Within 20 minutes, chickens will die if a poultry farm loses power.  Dairies have to dump milk if their electricity goes out.  Prunes may be left on the orchard floor if the cost of natural gas prohibits drying them.  University of California farm advisors are helping farmers cope with the crises at hand.

UC experts are also suggesting long-term solutions.  For instance, growers will learn how to shift irrigation practices to reduce demand on the power grid at peak times.  Researchers are taking a renewed look at forest and agricultural waste for energy production.  One scientist has developed a generator that will churn out electricity from vegetable processing wastes and even horse manure.

The story will play out in a thousand different ways this summer.  The UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources has developed a list of sources on these and other energy-related story ideas.  As the summer progresses, we will periodically update this page with new information.

• UC ag engineer can provide overview of impact to agriculture

• Poultry producers try to keep cool before birds get fried

• Cattle producers may get stuck holding expensive feed bag

• Research under way on biomass as energy source at UC Forest Lab

• Escalating energy costs hit rice farmers struggling with low crop prices

• Workshops to help growers keep lid on pumping costs while saving energy

• Race track may harness experimental methane generator

• Tomato growers may get pasted if processors back up

• Agricultural employee policies needed for blackouts

• Use blackout downtime as an opportunity for training

• Farmers, ag processors brace for outages, spiraling costs

• Fallow cotton fields the lesser of evils for some growers

• Responses to energy crisis brewing an air quality disaster

• Saving energy on irrigation involves water use tradeoff 

UC ag engineer can provide overview of impact to agriculture

Rolling blackouts will have a direct effect on the refrigeration of perishable agricultural goods -- fruits and vegetables, flowers, milk.  Dozens of commodities are at risk and could ultimately affect availability and price at the consumer level.  Cooperative Extension Agricultural Engineer Jim Thompson is an excellent source for providing an overview of how the energy crisis is affecting California agriculture.  He has written a number of articles for fruit and vegetable operations that can be viewed at the website for the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center http://postharvest.ucdavis.edu.

• Jim Thompson, UC Cooperative Extension Agricultural Engineer, UC Davis Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
  
  

• Expertise -- Field research and extension programs in postharvest handling of agricultural perishables (fruits, vegetables, flowers); improving design and operation of cooling systems, transportation equipment, and fumigation and cold storage facilities.  Also works with drying systems for fruits, nuts and grains.
  
  

• Contact info -- Jim Thompson (530) 752-6167, jfthompson@ucdavis.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Poultry producers try to keep cool before birds get fried

Backup generating capacity is crucial, yet expensive and not always available.  Cooperative Extension Poultry Specialist Ralph Ernst says poultry farmers are scrambling to prepare for the inevitable.  "If the power goes out in an enclosed broiler or egg laying operation, those birds won't last more than 20 minutes," he said.

• Ralph Ernst, UC Cooperative Extension poultry specialist, UC Davis Department of Animal Science
  
  

• Expertise -- Forced-air cooling of shell eggs; table egg sweating and Salmonella enteritidis contamination; effect of carbon dioxide levels during incubation on hatchability.
  
  

• Contact info -- Ralph Ernst (530) 752-3513, cell phone (916) 947-6614, raernst@ucdavis.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Cattle producers may get stuck holding expensive feed bag

 "The major cost of energy in beef cattle is in the energy used for feed production, not for cattle use directly," says UC Cooperative Extension Specialist Jim Oltjen.  Fertilizer and fuel for crops (and irrigation water), as well as some processing at feedlots (last 100-150 days of production) are affected.  Increased costs will likely be absorbed and not passed on, since it is generally a global market, at least from the farm gate.  Processor costs may be born by the end-user.  Rolling blackouts may affect feedlots; no impact otherwise.

• Jim Oltjen, UC Cooperative Extension Specialist, UC Davis Department of Animal Science
  
  

• Expertise -- Livestock quality assurance programs, natural resource monitoring and modeling, field research trials, and development of computer decision aids to improve beef quality, dairy cow culling decisions, cowherd health, breeding management and other applications.
  
  

• Contact info -- Jim Oltjen (530) 752-5650, jwoltjen@ucdavis.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Research under way on biomass as energy source at UC Forest Lab

The UC Forest Products Lab, based in Richmond, is cosponsoring research into new technologies for producing ethanol as a fuel, according to UC Cooperative Extension Advisor John Shelly.  Ethanol is a potential gasoline oxygenate (in place of MTBE) for California. Shelly is beginning two studies characterizing biomass as a raw material for various products (electricity is one potential product) and identifying the best use for biomass.

