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JANUARY 2014 | Volume 377, Number 1 www.tulcofb.org

100 years ofCooperative ExtensionPart one of a multi series sharing thehistory of Tulare UCCE … Page 5

Kings RiverWater CoalitionNow enrolling growers forILRP compliance ... Page 3

Aftermath of theDecember FreezeLocal citrus growers and packersare assessing the damage… Page 9

a LittleDIGDEEPER

Young Farmers & Ranchers

Join over 200 farmers, ranchersand agriculture professionals ages18-35 at the 2014 Young Farmersand Ranchers LeadershipConference taking place February27 - March 2 at the VisaliaMarriott and Convention Center.

Tulare County will be hostingthis year's YF&R LeadershipConference offering industry toursand showcasing all Tulare Countyagriculture has to offer.

YF&R members interested inattending the conference may signup at the January and FebruaryYF&R committee meetings, seethe YF&R news section on Page 7for meeting location and details.The Tulare County YF&Rcommittee will also sponsormembers to attend.

As reported in a late Octoberedition of Ag Alert®, the CaliforniaOn Road Heavy Duty Diesel Truckand Bus rule continues to go thruchanges and modification as theCalifornia Air Resources Board(CARB) conducted outreach andheld workshops in Decemberthroughout the state.

A very well attended meeting washeld on December 12 at the SanJoaquin Valley Air Pollution ControlDistrict's office in Fresno, to providea workshop and public meeting fortruckers from all sectors of thetransportation industry to hearabout the proposed changes andvo i c e the i r c once rns andfrustrations about the rule and itsimpact on their business.

CARB is recommending some lessstringent compliance options forowners of agricultural diesel

Fa rm Bureau membersinterested in obtaining theirCalifornia Concealed Weaponspermit or need instructions hoursto renew their CCW permit canattend the firearms safety coursepresented by Tulare County FarmBureau.

The CCW course will take placeat the Farm Bureau office onW e d n e s d a y , J a n u a r y 1 5beginning at 6pm and run thru10pm. Refreshments will beprovided by Farm Bureau.

Taught by California ConcealedCarry Permit Training, the classc o v e r s T u l a r e C o u n t yInitial/Renewal; Kings CountyInitial/Renewal; City of FresnoRenewal; City of Lemoore Renewaland the City of Hanford Renewal.

California YF&R Leadership Conference Comes to Visalia

T h e Y F & R L e a d e r s h i pConference is a great way to learna n d g r o w a s a y o u n gagriculturalist, as well as network

with other YF&R members fromthroughout California.

The conference features tours off a r m s a n d a g o p e r a t i o n sthroughout the county. Attendeescan choose from a variety of tourtracks to places like SettonPistachios, Sun Pacific, MonroviaNursery, Air-O-Fan, Sierra ForestProducts, California Dairy Inc.,Western Milling and many more.

The four day conference alsoincludes breakout sessionsf o c u s i n g o n p r o f e s s i o n a ldevelopment, social media, agmarkets, insurance and more. Avariety of speakers are lined upincluding California Farm BureauPresident Paul Wenger, JohnPhipps and local dairyman DinoGiacomazzi.

Saturday evening, March 1,includes the annual YF&R awardsbanquet with live entertainmentby the Chris Gardner Band.

Registration is now open. Fullconference registration isavailable at $145 per person.Individual meal tickets are alsoavailable for those not attendingthe entire conference.

To register, or for furtherinformation about the YF&RLeadership Conference, includinga t e n t a t i v e a g e n d a a n dsponsorship opportunities; visitwww.cfbf.com/yfr or call 559-732-8301.

To attend the conferencerepresenting Tulare County emailthe Tulare County YF&R [email protected].

Diesel Truck Rule Has Been Modified, Sign up your Ag Trucks thru Jan 31vehicles and has already presentedthese changes for the 2014compliance year, which will allowtruck owners to take advantage ofanticipated regulatory changes untilthey are considered by the AirResources Board in April 2014.

In addition they are recognizing“good faith” efforts by those truckcompanies that have encounteredfinancial hardship in achievingcompliance, and are providingextensions for new and additionalcompliance rules to be achieved bytruckers throughout California.

The important date to rememberfor agriculture haulers in the nearterm is January 31, by which dateagriculture truck owners who wishto register for the Ag VehicleExtension program have atemporary window of time to sign upany trucks that were not previously

registered back in 2011 when theenrollment period first opened.

Trucks were required to register in2011 and stay below an annualmileage limit to remain eligible forthe extension, except certain trucksapproved for the specialtyagriculture vehicle exemption.Owners are required to report theirodometer reading annually onJanuary 1. The number of ag vehicleextensions you apply for cannot behigher than the number of trucks inyour fleet as of January 1, 2009 –which means you must have ownedthe truck as of January 1, 2009 to beeligible for enrollment into thisprogram.

We know this does not help all ofag, but will help some truck ownerswho may not have registered back in2011. This may also cause you tohave to report information about

vehicles that are no longer part ofthe current fleet to establish your2009 baseline.

Under this temporary window ofopen enrollment, any ag trucks thatdid not previously enroll by 2011 arebeing given this opportunity toregister for the ag vehicle extensionprogram thru January 31, 2014. Ifyou did not report previously, butyou can still show that your vehiclesmet the mileage and eligibilityrequirements of the agriculturalvehicle extension since January 1,

Farm Bureau Offers CCW Course - January 15

The cost is $40 per person.Reservations and payment arerequired in advance. Acceptedforms of payment are cash, check(made payable to CA CCP Training),or credit card.

Sign up forms are available at theTCFB office and online at

www.tulcofb.org. You can alsosign up by simply calling theTCFB office at 732-8301.

The course will highlight thefol lowing: Cali fornia lawspertaining to carrying a concealedfirearm; Firearm Safety; Differentways to conceal your firearmswhile carrying; Proper storage ofyour firearms; Transportation ofyour firearms; Handling firearmssafely; and Proper maintenance ofyour firearm.

Attendees are encouraged tobring a note pad, pen, pencil andhighlighter. For more informationor questions please contact TCFBat 732-8301. The course requiresa minimum of 10 enrollments,and class size will be limited toavailable seating.

See Diesel Truck Rule on page 4

January 2014Tulare County Farm Bureau News www.tulcofb.org

Executive Commentsby Patricia Stever Blattler, Executive [email protected]

What Should Agricultural Mitigationand Farmland Protection Look Like?

As we gear up for 2014 and a busyyear ahead, the Tulare CountyAgricultural Policy AdvisoryCommittee (APAC) will be taskedwith some important charges toidentify and develop sound policiesand strategies for implementing theCounty's General Plan Update andaddressing important farmlandprotection objectives.

As part of that task, the FarmBureau's Land Use Committee metin November for their regularmonthly meeting and took time toreview our county's land use policystatements, and refresh andupdate those statements as theyrelate to farmland protection andconservation efforts in our County.I know our committee will be keenlyinterested in fol lowing thedevelopments of the APAC as theycover a variety of topics in their2014 agenda schedule.

One of the most crit icaldiscussions and debates that Ipredict on the horizon is that of anagricultural mitigation process forTulare County.

Is this likely the direction ourcounty will take? Will mitigation

Winter is here early this year.Cold. Dry. Real cold, real dry. Kindof uncharacteristic for the fifty eightwinters I've lived in California.

I'm trying to stay optimistic andmaybe we'll get a soaker by the timeyou read this. You would have to beblind not to see the seriousness ofour lack of water. We need someserious political will to counterthese drought years with good waterpolicy and management.

Our annual meeting in Montereyfor California Farm Bureau was wellattended and well represented by allcounty Farm Bureaus. Thebusiness agenda was light this year,the breakout sessions wereinteresting and informative. Thespecial water meeting we had was abit intense.

There was plenty of time forsocializing with a broad crosss e c t i o n o f C a l i f o r n i a A gprofessionals and talk we did, but atthe bottom of it all, it always cameback to water. As good as prices arefor most producers, there was anunderlying grim attitude. It's likethe bumper sticker that says, "NoWater, No Food."

If you are not aware of it, water isscarce. This is year three of drought.There is frustration and uncertaintyall over the state. People are racingto work together to pool resources.People are racing to keep others

from getting the water, nothing newreally. Whiskey’s for drinking,water's for fighting over. Californiais, after all, largely a desert state.

The stakes seem higher nowthough, the numbers are waybigger. The dollars produced impactso many livelihoods in our county.All of us rely on producers having agood crop.

The freeze we had didn't help myfriends who grow citrus. At this timethe damage is unclear but it's a hardhit. Those are citrus dollars that arenot going to circulate in our townsthis year. Many growers pumped alot of that precious water to savetheir crop. Did I mention a grimattitude?

But back to the annual meeting, Idid see a lot of smiles and we evenlaughed out loud from time to time.Nobody I saw was giving up or eventhinking of giving up.

One of the highlights for me thisyear was an elderly gentleman fromShasta County named ClarisMeyers. This man had the will tokeep going. He was given a lifetimeDistinguished Service award atAnnual Meeting and his was not asimple acceptance speech, but thestory of his life. He would havespoken all night if CFBF PresidentPaul Wenger hadn't gently workedhim off stage.

He had an amazing story. It was a

become part of a central discussionabout protect ing farmland,promoting voluntary farmlandeasements, permanent restrictionsthat protect agriculture and requiredevelopers to pay fees or mitigatefor the loss of farmland? It is not asimple question, nor does it havesimple answers.

Farm Bureau 's land usecommittee members seem to hold avariety of diverse views about whatfarmland conservation strategiesthe County should utilize, and it isa frequent debate that has manycomplicated pieces that can takethe conversat ion in manydirections.

As part of this exercise, andtrying to formulate a position onbehalf of Farm Bureau's members,I'd like to hear from you in 2014about your view of farmlandconservation.

What tools should we ask theCounty to utilize, enforce, develop,or not develop? Should we requiredevelopers to provide mitigationcredits, and pay fees to set asidefarmland when they seek to developand convert productive soils and

President’s Notesby Steve Godlin, [email protected]

pleasure to hear him tell about anaverage days work what I wouldguess was about eighty years ago.What a guy. That generationunderstood the rewards of hardwork.

It meant you wouldn't starve andyou wouldn't die. Really, I hope theywill record his story in its entiretyand you can go to the CFBF websiteand listen to it. Dawn till dusk tillthe chore was no more. What a guy!

Also, Claris was recognized for hisyears of going door to door all overhis county and making sure thatpeople joined Farm Bureau. Clarisbelieves we need Farm Bureau toshape farming's destiny and protectit for the future.

