Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Tag: CoBank

  • Young Farmers & Ranchers Program Develops Future Leaders

    The California Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) program is designed to identify, grow and develop young Farm Bureau members and provide them with opportunities and experiences to help them become effective leaders in the agriculture community.

    But when Jocelyn Anderson, a fourth-generation almond and walnut grower from Willows joined the state YF&R Committee in 2018, little did she realize the opportunities that would be made available to her, the latest being the United Nations Climate Change Conference, where she told delegates from around the world about ways California farmers are working to save water.

    “I was able to meet people from around the world, farmers and people in policy. I didn’t know what to expect but came out excited. Attendees said we need to work with farmers, or climate policies won’t work,” she said about the meetings in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November.  “I think it opens the door for ag to continue to be at the table, make policymakers understand what we need to be successful and form better agreements together.”

    Mark Littlefield, President and CEO of AgWest Farm Credit, said developing future leaders like Anderson is why California’s Farm Credit organizations have been supporting the YF&R program for nearly 15 years.

    “The Young Farmers and Ranchers program has a great track record of developing future leaders in agriculture, both nationally and here in California,” Littlefield said. “Farm Credit is proud to have provided over $145,000 over the years to support YF&R’s efforts to promote farming and build stronger and sustainable rural communities.”

    Other Farm Credit organizations supporting the program are American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Fresno Madera Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit. The organizations are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.

    California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson agreed that the YF&R program helps develop farming leaders.

    “The California Farm Bureau is proud to support the next generation of farmers and ranchers through the Young Farmers and Ranchers program,” Johansson said. “We see firsthand how participants in YF&R can make a difference locally, nationally and even internationally. The future of agriculture is in good hands, thanks to the contributions and dedication of our YF&R community.”

    Anderson’s great-grandparents began the family’s farming legacy, growing oranges in Anaheim on land now occupied by Disneyland. In 1950, her grandparents moved north to begin operations in Glenn County. The farm has grown to 1,000 acres and also includes a walnut hulling operation.

    Besides learning everything her father, Gary, knows about farming so she can eventually assume the reins, Anderson has spent several years in YF&R activities at the state and national levels. She served on the California YF&R Committee for several years before becoming vice chair and in 2022 the organization’s chair. During the last two years of her service, she was also an American Farm Bureau YF&R Committee member and helped organize state and national leadership conferences.

    The most recent California YF&R conference was held in early December in Monterey and attracted more than 120 members.

    She said developing expertise in agricultural issues so she could become a strong advocate was an important outcome of her participation.

    “It’s important that we have people fighting for ag in the future,” she said. “We have the fifth-largest agricultural economy in the world in California, with close to 400 different crops and livestock grown here. But it’s also one of the most regulated states and we face issues other states haven’t faced yet. Being an advocate for what small family farms need to be successful is doing what’s best for my family farm and everyone else’s.”

    Through her YF&R involvement, she was introduced to Solutions from the Land (SfL), a nonprofit formed in 2009 to put farmers, ranchers and foresters at the forefront of resolving food system, energy, environmental and climate challenges. SfL has brought farmers to the U.N. Climate Summits for a decade and participated in discussions during the past five years. This year, the summit featured its first ag-themed day.

    She discussed how California farmers are using water more efficiently. For example, she said GSA Farms drains water used in hulling operations back into the fields so it can percolate into the ground and help recharge the aquifer. She also talked about how the farm reuses the shells and leaves from the hulling operations to fertilize the soil for planting winter wheat.

    Anderson said she constantly encourages young people involved in agriculture to get involved in YF&R because it allows them to be advocates for the industry and to share their own stories with others.

    “I think it’s extremely important to belong,” she said. “Not only does it create a network for you, it’s also important that we have people fighting for ag in the future.”

    Keith Hesterberg, President and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit, agreed.

    “The state continues to impose increasingly stringent and expensive regulations on California’s farmers and ranchers,” Hesterberg said. “While many of these new requirements are well-intentioned, state officials need to understand how the cumulative impact is affecting farmers’ ability to keep their businesses going. The best voice for agriculture is family farmers who can share their experiences and provide alternative solutions that can ensure that California continues to feed the nation for generations to come.”

