By Jenny Holtermann, President, Kern County Farm Bureau
What is the cost of advocacy? How much are you willing to pay to protect your farm? The farming lifestyle and agriculture industry are not for the faint of heart. We are often up before the sun and don’t make it home until dark. We tend to animals or crops at all hours of the day, regardless of what day it is. Animals get sick, pipes leak, equipment breaks, fences fall, wires get stolen, protectants need to be applied, and the list goes on. There are many parts to the day that are unpredictable and out of our control. After completing daily tasks and any others that get thrown your way, when do you have time to track legislative bills, read water regulations, attend a State Water Board hearing, stay up to date on the air quality standards, or fight the latest laws threatening our way of life?
That’s where Farm Bureau comes in. While it does seem like our expenses just keep getting higher and higher, laws keep impacting our daily lives, regulations are overburdensome — yes, I agree, but it could be worse. The Farm Bureau has worked tirelessly at the American, State and local levels to lessen the impact to agriculture from these burdensome regulations. As members, we are often unaware when the Farm Bureau stops a bill or amends the bills to make them “not as bad.” When the Farm Bureau meets with lobbyists and legislatures to delay the regulation or lower a fine, it is just an average Tuesday. These little victories are not often seen as progress or making an impact.
However, in 2023, during a proceeding to limit PG&E undergrounding miles in favor of alternative methods, California Farm Bureau worked to save over $100 million or $1,100 per meter. During another proceeding regarding Net Energy Metering Aggregation, Farm Bureau fought to maintain the 20-year payback period, estimating an annual savings to agriculture NEMA customers of over $110 million. In a 2022 proceeding to divide Southern California Edison revenue requirements amongst rate classes, CAFB negotiated a savings of $15 million or $600 per meter. In a 2021, proceeding to divide PG&E’s revenue requirement amongst rate classes, CAFB negotiated a savings of $10 million or $110 per meter. These are just a few examples of how CAFB efforts have lessened the increase of electricity on our agriculture operations. Next time, we open that electricity bill, remember it could be worse.
Pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides are often a high investment in our farming businesses. These are often looked at to protect our crops from threat of disease or insects. In 2022, chemicals were $33,333 per California operation on average, or about 5% of total expenses.
A popular generic herbicide costs $12.50/gallon, and a brand name costs $32/gallon. Adjusting the costs for the concentration and application rate difference between generic and branded, the cost per acre was $3.12 for the generic and $5.50 for the name brand. This comes out to a 56% savings. It was California Farm Bureau that was there years ago, to help California farmers gain access to generic chemicals and save farmers approximately 50% on total pesticide costs.
These silent victories are just two examples of helping to lessen the burden farmers face of rising input costs. We often look at our high costs and all the threats to our industry with overwhelming pauses. Trust me, I get it. It is getting harder and harder to make finances work for our farm. Let’s not forget, the silent victories that happen every day to help us keep farming. If the Farm Bureau wasn’t there fighting on our behalf, what would our businesses look like then? I will ensure my Farm Bureau membership is paid, to ensure Farm Bureau will keep fighting so I can keep farming.
