Acreage report for 2007-08

Online seed inspection reports

Seed Inspection Reports will be available online soon. We are in the final stages of testing the online submission of sample forms and lab analysis results. The seed conditioner will enter the seed lot information and the lab analysis information. The original lab results will be scanned and uploaded to the CCIA server. CCIA staff will verify the information and issue the Seed Inspection Report. The seed conditioner, applicant, and county Agricultural Commissioner will receive an email notification that the report is available online for their information. Once this program is operational, printed reports will no longer be mailed.

Alfalfa standards

Alfalfa standards have been updated by the Association of Official Seed Certifiying Agencies (AOSCA). At the July AOSCA annual meeting in Quebec, Canada, the board approved changing ‘other crop standard’ for certified seed from 1/100 to 2/100; the foundation standard was not changed.

New application year

New application year begins October 1st. When you submit your first application after October 1st, you will be asked to accept an agreement with CCIA regarding the following: - applicant/grower responsibilities and liabilities - grant permission for CCIA staff to enter property for field inspection OR provide CCIA with the grower’s permission You must accept this agreement before you may submit an application. You will also be asked if you would like to be a member in the association. Any person who grows certified seed in California, or any person who has an interest in seed certification, may apply for regular membership in the association. Regular members are allowed to vote for their district representative on the CCIA Board of Directors and to serve as district directors or directors-at-large on the board. Regular members are also entitled to vote on any future changes to the articles of incorporation and on significant changes to the bylaws. The membership year runs concurrently with the seed application year from October 1 to September 30; membership is renewed annually. There is no fee for membership. You are not required to be a member of CCIA to participate as an applicant and/or grower of certified seed.

New publication of interest

CAST (Council for Agriculture Science and Technology) is pleased to release a new Special Publication - Gene Flow in Alfalfa: Biology, Mitigation, and Potential Impact on Production - which provides an overview of agronomic practices and biology to be considered in developing strategies that allow producers of conventional, organic, and biotechnology-derived alfalfa to coexist in the marketplace. The CCIA Executive Director Larry R. Teuber is one of the contributing authors. Single copies are available from the CCIA or check the CAST web site for more information: http://www.cast-science.org.

UC Davis was established in 1908 and is celebrating it’s centennial this year. A new publication - 100 Years of Breeding - provides a summary of the role UC Davis has played in developing and managing many of the more than 350 plant commodities grown in California. Contact the Seed Biotechnology Center for copies. The publication is available for download as a pdf at their website: http://sbc.ucdavis.edu/publications.

Director Focus - Jack De Wit

Jack De Wit has served as the Director for District VI for approximately 20 years. He has held the office of President, Vice President, and Treasurer. He has exhibited his dedication by representing CCIA at several AOSCA (Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies) meetings. Jack first became aware of the certification services of CCIA while working for the Rice Growers Association of California in their seed program in 1966. By 1970, he managed the seed program for RGA and worked closely with CCIA in certification of thousands of acres of rice seed. Jack’s main focus is the rice industry; however, he feels he has represented all seed growers participating in the certified seed program in District VI. A recent example of industry support is CCIA’s willingness to act as a collection point for rice samples which were then sent to a lab for GMO testing. Jack has seen the CCIA program grow from a paper-based system to the new web-based scheme which allows users to view and print their applications and field inspection reports easily. Jack and De Wit Family Farms, Inc. currently plant wild rice (foundation seed), medium grain, short grain, and sweet rice in the CCIA program. Jack is an intelligent and responsive Director and the staff at CCIA appreciates his willingness to contribute years of his personal time and resources to the seed certification program.

Staff Focus - Bob Simas & Barbara Bassett

Bob Simas has been a familiar face at CCIA for 19 years. He began his career as a plant breeder at Northrup-King working on winter squash and turfgrass. In 1989 he joined CCIA as part of the field staff and for the past six years he has had the responsibility of managing the organic certification program for CCIA. In addition, he is in charge of field services directing the activities of the field staff. Bob’s wife Judy recently retired as an administrator at Woodland High School and Bob plans to join her in retirement sometime next year. He plans to spend his days working with his son Christopher making wines under the label “Vineyard 79”, designating where the wine is grown on Road 79 in the Capay Valley. Bob and Judy also have a daughter Carrie who lives in Woodland. They have five grandchildren.

Say “Hi” to Barbara. We would like to welcome Barbara Bassett to the CCIA office. She will provide bookkeeping assistance and answer the main phone.