- Pre-Harvest Checklist: Managing the Orchard Floor
- ABC Food Safety Symposiums Look at Public Perceptions, New Technologies
- Water Ways: Water Salvos
- New NRCS Air Quality Incentives Target Polluting Farm Equipment
- Budget Planning
- Don't Let Your Crews Become "Hot-Heads"
- Almonds Shine at Obesity Meeting
- First-Ever Almond Innovation Project Explores the Culinary Frontier
- Harvest Sampling Provides Valuable Feedback for Orchard's IPM Program
- 2009 Almond Forecast Announced
JULY
16 PR and Advertising Committee 10:00AM 20 International Committee 9:30AM 22 Leadership Development Committee 8:30AM 22 Almond Board of California 9:30AM
New NRCS Air-Quality Incentives
Target Polluting Farm Equipment
The USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service will provide cost-share opportunities for growers to replace, retrofit or repower older polluting mobile engines and farm equipment as part of a new round of initiatives targeting air quality emissions in troubled air basins.
NRCS has made $22 million available for California growers to address air quality issues in 2009, including the new $15 million initiative under its Conservation Innovation Grants (b) program.
"This program will help farmers reduce air pollution in the Valley and will provide much-needed support to our local economy," said District Conservationist Chris Hartley, with the NRCS office in Stanislaus County.
Almond growers can receive cost-share grants to repower lower-tier equipment engines with cleaner motors, or retrofit older engines with newer combustion systems. Some funds may also be available to replace older orchard equipment, including shakers, tractors or harvesters. The program will parallel other funds available through the State Air Board's Carl Moyer Program, and can be leveraged for additional funding from individual air districts.
Engines must be at least 50 brake horsepower to qualify for cost-share funds. The level of cost-share is calculated based on the horsepower of the engine, ranging from $200 per BHP to $350 per BHP. Priority will be given to higher use, higher polluting tier-1 or tier-2 engines.
The deadline to apply for 2009 funding was June 26, but a new round of sign ups for 2010 funding will begin in October.
- Farm Advisor Interns Selected
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Field sanitation during harvest is critical to minimizing potential contamination of almonds. Workers should have ready access to toilets and fully stocked hand-washing stations at all times. California state law mandates that toilets are to be placed within 1/4 mile from the field work area. Placement of portable toilets should be done in a manner that minimizes the chance of contamination to harvested almonds.
