the International Longshore
and Warehouse Union (ILWU) caused severe economic
hardship to the California almond industry. While we
are pleased that the parties have responded to the efforts
by U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez to resolve this
situation it will take many weeks to months to recover
from the backlog of ships anchored off-shore waiting to
unload cargo and pick up shipments. In a press release
issued February 23rd we urged both sides to work as
quickly as possible to eliminate this backlog and get
shipping activity back to normal.
AHPA is a member of the West Coast Port Labor
Negotiations Coalition based in Washington DC, which
sent a letter urging PMA and ILWU to consider how
the slowdown impacts the economic future of a vast
array of industries, and called on the federal government
to consider all available remedies to end the dispute.
Additionally, AHPA reached out directly to California’s
Congressional Delegation. These efforts among many
others resulted in the Obama Administration finally
engaging by sending the US Labor Secretary to assist
with negotiations.
Two Congressional efforts that AHPA supported were the
bipartisan Congressional effort of Representatives Dave
Reichert (R-WA), Jim Costa (D-CA), and Kurt Schrader
(D-OR) who introduced a House Resolution calling on
ILWU and PMA to conclude their negotiations and the
direct questioning of USDA Secretary Vilsack regarding
the port issue by Representatives Costa, Denham and
LaMalfa in the House Agricultural Committee. We
think that the leadership of California’s Congressional
Delegation made a direct impact towards getting the
Obama Administration to engage directly.
Almond handlers and shippers reported that port gridlock
resulted in hundreds of containers delayed, dozens of
cancelled orders, several rerouted orders at considerably
greater expense, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in
congestion and other charges.
While these added costs are of concern, the greater threat
to the industry is the loss of trust between shippers and
buyers resulting from these delays and cancellations.
Importers and buyers expect a certain level of reliability
and predictability and that trust was eroded by the
slowdown.
AHPA worked closely with the Almond Board of
California (ABC) to quantify impacts to our industry; the
ABC communicated directly with USDA Secretary Tom
Vilsack, Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office, the Secretary of
Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative
Michael Froman on impacts of the slowdowns.
Nearly 80 percent of bulk almond exports by value are
exported from the Port of Oakland. Nuts are the number
one product exported out of Oakland and bulk almonds
alone accounted for over 16 percent ($3.4B) of the $21.1
billion in goods exported from Oakland in 2014.
AHPA heavily engaged in elevating this issue at the state
and federal levels to the administration and our elected
leaders as well as the media to voice the frustration and
economic hardship this caused the California almond
industry.
With a tentative agreement made we now wait for the
ships to clear and possibly for next year’s marketing
season to actually know how our overseas customer
relationships faired before we truly know the impacts on
our industry and the economy as a whole.
AHPA appreciates the bipartisan efforts initially led by
Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Nicolaus) and Sen.
Jim Nielsen (R-Gebrer) who authored a joint bipartisan
letter in January signed by 39 members of the state
Legislature to PMA and ILWU urging a swift resolution.
AHPA played a role with many others towards resolving
this labor dispute and it’s an example of how your
association is actively engaged in Sacramento and
Washington DC to advocate on your behalf regarding
issues that affect – not just hullers and processors – but
the industry as a whole.
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
CHAIRMAN'S
MESSAGE
A New Year and Much To Do
By Dick Cunningham, Cunningham Ranch Inc.
Hard to believe it's been 14 years since my last stint as
AHPA Chairman of The Board, I must be getting old!
I’d also like to welcome our new intern at AHPA, Allison
Rasley. Allison has a degree in finance with a minor in
economics from Eastern Washington University, and is
currently working on her Masters Degree for Business
Administration. She will be a big help to us moving
forward.
There seems to be so many more pressing issues now than
we had back in 2001, why is everybody picking on the
Almond Industry?! Maybe it just seems that way to me,
but I do know AHPA is more engaged on more issues than
ever before! I am honored to once again serve as your
Chairman of this great association. I will strive to lead
AHPA to even higher heights in 2015!