Speaking of which, I am excitedabout our Team ChallengeMembership drive with the TCFBBoard of Directors. It will be a goodopportunity for our board membersto get to know each other better. Itwill also get us out there to talk topeople and get some new membersso we can be like Claris! It will be alot of fun.

Thanks members, friends andfamilies, we'll keep on trucking andpraying for rain. I hope you all had achance to go outside on a brilliantcold night, look at the stars, pauseand reflect. Be of good cheer, I hopeyou had a Merry Christmas andhave a Happy New Year!

take agricultural land out ofproduction?

Should this be a mandatory orvo luntary requ i rement fo rdevelopers? How do we establish amitigation policy that is flexible andprovides the requisite outcomes ofprotecting farmland withoutinfringing on a farmer's future rightto sell or develop land if marketconditions are right?

I'd like to hear from you, and Ihope you will share your thoughtsand input on what would be theright conservation strategies forTulare County, send me yourt h o u g h t s b y e m a i l a [email protected] or give me acall at 732-8301. Better yet, drop inon a Land Use Committee meetingsometime and be part of theconversation!

Farm Bureau policies aremember driven, and if you have astrong feeling about this subject, itwould be valuable to hear from youas we are developing a response tothe County and weighing in on theconversation with the County's AgPolicy Advisory Committee.

Happy New Year everyone!

TulareCounty

FarmBureau

TulareCounty

FarmBureauNEWSNEWSExecutive Committee

District 1 Directors





Livestockyards Chairman

YF&R Committee Chair

CFBF Commodity Advisory Committee

Service Committees

President Steve Godlin (559) 804-86801 Vice President Joey Airoso (559) 967-52582 Vice President Roger Everett (559) 333-0283Treasurer Ed Needham (559) 977-7282Past President Larry Peltzer (559) 798-0051CFBF District Director

Robert Blattler (559) 392-1700Keith Cosart (559) 592-2821Vacant

Tom Barcellos (559) 730-6895

Vincent Sola (559) 303-4521

Beth Baxley (559) 625-9615

Zach Stuller (661) 979-5016

Bob Berry (559) 804-0667Joe Russell (559) 734-6948Jordan Whaley (559) 972-7879

John Guthrie (559) 784-6868Josh Pitigliano (559) 752-4319Matt Watkins (559) 647-7161

Ed Carroll (559) 967-2070

Dusty Ference (559) 303-1885

Animal Health & Welfare Jennifer Wessel, DVMApiary Roger EverettBeef Cattle Jon DolieslagerCitrus/Avocado Larry PeltzerDairy Joey AirosoFood Safety & Biotechnology Brody BlainForestry Jeff GletneGrapes Pat PinkhamHay Justin NuckolsHorticulture Sal SorianoPublic Lands Larry DuysenSpecialty Crops Dominic Pitigliano

Leslie Kennard

Education (co-chairs) Sandi Gist-LangianoDavid Sharp

Finance Ed NeedhamFundraising Larry PeltzerLand Use (co-chairs) Brian Blain

Craig KnudsonAgri Tourism Bob McKellarMembership Ed NeedhamProperty Keith WatkinsRural Health & Safety Larry Stoneburner, MDScholarship Ed NeedhamWater Resources Keith WatkinsYF&R State Representative Karen Whaley

st

nd

Ed Needham (559) 977-7282

Terry Langiano (559) 905-2838

Sal Soriano (559) 564-1207

(SSN 07447086, USPS NO 643-680)is published monthly for $9 annually forTCFB members and $10 annually for non-members by Tulare County Farm Bureau,737 N. Ben Maddox Way, Visalia CA93292. Periodical postage paid at VisaliaCA. POSTMASTER: Send address changesto Tulare County Farm Bureau News,P.O. Box 748, Visalia CA 93279.(559) 732-8301

Executive Director: Patricia Stever Blattler

Program Coordinator: Carrie Crane

Administration: Sandy Nixon

E-Mail: [email protected]

Advertising: Kast & Company CommunicationsPO Box 7173, Visalia, CA 93290(559) 732-5030

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER

PLEASE RECYCLE

Tulare County Farm Bureau does notassume responsibility for statements byadvertisers or for products inTulare County Farm Bureau News.

Reflections from Annual Meeting

New methodsremove moreroots & reduceclean-up costs!

Nuts • Citrus • Stone Fruit (661) 746-2623Nuts • Citrus • Stone Fruit (661) 746-2623www.wilsonag.net

Orchard Removal by

January 2014 Tulare County Farm Bureau Newswww.tulcofb.org

I’m a TCFB member because...

Farm Bureau Membership Has Value!

Donations to the charitable fund are tax deductible.P.O. Box 748 • Visalia, CA 93279-0748

Mary Rankin Memorial ScholarshipRick and Gwen Rankin

Shirley Rankin

Farm Bureau represents all ofagriculture with a unified voiceregardless of what type of crops yougrow or livestock you raise. Inagriculture we play a vital role inproviding food for our country and theworld. It is more important than everfor us to work together on importantpolitical, environmental and economicissues to ensure a safe and reliablefood source for generations to come.

The other great thing about FarmBureau and why I joined; is because ofthe people in Farm Bureau. It's a truegrass roots organization made up of people who have a passion forwhat they do!

Joey AirosoAiroso Dairy Farms, Pixley

Members since 1992

MEMORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

The Kings River Water QualityCoalition (Coalition) has begun theprocess of enrolling growers whocurrently are not members of theCoalition.

The Coalition received notice fromthe Central Valley Regional WaterQuality Control Board (RegionalBoard) on November 20 that itsapplication to serve as the thirdparty representing members in theKings River Watershed wasapproved.

The Coalition's key objective is tosupport growers in complying with

Businesses belonging to FarmBureau in California now qualifyfor discounted fuel purchasesthrough Flyers Energy. TheC a l i f o r n i a F a r m B u r e a uFederation has named FlyersEnergy as its preferred fuelsupplier.

Flyers Energy is the largestmember of the CommercialFueling Network and also offersfueling at 230,000 locationsnationwide with the Flyers FleetCard, including a large number oflocations in Tulare County.

Under the new program,businesses with a Farm Bureaumembership will benefit from a 3cent per gallon discount on fuelpurchased with the Flyers CFNcard. The Farm Bureau discountalso includes a 2 cent per gallonsavings at retail sites everywherethe Flyers Fleet Card is accepted,plus a special rate on bulk-delivered fuel.

Electronic security features on

Kings River Water Quality Coalition Is Now Enrolling Growersthe Tulare Lake Basin GeneralOrder. This new regulationconsiders any irrigated land ashaving the potential to dischargeinto groundwater; therefore, allirrigated parcels must comply withthe newly adopted General Order.

C o m p l i a n c e i n c l u d e smembership in a coalition orobtaining coverage under aRegional Board Individual Order.

Growers must join the Coalitionby May 19, 2014. After May 19,growers must apply directlythrough the Regional Board to join

the Coalition. Joining directlythrough the Coalition is lessexpensive than joining through theRegional Board.

Failure to obtain regulatorycoverage through either a coalitionor individual order may result infines and/or penalties from theRegional Board. You do not need

New Fuel Discount Program for Members

the Flyers Fleet Card improve fueltracking and security, to reducerisk associated with the fueling ofcompany vehicles by employees.Controls are programmed into thef u e l c a r d s a n d i n c l u d eparameters such as time and dayrestrictions, gallon limits and e-receipts.

Information for Farm Bureaumembers about how to usethe discount is available on theC F B F w e b s i t e a thttp://www.cfbf.com/benefits/fuel or by calling toll-free, 800-698-3276.

Flyers Energy, based in Auburn,franchises the Flyers fuel brandand distributes wholesale andbranded retail fuel, commerciallubricants, renewable fuels andsolar power.

coverage if your agricultural landsare not used for commercialpurposes; not irrigated; or coveredby the General Order for ExistingMilk Cow Dairies.

To find out more about theCoalition or how to join go towww.kingsriverwqc.org or call 559.365.7958.

Ag Commissioner’s Cornerby Marilyn Kinoshita,Tulare County Ag Commissioner

Tulare County HasA New Bug in Town:The Bagrada Bug

We have a new pest find here inTulare County, and no, it is notAsian Citrus Psyllid. One singlebagrada bug was found east ofPorterville in a patch of wildmustard.

Bagrada bugs were first found inLos Angeles County in 2008. Notsurprising, as many of our newintroductions come from populationcenters. It spread to the othersouthern counties by 2011. It isnative to Africa, India and Pakistan.

When not feeding on theirpreferred host of mustard seeds, thepest will move to other plants in themustard family - including Brusselssprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kaleand broccoli.

Coastal counties such as Ventura,are finding the need to do earlymonitoring to avoid damage to theirhigh-cash crops. A concern to us isthe fact that it will also feed onpotato, corn, sorghum, cotton, and

some legumes.The bagrada bug is a true bug,

meaning that it has overlappingwings and has piercing-suckingmouthparts, which are used toingest plant juices.

Although damage attributed tobagrada bugs has been observed inrow crops, such as the kind thatgrow in the San Joaquin Valley,cucurbit vegetables in home gardenscan be more heavily affected. Mostresearch has shown that managingbagrada bugs in large-scaleagricultural crops is possible.

In backyard situations, there are afew cultural practices that may beused to limit their involvement.Monitoring for egg-laying sites onthe leaves or in the soil and handpicking early in the season canreduce populations. Cultivating thesoil surface and laying down abarrier in between rows can also beeffective.


News Briefs

EM Tharp Scholarship AppsDue January 17

New Farm to Fork WebsitePromotes California Agriculture

High school seniors fromMadera, Fresno, Tulare, Kings andKern counties are encouraged toapply for the E.M. Tharp "WeBelieve in Growing" scholarship byJanuary 17. Two $10,000scholarships will be awarded tostudents who attend a four-yearuniversity to major in anagricultural field. The scholarshipswill be disbursed over four years at$2,500 per year. To be consideredfor the scholarship, students musts u b m i t t w o l e t t e r s o frecommendation; one copy of theirhigh school transcripts; ACT orSAT scores and be graduating fromhigh school during the 2013-2014s c h o o l y e a r . D o w n l o a da p p l i c a t i o n s a t :www.worldagexpo.com. Sendcompleted applications to:International Agri-Center, "WeBelieve in Growing" Scholarship,4500 South Laspina Street, Tulare,CA 93274.

