member advocacy
Farming and ranching touches nearly every aspect of human activity and is always the subject of legislative and regulatory interest. Because of that, the Farm Bureau works to protect and promote agricultural interests throughout California and to find solutions to the problems of the farm, the farm home and the rural community. Farm Bureau represents farmers and ranchers in venues including the state Capitol, the halls of Congress and the offices of state and federal regulatory agencies.
Farm Bureau works hard to represent and protect the farming and ranching way of life. As a Sacramento County Farm Bureau member, you help ensure that we continue to support and preserve Sacramento County agriculture and its farmers and ranchers.
It is imperative that we preserve our agricultural heritage and protect it for future generations. As agriculturalists we are tasked with producing the finest quality and most affordable food, fiber and foliage in the world. Farm Bureau strives to preserve the unparalleled bounty and diversity of California agriculture. Our family farmers and ranchers are a vital part of the statewide economy and local communities.
Sacramento County Farm Bureau takes an active role in issues that affect your way of life. Your membership supports legislative, regulatory and judicial efforts that promote agriculture and shield farmers and ranchers from the harsh political environment.
Farm Bureau derives its strength from grassroots policy development. This assures Farm Bureau represents the collective interests of its members.
CDFA Bans Movement of Poultry & Dairy Cattle
As of Tuesday Jan 7th, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) State Veterinarian-Director, Dr. Annette Jones, has implemented a ban on all California Poultry and Dairy Exhibitions at Fairs and Shows effective January 07, 2025 until further notice. This action is required to minimize the danger of exposing people and non-infected birds and cows to the disease. Please refer to the attachment for details of the ban.
Dairy cattle are described as follows in (3 CCR §830) (9) “Dairy cattle” means all cattle, regardless of age or sex or current use, that are of a breed(s) or offspring of a breed used to produce milk or other dairy products for human consumption, including, but not limited to, Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey, Milking Shorthorn, and Red and Whites.
2023 Flood ECP Payments
If you applied for the USDA Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) for flood damages in 2023 and have not received full payment, please contact our office at executivedirector@sacfarmbureau,org or (916)685-6958. We are working to resolve this delay.
New Updates on HPAI (H5N1)
posted 11/18/2024
Joint Guidance on Worker Safety Related to HPAI
In order to clarify requirements related to protecting dairy workers during HPAI outbreaks on dairies, CDFA, CDPH and Cal/OSHA (with others) jointly issued “State of California Guidance on Bird Flu for Workers and Employers”. Highlights of the guidance include:
*The State and Federal governments maintain the risk to the general public is low
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
H5N1 Detected in California Dairies
Gabriele Maier, DVM, Ph.D. with UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has provided information on HPAI in California Dairies.
What happened? The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) announced in a press release on August 30th, 2024 that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was detected in three dairies in the Central Valley. The outbreak of this flu virus in dairy cattle was first reported in the Texas panhandle in the spring of this year after several dairy herds had cows become sick with an unidentified illness. The affected cows were lethargic, had a fever, some had clear nasal discharge, diarrhea or dry feces, dropped in feed consumption and milk production, and most remarkably shed thick, colostrum-like milk. Most of the affected cows recovered after a couple of weeks, but their milk production did not reach the same levels as before they became ill. Veterinarians were unable to determine the cause of these outbreaks for some time, but dead birds on the dairies and cats with neurological signs finally raised the suspicion for avian flu. Cats and other mammals often become neurological when infected with HPAI and cats on dairies become infected when drinking raw milk. Samples collected from affected cows indeed came back positive for HPAI and since then, dairy herds in multiple states across the U.S. have tested positive for the virus. For a current and historical overview of affected states go to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dashboard. As of October 23, 2024, a total of 14 states have diagnosed cases in 334 herds.
How did this virus get into dairy cattle? It is now believed that the virus spilled over from birds to dairy cattle in a single event, i.e. one cow was infected in Texas through bird droppings or a dead bird, and the virus has since spread from cow to cow only. Flu viruses change often, which is why we need a new flu vaccine in people every year. When a host such as a bird gets infected with two types of flu viruses at the same time, the viruses can reassort their genetic material. By random chance events, the newly assorted virus is now capable of infecting a new host, in this case cattle.
Website Link for Updates on HPAI (H5N1) Virus in livestock
In an effort to proactively inform California stakeholders about HPAI (H5N1) Virus in livestock, CDFA has created a dedicated web page: CDFA - AHFSS - AHB - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 Virus in Livestock. The web page will evolve as additional resources and information become available. Some of the information you will currently find includes:
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CDFA Cattle Import Order
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Federal Testing Order
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Requirements and Recommendations for HPAI in Livestock
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Sampling Protocol
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CAHFS Lab Submission form
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Owner Hauler Statement
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Biosecurity Templates and Information
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Milk Safety
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Dairy Worker Safety
Cattle Import Restrictions
Currently the movement of cattle coming into California is being carefully monitored and cattle exposed or affected with H5N1 are prohibited. USDA initially announced H5N1 detections in Kansas and Texas Dairy Herds on March 25, 2024; since that time several other states have reported cases. In all affected states, the herds are recovering or have completely recovered.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (HPAI) H5N1 virus is an emerging disease in cattle. Federal and state agencies are moving quickly to conduct additional testing for HPAI (H5N1) virus, as well as viral genome sequencing, so that we can better understand the situation, including characterization of the HPAI (H5N1) virus strain or strains associated with these detections as well as any other multi-factorial components of the disease event in dairy cattle. This is a rapidly evolving situation.
Below are more resources:
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