• John Shelly, UC Cooperative Extension Advisor, UC Forest Products Laboratory, Richmond Field Station
  
  

• Expertise -- forest products, wood manufacturing methods, biomass utilization, physical properties of wood
  
  

• Contact info -- John Shelly (510) 215-4210, john.shelly@ucop.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Escalating energy costs hit rice farmers struggling with low crop prices

The impact of the energy crisis to California rice growers will be similar to other commodities, according to UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Jack Williams.  The cost of nitrogen fertilizer is up 40 to 50 percent.  Fuel costs for gasoline and diesel are up.  Water pumping costs have escalated.  Natural gas-dependent drying and storage costs are also up.  The biggest issue facing the rice industry, however, is low commodity prices.  Williams has even received inquiries about the potential for burning rice as a fuel.

• Jack Williams, UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor and Sutter-Yuba county director
  
  

• Expertise -- field crops, rice and soils
  
  

• Contact info -- Jack Williams (530) 822-7515, jfwilliams@ucdavis.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Workshops to help growers keep lid on pumping costs while saving energy

UC Cooperative Extension Irrigation and Drainage Specialist Blaine Hanson is coordinating efforts to develop workshops that will show growers how to save money while shifting irrigation practices.  The workshops are being developed in collaboration with the state Department of Water Resources and the California Energy Commission.  Options for growers may be difficult and some, such as those to improve pumping efficiency, may actually increase horsepower and therefore energy use.  Growers may need to change irrigation practices to achieve lower energy usage.  Or they may need to change hours of operation.

• Blaine Hanson, UC Cooperative Extension Irrigation and Drainage specialist, UC Davis
  
  

• Expertise: Drainage; wells and pumps; micro-irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, furrow irrigation, border and basin irrigation, irrigation scheduling; salinity, soil moisture sensors.  Author of numerous irrigation management publications, including the ANR how-to manual Irrigation Pumping Plants.
  
  

• Contact info -- Blaine Hanson (530) 752-1130, brhanson@ucdavis.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Race track may harness experimental methane generator

Ruihong Zhang, a UC Davis agricultural engineer, is studying how to turn agricultural and food processing waste -- garlic and carrots and other vegetables, as well as animal manure from poultry and dairy, and crop residue from rice straw -- into electricity.  She has designed and developed two systems -- one for solid and one for liquid fuels utilizing anaerobic digesters -- that are in the initial stages of commercialization.  Can generate up to 500 kilowatts.  She is helping California's Santa Anita race track develop one of these systems.

• Ruihong Zhang, associate professor, UC Davis biological and agricultural engineering.
  
  

• Expertise:  Bioconversion technologies to produce gaseous and liquid fuels from agricultural and food wastes.  Also develops advanced wastewater treatment systems for farm animals to minimize discharge of environmental pollutants.
  
  

• Contact info -- Ruihong Zhang (530) 754-9530, rhzhang@ucdavis.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Tomato growers may get pasted if processors back up

Tomato growers would probably be forced to temporarily stop sending product in the event of a cannery shutdown, says Gene Miyao, UC Cooperative Extension vegetable crops farm advisor for Yolo and Solano counties.  Canners with multiple plant locations could divert fruit to other plants.  Grower considerations include an orderly planting schedule to prevent overlapping deliveries and to stretch in-field "storage" of fruit; fungicide use may need to be increased for late season deliveries; maintenance good canopy cover over fruit to protect from sun damage; good communication with processors on delivery schedules.  Conservation tillage may reduce energy costs.   However, this approach is largely untried and is in the experimental stage for tomato growers.

• Gene Miyao, UC Cooperative Extension vegetable crops farm advisor, Yolo & Solano counties
  
  

• Expertise:  tomatoes, other vegetable crops
  
  

• Contact info -- Phone (530) 666-8143 (office), 666-8732 (cell), emmiyao@ucdavis.edu; John Stumbos (530) 754-9554, jdstumbos@ucdavis.edu.

Agricultural employee policies needed for blackouts

"Employers should draw up a policy in advance of blackouts that outlines what will happen at their facilities.  Will the employees be sent home?  Will they be asked to wait out the blackout?  It's best if everyone knows up front," says Stephen Sutter, UC Cooperative Extension area labor law advisor.  "It is important that employers know how to handle wage and hour issues if their companies are victims of blackouts.  For example, employees may be sent home during a blackout and called back when the electricity comes back on.  Under these circumstances, non-exempt employees are paid only for the time actually worked that day, while exempt employee wages may not be docked."