CDFA is pleased to announce theCalifornia Farm to Fork web site, aplace to highlight programs andprojects that focus on sourcing,marketing and increasing the useof California crops. The web site,www.cafarmtofork.com, featureslinks to a page that shows whatcrops grow in certain regions atspecific times of the year, and alsoprofiles local efforts to increaseaccess to healthy foods at variouslocations throughout the state. Asthe site evolves, it will includeadditional information andresources about California cropsas well as other agriculturalproducts, like grains, meats anddairy. CDFA hopes the new site willconnect consumers, school

districts, and other groups directlywith California's farmers andranchers, and also provideadditional information about ourstate's magnificent bounty.

If you have purchased insuranceproducts from Jim Rakich, BillFlores, or Ray Montes over the pasttwo or more decades, you probablyrecall visiting the Farm Bureauoffice in Visalia to meet with one ofthese individuals about yourinsurance policies. Farm Bureauis sad to see them leave, but aftermore than 26 years of beingneighbors, the insurance officessituated at 737 N. Ben MaddoxWay are moving to a new location!

Jim Rakich retired at the end ofOctober, 2013 and has relocated tonorthern California; while BillFlores and Ray Montes willcont inue the i r insurancebusinesses at a new locationeffective December 23, 2013.

The new Insurance Agency officewill now be located at 3924 WestCaldwell Ave, Suite B, Visalia CA93277. Their phone number,(559) 732-2281 and fax (559) 732-9219 as well as email addresseswill remain the same. Theirvaluable assistant, Denise VanSlype, will also be making the movewith the agents to their newlocation.

Bill and Ray, and a host of otheragents will continue offering theirclients premier insurance services,advice, and support on a variety ofpersonal and commercial lines ofinsurance at their new offices off ofCaldwell Ave in Visalia. Drop inand say hello, we know they areanxious to invite their customers,friends, and Farm Bureaumembers to visit their new officesand learn more about insuranceservices they can provide.

Insurance Partners Leave FarmBureau Building After Long Tenure

Serving Farmers

Since 1975

ATI MACHINERYAG EQUIPMENT RENTAL

Call: www.atimachinery.com1-888-461-0625

• Challenger MT865 – MT855 – MT845 – MT835 – MT765• John Deere 9620T – 9520T – 8430T – 8520T – 8400T• John Deere MFWD Wheel Tractors – 275HP to 150HP• Cat Challenger 95-85-75 Rubber Belted Tractors• Case MX285 – MXM 175 Wheel Tractors• Cat D8K Direct Drive Mounted and Drawbar Tractors• Cat D6C – 3 & 5 Shank Rippers - Discs

CHALLENGER MT845CJOHN DEERE 8430T

Fantastic investment opportunity!19.5 acres of farm land in the city limits of Dinuba. It has alreadyhad a preliminary map approved by the city for a subdivision. Citysays you can also farm it. Great write off of old dead trees when

removed. Has a well and pipeline. Call me today, only $415,000.00.

When you really want to buy or sell that farm or ranch

DO IT WITH PRUITT

Jerry Pruitt

559 901 3108

YOUR

Real Estate Man!

in Visalia

2011, you may still opt-in to thisprogram by January 31. You willneed to report information about allof the heavier vehicles (greater than14,000 GVWR) in your Californiafleet as it existed on January 1,2011 including annual odometerreadings to show the mileage limitswere met each year.

The Ag Vehicle Extensionspecifically affords an ag truckowner to extend their compliancedeadline, depending on the enginemodel.

A truck with an engine model2006 or newer may drive 25,000miles annually to be eligible for thisprogram, 1996 to 2005 enginesmay drive 20,000 miles annually,or 1995 and older engine modelsmay drive 15,000 miles annually tobe eligible. By registering for thisag vehicle extension program youare “buying time” to comply withthe rule and delaying thecompliance deadline for when youhave to replace your truck with a2010 or newer engine. Some truckowners will have to comply by 2017,

but many will be able to takeadvantage of delaying replacementas far out as 2023.

Most ag trucks will qualify if theyare used exclusively for growing orharvesting crops for the primarypurpose of making a profit or todeliver the harvested crops. Onceyou register your fleet, and theeligible trucks for the Ag VehicleExtension Program, you must affixan “AG” sticker to both the left andright door, the letters must be inwhite block lettering and be threeinches high on a five inch by eightinch black background.

Your county Farm Bureau officehas the stickers available, butplease call in advance if you arerequesting more than 2 stickers sothey may be ordered, they areavailable for a nominal cost of $2per sticker. Call TCFB at 732-8301to order your stickers.

To register and report your agt r u c k ( s ) , v i s i t :http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/reportinginfo.htm/. Youwill receive login instructions, andwant to save that information forfuture log-in and to report annualodometer readings on your trucks.

Questions may be directed to theCARB hotline: 866-6DIESEL (634-3 7 3 5 ) o r e m a i l e d t o :[email protected]. Anotherinformative website specificallycovering all types of diesel truckquestions may be found athttp://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/truckstop/truckstop.htm/. Bothlinks will take you to the reportingpage and provide instructions forhow to register and report trucks.

Other programs that also areoffering a brief opt-in enrollmentperiod thru January 31, 2014

include: New register for existinglow mileage construction truckextension, new register fore x i s t i n g P M p h a s e - i nrequirements, and thresholds forthe low-use exemption on alltrucks that are operated a total ofless than 5,000 miles per year, andfor trucks that are designed toperform work while stationary, thelimit will increase to 200 hours peryear. Finally, the definition of“NOx exempt” areas will beexpanded to include additionalregions of the state.

Diesel Truck Rulefrom page 1


by Jim Sullins,UCCE County Director, Tulare-Kings

100 Years ofCooperative ExtensionPart 1: The Smith-Lever Act Centennial

UCCE Director’s Notes

May 2014 will mark the 100thanniversary of the Smith-Lever Act,the legislation that createdC o o p e r a t i v e E x t e n s i o n , anationwide system of community-based education; established aspart of each state's land grantuniversity.

Cooperative Extension wass t a r t e d t o h e l p f a r m e r s ,homemakers, and youth use thelatest university research toimprove their lives. At first gearedtowards strengthening ruralcommunities, a century later,Cooperative Extension continuesto provide a vital link betweenp u b l i c u n i v e r s i t i e s a n dcommunities.

The Cooperative Extensionsystem was built on the foundationof state land-grant colleges, createdby the 1862 Morrill Act, signed intolaw by President Abraham Lincoln.The Morrill Act gave each state agrant of land to establish a collegethat would teach practical subjectss u c h a s a g r i c u l t u r e a n dengineering.

As envisioned, a key role of landgrant institutions was to developknowledge that would help farmersproduce enough food and fiber tomeet the needs of a growing nation.Additional legislation, the 1887Hatch Act, provided land-grantcolleges with funds to developagricultural experiment stationswhere research was conducted.

However, until the passage of the1914 Smith-Lever Act, there wasnot a consistent way of gettingi m p o r t a n t r e s e a r c h - b a s e dknowledge from the agriculturalcampuses out to the ruralcommunities that needed thisinformation.

Authored by Senator Hoke Smithof Georgia and RepresentativeAsbury Lever of South Carolina, theS m i t h - L e v e r A c t w a s t h eculmination of years of advocacy byfarm groups and others whobelieved that rural Americansneeded more opportunities andeducation in order to sustain a

vibrant American economy anddemocracy.

Training for farmers on improvedagricultural practices was core tothis ideal. While there waswidespread agreement that anational system of extendingagricultural knowledge wasnecessary , there was lessagreement on how to create such asystem. Quite a few similar billshad already failed when Sen. Smithand Rep. Lever worked out asuccessful compromise.

The two legislators developedtheir bill to create a historicpartnership between land-grantuniversities and the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture (USDA).The universities would manageagricultural extension in eachstate, with guidance from USDA.In addition to providing federaloversight, USDA had an importantrole to play in formulating the newsystem.

Beginning in 1903, they haddeveloped an innovative system offarmer education known as theF a r m e r ' s C o o p e r a t i v eDemonstration Program. Foundedby USDA educator Seaman Knapp,this program was based on farmer-led demonstrations, and waspopular and successful throughoutthe south. Knapp's programplaced an educator, or “agent,” incounties to work with farmers ands u p p o r t t h e i r o n - f a r mdemonstrations.

Smith and Lever's compromiseensured that the county-by-countydemonstration method pioneeredby Knapp and USDA would becomeintegral to the extension system tobe developed by the land-grantuniversities. The Smith-Lever Actwas signed by President WoodrowWilson on May 8, 1914, and soon,each state's land grant universitywas organizing CooperativeExtension, or formalizing existingefforts.

Next month Part 2: CooperativeExtension in California and TulareCounty.

MAIN LINE 559-757-31232ND LINE 559-757-3198Fwy 99 at Avenue 120

P.O. Box 255Pixley, CA 93256

Fax 559-757-2522

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Following a grim initial state waterallocation released in late November,Governor Brown has called uponstate agencies to form aninteragency Drought Task Force towork on managing the currentstatus of lack of water in California.

With mounting pressure fromagriculture and water advocates,valley legislators and the increase ofmedia coverage; the Governor isbeing responsive with a letter he sentto CDFA, the CA Department ofWater Resources, the State WaterResources Control Board and to theOffice of Emergency Services.

In his letter he stated, "In the lastyear, California has experiencedsome of the driest periods on record,leading the State to announceextremely low initial waterallocations. The federal governmentlikely will soon follow suit."

Federal water allocations areexpected to be released inconjunction with their annual waterconference held in Reno in February.

"In light of these conditions, I amdirecting that you (the agencies)immediately convene an interagencyDrought Task Force to meet weeklyand review expected allocations, ourstate preparedness and whether

Governor Brown Callsfor Drought Task Force

conditions warrant declaration of astatewide drought," Governor Browncontinues in the letter.

The last time California officiallydeclared a statewide drought wasunder Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggerin 2007.

"We must do everything we can toaddress the impacts of watershortages and move water fromwhere it is available to where it isneeded."

Farm Bureau is continuing topush and advocate for increasedwater storage throughout the stateand to establish infrastructure tocapture water during wet years to beable to use in dry years.

Governor Brown's letter sent onDec. 17, comes shortly after theDepartment of Water Resourcesannounced they have mobilized anew drought management teamheaded up by Bill Croyle as managerand Jeannie Jones as deputymanager.