I am happy to report continued good response to our efforts
to raise funds to support the APHA sponsored California
Almond Industry PAC. We are currently planning the
next fundraiser to be held in Bakersfield on May 14th,
at Imbibe, from 5:30-7:00pm. I’d like to thank Golden
Empire Shelling, LLC., Landmark Irrigation, Inc.,
Pacific Ag Management, Inc., Paramount Farms, and
Supreme Almonds of California, for sponsoring this
event and much needed cause. Event invitations will be
sent out soon, so watch your inbox and mailbox for those.
We also plan to have fundraisers in the Northern and
Fresno area’s during the coming months. Thank you to
all of our supporters to this very important cause to give a
voice to the Almond Industry!
Thanks go out to David Pohl with Pohl and Holmes
Hulling for serving as Chairman this past year. David has
been reelected to serve another term on the Board so he's
still working to serve our members. I welcome back John
Wynn with Golden Empire Shelling to serve on the Board
again, John is a great asset to have working on behalf of
the association. Barbara Smith with Riverwest Processing
has also been reelected to serve another term on the Board,
congratulations Barbara!
I want to commend our hard working staff here at AHPA
for all the great things that have been accomplished in the
past year. Kelly Covello is an amazing leader for AHPA
and the Almond Industry! She has a full plate trying to
stay ahead of all the "slings and arrows" sent our way from
the various State and Federal Regulators.
As I type this, the almond bloom is upon us once again.
Here's to plenty of "bee flight hours", mixed in with some
rain but only at night! And let's get the ports open and
working again please!
Don't forget to register online for the 2015 AHPA Annual
Meeting and Convention. It will be a fabulous week on
the Big Island at the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort. Sign
up today!
Over the past three years Kristen Dempewolf has been
a tremendous asset to the association and I thank her for
all of the hard work and effort she has put into helping
grow AHPA over the past three years. As you may or may
not know, Kristen plans to apply to nursing school in the
future and has accepted a position in the health services
industry that will benefit her long term career goals which
is great opportunity for her. Her last day with the AHPA
is February 28th. I wish her the very best in her future
endeavors. Kelly will be working to her position filled
ASAP.
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
DAIRY: Focusing
on the Win-Win
Focusing on the Win-Win
By Emily Rooney, President
Agricultural Council of California
• Mandates CDFA to create a program to track the use
of medically important antibiotics and track antibioticresistant bacteria and patterns of emerging resistance.
The California almond and dairy industries are world
leaders in terms of production, but their successes are
also very interrelated.
Ag Council and other ag groups have met with Senator
Hill and his staff to communicate concerns about SB 27
including privacy protections for the farming community.
At the federal level, the United States Department of
Food and Agriculture (USDA) is developing a blueprint
document coordinated with other federal agencies to
address antibiotic resistance nationwide, and we do
not want the state to circumvent the important work
occurring at the national level.
California is the nation’s leading dairy state and Ag
Council’s dairy members represent over 80 percent
of fluid milk production. To address the scope of this
industry in our membership, Ag Council formed a Dairy
Committee that includes the following farmer-owned
cooperatives: California Dairies, Inc., Dairy Farmers of
America and Land O’Lakes.
Ag Council's Dairy Committee met with a bipartisan
group of legislators in Sacramento in late January for
breakfast. These face-to-face meetings are critical to
building relationships that can become crucial later in the
legislative session.
Dairy – AB 77
Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Porterville) drafted
and submitted a "spot" bill relating to dairy, which does
not yet contain substantive language. Spots bills are
placeholders that legislators may choose to alter as the
legislative year progresses, and a spot bill is typically
introduced to ensure that a germane vehicle will be
available at a later date for a specific policy issue. Spot
measures cannot be referred to a committee for a hearing
until substantive language is added.
And, there is no time to waste, as legislators are already
drafting and introducing bills on a multitude of policy
matters as February 27 is the last day for bills to be
introduced. There are some noteworthy issues that have
already been introduced that will have significant impacts
on dairy members.
