By Faughn Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Blue Diamond partners with Divert ahead of renewable energy facility opening

Though we may still be months away from the opening of the new 65,000 square-foot Divert Inc. facility that will process unsold food from grocery stores into renewable natural gas, the Massachusetts-based technology company announced last Tuesday that they were entering in a partnership with Blue Diamond Growers.

Blue Diamond — the world’s leading almond company with processing plants in Turlock, Salida and Sacramento creating products like almond flour, almond oil and almond protein powder— will be sending almond processing byproducts to the facility being built at 4407 W. Main St. for it to be transformed into renewable energy.

“We are proud to join forces with a company like Blue Diamond Growers that shares our mission and commitment to sustainability,” said Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder of Divert. “The organic byproducts from food processing have tremendous value that can be converted into renewable energy to power our communities. With California being the largest food manufacturer in the U.S., there is a real opportunity for the state to adopt the technologies and infrastructure for food processing that will have a positive impact on the climate crisis. We applaud Blue Diamond for being at the forefront of the industry in implementing solutions to better our world.”

The renewable energy created from the byproducts are expected to be used to supply local homes and businesses, as well as soil amendment that allows for the nutrients to return to farmland thereby supporting further food growth.

Prior to the facility’s groundbreaking in April of 2023, Divert came to an interconnection agreement with PG&E. When the project is completed and operational, processed Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) will enter PG&E’s on-site transmission line, replacing fossil fuel gas with a carbon negative renewable fuel.

The process of creating renewable energy starts with unsold food material being liquefied and purified before being processed into a finished clean food slurry. The slurry is then pumped directly into an on-site anaerobic digester, where it is turned into biogas, a mixture of gasses, primarily consisting of methane, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. The equipment then removes impurities from the biogas and upgrades it into pipeline quality RNG to meet utility company standards.

“Blue Diamond’s long history of furthering the use of almonds and almond byproducts is an important part of our sustainability story and why our almonds have a record of very low waste,” said Dan Sonke, Head of Sustainability at Blue Diamond Growers. “This partnership with Divert is a way to continue our legacy of putting resources to their best and highest value for our farmer-owners and community.”

The facility is expected to be completed sometime during the fourth quarter of this year. There will be roughly 40 employees, including plant managers, technicians and truck drivers.

According to Divert, the United States alone generates more than 100 million tons of food waste annually, with over 50% going to landfills or incinerators. Additionally, food waste contributes 8% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Financially, American food retailers waste $25 billion in food each year. To combat the issue, state and municipal food waste laws have been increasingly enacted in recent years to preserve landfill capacity and curb greenhouse gas emissions. In California, that comes in the form of Senate Bill 1383.

SB 1383 was signed into law by former governor Jerry Brown in 2016, establishing a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants in various sectors of California’s economy, one of those sectors being the food and retail industry. Beginning in 2022, SB 1383 required every jurisdiction to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. Additionally, businesses had to begin collecting, sorting and transferring organic waste to a specified composting facility, community composting program or other collection activity or program.

https://www.turlockjournal.com/news/local/blue-diamond-partners-with-divert-ahead-of-renewable-energy-facility-opening/

By Faughn Economy 0 Comments

Annexation of Virginia Smith Trust Land is Finalized

The City of Merced is pleased to announce that the Virginia Smith Trust (VST) annexation has been officially recorded and is now complete. This marks a significant step forward in the city’s long-term growth plans, as 650 acres of land just south of UC Merced have now been annexed.

The Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) gave its final approval to the annexation, following a unanimous vote by the Merced City Council earlier this year. The VST property will be developed into an exciting new part of our community, transforming into a vibrant area with new homes, apartments, retail and commercial spaces, parks, and essential transportation routes.

“This has been a multi-year effort involving collaboration with multiple agencies,” said City Manager Scott McBride. “We received notice that the VST annexation is now officially recorded. This project will help provide affordable housing and offer direct support to UC Merced. We are already seeing interest from private developers eager to work in this area.”

Now that the annexation is final, the focus shifts to processing the necessary entitlement applications for maps and permits to begin construction. The development will also create revenue that will directly support local students, as it funds scholarships from the Virginia Smith Trust. Established in 1975, the Trust has awarded nearly $7 million in scholarships to more than 3,500 Merced students. 

“The legacy of Virginia Smith and her brother Cyril will impact future generations of Merced County students,” said Merced County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Steve Tietjen, who also serves as an advisor to the Trust. “It is now up to us to maximize the potential of this gift.”