At the January 7 meeting of theCalifornia State Board of Food andAgriculture, DWR and the stateWater Resources Control Board willbe discussing additional actions bythe state to address droughtconditions and impacts.

The annual statewide PistachioDay s designed to deliver the latestresearch-based product ionpractices in a format that enablesprospective or current pistachiogrowers, production managers andpest control consultants to betterachieve their pistachio growinggoals.

The 2014 Annual StatewidePistachio Day will take place onWednesday, January 29 from 8:00am-1:00 pm at the VisaliaConvention Center in Visalia.

Early registration fee is $30 andincludes attendance, lunch andrefreshments. If you register afterJan. 17th, registration fee is $35.On-site registration will be availablebeginning at 7 am on Jan. 29 at $40per person.

This year's Statewide PistachioDay will include presentations onthe f o l l ow ing : Regu la t o r yChallenges that May AffectPistachio Growers; Update onCalifornia Pistachio Rootstocks; an

2014 Statewide Pistachio Day in VisaliaUpdate on New Cultivars; Managing'Bugs' in Pistachios: Stink Bugs,Leaffooted Bug and Mealybugs; andmore.

Continuing education creditshave been applied for from the CADept. of Pesticide Regulation (1.5hours other and 0.25 hours lawsand regulations) and from theCertified Crop Advisor Program (3.3CEUs)

Approved hours will be posted ont h e e v e n t w e b s i t e a thttp://ucanr.edu/sites/pistachioday/. Online registration and otherevent information is also availableon the website.

The event is co-sponsored by UCAgriculture and Natural Resourcesand the California PistachioResearch Board.

For more information andquestions regarding the coursec o n t e n t p l e a s e c o n t a c tL o u i s e F e r g u s o n a [email protected] or call559-737-3061.


T h e 4 5 t ha n n u a l T r i -County WalnutDay is set totake place onT h u r s d a y ,February 6th atthe Holiday Inni n V i s a l i a .Organized by the UC CooperativeExtension, the Tri-County WalnutDay serves to inform growers in thearea on the latest up to dateinformation and issues affectingthe walnut industry.

The day begins at 7:00 am withregistration that includes coffeeand pastries courtesy of theCalifornia Walnut Commission andlasts until noon, with a lunchprovided by event sponsors.

Pre-registration is due byJanuary 30. To register contact theTulare UCCE office at 684-3300 orr e g i s t e r o n l i n e a thttp://ucanr.edu/tcwd14. Thecost is $10 per person. On-siteregistration is available for $15 perperson.

The day will include variouspresentations by UC Farm Advisorsand topics include: Walnut MarketUpdate; Fumigation in WalnutReplant Sites; Navel OrangewormManagement; Walnut Pruning andTraining, Walnut BreedingAchievements and more.

Continuing education units havebeen approved: 2.0 hours of PCA(other) and 3.5 hours of CCA.

Farmers and ranchers did not seethe passage of a Farm Bill in 2013,talks over the massive FederalReform and Risk Management Actof 2013 continue into the new year.

As polit ical gridlock overagriculture payments and nutritionprograms has prevented the timelypassage of a new Farm Bill;California Farm Bureau continuesto push for inclusion of programs inthe Farm Bill that provideCalifornia farmers and rancherswith funding for air qualitycompliance and pest protectionprograms.

California Farm Bureau howeverdoes not want language thattramples on state's rights to protectagriculture from pest and disease;referring to the King Amendment oninterstate commerce. GovernorBrown is also backing CFBF inopposing inclusion of the KingAmendment.

In a letter sent Dec. 10 to both theU.S. Senate and House ofRepresentatives Majority andMinority leaders, Governor Brownshared his strong support of acomprehensive Farm Bill thatwould reauthorize numerousprograms that are vital to Californiafarmers and ranchers.

However, he stated his oppositionof the King Amendment. "I stronglyurge you, however, to opposeinclusion of the King Amendment,section 11312 of H.R. 2642, TheFede ra l Re f o rm and R i skmanagement Act of 2013, in thefinal Farm Bill," stated Brown.

"The King Amendment seeks toprevent states from exercising theirtraditional authorities over a broadrange of agricultural products andmanufacturing processes, fromfood safety and animal health to

Farm Bill Talks Continue, Gov. Brown Urges Exclusion of King Amendmentinvasive pests and qualitystandards. It would interfere withlong-standing state prerogativesand hamper the ability of states toprotect their food and naturalresources."

Numerous media coverage andcommentary over the KingAmendment is centered over thepassage of Proposition 2 inCalifornia and how the Californialaw is dictating productionprocedures in other states inregards to poultry production.

Yet, the King Amendment will notonly affect interstate commerce ofpoultry products, it will also affectother interstate travel of otheragriculture products. One productof particular interest to TulareCounty, is milk.

Bottled milk sold in Californiamust meet stricter qualitystandards pertaining to fat contentand substitutes for fat content. Forexample in low fat milk, the fatsolids are removed to reach 1% fatmark must be replaced with othersolids not fat. In other states thatquality standard is not required. Indoing so, bottled milk sold inCalifornia is more consistent intaste and quality.

Under current in ters ta tecommerce laws, dairy processorsin other states who want to selltheir milk in California are requiredto meet these standards; eventhough they might not be requiredto do so in their own state.

The King Amendment wouldoverturn this allowing producersand processors from other states tomeet quality requirements within

the state the product is produced,not sold.

This would put Californiafarmers and ranchers at ane x t r e m e d i s a d v a n t a g e i n

competing with other states overinterstate commerce of productsand could hinder Californiaagriculture by making it lesscompetitive.

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Following a year of intensivetraining, 10 Farm Bureaumembers from throughoutCalifornia earned recognition forcompleting the Leadership FarmBureau program. Two of whichwere from Tulare County.

The Leadership Farm BureauClass of 2013 graduated duringan event held during the 95thC a l i f o r n i a F a r m B u r e a uFederation Annual Meeting inMonterey last month.

“Volunteer leadership forms thebackbone of Farm Bureau, and weknow that people who complete

2013 Tulare County LFB grads pose for a picture after their graduation ceremony at the

CFBF Annual Meeting in December. Pictured (L to R), District 1 Director, Robert

Blattler; TCFB President, Steve Godlin; Karen Whaley; Carrie Crane; Laurie Airoso;

and TCFB 2nd Vice President Roger Everett.

Tulare Members graduate from Leadership FB

the Leadership Farm Bureauprogram use their training toenhance both our organizationa n d t h e i r o w n p e r s o n a ldevelopment,” CFBF PresidentP a u l W e n g e r s a i d .“Congratulations to the graduatesa n d t h a n k y o u f o r t h econtributions you will make toF a r m B u r e a u a n d y o u rcommunities.”

Among its activities, theLeadership Farm Bureau classparticipated in an advocacy trip toWashington, D.C. Class members

See Leadership FB on page 10

Young Farmers & Ranchers


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California Farm Bureau's YoungFarmers and Ranchers committeeconducted their annual Farm PACraffle and fundraiser whichculminated at the CFBF AnnualMeeting last month.

The effort was kicked off in Julyand YF&R members across the statesold raffle tickets for an array of prizepackages; including a UTV, BenelliShotgun, shopping spree to Cabela'sand more.

The dedication and hard work putforth by the Young Farmers andRanchers resulted in over $58,000

YF&R members collected toys at their annual Christmas party to donate to the Tulare

County Sheriff's Police Activities League. Members pictured above with the array of toys

collected and donated by YF&R.

YF&R Farm PAC Raffle Big Successraised; beating the record of $55,000raised in 2012.

Funds raised during this annualevent go to help the Farm PAC, whichsupports candidates of any partyaffiliation who are committed toworking for the best interests ofCalifornia agriculture.

Along with the raffle, YF&Rmembers also conducted a silentauction held throughout the four daylong Annual Meeting of Farm Bureaumembers. They also organized a liveauction of a donated rifle at the YF&RFarm PAC luncheon on Dec. 10.

Although no one from TulareCounty won a prize in the YF&RFarm PAC raffle, members of TCFBmade a splash during the FarmPAC luncheon in Monterey. TulareCounty Farm Bureau members intotal contributed over $5,000 tothe cause made possible bygenerous contributions by thePeltzer Family and the AirosoFamily.

YF&R members will continuetheir work to raise funds to help theFarm PAC Fund in 2014 and have anew record to break.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014Meeting will be held in Exeter,

location TBD.

Contact the committee by emailat [email protected]

or call the Farm Bureau Office at732-8301 for meeting location.

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Calling all young artists! FarmBureau's 2014 Calendar ArtContest theme is “Explore theTreasures of Tulare CountyAgriculture.” Winning entries willbe printed in a 12-month full colorcalendar distributed to schoolsthroughout the county recognizingthe winning entries and honorablementions.

The winners will be presentedprizes and cash awards at theNat iona l Agr icu l ture Weekpresentation with the TulareCounty Board of Supervisors onMarch 25, 2014.

Tulare County Farm Bureau inpartnership with the Tulare CountyOffice of Education hosts thisannual calendar art contest,inviting K-12 grade students fromall public and private schools tosubmit agriculturally themedartwork for publication in theirannual calendar.

The program seeks to createawareness of National AgricultureWeek held in March each year andhelp young adults understand theconnection between healthy eatingchoices and the bounty of TulareCounty's agricultural production.

E n t r y f o r m s h a v e b e e nd is t r ibuted to a l l schoo lscountywide, but additional copiesare available by contacting TulareCounty Farm Bureau office.Contest details and rules areoutlined on the entry form availableonline at www.tulcofb.org.

Pictured above the winning artwork by

Erendira Morales of Orosi High School.

Morales' art was featured on the cover of the

2013 Farm Bureau Art Calendar themed

Tulare County Agriculture…Our History,

Our Future.

Annual Farm Bureau CalendarArt Contest Seeking Entries

Students may want to visit theAgVentures! Learning Center atthe Heritage Complex to beinspired as they draw their entries.Tours are available by callingAgVentures! at 688-1030.

Tulare County remains as one ofthe largest agricultural economiesin the nation, with the largestdairy production in the UnitedStates. Over $6 billion of value isderived from the agriculturalproduction in Tulare Countyannually.

For more information, contactthe TCFB office at 559-732-8301.Entries must be delivered to theFarm Bureau office at 737 N. BenMaddox Way in Visalia prior to 5p.m. on February 14 or may bemailed to P.O. Box 748, Visalia CA93279 postmarked on or beforeFebruary 14. Entry forms are alsoa v a i l a b l e o n l i n e a twww.tulcofb.org.