    Anderson and other panelists who spoke at the U.N. Climate Change Conference panel “Water Is the Face of Climate Change” in Egypt last November.

    About Farm Credit: 

    AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank, Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit, Fresno Madera Farm Credit and Yosemite Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. For more than 100 years, the Farm Credit System has specialized in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For a link to this article and for more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com

    About the Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee:

    The Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee is a program for agriculturalists between the ages of 18 and 35 involved in production, banking, business, and many other areas of the industry. YF&R provides opportunities to develop leadership skills through involvement in Farm Bureau at the county, state, and national levels. YF&R members are a vital part of the organization. Each member’s efforts help California Farm Bureau to effectively represent the diversity of farmers and ranchers across the state. For more information, visit https://www.cfbf.com/ag-programs/young-farmers-ranchers

  • Common Threads Honors 13 Women in Ag for their Service

    Anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

    That is the core of Common Threads, an awards program that recognizes women in agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley and Northern California for their service to agriculture and to their communities. As the Common Threads North awards program put it:

    “Agriculture is the common thread of all honorees. Their contributions are symbolic of the rich, colorful threads used to fashion a multifaceted tapestry, not unlike the agricultural diversity of our region. The common threads of our tapestry display an array of cultures, ages, and regions. Some threads are vivid and bright, like the colorful bounty of our land’s harvest. Some are as soft as well-used denim and a little faded with age. Some have the tensile strength of iron; others the complexity and richness of fine lace.”

    Colleen Cecil, executive director of the Butte County Farm Bureau and a member of the Common Threads North committee, which recognizes women from Stanislaus County north to the Oregon border, said it was important to honor the contributions of women to agriculture.

    “Women are often overlooked because they’re busy working bees in the background and they don’t get the spotlight,” Cecil said.

    “Other programs recognize outstanding people, but this is the only one I know of about women in ag. It’s special to get this award because you’ve been nominated by others who hold you in high regard. I’ve had the opportunity to read the applications and letters of recommendation, and I just want to give everyone an award. We’re grateful to be able to bring attention to these women.”

    Rebecca Quist, the chair of the Common Threads Fresno committee, which recognizes women in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced and Tulare counties, noted that the committee’s honorees represent a wide variety in ages.

    “Ag has no age limit. The women we recognize are legacy women – whether they’ve done things quietly behind the scenes or they’re part of a newer generation where they’re out-front advocating in a public forum,” she said.

    In the Fresno area, seven honorees were honored on March 1 at a luncheon in Clovis: Lucy Areias, Fresno; Aubrey Bettencourt, Hanford; Juanita Calzadillas-Pedrozo, Merced; Holly Rosa, Hanford; Nanette Simonian, Fowler; Sheri Kanagawa, Hanford; and Tricia Stever Blattler, Honorary Recipient, Tulare.

    And in the north, six women were recognized at a dinner in Winters on April 5:  Geri Byrne, Tulelake; Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, Woodland; Bobbin Mulvaney, Sacramento; Audrey Z. Tennis, Chico; Linda Walker, Los Molinos; and Sharron Zoller, Kelseyville.

    North CA Honorees (Left to right): Bobbin Mulvaney (Sacramento), Audrey Z. Tennis (Chico), Sharron Zoller (Kelseyville), Linda Walker (Los Molinos), Geri Byrne (Tulelake), Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli (Woodland).

    AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank and Fresno Madera Farm Credit have collectively contributed more than $35,000 to support Common Threads as top-level sponsors since 2015. The organizations are part of the nationwide Farm Credit System – the largest provider of credit to U.S. agriculture.

    Mark Littlefield, President and CEO of AgWest Farm Credit, said Farm Credit supports Common Threads because of the importance of women in agriculture.

    “Each of the women honored this year has made outstanding contributions to California agriculture, whether managing operations of their family farming business, through work in organizations supporting agriculture or both,” Littlefield said. “And since so many younger women are taking on even more important roles in farming and ranching, they will help ensure a strong future for agriculture in the state.”

