Series of Capitol visits gives voice to farm concerns

By Caleb Hampton

California Farm Bureau members from across the state traveled to Sacramento last month to meet with lawmakers at the Capitol and advocate on key issues affecting farmers and ranchers.

The visits marked the inaugural edition of the Farm Bureau’s Calling on the Capitol Series. They took the place of the organization’s Capitol Ag Conference, which in past years was held annually on a single day. 

This year, five groups of Farm Bureau members visited the Capitol during four weeks in May, a critical time in the state Legislature’s policymaking calendar. They advocated on policies related to the conservation of farmland and clean water laws, as well as the overall regulatory burden farmers in California face. 

“This is one of the most important things we do,” said Chris Reardon, vice president of policy advocacy at the California Farm Bureau. “It allows our members to communicate directly with legislators and legislative staff. While we have a policy team up here on a regular basis, in all honesty, the most effective communicators of our issues are the members themselves.”

During visits with legislators and staff, Farm Bureau members focused on a handful of bills that could especially impact California farms. 

Assembly Bill 1156, authored by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, would repeal the requirement of a payment to cancel Williamson Act contracts for solar use easements, streamlining the conversion of water-stressed farmland to solar energy facilities. The Farm Bureau opposes the bill due to the risk it poses to the conservation of farmland. 

The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, commonly known as the Williamson Act, preserves farmland by assessing property taxes based on the land’s agricultural value rather than its full market value. The contracts are agreed between landowners and counties or cities and can be dissolved only by paying a fee of 12.5% of the land value or through a nonrenewal process that takes nine years.

“A lot of people don’t realize where their food comes from or the value of preserving that land,” Amber McDowell, executive director of the Sacramento County Farm Bureau, said last month during a visit to the state Capitol. “Once we pave it over, it’s gone. We don’t want to get into a situation where we depend on other nations to provide for our essential needs such as food.”

Gaul Culley, a Solano County farmer, spoke during a visit with Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, about the value of keeping Central Valley farmland in production. 

“We have the richest soil in almost the whole United States,” Culley said of the loamy soils around Winters where both she and the majority leader farm. 

Aguiar-Curry, who grows almonds and walnuts on 80 acres, said she agreed on the importance of preserving California farmland. She suggested water-stressed land be used to cultivate crops such as olives and agave, both of which use relatively less water than some other crops, rather than paving over prime farmland to install solar panels. 

“It’s really critical to preserve that land so farmers can continue to farm and pass it on to the next generation,” McDowell said. 

Another proposed law, Senate Bill 601, authored by state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, would create a new water quality permitting regime for “nexus waters,” aiming to replace some federal clean water rules that were recently limited by the Trump administration. 

The bill would also establish a “private right of action,” allowing private citizens or organizations to bring legal action on alleged water quality violations on private farms. That part of the proposed law is the most worrisome for some farm advocates. 

“It’s a huge concern,” Reardon said. “Just imagine having your neighbors or some advocacy group hire legal counsel to sue you over alleged permit violations. We think that’s a big problem.”

Both AB 1156 and SB 601 passed out of committees and are set to be voted on in the respective legislative houses of their authors. Reardon said the Farm Bureau will continue advocating for amendments to the bills. 

“Farm Bureau has done a really good job of facilitating days like this for members to come provide a voice,” McDowell said.

She added that state Farm Bureau staff helped make the Capitol visits a success by providing mentorship and preparation to members before they met with lawmakers. 

“When people are paired up with those who have done it before and with the government affairs team, it makes it easier, and we become better advocates and provide more voices,” she said. 

In addition to advocating on specific policies, Farm Bureau members said the Calling on the Capitol Series provided opportunities to build rapport with lawmakers, especially those in urban and suburban districts who may be less familiar with the challenges and nuances of operating a farm. 

Sacramento County winegrape grower Bret Bartholomew said he participated in the Capitol visits because of his belief that face-to-face encounters can make a difference. 

“I think it makes it real if they see the people who are there doing it day to day,” Bartholomew said. “If they’re not just looking at a piece of paper to see what the bill says but having a personal relationship with someone, that probably has an impact on them.”

Assembly Member Stephanie Nguyen, D-Elk Grove, who met last month with Farm Bureau members from Sacramento and San Francisco counties, validated that sentiment. 

“It makes a difference” when people show up in person, Nguyen said. When lawmakers are determining their position on a bill or what goes into the state’s budget, it matters “who asked for support,” versus taking it for granted, she said. “We always remember.”

Caleb Hampton is assistant editor of Ag Alert. He can be reached at champton@cfbf.com.