Youth Leaders Volunteer at PALs Christmas Party

The 29th Youth Leadership class helped Santa spread holiday cheer and hand out

presents to over 200 disadvantaged children from throughout Tulare County. The fun

filled day organized by the Tulare County Sheriff's Police Activities League included a

BBQ lunch, toys, music, dancing holiday goodies and more!


Driving around the citrus belt onthe Eastern side of Tulare County,growers are noticing some damageto their trees from the recent freezeevent that took place in earlyDecember. In the packing houses,quality control crews and the staffof the county ag commissioner'soffice are assessing the fruitdamage.

For over ten days straight, citrusgrowers throughout the countywere on high alert maintainingf r o s t p r o t e c t i o n , w i t htemperatures in some areasreaching as low as high teens.Overnight temperatures were lowenough and of sufficient durationto cause significant damage to fruitand some damage to tree growth.

But assessing and quantifyingthe total damage to fruit and citrusgroves is difficult and variesthroughout the county.

"The low temperatures werescattered," says Tulare County AgCommissioner Marilyn Kinoshita."The west Lindsay and Strathmoreareas were the worst hit in thecounty."

Growers note that the cold snaphit early in the season, when about75 percent of the state's citrus cropwas still on the trees. Amongst themost affected was this year'smandarin and navel orange crops.Variability of damage reflectedfactors such as location, frostprotection methods, varietaldifference and sugar content.

In response to the early freeze,the citrus industry took a proactiveapproach by asking local packinghouses to wait 48 hours beforeshipping citrus harvested on orafter December 11. The delayallows county inspectors time toproperly evaluate fruit and preventany damaged fruit from enteringthe marketplace.

As of press time, the inspectionshave resulted in a number ofqua l i t y re j ec t i ons caus ingthousands of cartons to be sent tothe juice market instead of themore price favorable freshmarkets. As of late December, theearly predictions of damage rangedfrom 18-50% of the fruit sampledin packing sheds.

"So far the shipment-delayprocess is working pretty well,"says Kinoshita. "To help outpacking shed staff are using takingtheir own measures of qualitycontrol to augment countyinspections."

Beyond the fruit damage andpacking house operations, theaffects from the recent freeze goeson. Growers who planted new

Photo taken near Terra Bella on Dec. 19 showing damage to lemon trees after the recent

hard freeze.

Samples taken from a Dinuba packing shed

show damage caused by the December

freeze.

Aftermath of the December Freezeblocks of citrus may have toreplant due to loss of trees. Youngcitrus trees and particularly lemontrees, are highly susceptible to budwood break and are so frost-sensitive during freeze events suchas the one last month.

Also, the freezing temperaturesdamaged flush growth on trees;meaning growers will now have toprune back trees to old growth andhope the tree will be able to recovervigor in time for bloom.

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Tulare County Farm Bureauwas well represented during the95th California Farm BureauAnnual Meeting held in Montereylast month. Four countydelegates, three members andstaff attended the five day longevent held Dec. 8-11.

California Farm Bureau'sAnnual Meeting is the year endconference for the organizationwhere members and county farmbureaus gather to celebrateachievements, hear the latest onissues affecting our industry, andit serves as the culmination ofgrassroots policy work set forth byFarm Bureau members andleaders.

The 95th Annual Meeting kickedoff with a trade show were a varietyof industry representatives andcompanies whom offer services toF a r m B u r e a u m e m b e r scongregate to meet, greet andnetwork at the gathering of over800 members.

At the general session, CFBFPresident Paul Wenger addressedthe membership highlighting thework Farm Bureau did last year onbehalf of its members and sharedthe upcoming program of workahead in 2014. He also revealedthe newly revised CFBF websiteand introduced new discount andbenefit programs for members.

The morning long session alsoincluded recognition of special

Highlights from CFBFAnnual Meeting in Monterey

Pictured (L to R) District 1 Director, RobertBlattler; Executive Director, Tricia SteverBlattler; TCFB 2nd Vice President, RogerEverett; Laurie Airoso; TCFB President,Steve Godlin; TCFB 1st Vice President,Joey Airoso; CFBF District 6 Director, EdNeedham; and Program Coordinator,Carrie Crane represented Tulare Countyat the 95th CFBF Annual Meeting inMonterey.

Distinguished Service awards aswell as guest speaker, MichaelReagan, son of the late U.S.President Reagan. Reagan gave amemorable speech that was ahighlight for attendees on thecurrent political climate, howfarmers and ranchers can get theirstory out and shared someheartwarming stories of his fatherand growing up as RonaldReagan's son.

On Dec. 9, the Leadership FarmBureau class held it's graduationceremony luncheon where TulareCounty's very own Karen Whaleyand Carrie Crane concluded theiryearlong leadership developmentprogram.

See Annual Meeting on page 13

Leadership FBfrom page 6

also visited North Carolina,allowing participants to compareand contrast their experiences inCalifornia with those of farmersand ranchers in another part of thecountry. Through the year longexperience class members areexpected to take back leadershipskills to local county Farm Bureausand use those skills to empowergreater volunteer service.

The 2013 Leadership FarmBureau class included ten countymembers and county staf fparticipants, including CarrieCrane, program coordinator for theTulare County Farm Bureau andKaren Whaley, cattle rancher,agricultural investment specialistand state YF&R Committeemember.

Carrie Crane is the programcoordinator for the Tulare CountyFarm Bureau. She manages thecounty Farm Bureau's agricultureeducation and literacy programs,coordinates special events, andworks on various membership andcommunity outreach projects. Shealso oversees the news andc o m m u n i c a t i o n s o f t h eorganization and manages themembership newspaper.

Carrie is a graduate of Cal Poly,San Luis Obispo, with a master'sdegree in agribusiness and abachelor's degree in dairy science.

She joined the TCFB team in June2011.

Karen and her husband Jordan(also an LFB graduate) run a cow-calf, beef cattle operation andK a r e n i s t h e D i s t r i c tRepresentative to the CFBF YF&RCommittee representing TulareCounty. Both Jordan and Karenare members of the TCFB Board ofDirectors and take an active role intheir local Farm Bureau.

Tulare County president, SteveGodlin commented: “We are veryproud of the members that havegraduated from the LFB programover the past decade. There havebeen many leaders from ourCounty who have taken advantageof this great leadership experience.I am very proud of Carrie andKaren, who I know will both utilizethis leadership training to continueto do great things for ourorganization.”

The Leadership Farm Bureauclass participated in more than 250hours of instruction in subjectsincluding political advocacy, publicspeaking, media re lat ions,personal development and theFarm Bureau organization.

The Class of 2013 was the 14thgroup of leaders to complete theLeadership Farm Bureau programs i n c e i t b e g a n i n 2 0 0 0 .Applications for the 2014 classwere taken thru December 20 andthe new class will be selected in lateJanuary.


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Farm Bureau is seeking ane x p e r i e n c e d f u l l - t i m eadministrative assistant toprovide office and programsupport to the organization.Responsibilities include servingas the primary receptionist,greet ing guests, assist ingm e m b e r s a n d p r o v i d i n gadministrat ive support tomanagement and other staff.

The role will require a personk n o w l e d g e a b l e i n o f f i c emanagement skills including:answering phones, typing, dataentry, filing, processing mail,d e v e l o p i n g m a i l m e r g e s ,proficiency in MS Office software,maintaining and operating officeequipment, ordering officesupp l i e s , hand l i n g da i l ycorrespondence, scheduling useof the building and special eventr e s e r v a t i o n s , t r a c k i n g

Tulare County Farm Bureau seekingFull-Time Administrative Assistant

membership payments andassisting with special events inand out of the office.

A knowledge of accountingprocedures and a background inagriculture would be preferable.This position is non-exempt andwill require the person to workoccasional evening and weekendhours. Salary range is $12-$13p e r h o u r , d e p e n d i n g o nexperience and will includemedical, dental, vision, life andlong term disability, paid leaveand a SEP IRA retirement plan.

Resume submissions will beaccepted through January 10,2014. Interested candidates mayemail a cover letter and resumeto: [email protected] or viaUSPS to: Tulare County FarmB u r e a u , A t t n : E x e c u t i v eDirector, P.O. Box 748, Visalia,CA 93279.GOT TRASH?GOT TRASH?

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Over 500 farm employees received valuable Pesticide Safety training in Dinuba and

Exeter last month. As part of a cooperative workshop series hosted by UCCE Tulare /

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Tulare Chamber of Commerceannounced last month their 2013award recipients for Tulare Man ofthe Year, Woman of the Year, LargeBusiness of the Year and SmallBusiness of the Year. Pretty excitingthat a majority of the chamber'shonorees are also Tulare CountyFarm Bureau members.

The award recipients will behonored at the Tulare Chamber'sannual awards banquet, which willtake place on January 24 at theHeritage Complex in Tulare. Fortickets and information contact theTulare Chamber of Commerce at686-1547.

This year's honorees are thefollowing:

Dennis was born and raised on adairy farm, west of Tulare. Hegraduated from Tulare WesternHigh School in 1969, College of theSequoias in 1971, and University ofCalifornia, Los Angeles in 1973. Hereceived his law degree from SanJoaquin College of Law in Fresno in1977, and began work at the FresnoCounty Public Defender's Office in1978.

In 1980, he joined the law firm ofSoares and Rowson. He haspracticed in that firm, now namedHorswill, Mederos, and Soares, forover 30 years.

Dennis has served his communityin many capacities during theseyears. He strongly believes ineconomically supporting thecommunity and his passion for thecity is evident in his commitments tovarious organizations.

He has served on the boards of theAmerican Cancer Society, the TulareCity Historical Society, the COSFoundation, and the Tulare CountyBar Association. Dennis has been along time member of Roma LodgeSons of Italy and the Tulare CountyCabrillo Civic Club, currentlyserving as their second vice-president. He now sits as analternate public member of theTulare County Local AgencyFormation Commission (LAFCO).

Dennis has also receivednumerous awards over the years forhis commitment to the communityand non-profit organizations,including being a recipient of theGolden Apple Award for service toeducation given by the TulareCounty Chapter of the Association ofCalifornia School Administrationand most recently, Dennis washonored by being the sixth inducteeto the Tulare Western High SchoolWall of Fame.

When asked what it means to behonored as Tulare's Man of the Year,Dennis responded fondly.

"Being recognized in thecommunity is a humbl ingexperience. My efforts made to makeTulare a better place to live havebeen done with a sense of civic duty.