    Keith Hesterberg, President and CEO of Fresno Madera Farm Credit, added that the philanthropic efforts of women in agriculture are a cornerstone of the health of farming communities around the state.

    “Since the founding of our nation, rural America has evolved through a unique commitment to volunteerism that has strengthened and improved our communities,” Hesterberg said. “The Common Threads winners truly exemplify this trait as all have given generously of their time over the years to work on projects that have made a real difference.”

    The Common Threads program also benefits the recipients’ communities, Holman noted, as some of the proceeds from the awards events benefit a charity designated by each of the honorees.

    About Farm Credit: AgWest Farm Credit, American AgCredit, CoBank and Fresno Madera Farm Credit are cooperatively owned lending institutions providing agriculture and rural communities with a dependable source of credit. We specialize in financing farmers, ranchers, farmer-owned cooperatives, rural utilities and agribusinesses. Farm Credit offers a broad range of loan products and financial services, including long-term real estate loans, operating lines of credit, equipment and facility loans, cash management and appraisal and leasing services…everything a “growing” business needs. For more information, visit www.farmcreditalliance.com

    About Common Threads: The Common Threads program was launched in 1997 by the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology and the Ag One Foundation at California State University, Fresno. The Agricultural Leadership Foundation launched Common Threads North in 2003 in conjunction with the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis, California Women in Agriculture and nine county Farm Bureaus.

  • U.S. Tree Nut Exports Reach Record Levels, Easing Oversupply Burden

    California tree nut growers harvested record crops of almonds, walnuts and pistachios in 2020, following a year of ideal growing conditions on expanded bearing acreage. The abundance of supply led to lower tree nut prices which, combined with a weaker U.S. dollar, have pushed exports to record high volumes. The surge in exports comes despite ongoing retaliatory tariffs in importing countries like China and India and complicated shipping logistics.

    According to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange, as bearing acreage continues to expand in the years ahead, the sector will need to continue growing its export base and add processing capacity to handle future record crops.

    “California’s tree nut crop has tripled in the last 20 years and continued expansion is expected as more bearing acres come into production in regions where water has not been limited,” said Tanner Ehmke, lead specialty crops economist with CoBank. “Expanding the export base will be key to finding a home for increases in production, and further investments in harvesting machinery, hulling and shelling capacity, and processing will be needed to market future tree nut crops in a timely manner.”

    After experiencing an exceptional growing season last year, California growers of almonds, walnuts and pistachios harvested near-record yields on record high acreage to produce a massive crop in 2020. Harvest levels rose substantially over 2019, with almonds, walnuts and pistachios increasing by 18%, 19% and 40%, respectively.

    Local markets were challenged by a lack of storage and processing capacity to handle the record crop, noting that acreage has grown too fast to harvest in a timely manner.

    The immense supply, coupled with some minor quality issues, contributed to the notable drop in prices for almonds and walnuts. Almond prices fell by roughly 30% from the prior year and walnut prices were down 40%. Pistachio prices have been steady to moderately lower year-over-year following a smaller off-year harvest in 2019.

    Water allocations for crop irrigation in California may impact yields of the 2021 crop. Handlers anticipate prices will be relatively stable for almonds, walnuts and pistachios heading into the next crop year and that the low-price environment will build a stronger demand base that will carry over into future marketing seasons.

    While tree nut growers and handlers are expected to struggle with low prices through 2021, the payoff is coming, noted Ehmke. “Consumers around the globe are adding nuts to their diets, which will boost demand and propel export momentum,” he said.

    Shipping issues with containers and the unknown impacts from COVID-19 cloud the long-term outlook on general consumption. Container shortages constrained exports from achieving a faster pace. Tree nut traders estimate that the scarcity of shipping containers has delayed 10%-20% of shipments.

    Watch a video synopsis and read the report, California Tree Nut Outlook: Record Exports Expand

    About CoBank

    CoBank is a $159 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 75,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

    CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and maintains an international representative office in Singapore.