Use of Antibiotics in Livestock & Poultry – SB 27
Senator Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) introduced SB 27, a bill
addressing the use of antibiotics in livestock and poultry.
SB 27 was written in response to Governor Brown's veto
of an antibiotics bill, SB 835, by Senator Hill last year.
SB 835 would have aligned California law with recent
federal actions to phase out the use of antibiotics for
growth promotion purposes.
Ag Council staff met with Assemblyman Mathis where
he confirmed that the bill was drafted in case the dairy
industry needs a legislative vehicle to address an issue of
concern during the session.
Upcoming Events
Legislative Day – May 19, 2015
You are invited to our Legislative Day outreach event in
Sacramento where Ag Council members connect with
legislators and regulators to discuss the key policy issues
facing the ag community.
At this time, SB 27 includes the following provisions
(keep in mind that bills change as the legislative session
progresses):
• Prohibits the use of medically important antimicrobial
drugs in livestock and poultry unless prescribed by a
veterinarian.
• Bans the use of antibiotics to promote growth or
increase feed efficiency.
• Requires California Department of Food and Agriculture
(CDFA) to develop antibiotic stewardship guidelines.
Dairyfest – June 9, 2015
We’ll hold an ice cream social at the State Capitol to
recognize National Dairy Month in June and celebrate
California dairy producers. Over 300 guests—including
many legislators and their staff—joined our dairy
members last year for a very successful inaugural event.
Please go to agcouncil.org for more information, or call
916.443.4887.
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2/5/2013 1:59:43 PM
INSURANCE
AND RISK
MANAGEMENT
Cal/OSHA CONSULTATION SERVICES
– PART 2
By Guy Newman, Der Manouel Insurance Group
Part 1 of this article appeared in the September-October
2014 issue of The Almond Advantage where we provided
an overview of Cal/OSHA’s consulting services and what
to expect during an on-site visit. In this article, we review
additional services and programs which are also available
to California employers.
quantities are limited. Cal/OSHA eTools are available
on-line at http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/etools.
Partnership Programs
Cal/OSHA administers partnership programs where
industry, labor and Cal/OSHA work as partners. These
partnerships encourage and recognize workplace safety
and health programs that effectively prevent and control
injuries and illnesses to workers. Currently, Cal/OSHA
offers four different partnership programs:
• California Voluntary Protection Program (Cal/VPP)
• Safety and Health Achievement Recognition
Program (SHARP)
• Golden Gate
•Alliances
High Hazard Employer Program
• The High Hazard Compliance Program (HHCP) is
responsible under Labor Code Sections 6314.1 for
the inspection of identified employer worksites in high
hazard industries. The HHCP:
• Looks for and gives priority to industries and individual
establishments with the highest numbers of injuries
and illnesses and rates of workers’ compensation claims.
• Identifies high hazard establishments for inspection
through the regional targeting plan or through accident
and complaint referrals.
• Focuses on implementing an effective injury and
illness prevention program.
California Voluntary Protection Program (Cal/VPP)
Cal/VPP is a top-level safety and health leadership
program whose establishments are considered to be
leaders in the field of workplace safety and health. It is
designed to recognize employers and their employees
who have implemented safety and health programs that
effectively prevent and control occupational hazards.
These programs go beyond minimal Cal/OSHA standards
and provide the best feasible protection at the site.
The High Hazard Compliance Unit has one district office
in northern California and one in the south.
Providing Educational Materials and Research
The Research and Education Unit (REU) provides
California employers and employees with educational
materials to help reduce/eliminate workplace injuries
and illnesses. Many educational materials are available
in Spanish and some in as many as six other languages
including Tagalog, Chinese, Russian, Punjabi, Korean
and Vietnamese.
Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program
(SHARP)
SHARP is a mid-level recognition program that may offer
high-hazard employers with fixed- and mobile- worksites
an exemption from Cal/OSHA enforcement programmed
inspections (for 24 months). It is designed to meet the
Federal OSHA requirements for a Safety and Health
Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). Cal/
SHARP employers are recognized as worksites expected
to have a significantly lower risk for serious accidents
than other employer's worksites within the same industry.