Man of the Year - Dennis Mederos

Tulare Chamber’s 2013 Man of the Year

Dennis Mederos pictured above.

Former Tulare Women of the Year Cathy Mederos, Rhonda Wilbur and Mary Wiedeman

surprise Joanne Watte Tuesday with news she is recipient of this year's Tulare Chamber of

Commerce award. Photo by Don LeBaron. Courtesy of the Tulare Voice.

Tulare Chamber Announces Man, Woman andBusiness of the Year Awards; FB Members Recognized

I have always felt that I should giveback to the community and live mylife with integrity," says Mederos.

"It is truly an honor to have myname next to the others who havereceived this award before me."

Dennis and his wife Cathy havebeen married for 34 years and theyhave three children, all of whomwere born and raised in Tulare.

Joanne Watte has been an integralpart of the community for many

Woman of the Year - Joanne Watte

years now. The list of activities andorganizations she involves herself inare bountiful and the chamber takespride in the fact that her dedicationto Tulare is being recognized on theChamber's behalf.

Mrs. Watte has contributed hertime to educational reform as amember of the COS Foundation foreight years, facilitating with thebond issue and building of theTulare Campus. She contributed tothe first COS Hall of Fame for theTulare Campus and proudly worked

to generate scholarship funds.Watte was a member of the Cal

Poly Alumni Association where shehelped organize the annual golftournament held in Tulare in orderto raise money to benefit localstudent scholarships. At the end ofher term with the AlumniAssociation she was awarded a LifeMember honor.

She has also served as a memberof the St. Aloysius Parent Club for 30years and her involvement with St.Aloysius is extensive. Shecontinues to assist with the St.Aloysius Centurion Dinner, inaddition to her more than 20 yearsparticipation with their HorseshoeTournament.

Joanne is deeply immersed in theagricultural sector of the communityand has committed a great deal ofher time to the industry. She is apast president of the CaliforniaWomen for Agriculture organization,and has been a member of variousother institutions including theDairy Women's foundation.

Additionally, she was on theoriginal Heritage Complex Boardthat conceived and designed theLearning Center. She was denoted

See Tulare Chamber Awards on page 13

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Ken Moyle, owner of the Magnolia Health

Corporation, the 2012 Large Business of

the Year, congratulates Jerry Sinift, who is

CEO of the International Agri-Center,

recipient of this year's Tulare Chamber of

Commerce award. Photo by Don LeBaron.

Courtesy of the Tulare Voice.

Ag Ventures! Learning Centerrepresentative for the board and ledchildren's tours for many years atthe center. She was a World AgExpo volunteer for 15 years and a 4-H leader in the community. Joannealso had the distinct honor ofreceiving the Common ThreadsAward for Tulare County in 2006,nominated by Tulare County FarmBureau.

Philanthropic organizations arealso near and dear to Joanne'sheart. She was a volunteer forProject Homeless Connect whereshe served and prepared food for theless fortunate, while also aiding theLighthouse Rescue Mission as anauxiliary member. Her work withthe Tulare Historical Museumincludes being a member of theboard and operating as decorativechair at a recent event.

Joanne also finds the time to offerher assistance to Happy CookersCatering when she is not out golfingor enjoying her 10 grandchildren.She has been married to herhusband Mark for 39 years and thecouple has three married daughterswho all reside in Tulare.

This year's Large Business of theYear recipient goes to theInternational Agri-Center. The Agri-Center was founded in 1976 andboasts a volunteer base of more than1,400 in addition to their full-timestaff, overseen by its volunteer-based board and CEO Jerry Sinift.

Since their inception, they haveworked tirelessly to promote theagricultural industry throughoutCalifornia while also hosting thelargest agricultural exposition in the

Large Business of the Year -International Agri-Center

world, the World Ag Expo, everyFebruary. Today, the event isattended by more than 100,000visitors and 1,400 exhibitors fromall over the world.

The International Agri-Center isalso responsible for showcasingvarious events including theCalifornia Antique Farm EquipmentShow. The Heritage Complex on siteserves as a wedding venue andsocial hall for several of the CentralValley's most renowned fundraisers,such as Tulare Regional MedicalCenter's Christmas Tree Auctionand the Tulare City HistoricalSociety's annual Taste Treats.

The AgVentures! Learning Centeris a division of the Agri-Center thatserves the public and is accessible tolarge groups and schools foreducational tours. The centerpartners with other entities such asthe Dairy Council of America andthe Farm Bureau to enlighten thepublic regarding the importance ofagriculture as it pertains toCalifornia and specifically the regionwe live in.

"It 's pretty special to berecognized," says Jerry Snift, CEO ofthe International Agri-Center. "Thisplace (the Agri-Center) belongs tothe city of Tulare and the citizens of

Tulare."When asked what makes the city

of Tulare and Tulare County as awhole a great community, Sniftresponded with the following.

" I t ' s T u l a r e ' s s p i r i t o fvolunteerism. We belong to anational Farm Show Council and Iget asked the question all the time,what do you do to get so manyvolunteers at your show? I simplysay it's the spirit of volunteerism inTulare and Tulare County. It's notjust with the World Ag Expo, it's withall the events held around here. Thespirit of volunteerism is alive andwell and we, the International Agri-Center, wouldn't be here if it werenot for the people and residents ofTulare."

The Chamber and the rest of thecommunity look to the InternationalAgri-Center to keep Tulare informedon the events surrounding theagricultural industry, and theirattention to the industry that somany depend on is truly a valuableasset.

Owner of California OfficeLiquidators, Lee Myers took over forhis father ten years ago. Lee hasbeen inspirational to many of hiscustomers and peers over the pastyear. After Lee's business burneddown in July of 2006, it has been apersonal journey for him to regroup,refinance, rebuild, and stay strong.

In the face of adversity, Lee hasimpressed his employees with hisprofessionalism and positivity, inthe midst of his own turmoil. Thereare many qualities that make

Small Business of the Year -California Office Liquidators

California Office Liquidators anexceptional winner of the SmallBusiness of the Year, includingcustomer service, mutual businessrespect, employee retention, andcommunity service.

Customer service and mutualbusiness respect has been a naturalway to conduct business for Lee. Nomatter what a customer needs, he isalways willing to go the extra mile tofind it. When his inventory wasdestroyed, many other furnituredealers came to his rescue. Notbecause they wanted to profit fromhim, but rather, to re-pay him forthe countless times he had helpedthem in the past.

His customers are loyal becausethey know Lee is a man of his word;where a handshake meanse v e r y t h i n g a n d c u s t o m e rsatisfaction comes before profit.

Community service is anotherdeep passion of Mr. Myers. It is notclear if Myers' positive attitude isborn from within or driven by thepersonal reward he gets fromhelping people. At any rate, he is nostranger to offering a helping hand.

Donating time, money andfurniture to local charities such asLove Inc., Rescue Mission, andBattered Women's Shelter, Myershas always believed in theimportance of giving back to thecommunity. After coaching youthsoccer for 13 years, Myers met a lotof different parents and children,who ultimately became loyalcustomers.

He views Tulare as a communitylike “layers in a cake” and has builthis business on style flexing for eachindividual's needs.

Tulare Chamber Awardsfrom page 12

The event also included variousbreakout sessions where attendeescould hear the latest and greatest oncurrent issues affecting our industrysuch as ag crime, marijuanacultivation on ag land andmembership challenges.

But the main purpose formembers gathering at AnnualMeeting is the convening of thestatewide house of delegates madeup of over 135 representatives fromcounty farm bureaus throughoutCalifornia to discuss and approvethe policy development work of2013.

During the two days of delegatebusiness, members updated andapproved CFBF policy and held avery informative and engaging waterissues forum.

At the water forum, delegates wereu p d a t e d o n t h e c u r r e n timplementation of water qualityregulations, specifically pertaining

Annual Meetingfrom page 10

t o n i t r a t e s l e a c h i n g i n t ogroundwater . A var ie ty o fpresentations were given showingthe various methods of compliancethe state Water Resource Board isasking growers to implement ontheir irrigated farmland.

The water issues forum alsoincluded a groundwater discussion,where delegates, CFBF staff andother water resource representativeshad an open dialogue on ways theagriculture community can cometogether and address the developinggroundwater issue in California.

Delegates heard groundwatermanagement and regulationmethods used in other areas of thecountry and discussed CFBF'scurrent policy on groundwatermanagement. No action wasofficially taken, but this served aspreliminary discussion for delegatesto take back to their county farmbureaus and continue to developsolutions with their local agencies,elected leadership and community.

And of course the alwaysentertaining Awards Banquet tookplace Dec. 9 with entertainmentprovided by one of the top mentalistsin the world Bob Garner, whoamazed the audience with his mindreading abilities. At the awardsdinner, Tulare County Farm Bureauwas honored with the President'sAward for their work in AgEducation as well was recognized asa County of Excellence inmembership, policy implementationand public relations.

The 2013 year has come to a closeand the grassroots Farm Bureaupolicy work will begin again in 2014and be presented at the 96th Annualmeeting which will take place inGarden Grove, Ca.

Tulare County Farm Bureau delegates,

pictured (L to R) TCFB 2nd Vice President,

Roger Everett; 1st Vise President, Joey

Airoso; and TCFB President, Steve Godlin

discuss water issues with CFBF President

Paul Wenger on the House of Delegates

floor at the 2013 Annual Meeting of Farm

Bureau members.

BECOME A BUSINESS SUPPORT MEMBERwww.joinfb.com • 559-732-8301

Tulare County Farm Bureau offers a special category of membership for those interested in supporting Farm Bureau as business owners. If you have a business, ormerely want to show your support for the organization, your membership in the Business Support category is encouraged.Here's what you get in return for your annual dues:

• A free listing every month on this page and in the new online directory.• Discounts on display advertising in this newspaper.• All the benefits and services of Farm Bureau membership.• News of events and issues in TCFB News and E-News.

You will also receive the appreciation and support of the agricultural industry and Tulare County Farm Bureau members. Join us to accomplish our mission: Topromote and enhance the viability of Tulare County agriculture.

Accountants

Ag Chemical, Fertilizer Sales& Applications

Ag Equipment

Agricultural IndustrialSupplies & Services

Ag Research, Testing& Consulting

Ag Theft & Security Services

Baker, Peterson & Franklin, LLP, CPA

Bret Bastrire, CPA

Gilman, Harris & Travioli,An Accountancy Corporation

Hocking, Denton & Palmquist, CPA

M. Green & Company, LLP, CPA

Pine, Pedroncelli & Aguilar, Inc., CPA

Steve Bratcher & Associates, CPA

Vollmer, Daniel, Gaebe & Grove, LLP, CPA

American Ag, Inc.