• Stephen Sutter, UC Cooperative Extension area labor law advisor, Fresno County
  
  

• Expertise -- Labor management, labor force planning, personnel record keeping systems, employee--employer relations, farm labor laws, farm safety
  
  

• Contact info -- Stephen Sutter (559) 456-7560, srsutter@ucdavis.edu; Jeannette Warnert (559) 241-7514, jwarnert@ukac.edu.

Use blackout downtime as an opportunity for training

Employers might want to plan ahead to use blackout time for employee training, says Gregory Encina Billikopf, UC Cooperative Extension area labor management advisor.  There is mandatory training many employers must provide, but never enough time.  Employers who think ahead can take advantage of the energy situation.

Gregory Encina Billikopf, UC Cooperative Extension area labor management advisor, Stanislaus County

Expertise -- Labor management in agriculture, employee selection, pay & incentives, negotiation & conflict management, discipline & termination, supervisory skills training, interpersonal communications on the job.

Contact info -- Gregory Encina Billikopf (209) 525-6800, gebillikopf@ucdavis.edu; Jeannette Warnert (559) 241-7514, jwarnert@ukac.edu.

Farmers, ag processors brace for outages, spiraling costs

"Farmers' real fears are that competing energy costs will drive up all forms of energy -- propane, diesel and electricity,"  says Maxwell Norton, UC Cooperative Extension grape and tree crop farm advisor.  Those are three forms of energy purchased the most in production agriculture.

 "Agricultural processors are bracing for huge increases in energy costs.  They do not have the ability to pass on any of that cost because they have overseas competitors that have lower labor and energy costs.

"Striking fear among processors is the prospect of losing power during the processing season and having huge losses of product.  For example, at wineries, fermentation takes place at a cool temperature.  If a winery loses its refrigeration system and a 10,000-gallon tank goes hot, it will destroy the wine."

• Maxwell Norton, UC Cooperative Extension grapes and tree crops farm advisor, Merced County
  
  

• Expertise -- tree fruit and grapes, public policy, agricultural processing
  
  

• Contact info -- Maxwell Norton (209) 385-7403, cell (209) 761-2846, mnorton@ucdavis.edu; Jeannette Warnert (559) 241-7514, jwarnert@uckac.edu.

Fallow cotton fields the lesser of evils for some growers

"Some farmers have decided not to plant cotton at all,"  says Bob Hutmacher, UC Cooperative Extension cotton specialist.  "The higher energy costs coupled with decreased water deliveries and low cotton prices make those farmers believe they will lose less money by fallowing the land this summer."

• Bob Hutmacher, UC Cooperative Extension cotton specialist, UC Shafter Research and Extension Center
  
  

• Expertise -- cotton production
  
  

• Contact info -- Bob Hutmacher (661) 746-8020, cell (559) 260-8957, rbhutmacher@ucdavis.edu; Jeannette Warnert (559) 241-7514, jwarnert@ukac.edu.

Responses to energy crisis brewing an air quality disaster

"The energy crisis could be an air quality disaster," says David Grantz, UC Cooperative Extension air quality specialist.  "People will be using barbecues and firing up generators.  On-demand power plants will be put into service.  All of that worsens our already poor air quality on hot days in the Central Valley air basin."

• David Grantz, UC Cooperative Extension air quality specialist, plant physiologist, UC Kearney Ag Center
  
  

• Expertise -- Physiological and management factors that determine air pollution effects on crop plants; environmental and stress physiology; interactions of agriculture and air quality
  
  

• Contact info -- David Grantz (559) 646-6599, cell (559) 903-3578, david@uckac.edu; Jeannette Warnert (559) 241-7514, jwarnert@ukac.edu.

Saving energy on irrigation involves water use tradeoff 

"There are different energy requirements associated with different methods of irrigation," says Blake Sanden, UC Cooperative Extension soil and water advisor.  For example, energy use in border strip irrigation is less than with drip or micro sprinkler systems.  But, there is a tradeoff.  With the less precise water application, energy use might be cut, but water use will rise.  Given reduced water supplies and availability, growers must consider the tradeoffs.

• Blake Sanden, UC Cooperative Extension, farm advisor for soils and water, Kern County
  
  

• Expertise -- Irrigation, soil, water, agronomy, blackeye peas, sugarbeets, safflower, alfalfa
  
  

• Contact info -- Blake Sanden (661) 868-6218, blsanden@ucdavis.edu; Jeannette Warnert (559) 241-7514, jwarnert@ukac.edu.