Educational materials are developed in partnership and
cooperation with labor, industry, trade associations,
professional organizations, governmental agencies,
educational institutions and a variety of other organizations
and individuals.
Cal/SHARP applicants must be able to demonstrate active
management commitment and employee involvement in
their safety and health management system, as well as
their ability to meet applicable dual and multi-employer
responsibilities. When achieved, Cal/SHARP status will
Cal/OSHA publications are available on-line at http://
www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/PubOrder.asp or they may be picked
up at a Cal/OSHA office if the publications are available.
Please check with the Cal/OSHA office first because
8
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Outreach Assistance
Cal/OSHA conducts and participates in workplace safety
and health seminars, conferences, workshops, and other
outreach activities with employers and employees. These
outreach activities are focused on high-hazard industries,
processes and occupations. Examples of training subjects
include (but are not limited to) Heat Illness Prevention,
Injury and Illness Prevention Program, Confined Spaces
and many other safety and health topics.
be granted to the worksite for a period of up to twentyfour (24) months. Twenty-four (24) month renewals are
available.
Golden Gate
Golden Gate is an entry-level program for small highhazard employers and is site specific. Employers
must have an established, minimally effective injury
and illness prevention program in order to receive
recognition. The Golden Gate program does not offer
inspection exemptions.
Cal/OSHA Consultation Service Contact Information
Visit http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/consultation.html for a
listing of services.
While companies receiving Golden Gate recognition
receive a letter of commendation they do not receive any
kind of exemption, except the exemptions associated
with actively working with the Cal/OSHA Consultation
Service. Only one Golden Gate letter of recognition
is provided per company per worksite. There are no
renewals once Golden Gate recognition is achieved by a
company at a specific worksite.
Contact Cal/OSHA for their various Consultation
Programs: Toll-free Number: (800)-963-9424
Internet: http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/consultation.html
Cal/OSHA On-site Assistance Program Area Offices:
Central Valley:
(559) 454-1295
Northern California: (916) 263-0704
Alliances
•Alliances enable organizations to collaborate with
OSHA to prevent injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
OSHA and its allies work together to educate and lead
the nation's employers and their employees in improving
and advancing workplace safety and health. Alliances
may be established by OSHA's National, Regional and
Area offices, or by State Plan States like California.
For more information and assistance with your Safety
Program and compliance with Cal/OSHA, contact Guy
Newman or Greg Gordon at Der Manouel Insurance
Group (559) 447-4600.
* This article includes information from the California DIR
publication “Cal/OSHA Consultation Overview” – April 2013
9
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
34TH ANNUAL
CONVENTION
Register for the 34th Annual
AHPA Convention Today!!
By Kelly Covello
The 34th annual convention is being held at the Hilton
Waikoloa Village, on the Kohala Coast of Hawaii, April
27th – May 1st. If you haven’t registered yet you should
do so today! You do not want to miss out on this event!
regulatory and legislative update.
• Eric Moses, CPA, Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP,
will be providing an overview on Taxes & Tips for
2015 – Changes, Updates and Benefits
• Jeremiah Szabo with DFA of California will be
providing a food safety update and sharing insights
on where we are headed with the Food safety
Modernization Act
• Cardinal Professional Products will be providing
an update on the latest in fumigation practices and
regulations
• Janet Babb, Geologist, USGS Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory, will be providing an overview of the
Kilauea Volcano's ongoing East rift zone eruption
AHPA has secured the group hotel rates 5 days before and
5 days after the event so that if you would like to extend
your stay you can do so at a very reasonable rate. We
encourage all our members to register today and to make
it a family affair! Early Bird Registration and the group
rate for lodging close March 30th.
AHPA will not be printing registration packets this
year, all registration must be done online by visiting
www.ahpa.net.
Thank you to our 2015 sponsors:
When making your travel plans, please note that Kona
International Airport is closest to the resort and you
should make arrangements for transportation to the hotel
ahead of time. On our website there are links for shuttles,
car rentals, and cabs.