The Virginia Smith Trust has played a key role in Merced’s development over the years. In the late 1990s, a large portion of the Trust’s land was donated for the creation of UC Merced, which has since become one of the nation’s top-ranked universities. Another section of land was preserved for environmental conservation, protecting vernal pools that provide a habitat for endangered species.

The City of Merced is thankful for the continued support of the City Council and the efforts of all those involved in making this project a reality. The VST annexation opens the door to future growth and development that will benefit both the community and UC Merced for years to come.

https://www.cityofmerced.org/Home/Components/News/News/1832/17

By Faughn Energy • Renewable Energy 0 Comments

Valley Children’s Ensures Energy Resiliency With Pioneering Microgrid Project

Valley Children’s Healthcare broke ground today on an innovative microgrid project that will ensure the hospital’s long-term energy resilience and sustainability. The microgrid includes solar panels, fuel cells and battery storage that will allow it to generate, store and distribute electricity and reduce the hospital’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Valley Children’s state-of-the-art system will provide a reliable, clean energy source and ensure uninterrupted care for patients – even during power outages. It will be one of the largest renewable energy microgrids connected to a hospital emergency system in the country.

“Today marks a momentous milestone for Valley Children’s, and this initiative is a testament to our unwavering commitment that our hospital remains a beacon of hope and care, regardless of external circumstances,” said Valley Children’s Healthcare President and CEO Todd Suntrapak. “By investing in this cutting-edge technology, we are securing a reliable energy source for our patients, doctors and staff and contributing to a more sustainable future for our community.”

Valley Children’s microgrid will incorporate renewable energy technologies, including solar photovoltaic materials designed in the shape of the hospital’s beloved mascot, George the Giraffe. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to cleaner air in a region with some of the nation’s poorest air quality.

When operational in 2025, the microgrid will cover 80% of the hospital’s energy needs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50% and save $15 million in energy costs during the next 25 years. Importantly, it will ensure the hospital remains fully functional at all times, even during regional power outages.

In 2023, Valley Children’s joined the U.S Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Climate Challenge, an initiative aimed at accelerating decarbonization across various sectors in the country.

“Congratulations to our Better Climate Challenge partner Valley Children’s Healthcare for breaking ground on a first-of-its-kind renewable energy microgrid,” said Maria Vargas, Director of the Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative. “By improving community resilience and reducing reliance on fossil fuels, innovative projects like this are what the Better Climate Challenge is all about: meeting the challenge of climate change head-on and leading the way for others.”

“Our mission is driven by the unwavering belief that every child deserves the best possible future,” added Suntrapak. “Every decision we make is guided by our dedication to their health, safety and well-being. This project is not just about energy resilience. It is about ensuring a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.”

https://www.valleychildrens.org/news/news-story?news=1400&fbclid=IwY2xjawFpPKhleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcopn-xDkk6Ty2CLCsPDsUMeNM5d1g1F4J9SrlX9AZTgYKtaVRnkEOMw7Q_aem_bvBQkL–g_rQ500IFo7IWA

By Faughn Economy • Energy • Renewable Energy 0 Comments

NAS Lemoore plans lease of 425 MW solar farm and construction of data center

The US Navy is working on a lease of 920 acres of land around the Naval Air Station Lemoore base to a Massachusetts company who would construct a large 425 MW solar farm and build a data center the size of three Costcos on the base campus.

This is the third run to lease surrounding land at the base by the government to produce energy that could help protect the facility power supply and offer resiliency. Similar projects were proposed in 2015 and 2023 but no construction ever happened.

Now there is a new investor who could build this project that now includes a 600,000 square foot power-hungry data center — one of hottest commodities on Wall Street these days.

A draft environmental document (Supplemental Assessment-SEA) published in June says a new lessee — Ameresco — could sell the generated power to regional customers, including the onsite data center. In return, the lessee would provide in-kind consideration in the form of energy generation to the Navy that would allow NAS Lemoore to work toward meeting both Navy and Department of Defense energy resiliency objectives. The project would include EV charging stations, a battery storage facility or BESS, backup generation/microgrid and related infrastructure.

A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as servers, storage systems, networking equipment, and other hardware. It serves as a centralized location for organizations to store, process, manage, and distribute large amounts of data. Data centers are

designed to provide a controlled environment with optimal conditions for the reliable operation of the computer systems. They have redundant power

supplies, cooling systems, and backup generators to ensure uninterrupted operation. They also employ various security measures, such as access controls, surveillance systems, and fire suppression systems, to protect the valuable data and equipment.

