ALMOND ADVANTAGE JAN / FEB 2015 Cover Photo Credit: Almond Board of California Visit Our Website w w w . a h p a . n e t Learn more at the 2015 Annual Convention Longer-lasting disease control is always in season. From the makers of Pristine® fungicide, Merivon® fungicide represents the most advanced chemistry ever developed for disease protection on almonds. Applied at full bloom, Merivon fungicide delivers more effective disease control with Advanced Plant Health benefits. Contact your local BASF representative, or visit Merivon-fungicide.basf.us Consult with your State Regulatory Agency regarding the status of registration of Merivon fungicide in your State. Always read and follow label directions. Merivon, Pristine and Xemium are registered trademarks of BASF. ©2014 BASF Corporation. All Rights Reserved. APN 14-MV-0001 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. 2 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net Lic# 251698 Servicing the almond hulling, shelling and processing facilities worldwide with innocative design, quality fabrication and professional installation of nut processing equipment since 1963 YARDJACK Dual Belt 36 Stockpiling Elevator with Woodchuck Desticker • to unload • to move • to destick YardJack Dual Belt 36 with Woodchuck Desticker Operator Platform with seat and controls. JackRabbit • 471 Industrial Ave. • Ripon, CA 95366 Woodchuck Desticker for clean stockpiles (optional). Winkie adjusts product direction. Ph.209-599-6118 • Fx. 209-599-6119 • www.jackrabbit.bz 3 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. 4 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net www.kamperfab.com 5 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. 6 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net Introducing: Gravity Separators Texas Shakers Destoners Detwiggers Hull Meat Scalpers Air-Cure Inc. and its predecessors have specialized in dust filtration equipment for more than sixty years. Bucket Elevators Sand Stick Separators Slipstick Receivers Belt Conveyors Pneumatic Conveyors Bag Filters & Industrial Fans San Joaquin Systems P.O. Box 576627 Modesto, CA 95357 209.577.4514 www.sjsystems.com sales@sjsystems.com SometimeS money doeS grow on treeS. American AgCredit is paying record cash dividends. Again. It’s all in the numbers: $45 million paid for 2012 and more than $180 million since 2006. Join us now and be part of next year’s dividend success story. Call 800.800.4865 today or visit AgLoan.com STOCKTON • OAKDALE • TURLOCK • MERCED A part of the Farm Credit system. Equal Opportunity Lender. AAC_AlmondHullers_div_7.25x4.75.indd 1 7 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net 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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net DAVID VAN VLIET CELL# 209-969-1212 TOM TICKENOFF CELL# 209-765-2393 ALMOND BY-PRODUCT SPECIALIST ALMOND BOARD APPROVED OFFICE 209/599-7776 FAX 209/599-7595 P.O. BOX 720 212 S. STOCKTON ST. RIPON, CA 95366 V-V ENTERPRISES.COM V_VENTERPRISES@CHARTER.NET 11 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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net Kawasaki understands the needs of owners and operators in the most demanding environments and applications — the dairy and agriculture industry! STANDARD FEATURES: • Automatic Reversible Fan • Ride Control • Cummins Tier4i engine requires no REGEN! • Very balanced • Fuel efficient OPTIONS: • High Lift Boom Arms • Engine screens SEE A NEW KAWASAKI 70Z7 LOADER TODAY! 1-877-TRACTOR GartonTractor.com 770-499-7000 www.kawasakiloaders.com 13 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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net 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 1027 N. Emerald Ave. A19 Modesto, CA 95351 209.529.5414 Mid-Valley Promotions Company Apparel Tradeshow / Promotional Items Employee Recognition Awards “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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net • 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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net 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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net 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 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net 23 JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 The nexT generaTion of almond handling equipmenT Conveyingsystemsdesignedto reduceunplannedmaintenance,with theendresultbeingbetterplant productivityandhigherprofits. Rapatdesignsandbuildsequipment thatisspeciallydesignedtohandle theneedsofthealmondindustry. Nooff-the-shelfsolutionwillfitas well,oroperateasefficiently. enclosed Troughing roller conveyor Rollersformbeltintoatroughshapetoefficiently movethealmonds.Coveredsystemreducesdust emissions,providingasaferworkingenvironment. BuckeT elevaTor Engineeredwithhigh-capacitybuckets formaximumvolumeatlowerspeeds, reducingunplanned maintenance. Putourexperiencewithsomeofthe largestFortune500Corporationsto workforyou—callustodayformore informationonourentireproductline. (800) 325-6377 Representedlocallyby: San Joaquin Systems•POBox576627 Modesto,CA95357•Phone209.577.4514 www.sjsystems.com•sales@sjsystems.com 919 O’Donnell Street ■ Hawley, MN 56549 USA (218) 483-3344 ■ Fax (218) 483-3535 www.rapat.com ■ E-Mail: info@rapat.com 24 Visit Our Website w w w.ahpa.net 100Y EARS SHAKERS AND MOVERS OF THE AG INDUSTRY FOR OVER SHOCKWAVE MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM AFTERSHOCK SUPER HOPPER SE180 ELEVATOR MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM SD36 ELEVATOR MATERIAL HANDLING SYSTEM BOX ELEVATOR TM MAIN HEADQUARTERS 2700 Colusa Highway Yuba City, CA 95993 Tel: (530) 673-2822 Fax: (530) 673-0296 ORCHARD MACHINERY CORPORATION www.ShakerMaker.com PROPYLENE OXIDE (PPO) • GROWER • HANDLER • PROCESSOR • SHIPPER Pasteurization Of All Tree Nuts CERTIFIED • LICENSED • PROFESSIONAL Our process is highly customizable to meet the various specifications and legal requirements for a number of commodities. • HACCP Facility / maintaining high food safety standards • Dependability / detailed documentation including lab test • Shipments direct to your Customer Give us a call or email us today! 14827 W. Harding Rd., Turlock CA 95355 Phone: (209.) 668.- 2471 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 Visit Our Website w w w . a h p a . n e t