Platinum: JKB Energy; Gold: BASF; Registration:
Yosemite Farm Credit; Banquet Dinner: Satake; Luau:
Forsbergs, Inc.; Golf Tournament: V-V Enterprises; Hotel
Card Key: Der Manouel Insurance Group; Opening
Reception: Forsbergs, Inc.; Pre-Dinner Banquet Cocktail
Reception: Beeler Industries along with LMC; Fellowship
Breakfast: Pacific Nut Producer; Continental Breakfasts:
American Ag Credit and Divine Logic; Hospitality
Suites: Kamper Fabrication, Jack Rabbit, and Rolling
Hills Nut Company; Golf Beverage Cart Sponsors:
Beeler Industries along with LMC and Ab Fab Inc.;
Tennis Tournament: Rolling Hulls Nut Company; and
Morning Breaks: Tuff Boy and Borrell USA.
We hope to see you there! Aloha!
The general schedule for the convention will be similar
to the last couple years with the golf tournament on
Tuesday, technical seminars on Wednesday and Thursday
mornings, Annual Business Meeting on Wednesday
morning, tennis tournament on Thursday afternoon,
and we will wrap up on Friday morning. The agenda is
available on the AHPA website.
The golf tournament will be held at the Waikoloa Beach
Resort Kings Course and will include breakfast as well as
an awards luncheon. The Tennis Tournament will be held
at the resort.
Wednesday and Thursday morning speakers will feature a
variety of topics. Included in the lineup are:
• Richard Waycott, President/CEO of the Almond
Board of California who will be discussing the state
of the California almond industry and where we are
headed
• Emily Rooney, President of the Agricultural Council
of California, will be providing a State level
10
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
ALMOND HULLS
STANDARDS
UPDATE
Almond Hull Standards
– Progress Report
By Kelly Covello
In 2013 AHPA began an effort to review the current
standards by which almond hulls and almond hulls and
shells are regulated as a feed. The California Department
of Food & Agriculture’s (CDFA) Feed & Livestock
Drugs Inspection Program regulates almond hulls and
shells primarily as it relates to truth in labeling; the label
accurately reflects the quality of the product.
At a recent CDFA Feed Inspection Advisory Board (FIAB)
we were advised that the Association of American Feed
Control Officials (AAFCO) is moving away from crude
fiber completely as there are very few feed commodities
still regulated by crude fiber. If you recall AAFCO
provides a forum for local, state and federal agencies
who regulate animal feed and industry representatives
to develop and implement uniform and equitable laws,
regulations, standards, definitions and enforcement
policies for regulating animal feeds. Given this direction
our efforts couldn’t be more timely and necessary.
Task Force Update
In 2013 AHPA convened a stakeholder task force
comprised of almond huller/shellers, merchandisers/
brokers, animal nutritionists, CDFA and the California
Grain & Feed Association. Generally speaking the group
agreed in 2013 that crude fiber is probably not the best
standard for assessing the nutritional value of hulls and
that moving forward we should look to a tiered system.
The nutritionists advised that we should collect samples
and test them for acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin in
addition to crude fiber (CF), moisture and ash. For two
seasons our members have voluntarily run and submitted
samples with all 5 analysis and we have reached our goal
of obtaining at least 1,000 samples. To date we have over
had 1,695 samples submitted and results were presented
to the task force at the meeting February 24th.
The task force also discussed and will be pursuing a
digestibility study with Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, to
assess the variability in digestibility at varying levels of
ADF. This will play a key role in determining how the
task force will move forward.
CDFA Split Sample Survey
As almond huller/shellers implemented their almond
hull quality assurance programs and began more testing
concerns arose from our members that the State and
independent lab results varied significantly for the same
sample. To address these concerns AHPA worked with
CDFA to conduct a split sample survey on 50 official
almond hull samples.