The data center would be connected to high-speed long haul fiber optic network for receiving and transmitting data. The facility would be primarily powered by on-site solar and battery storage for most of the year and would be connected to grid power for periods of low solar energy production.

The data center would be secured by fences and gates and only accessible by authorized personnel or deliveries. Vehicles onsite would include employee

vehicles, delivery trucks and service vehicles. During operations, the project site would have 20 employees, with staffing seven days per week, 24 hours per day.

A key factor that contributes to the rapid expansion of data center construction in the U.S. is digital transformation. As more businesses undergo digital transformations, the need for robust IT infrastructure to support cloud computing, big data analytics, and online services has skyrocketed, says one analysis.

Federal incentives have promoted investments. There are no data centers in Kings or Tulare counties.

Approximate Construction Timeline

Construction of the overall project would be expected to begin in 2024, says the document, with data center operations most likely commencing in 2025. The project can be constructed in single or multiple phases that are determined by the data center customer. Data center development typically can include up to five phases of approximately 20-25 MW increments that may extend construction time through 2027.

History of lease

The document is a Supplemental Assessment because the 2016 environmental study led to a lease of lands around the base that is still in place. NAS Lemoore encompasses 18,784 acres of Navy-owned land.

On Oct. 12, 2016, approximately 930 acres (i.e., Project Site) were leased to Liberty CO LLC for a term of 37 years (expiring Oct. 31, 2053). The existing lease with Liberty CO LLC was then transferred to Bright Canyon Energy on Feb. 14, 2019. In January 2024, Bright Canyon was acquired by Ameresco, and thus, as of 2024, Ameresco is now the current lessee of the undeveloped land.

Under the Navy’s 2024 Proposed Action, the existing lease would be modified to allow the lessee to construct and operate additional resilient energy systems within the leased 930-acre Project Site.

The existing lease allows the lessee to construct and operate up to a 125 MW solar PV system and associated infrastructure. The changes proposed as part of the 2024 Proposed Action would include the construction and operation of an additional 300 MW of solar PV systems (for a total of up to 425 MW) and an option to construct a data center, EV charging stations, BESS, backup generation/microgrid, and related infrastructure.

Ameresco, Inc. completed the acquisition of Clean Energy Asset from Bright Canyon Energy for $76.8 million, says their website.

Ameresco develops, owns and operates renewable-energy projects across the United States, Canada and Europe. In California, its projects include battery storage installations, including a $1.2 billion, 537.5-MW project that was delayed due to COVID-19 lockdowns and resulted in the company declaring a force majeure in April 2022. Ameresco was contracted to construct the battery storage systems for SCE at the utility’s substations in Ventura and the Los Angeles area.

The environmental document says once construction starts, it will employ about 400 construction workers.

A final SEA is expected before work begins.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/business/energy/nas-lemoore-plans-lease-of-425-mw-solar-farm-and-construction-of-data-center-john/article_daaafe54-90af-11ef-a013-3f506e5c207b.html

By Faughn Distribution • Manufacturing 0 Comments

Visalia tills crops into industrial plants

Dairyman Jay teVelde, Jr. is the latest north Visalia landowner to request a large annexation within the city limits to capitalize on the need for greater industrial space.

TeVelde, Jr. is requesting annexation of more than 300 acres into the City of Visalia that will add more developable land to the Visalia industrial Park. The site is north of Riggin and east of Plaza. The multiple parcels reach close to Highway 99 to Road 68 on the northern edge of Goshen. His mixed-use proposal consists of some residential and commercial designations with 225 acres zoned for industrial uses, according to a recent plan filed with the city.
The proposed annexation adds to five other recent annexations that will bring more residential, big box commercial and industrial uses as the city expands its reach to accommodate growth. A number of these projects are still in the works, including land for Costco to build a new retail store at Riggin and Shirk and add some 500 new homes around it.

Other annexations include a 320-acre industrial project on land owned by the Ritchie family that is in the middle of an environmental review seeking approval probably early next year.

Landowners on the northern tier of Visalia have in the past few decades, cashed in on the fact that development, from residential to industrial, has been moving their way. Names include long time farming families such as Doe, Shannon and Ritchie, and now teVelde, who all own or owned mostly low-value, field-crop land north of the historic city limits. It’s not low value anymore.
Some families have taken a direct hand in the development of these lands like the Shannons, who have developed Shannon Ranch and mixed use residential and retail projects like the new northside Costco project expected to break ground in a matter of months.

