As announced earlier, the California Wheat Commission will conduct district elections for the positions of Commissioner and Alternate Commissioner for four California districts:
District 4 - Solano and that portion of Sacramento County lying southwest of River Road and Road J-11,
District 6 - Merced & Madera Counties,
District 9 - Kern County, and
District 11 - San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Wheat growers in these districts should watch for their ballots to arrive next week. Please return them as indicated by August 17th.
In addition to these four districts, we have Commissioner and Alternate openings in District 2 (Butte, Colusa, Glenn, and Lake Counties) and District 7 (Fresno County); there are also Alternate openings in several other districts. Involvement in the California Wheat Commission enables California producers to help set the priorities for how grower assessment dollars are spent and to take a more active role in national wheat organizations and policymaking bodies.
A qualified producer member or alternate is defined as any person in California who is engaged in the business of producing wheat for market during any of the preceding three marketing seasons, and who resides or conducts farming operations in the district in which the election is to be held.
Commission Issues New Call for Field Research Proposals
The California Wheat Commission announced its 2011/2012 "mini-grant" program ($5,000 to $10,000 per project) to support UC Cooperative Extension research projects. A total of $100,000 is available for 2011/2012. Projects can address topics such as production efficiency in irrigated or rain-fed systems, pest/disease management, and end-use quality. Proposals are due on October 1; funds will be allocated based on the number and quality of proposals received. Wheat growers are encouraged to contact their local farm advisors with ideas.
The Commission utilized $61,000 in grower assessment dollars to support six field research projects and two internships during the current fiscal year. The results of the projects will be made available to growers in October through the Commission's website.
The mini-grant program is an important component of the approximately $350,000 the Commission approved to support wheat-related research at the University of California in the current fiscal year. The program was developed as a complement to the funding traditionally provided to support the wheat breeding program at UC Davis and the statewide field trials. The Commission is pleased to increase its support for research to improve quality, yield and disease resistance in California wheat varieties, especially in this time of state and federal budget constraints.
Commission Updates:
Our annual crop quality testing program is well underway, with wheat samples being collected from around the state and tested in our lab in Woodland. The results of these tests will be published in October and posted on our website. This information is designed to be used by growers in making planting decisions as well as by domestic and international wheat buyers.
The next Commission meeting will take place on August 31 at UC Davis. The Commission will review the results of the annual audit of FY 2010/11; the financial report will be posted on our website in early September. The Commission will also consider any changes that may be needed in the Commission budget (based on harvest reports) and visit the wheat breeding lab at UC Davis. Dr. Jorge Dubcovsky will lead the tour and provide an update on the many research projects being conducted in his lab. As noted earlier, the Commission directs a large percentage of its annual budget to research. Wheat growers and members of the public are welcome to attend. Details will be published on our website in mid-August.