As part of our effort to review and update the almond
hull standards we are working with Tad Bell, Velo
Consulting, and former Undersecretary of CDFA, dove
into the history of the 15% crude fiber standard. After
obtaining documents regarding this standard from CDFA
and vetting through the 50+ there is no scientific data or
reason why the 15% standard was implemented other than
that was the average CF percentage when blended in the
1950’s. Research conducted in the late 1970’s conclude
that ADF content is the best indicator of almond hull
nutritional value.
When CDFA took their official samples they also sent
ground split samples to four independent labs. Each lab,
including the State lab, ran all five analysis (crude fiber,
ADF, lignin, moisture and ash) on all 50 samples.
As of now, crude fiber, crude fat and crude protein are
guaranteed on the label however, crude fiber, crude fat
and crude protein are NOT used by the nutritionists, and
in fact they often send their own samples for analysis
including ADF.
12
The results are presented below in the series of charts
below. The Center of Analytical Chemistry (CAC) is the
State lab. We are not revealing which independent labs
were used at this time as we have not yet had a chance
to discuss results of the study with them. Based on these
results AHPA will coordinate a meeting with the labs used
by industry, those included in the study and any other
labs analyzing hulls to discuss procedures being used
in an effort to minimize variation between the State and
independent labs.
Continued on pg. 14
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
Continued from pg.12
ALMOND HULLS
STANDARDS
UPDATE
Commercial Feed Reports Available Online
All CDFA commercial feed reports are posted to the
licensee’s account online. You can log in into your
account to access your commercial feed reports prior to
receiving them via snail mail or to re-print. At AHPA’s
request CDFA is currently working on a technology
update that will allow a push notification to be sent out
to the licensee anytime something new is posted to their
account. We are cautiously optimistic that CDFA will be
able to get this push notification in place over the next 12
months.
14
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California Almond Industry
Political Action Committee (PAC)
sponsored by the Almond Hullers & Processors Association (AHPA)
A VOICE FOR THE
CALIFORNIA
ALMOND INDUSTRY
WHO BENEFITS FROM THE CALIFORNIA ALMOND INDUSTRY PAC ACTIVITIES?
Growers • Huller/Shellers • Processors • Allied Industries
WHY JOIN?
To establish and maintain our industry as a strong, concerned, and active political force
and help assure your industry’s involvement in the decision-making process.
WHO ADMINISTERS THE PAC?
An Executive Committee consisting of industry representatives supervises and controls
the activities and funds of California Almond Industry PAC.
HOW ARE PAC FUNDS USED?
Support and Educate State Representatives • Support State Campaigns
• Committee Operational Expenses
WHO MAY CONTRIBUTE?
Individuals • Partnerships • Corporations
www.ahpa.net
California Almond Industry PAC ID# 1365388
is a political committee registered with the State of California.
15
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
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“Your Source for ALL your Logo’d Needs”
peggy.odonnell@midvalleypromotions.com
www.midvalleypromotions.com
“An independently owned and operated Adventures in Advertising member.”
16
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•
17
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
•
IN A
NUTSHELL
California Almond Industry PAC
Fundraiser May 14th
With the Produce Safety Rule set to be published by
October 2015, DFA of California is hosting a one-day
training that will help on-farm personnel prepare to
implement the six modules required by the Produce
Safety rule.
The California Almond Industry PAC, sponsored by
AHPA is holding its next fundraiser May 14th.
The current event sponsors, Golden Empire Shelling,
LLC., Landmark Irrigation, Inc., Pacific Ag
Management, Inc., Paramount Farms, and Supreme
Almonds of California invite you to join them to attend
the fundraiser and supporting this increasingly important
cause.
While it’s still not clear what will be required of almond
growers and huller/shellers in the final rules, food safety
is more important than ever and this training will help
you prepare for any requirements that may apply if you
fall under the Produce Safety Rule.
The California almond industry has never faced a more
challenging and threatening environment. Every way we
turn, we are faced with critical legislative and regulatory
issues that impact our bottom line. When you join the
California Almond Industry PAC, you help assure your
industry’s involvement in the decision-making process.