Central Valley Management, Inc.

Crumbliss & Horton, Inc.

Farmers Fertilizer & Supply

Gillespie Ag Service

Helena Chemical Company

Leffingwell Ag Sales Company, Inc.

McLean Spray Co., Inc.

Natural Resources Group

Polymer Ag, LLC

Spray Co, LLC

TriCal, Inc.

Tulare Ag Products

E. M. Tharp, Inc.

Exeter Mercantile

Farmers Tractor & Equipment Company

Garton Tractor, Inc.

Kaweah Lift Inc.

Krone California

Lawrence Tractor Company, Inc.

Linder Equipment Company

Quality Machinery Center

Sequoia Equipment Co. Inc.

California Controlled Atmosphere

Central Calif Implement

Fruit Growers Supply



Scout Specialties

Shannon Bros Company, Inc.

Sierra Packaging Solutions

Tulare Firestone, Inc.

BASF Agricultural Research Station

California Grape & Tree Fruit League

Julie Maldonado

970 W. Alluvial Ave., Ste. 101, Fresno 432-2346

Bret Bastrire

3330 W. Mineral King Ave., Ste. C, Visalia

625-9240

Megan Travioli

313 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia 627-2725

Craig Swearingen

3326 W. Mineral King Ave., Visalia 625-4444

Kevin M. Green

308 S. M St., Tulare 688-7401

William Pine

3924 W. Caldwell Ave., Ste. B, Visalia 625-9800

Steve Bratcher


100 Willow Plaza, Ste. 400, Visalia 733-1051

Gerald Gaskin

PO Box 80416, Bakersfield (661) 635-0778

Frank J. Marshall, Sr.

36040 Road 172, Visalia 798-1821

24569 Avenue 90, Terra Bella 535-4463

Jeff Penner

36071 Burke Dr., Traver 897-1500

Dana Gillespie

15301 Road 192, Porterville 784-9021

Tom Griffiths

25114 Road 204, Exeter 562-5400

Geary Austin


Michael Mc Lean

19725 Avenue 300, Exeter 592-4357, 799-3611

34284 Road 196, Woodlake 564-1236

PO Box 282, Orange Cove 495-0234

PO Box 7090, Visalia 625-9416

Shelley Lomanto

PO Box 1327, Hollister 651-0140

Robert O. Prather

3233 S. I St., Tulare 686-5115

Morris A. Tharp


Bob Schelling

258 E. Pine St., Exeter 592-2121

1132 S. Main St., Porterville 784-4967

4780 S. K St., Tulare 686-0054

7277 Ave. 304, Visalia 733-2982

1950 S. Blackstone, Tulare 687-0283

Richard Nunes

2530 E. Main St., Visalia 734-7406

311 E. Kern Ave., Tulare 685-5000

Jim Maciel

3820 S. K St., Tulare 686-1579

3400 E. American Ave., Fresno 441-0454

Jim Mitchell

39138 Road 56, Dinuba 591-8874

William S. Longan

1480 W. Inyo Ave., Tulare 686-4747

Margaret Long

46031 Road 124, Orange Cove 626-4629

934 W. Scranton Ave., Porterville 781-4050

Rick Hopper

131 S. Blair Rd., Woodlake 564-3525

Gary L. Lunsford

148 N. M St., Dinuba 591-8234

Chris Shannon

24478 Road 140, Tulare 686-4701

2475 Ave. 400, Kingsburg 897-0711

Lionel Pires

362 S. K St., Tulare 686-3313

10181 Avenue 416, Dinuba 591-2548

978 W. Alluvial, Ste. 107, Fresno 226-6330

Verdesian Life Sciences, LLC

AAA Security, Inc.

Pipkin Detective Agency

Peter Alvitre

12222 Avenue 352, Visalia 635-4784

321 E. Noble Ave., Bldg C, Farmersville 594-5600

Rocky J. Pipkin


Sequoia Orange Company, Inc.

The Chuck Olsen Co

Venida Packing Company

Visalia Citrus Packing Group

Res Com Pest Control

Delta Liquid Energy Propane

Jack Griggs, Inc.

J.C. Lansdowne, Inc.

Valley Pacific Petroleum Services, Inc.

Craig Smith & Associates, Inc.

Manuel Ortiz Ag Real Estate

Pearson Realty

The Ranch Company

Schuil & Associates

Cal Agro Seed Company, Inc.

Plant Food Systems, Inc.

Pacific Gas & Electric Company

Southern California Edison

Southern California Gas Company

Gerald C. Haggard, DVM

Valley Veterinarians, Inc.

Community Recycling & Resource Recovery, Inc.

Pena's Disposal Service

Cal Gro Pump Service, Inc.

Kaweah Pump, Inc.

Carver Pump Service/Tommys Pump Service, Inc.

US Farm Systems

Willitts Equipment Company, Inc.

Witzel Pump Service

D & S Ag Designs, Inc.

Kens Stakes & Supplies

James Wilson

150 W. Pine St., Exeter 592-9455

Chuck Olsen


Verne Crookshanks

PO Box 212, Exeter 592-2816


Tony Taylor

305 S. M St., Tulare 685-8989

321 E. Noble Ave., Bldg. A,, Farmersville 592-9681

D W. Griggs

1149 S. Kaweah, Exeter 592-3154

Steven C. Lansdowne

8601 W. Roosevelt Ave., Visalia 651-1760

Dan Elmer

1633 E. Mineral King, Ave., Visalia 732-8381

Craig Smith

1695 E. Prosperity Ave., Tulare

686-1688, 737-1750

Manuel Ortiz

230 N. J St., Tulare 684-1205

Jim Olivas

3447 S. Demaree St., Visalia 732-7300

John H. Grimmius

3449 S. Demaree St., Ste. B, Visalia 733-3232

Marc Schuil

5020 W Mineral King Ave, Visalia 734-1700

Dan Miller

6908 Avenue 304, Visalia 651-2676

Mark Brady

PO Box 775, Zellwood, FL 731-1267

Ann Kloose

705 P St., Fresno 263-5308

Bill DeLain

2425 S. Blackstone St., Tulare 685-3213

Matthew Hendrick

404 N. Tipton St., Visalia 739-2389

302 S. F St., Exeter 592-5210

Pete Kistler

2861 S. K St., Tulare 686-1447

Tim Stehr

9189 De Gamo Ave., Sun Valley (818) 767-6000

Art Pena

12094 Avenue 408, Cutler 528-3909

9817 W. Grove Ave., Visalia 651-0802

Bill Gargan

15499 Avenue 280, Visalia 747-0755

Brian Geary

26473 Harrison Rd., Visalia (855) 622-7837

Jean Houle

2955 S. K St., Tulare 685-0340

30548 Road 196, Exeter 594-5020

Timothy J. Witzel

22741 Avenue 178, Porterville 781-5515

Steve Meza

6944 Avenue 304, Visalia CA 651-9887

Joe Hallmeyer

193 S. Mariposa Ave., Visalia 747-1313

Fred Jones Apiaries

Valley Pump & Dairy Systems


Michael Graham

2280 S. K St., Tulare 686-2000

Pest Control

Petroleum Distributors& Products

Real Estate

Seed & Plant Supplements

Utilities

Veterinary Services

Waste & Recycling Service

Wells, Pumps & Pipe

Wood Stakes & TrellisSystems

Pollination Services

DIRECTORY OF FARM BUREAU BUSINESS MEMBERS

Fertilizer

Food Processing

Forestry Products

Insurance

Irrigation Systems, Supplies& Districts

Livestock

Medical Services

Orchard Services

Other Organizations& Individuals

Packing Houses & ProduceBrokers

Soil Basics Corp

Bell-Carter Olive Company

Sierra Forest Products

Buckman-Mitchell, Inc.

DG Insurance Agency, Inc.

Golden State Crop Insurance Service

Mitchell Insurance Services

Karen Munger Insurance Services

Nielsen & Associates Insurance

NSE Insurance Agencies, Inc.

Bennett & Bennett Irrigation

Consolidated Peoples Ditch Company

Bowsmith, Inc.

Fruit Growers Supply Company

Rain for Rent

Allflex USA

Arrow Head Cattle Co., Inc.

Valley Industrial & Family Medical Group

A-Peltzer Enterprises

Baker Topping, Inc.

Barnett Land Leveling Company

Mc Kellar Farms, Inc.

Mitch Barnett Land Developing

Muller Farming

Peltzer Topping & Hedging

Reynolds Ranches

College of the Sequoias

Exeter Chamber of Commerce

International Agri-Center, Inc.

Porterville Chamber of Commerce

Tulare Chamber Of Commerce

Tulare County Fair

Tulare County Office of Education

Tulare County Sheriff's Department

Visalia Chamber Of Commerce

Paul Enos Packing, Inc.


PO Box 338, Orange Cove 626-4411

9000 Road 234, Terra Bella 535-4893

500 N. Santa Fe, Visalia 733-1181

309 N. Garden St., Visalia 733-0221

Kristine Fox

108 E. 7th St., Hanford 587-9007

Kelly Mitchell

1039 N. Demaree St., Visalia 713-1315

Karen Munger

2902 W. Main St., Visalia 733-2663

William C. Nielsen

502 N. Kaweah, Ste. A, Exeter

594-5500, (800) 842-8818

Ken Stevens

160 S. D St. , Exeter 592-9411

PO Box 190, Selma 896-0200

James Silva, Jr.

PO Box 366, Farmersville 747-1177

131 Second St., Exeter 592-9485

131 S. Blair Rd., Woodlake 564-3525

Mitch Martin

21500 W. Manning, San Joaquin 693-4315

Tom Polich

31045 Tower Rd., Visalia 783-6989

Bill Freeman

9303 W. Airport Dr., Visalia 651-1800

R. Steven Alcocer

225 S. Chinowth St., Visalia 627-3222

Larry Peltzer

17396 Avenue 344, Visalia

741-0951, (888) 798-1034

Michael Baker

PO Box 1537, Tulare 804-4045

Lonnie Barnett

2300 N. Gill Rd., Exeter 592-2767

PO Box 189, Ivanhoe 798-0557

Mitch K. Barnett

PO Box 44051, Lemon Cove 597-1500

Patrick K. Muller

1576 N. Kaweah Ave., Exeter 592-1450

Tim D. Peltzer

PO Box 10209, Terra Bella 789-9446

Scott Reynolds

1389 S. Westwood Ave., Lindsay 287-0000

915 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia 730-3700

Sandy Blankenship

101 W. Pine St., Exeter 592-2919

Jerry Sinift

4450 S. Laspina St., Tulare 688-1751

Donnette Carter

93 N. Main St., Ste. A, Porterville 784-7502

220 E. Tulare Ave., Tulare 686-1547

215 Martin Luther King Jr., Tulare 686-4707

Randy Wallace

2637 W. Burrel, Visalia 733-6101

Tom Guinn

36000 Road 112, Visalia 735-1913

Glenn Morris

220 N. Santa Fe Ave., Visalia 734-5876

Paul Enos

14257 Avenue 320, Visalia 738-8331

Citrus Research Board

Fresh Buyers Inspections, Inc.

