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Challenges climate change poses By Metro Climate change poses an array of challenges. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion notes that the im- pacts of climate change on various sectors of society are interrelated, a connection that mirrors the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The human health crisis that arose during the pandemic affected all aspects of life, as illnesses limited worker produc- tivity, thus affecting the global supply chain, including the availability of food. Scientists warn that a similar scenario could play out as a result of climate change. The agri- cultural sector could face considerable challenges in the years to come. The Fourth National Climate Assessment is a govern- ment-mandated report that must be delivered to the United States Congress once every four years. Among the many aims of the report are to provide an analysis of the effects of global changes on the natural environ- ment and agriculture. The report also must project major trends for the next 25 to 100 years. The most recent report, delivered in 2018, noted that changing precip- itation patterns could intensify in the coming years, leading to more intense periods of heavy rain and longer dry periods. Those shifting patterns and other changes could lead to an increase in conditions and weather events that pose unique challenges to the agri- cultural sector. · Flooding: The Union of Concerned Scientists notes that many agricul- tural regions of the Unit- ed States have already experienced increased flooding. The effects of flooding on the agricul- tural sector are often devastating and include accelerated soil erosion, water pollution and damage to infrastructure that challenges farmers' ability to get food from their farms to stores and, ultimately, consumers' dinner tables. · Drought: The National Integrated Drought In- formation System reports that the primary direct economic impact of drought in the agricul- tural sector is crop failure and pasture losses. The Government of Canada notes that areas of west- ern Canada are already experiencing frequent and severe droughts, and scientists expect other areas of the country to be affected by drought more often in the years to come. The same goes for the United States, which the UCS notes has already dealt with severe drought in California, the Great Plains and the midwest. Depleted water supplies are a byproduct of drought, and such de- pletion can take a toll on crops and livestock. · Economics: The effects of climate change on crops and livestock may force farmers to change the nature of their farms. The UCS notes that farmers may be forced to choose crop varieties and animal breeds that are suited to the new conditions sparked by climate change. Going in a new direction could force farmers to make potentially costly in- vestments in machinery and other changes as they make the transi- tion. Climate change will pose unique challeng- es to the agricultural sector that could force farmers to make some difficult decisions in the years ahead. Spring is a time for celebration Tickets are still available for the 2022 National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon on Wednesday, March 16th. The theme of the event is, "Spring – A Time for Celebration!" The Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau in conjunction with the organization, AgriCulture, will again host the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon. The luncheon will be held in the Heritage Hall located within the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Tickets are $50 per person. Reserva- tions and sponsorships for the luncheon are available at www.sccfb. com/news/national-ag- riculture-day-spring-lun- cheon/ or by calling (831) 724-1356. One of the highlights of the National Agriculture Day Luncheon will be the presentation of the Al Smith Friend of Agriculture Award. Al Smith was the founder of Orchard Supply Hardware and donated 3,000 acres (Swanton Pacific Ranch) in the north coast to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The ranch has row crops, timber and even a one-third-scale rail- road, which was Al's hob- by. The award is presented annually to an individual, business or organization not involved in production agriculture but one who has done much for the industry. This year's award will be presented by last year's honoree, Dignity Health Dominican Hospital. The Farm Bureau and Agri-Culture co-sponsor a poster contest for students in grades K-6, and a poetry contest for students in grades 7-12 in Santa Cruz County and Pajaro Valley schools. The winning entries will be displayed during the luncheon and this year's contest winners will be introduced at that time. Another feature of the National Agriculture Day Spring Luncheon is the presentation of the 2022 Agri-Culture Schol- arships. The Agri-Culture scholarship Program con- sists of four different scholarships; the Jimmie Cox Memorial Scholarship, the Jeannie Witmer Memori- al Scholarship. The Laura Brown Memorial Scholarship and the JJ Cro- setti, Jr. Memorial Scholar- ship. For more information please call (831) 724-1356 or email sccfb@sbcglobal.net . Provided photo Provided photo Provided photo Hartnell College received a multi-year grant of $260,000 from Bank of America to bolster the school's support for local agricultural workers. The grant will go toward Hart- nell's Ag Tech Workforce Initiative, a $2.6 million