When: April 7th, 8am-5pm
Where: Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey CA
Cost: $125 (includes lunch)
Who Should Attend: Growers, PCAs, field/grower
representatives, huller/shellers, dehydrators and
packinghouse operators, quality assurance and food
safety personnel
When: May 14th 2015, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Where: Imbibe, 4140 Truxtun Avenue,
Bakersfield CA 93309
Platinum Sponsor: $2500
Gold Sponsor: $1500
Supporter: $500 (includes a guest)
Visit www.safefoodcalifornia.com to register. If you
have any questions or wish to register a group for any
of the conference events, please contact: Katie Ward at
katiew@dfaofca.com or 916.561.5900 x100
AHPA Hosting Train the Trainer Forklift Training
June 17th
You do not need to be an AHPA member to contribute or
attend the event.
For more information or to RSVP contact (209) 599-5800
or staff@ahpa.net.
AHPA will be hosting Train the Trainer Forklift Training
on June 17th at Blue Diamond Growers in Salida. More
details to come soon. Mark your calendars today.
DFA to Host FSMA Readiness Training April 7th
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce
Safety Rule will require training for farm personnel
who handle produce or food contact surfaces, and for
supervisors if the farm does not meet criteria for an
exemption or modified requirements.
18
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19
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
NEW
MEMBERS
Associate Members
JRF Enterprises LLC – Broker
Stan Fail, Jr.
P.O. Box 3702
Turlock, CA 95381
Phone: (209) 678-3183
Email: stan@jrffeed.com
Website: www.jrffeed.com
Carlson Scale Inc. – Scales (labs to motor trucks)
Mike Jerome
1418 Lone Palm Ave.
Modesto, CA 95351
Phone: (209) 523-3898
Fax: (209) 523-1549
Email: mike@carlsonscaleshop.com
Website: www.carlsonscaleshop.com
Santos Fabrication
– Metal Fabrication Equipment
Darrel L. Santos
2520 Acme Ct.
Turlock, CA 95380
Phone: (209) 669-0143
Email: darrel@santosfabrication.com
Delta Technology – Color Coding Machines
Chuck Denny
1602 Townhurst
Houston, TX 77043
Phone: (209) 604-4016
Fax: (713) 461-6753
Email: chuck@deltatechnology-ca.com
Website: www.deltatechnology.com
Our Food Safey Services Include:
DFA of California has served
the food industry for over
TRAINING & CONSULTING
a century.
We partner with packers,
processors and exporters to
ensure their products and
facilities meet the highest
COMMODITY INSPECTION
standards in food safety
and quality.
SAFE FOOD IS OUR
BUSINESS.
LABORATORY SERVICES
250ml
Get in touch:
WWW.DFAOFCA.COM
916.561.5900
and so much more.
20
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Image Capture
Optical Sorting to the Highest Standards
EVOLUTION®
The new Evolution is a Revolution in optical sorting
Both the human eye and the Evolution detect color through three wavelengths (Red, Green and Blue), allowing the sorter to match
the eye’s ability to see true color. This full color sorting machine uses 16 million colors, high-resolution cameras and long lasting
LED lighting to detect and remove defects. It works like the human eye – the smallest color deviations are identified and rejected.
The machine has the ability to see true color and precisely sort a wide range of tree nuts, even those with small shade differences
and all types of foreign material.
Typical Defects Removed
Subtle color differences, foreign material (hulls, peewees, shell, sticks, glass , stones), insect damage, mold and decaying product.
RGB Full Color Technology
Evolution RGB utilizes proprietary software to combine the response from the red/green/blue (RGB) camera to form a 3D color
space. The EVO RGB combines these responses in a manner that very closely imitates the human eye response to color.
www.satake-usa.com
NORTH, CENTRAL, SOUTH AMERICA
Satake USA, Inc. (Corporate Office)
Tel: 281 276 3600
Fax: 281 494 1460
Houston, Texas U.S.A.
WEST COAST USA
Satake USA, Inc.