Fruit Growers Laboratory, Inc.

Innovative Ag Services, LLC

Research for Hire

Valley Tech Agriculture Services

E & M Ag Services, Inc.

Baker, Manock & Jensen, PC

Dias Law Firm

Horswill, Mederos & Soares, Attorneys at Law

Rauber & Johnson, Attorneys at Law

Ward R. Stringham, Attorney at Law

Tulare County Stockyard, Inc.

Visalia Livestock Market

Groppetti Automotive Family

Jim Manning Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Ram

Lampe Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram

Porterville Ford

Gross & Stevens, Inc.

Pixley Auto Parts & Farm Supply

Quality Paint & Body

Bank Of The Sierra Ag Credit

Central Valley Community Bank

Farm Credit West

Ron Frazier Financial Consulting

Stifel Nicolaus

Suncrest Bank

Tri Counties Bank

Tucoemas Federal Credit Union

Wells Fargo

Westwood Capital Services

New Era Farm Services, Inc.

Harvest Power California LLC

EMD, Inc.

Doug DeLeo Welding, Inc.

Ralph Fuller Electric

Ken Keck

217 N. Encina, Visalia 738-0246

Kevin Beno


Neil G. Jessup

9415 W. Goshen Ave., Visalia 734-9473

Nathan Heeringa

1201 Lacy Blvd., Ste. 5, Hanford 587-2800

John Corkins

1696 S. Leggett, Porterville 784-5787

2120 S. K St., Tulare 688-5684

Matthew Bakke


Christopher L. Campbell

5260 N. Palm Ave., Ste. 421, Fresno 432-5400

Michael A. Dias

502 W. Grangeville Blvd., Hanford 585-7330

Dennis Mederos

791 N. Cherry St., Tulare 686-3861

James C. Johnson

1007 N. Demaree St., Visalia 741-1800

Ward R. Stringham

756 E. Tulare Ave., Tulare 686-1747

Jon Dolieslager

9641 Avenue 384, Dinuba 591-0884

Randy Baxley

733 N. Ben Maddox Way, Visalia 625-9615

Derek Groppetti


James Manning

194 W. Tulare St., Dinuba 591-4910

Ted Fleener

151 N. Neeley St., Visalia 737-6400

Aron McAuley

701 N. Main St., Porterville 784-6000

1121 E. Acequia Ave., Visalia 734-4649

William W. Van Scyoc

418 S. Main St., Pixley 757-3574

739 N. Ben Maddox Way, Visalia 734-3501

PO Box 1930, Porterville 782-4432

Erin Probasco

7100 N. Financial Dr., Ste. 101, Fresno 323-3472

Don O Dell

200 E. Cartmill, Tulare 732-4501

Ron Frazier

10885 Avenue 360, Visalia 731-7645

David C. Sharp

217 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia 622-1040

400 W. Center Ave., Visalia 802-1000

509 S. Pinkham St., Ste. B, Visalia 741-2940

Linda Reese

2300 W. Whitendale Ave, Visalia 732-8892

Bill Hoover

3300 S. Demaree St., Visalia 622-3023

Dennis Sexton

813 W. Oak Ave., Ste. C, Porterville 741-9400

Douglas L. Graham

2904 E. Oakdale, Tulare 686-3833

Gary Birdsong

24478 Road 140, Tulare 686-1622

Lolen East

4930 W. Kaweah Ct., Ste. 200, Visalia 636-7000

Doug DeLeo

PO Box 878, Lindsay 562-3700

253 W. Pine, Exeter 592-4633

Selma Auto Mall

Skip Rouch Construction

Carl Bates

2755 Automall Dr., Selma 896-5000 x 2705

855-223-5338

54773 Chinquapin Dr., Springville 542-3000

Agriculture Services

Attorneys & Legal Services

Auctions

Automotive Dealers

Automotive Service & Repair

Banks & Financial Services

Composting & CompostSales

Computer Sales & Service

Contractors

Russell Paving

Telfer & Sons Construction

W & E Electric

Cal Bean & Grain Cooperative

Land O' Lakes

Mid-Valley Cotton Growers, Inc.

Brown's Custom Jewelry

Amaral Dairy Service

Nunes Bros. Dairy

Riverview Dairy

Wasnick Bros. Dairy Supply, Inc.

World Wide Sires, LTD

Hester Orchards, Inc.

Proteus, Inc.

Tulare County Workforce Investment Board, Inc.

Conestoga-Rovers & Associates

R. L. Schafer & Associates

Keller & Wegley Engineering

Alberto C. Robles, Farm Labor Contractor

Salud Tapia Farm Labor

Agricultural Services, Inc.

Anton Caratan & Son

ABAA Visalia Ranch

Halopoff & Sons, Inc.

LeyCon, Inc.

Bob Nuckols Hay, Etc.

PB Ranches

Peterson Farms

Tri T Farms

W.F. LTD

Nutrius, LLC

Western Milling, LLC

Joe Russell

1110 N. Cain St., Visalia 734-6948

2165 W. Morris Ct., Exeter 594-6921

Larry W. Edwards

12686 Avenue 416, Orosi 528-3866

PO Box D, Pixley 757-3581

Steve Ballard

400 S. M St., Tulare 687-8287

Stan Creelman

PO Box 149, Tulare 686-2823

Wade Brown

5103 W. Goshen Ave., Ste. E, Visalia 625-1133

Frank Orique

413 N. I St., Tulare 686-9644

20445 Road 124, Tulare 686-3065

Randy W. Gorzeman

9295 Avenue 88, Pixley 757-3522

Robert M. Wasnick

1012 N. J St., Tulare 686-4581

Mike Rakes

5545 Avenidada De Los Robles, Visalia 622-2222

Gary Hester

26800 A Road 164, Visalia 594-5025

1830 N. Dinuba Blvd., Visalia 733-5423

Adam Peck

309 W. Main St., Ste. 120, Visalia 713-5200

Jason Haelzle

7086 N. Maple Ave., Ste. 101, Fresno 326-5900

Richard Schafer

2904 W. Main, Visaia 734-1348

Dennis Keller

209 S. Locust, Visalia 732-7938

Alberto Robles

20456 Avenue 256, Exeter 909-0630

Salud Tapia

19070 Road 212, Strathmore 804-4345

Daniel W. Dreyer


PO Box 2797. Bakersfield (661) 747-7700

Claude Atkins

15430 Avenue 296, Visalia 733-7350

John Halopoff

19480 Road 244, Strathmore 568-1102


Bob C. Nuckols


Gabriel Pena

12094 Avenue 408, Cutler 528-6997

Jay Peterson

26789 Road 188, Exeter 592-5274

John P. Toledo

29630 Road 44, Visalia 651-1301

Kerry Whitson

P.O. Box 397, Exeter 358-1252

Brian McCutcheon

39494 Clarkson Dr., Kingsburg 897-5862

PO Box 1029, Goshen 302-1001

Ultratech Industrial Systems Inc.

Alltech

8244 W. Hillsdale Court #5, Visalia 651-1200

Laura Pires

4041 N Fresno St. Suite 104, Fresno 226-0405

Cooperatives

Custom Jewelry

Dairy & Dairy Services

Dehydrators

Employment Services& Training

Engineering

Farm Labor Contractors

Farm Management

Farms & Ranches

Feed and NutritionSupplements

Animal Health International8711 West Doe Ave, Visalia 970-584-5321

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Tulare County Farm BureauWelcome to our new members!

November 2013

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LUBRICANTS FOR EVERY APPLICATION• • • •

•

District 1

District 2

District 3

AG Charles Stearns, ExeterA Donald Leong, ExeterCG Gregory Cox, Visalia

AG Joseph Airoso, Tulare

AG Judi Ellebracht, VisaliaA Ross Bailey, Visalia

AG Jose Zavala, PortervilleA Carlos Haro, PortervilleA John Cox, Porterville

District 5

January

February

1 New Year's Holiday, TCFB office closed6 Executive Committee, 4:00 pm, TCFB8 Membership Committee Meeting, 4:30 pm, TCFB9 Finance Committee Meeting, 2:00 pm, TCFB9 TCFB Board of Directors, 4:00 pm, TCFB14 Education Committee Meeting, 4:15 pm, TCFB14 YF&R Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm, TBD15 Concealed Weapons Permit Class, 6 pm – 10 pm,

TCFB (pre-registration required)20 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, TCFB office closed21 Youth Leadership Ag Careers Panel, 6:00 pm, TCFB30 Land Use Committee, 4:00 pm, TCFB

4 Executive Committee Meeting, 4:00pm, TCFB11-13 World Ag Expo, International Agri-Center in Tulare14 TCFB Calendar Art Contest Deadline, Grades K-1217 President's Day – TCFB office closed18 Youth Leadership County Govt. Insight Seminar, 5pm,

Board of Supervisors Chambers20 TCFB Board of Directors Meeting, 4:00 pm, TCFB27-1 CFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference,

Visalia27 Land Use Committee, 3:00 pm, TCFB

Your One-Stop Farm and Home Store

Porterville934 W. Scranton1-800-345-4050

Woodlake131 Road 204

1-800-637-1003

Orange Cove46031 Road 1241-800-246-4629

Serving the Agricultural Communitiessince 1907

Stop by the TCFB office and

pick up your complimentary

Farm Bureau pocket calendar,

courtesy of the Tulare County

Farm Bureau.

These calendars are great for

keeping track of important

meeting dates, contacts and

more while conveniently fitting

into your pocket.

Now available at the front

desk of the TCFB office in

Visalia.

2014 Pocket Farm Bureau Calendars Now Available

newsnews - tulcofb.org · january 1. the number of ag vehicle extensions you apply for cannot be...

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