Of course, the Doe family has a street in the industrial park named after them and annexed 156 acres into the city a few years ago at the NW corner of Plaza and Riggin, later sold to Fresno developer John Brelsford who is marketing it.

Also, as mentioned, the Ritchie family, who is now annexing a whole section of land into the city, has sold off the development rights to Seefried Industries awaiting completion of their environmental impact report before annexation is approved. This project is a behemoth as Seefried has come to an agreement with the Ritchie family to build a proposed 3.8 million square foot industrial complex north of Riggin Road between Kelsey Street and Shirk Road. The project is expected to employ 4,100 workers at build out.

Another industrial annexation was recently approved on 80 acres at the southwest corner of Riggin and Shirk by YS industries. The project was recently challenged with the lawsuit claiming that the city allowed the project to move forward without proper environmental studies. The city has rejected the assertion and the applicant expects the project to move forward early next year. Part of the land used to be a dairy.

Now to the west, the dairy family led by Jay teVelde, Jr. is planning to develop over 300 acres north of Riggin and west of Plaza (See maps). The specifics of the new teVelde proposal include some 225 acres of industrial, about 50 acres of high density residential and 25 acres of commercial fronting on Riggin. There’s also land set aside for a water storage basin.

Asked this week if he could comment on his annexation request, Jay, Jr. said he could not. Visalia-based 4 Creeks consultants are steering the project through the city approval process.

Family history

The teVelde family have expanded their already successful dairy operation since arriving from Southern California in 1989. Their Facebook page states Double J Dairy started Dec. 1, 1988, as a partnership between Jay teVelde, Sr. and Jay teVelde, Jr. Originally located in Chino, California, the dairy relocated to Visalia in June of 1989. The facility was an open-lot style dairy equipped to milk approximately 1,000 cows. By 1998, the herd expanded to 4,400 milking cows and was remodeled to freestall barns. Over the next two decades, teVelde, Jr. was able to expand his surrounding land base and is now self-sufficient in terms of forages while also diversifying into nut crops.

The teVelde dairy is north of the proposed annexation on Ave 328. Dairies typically own acreage around their dairy to provide a home for their dairy waste and to grow feed crops for their cows. So, it’s not unusual that teVelde owns substantial acreage nearby.

Jay, Jr. penned a paper for his CalPoly studies in 2016 mentioning some family history: “The family finds its dairy roots all the way back to George teVelde, the owner’s grandfather. George immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands in 1920. After arriving in California, George found a job as a milker in southern California. Over time George saved up enough to buy some cows of his own. He was fortunate to have the support of his boss, who helped him get started. George spent much of his working life adding to his business. Eventually George’s sons discovered their own passion for the dairy industry. One of his sons, Jay TeVelde, branched off and started his own dairy. Jay, like his father, spent most of (his) working life expanding his business. Also like his father George, Jay’s children discovered a passion for the dairy industry.”

Flurry of construction

This new annexation project is happening after a flurry of industrial construction took place in the past few years. Now the boom in industrial building activity has turned quiet in the past year. That can be seen by the shiny new 1.2 million square-foot spec building constructed by CapRock completed earlier this summer that sits empty for now. The building on Plaza north of Riggin is a close replica of two other Amazon buildings nearby. But Amazon remains mum on whether they would lease this massive building as well.

CapRock bought several sections of the land on the northeast corner of Plaza and Riggin in the 1990s from a farm family. They worked for a decade unsuccessfully trying to attract major logistic players to Visalia until they did. The big boom began when CapRock sold the corner of Plaza and Riggin to UPS for a Central Valley shipping hub. Many industrial firms use UPS for their daily package shipments.

At the time the paper reported “The Visalia UPS super hub’s location is critical, says CapRock’s Pat Daniels, because “only the Visalia/Fresno area can reach 99% of California with overnight shipments. The UPS Fresno facility is landlocked for growth and the current Visalia UPS terminal is quite small. On July 10, UPS pulled their permit for the shell of the building valued at $21.2 million. The general contractor is Layton Construction.”

CapRock set off the Visalia logistics boom, selling acreage to UPS that became a 450,000 square-foot package distribution hub that opened in 2020. That was followed by construction of the 1.1 million square-foot Amazon fulfillment center, operational as of 2021.  Between the two locations, 1,700 people are employed. That was followed by a second Amazon warehouse now operating.

As the paper has noted before, it took 60 years, 1958 to 2018, for the Visalia Industrial Park to get to 16.6 million square feet. But it may take just a few years, say 2018 to 2024, to double that square footage with all the million-square foot warehouses on tap. Looking at land, the district had 381 acres in 2018 and has already doubled that acreage today.