Tel: 209 551 3203
Fax: 209 551 0841
Modesto, California U.S.A
EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA
Satake Europe Limited
Tel: 44 161 406 3800
Fax: 44 161 406 3801
Stockport, Cheshire, England
JAPAN
Satake Corporation
Tel: 81 824 20 8539
Fax: 81 824 20 0865
Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
vision@satake-usa.com
jsargent@satake-usa.com
sales@satake-europe.com
international@satake-japan.co.jp
21
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
NEW
CHLOROPICRIN
REQUIREMENTS
Immediate Changes for PIC
Fumigations Under New State Rules
By Gabriele Ludwig, Almond Board of California
Doll said these restrictions will slow down the fumigation
process in almond orchards regardless of the fumigation
method, and limit the ability to fumigate large fields. At
the same time it will be difficult, expensive and maybe
even impossible for farmers who operate near homes
or other sensitive areas to meet the new requirements.
There are non-negotiable buffers to locations where it
can be hard to relocate people quickly, such as nursing
homes, jails and schools.
California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
recently approved new restrictions on the use of
chloropicrin to reduce worker and bystander exposure
that will make the use of soil fumigants that contain
chloropicrin (e.g. Telone C-35) significantly more
expensive and more challenging for almond growers.
The new state rules, which go further than Federal label
requirements enacted in 2012, include larger buffer
zones, acreage limitations and increased notification
requirements. DPR will immediately begin implementing
new requirements locally through interim permit
conditions from county agricultural commissioners, with
full compliance required by 2016.
He noted that fumigating 50% percent of the orchard
acreage using 11-foot row stripping of chloropicrin can
double the acreage limitations to 80 acres per day or
120 acres using TIF tarps. Doll said additional Almond
Board-funded research is showing growers can further
reduce the area of chloropicrin down to a narrower row
strip of 8.3 feet and even a tree spot (8.3 feet square
centered on the tree planting site) and potentially further
increase treated acreage allowed per day.
Under the new requirements, DPR has developed larger
buffer zones for chloropicrin use – in some cases zones
four times larger than the current U.S. EPA label without
totally impermeable film (TIF) tarps. The size of those
buffer zones remains the same as EPA’s for deep shanking
if growers apply fumigants using TIF tarps.
DPR will also require growers to provide their county
agricultural commissioner with details on upcoming
fumigation at least 48 hours before the scheduled
application. Previous label requirements set that
notification at 24 hours.
The current minimum buffer zone required when
chloropicrin is applied is 25 feet. DPR’s new measures
will require a minimum buffer zone of 25-100 feet,
depending on whether a tarp is used and the type of tarp.
As you may recall, AHPA worked closely with the
Almond Board of California, who provided technical
expertise, to develop comments in opposition to these
additional state imposed mitigation measures as they are
unnecessary. Additionally, Chloropicrin is the alternative
we have to methyl bromide and was the basis for EPA’s
decision to discontinue a critical use exemption for
almonds. We have made EPA aware of these new state
imposed regulations that impede the industry’s ability to
use our alternative to methyl bromide. As EPA begins
their review of all soil and post-harvest fumigation
tools over the next several years we remain vigilant and
engaged to keep these tools available for the almond
industry.
Merced County Farm Advisor David Doll said tarping is
possible for tree crops but it is a new technique that is still
being developed and has its challenges, particularly in
orchards with major terrain changes where tarp removal
is difficult. He estimates that using TIF tarps will double
the current cost for fumigating an orchard.
New DPR measures will also reduce the field size where
chloropicrin is applied at one time from the current label
maximum of 160 acres per day to 40 acres per day.
Growers using TIF tarps can apply chloropicrin on up
to 60 acres per day. DPR is also limiting the ability to
overlap buffer zones, and requiring 36 hours between
applications on the same field.
22
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23
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015
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PROPYLENE OXIDE (PPO)
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email: Cbaldwin@SpycherBros.com
Phone (209) 599-5800 • Fax (209) 599-5882 • Email: staff@ahpa.net
467 N. Wilma Ave., Ste 11 • Ripon, CA 95366
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