endeavor that provides training for farmworkers so they are equipped for po- sitions requiring different skill levels. "Preparing employees to step into these expanding roles has a ripple effect, not only in their own house- holds but throughout our entire local economy," Hartnell's Dean of Career Technical Education and Workforce Development Clint Cowden said in a press release, adding that the grant will be "life-changing" for workers who participate. The three-year initiative is set to launch soon as part of Hartnell's upcoming spring semester, offer- ing free and non-credit courses to workers in Salinas Valley's agricultural production, processing and manufacturing sec- tors. The classes will place particular focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Built to give way to full- time job opportunities, the classes will look more like hands-on training. Those who participate will also earn $15-18 for up to 10 hours a week for their work. The hope is that after going through the program, agricultur- al workers will be more prepared to take on advanced positions paying $20-$29 per hour, such as food safety technician, human resource techni- cian, frontline agriculture supervisor and small-scale farm manager. Some local companies Hartnell anticipates usher- ing initiative participants toward include Taylor Farms, Automated Har- vesting LLC, Tanimura & Antle, Dole Fresh Vegeta- bles and Braga Fresh. Bank of America's contri- bution to the initiative is part of a larger five-year, $1.5 billion commitment by the bank to advance racial equity and economic opportunity for communi- ties of color and other dis- enfranchised populations disproportionately impact- ed by the pandemic. "Bank of America's focus on racial equity and eco- nomic opportunity closely aligns with our own goal of helping workers and agricultural employers adapt to changes in how fresh produce is grown, harvested, packaged and distributed," said Cowden, referring to the increasing- ly important role of tech- nology and automation in the agricultural industry. Jennifer Dacquisto, Monterey Bay president for Bank of America, echoed Cowden, reiterating the bank's commitment to helping Hartnell College push for equity. "The Monterey Bay region is an $8 billion agricultural epicenter, with 80% of its field labor force being Hispanic-Latino," she said in a press release. "Because the coronavirus pandem- ic exacerbated existing economic disparities in communities of color, especially so with our local agricultural farmworkers, we are investing into the up-skilling and reskilling of this critical labor force through partnerships with local institutions like Hartnell College. "Their Ag Tech Workforce program will go a long way to help those most at risk of job disruption as the ag industry evolves." For more information about the Ag Tech Work- force program at Hartnell College, go to https:// www.hartnell.edu/academ- ics-affairs/academics/cte/ agtech/. This story was previously published in the Monterey Herald on January 21, 2022. Hartnell College receives grant By Tess Kenny Photo from Herald file Advancements in livestock technology By Metro Consumer demand drives changes in industry, and the agricultural sector is no exception. Consumer demands for improved animal welfare have led to changes in the live- stock sector, and various technologies have been developed and are in development to help this particular segment of the agricultural industry thrive. According to the Ani- mal AgTech Innovation Summit, various startups have developed technol- ogies that can make the livestock industry more sustainable and efficient. Treatment The Israeli firm Armenta has developed a non-an- tibiotic treatment for bo- vine mastitis that utilizes acoustic pulse technolo- gy. The treatment has a 70 percent cure rate. Another firm working to treat livestock is the United States-based General Probiotics. Animal AgTech reports that General Probiotics develops cellbots and an- timicrobial probiotics that eliminate harmful patho- gens in livestock. That can reduce dependency on antibiotics and make food production safer. Welfare Faromatics, a firm based in Spain, has combined robotics, artificial intel- ligence and big data to improve animal welfare and farm productivity. One Faromatics product utilizes a robot suspended from a ceiling to monitor cer- tain variables, including equipment function and health and welfare, that affect broiler chickens. The American firm Swinetech utilizes voice recognition and comput- er vision technology in its SmartGuard product to prevent piglet deaths from crushing and starvation. The product also makes it possible to track and facilitate obstetrical assistance. Operations Based in Uganda, Jaguza Tech has developed a livestock management sys- tem that utilizes sensors, data science and machine learning to improve the efficiency, productivity and sustainability of modern farm operations. Farmers can utilize Jaguza to per- form a host of functions, including monitoring their animals' health and identi- fying their livestock. The Netherlands-based H2Oalert is a water control management system that checks the quality and quantity of cattle drinking water in real time. The management system also checks for pollution and malfunctions in the water supply. Livestock technology continues to advance, and firms across the globe are developing new products and platforms to help live- stock farmers make their operations more efficient, sustainable and produc- tive.