Not unlike the expansion of retail on Mooney Boulevard from 1980 to 2000, where we saw a steady move to open land to the south, the Visalia Industrial Park has seen a steady move north to more open land and adding larger parcels. The recent move north also includes a big retail push along Dinuba Boulevard replicating many of the retail tenants we see on South Mooney. Retail has followed a rapid construction of homes in the north in recent years. That in turn has been allowed by the city council decision to open its city limits on all sides. But that was held back for a while by a lawsuit requiring ag land mitigation – now an adopted policy. Tulare County’s Local Agency Formation Committee, which oversees municipal district boundaries, has been busy mostly approving new annexations in Visalia at nearly all of its recent meetings.

The opening of vast tracts of land for new industrial uses has its pluses and minuses, you could say. For Visalia, opening all these industrial areas promotes new jobs and tax dollars and growth of the city that may be positive or not. The tracks of land are owned by over a dozen major players allowing for competition on land prices. That helps keep locating a large complex here much cheaper to build than in the big metro areas of California.

There might be a slowdown in tenant decisions to locate here. But a number of spec builders are building in anticipation that the gravy train will continue in the next year or two and that their investment in building before the tenant shows up will pay off. That will require more land. It appears Mr. teVelde is joining the crowd

https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2024/10/17/visalia-tills-crops-into-industrial-plants/

By Faughn Energy 0 Comments

H2B2 and 2G Energy Receive 2024 CHP Project of the Year Award for SoHyCal’s Renewable Hydrogen Impact

H2B2 USA LLC, a leading vertically integrated hydrogen solutions company, and 2G Energy, Inc., a global CHP solution provider, are elated to announce that their collaborative SoHyCal project has been distinguished with the highly coveted 2024 CHP Project of the Year Award by the Combined Heat and Power Alliance. The award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 25th at the National Summit on CHP held at the Westin in Alexandria, Virginia.

The SoHyCal project, managed by H2B2, represents a significant step forward in the quest for sustainable energy solutions in California. By producing renewable hydrogen through electrolysis powered entirely by renewable energy, SoHyCal is paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future. A key partner in this project is 2G Energy, whose state-of-the-art biogas engine plays a critical role in powering the hydrogen production process.

Pedro Pajares, CEO of H2B2, emphasized the importance of collaboration in achieving the project’s success: “Receiving this award is an incredible honor and a testament to the hard work and dedication of our teams. The SoHyCal project is more than just a technological achievement—it is a symbol of the progress we are making towards a sustainable future. We are proud to lead this effort and to have such a committed partner in 2G Energy.”

2G Energy’s cutting-edge biogas technology not only provides the necessary energy for the electrolysis process but also ensures that the entire operation remains carbon-neutral, a vital component in California’s broader climate goals. “Our partnership with H2B2 has allowed us to showcase the potential of biogas in large-scale renewable energy projects,” said 2G Energy, Inc.’s Managing Director Darren Jamison. “We are honored to receive this award and are committed to continuing our work in advancing renewable hydrogen solutions.”

This award recognizes the SoHyCal project as a pioneering effort in hydrogen production, showcasing the successful integration of H2B2 and 2G Energy’s innovative technologies, which not only meet current clean hydrogen demands but also set a foundation for future expansions to support California’s climate goals and inspire similar global initiatives.

About H2B2 USA LLC:

H2B2 USA LLC is a pioneering California-based company, at the forefront of renewable energy innovation with their groundbreaking renewable hydrogen production and integrated solutions to its customers across the whole hydrogen value chain and covering all business scales. H2B2’s customer-centric, one-stop-shop offering enables seamless and effective support through the entire lifecycle of a hydrogen production facility (including the identification of the opportunity, R&D, design, permitting, construction, and operation services for the exploitation of the hydrogen facility), and complete solutions for transportation, storage, and sale of renewable hydrogen.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/h2b2-2g-energy-receive-2024-190000992.html?guccounter=2&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAC8J8KfKVncBplFU0XXTDw7XLij7Jg-PWMZFRdq1cOv1kN0gU3-ooShtbixIXa1gQZ2L0HFZSCC4E3qr1q5kKMKlyYGFcPjER_ddyTK0ck0XQwzM3nQ2x-HV_cXWKo_KSzx1DlvLYtCbt6bVBMuxMGWRfMNvQWkoVUPGC5fEyI2o

By Faughn Hi-Tech • Workforce 0 Comments

Central Valley effort aims to train farmworkers to master the technology replacing fieldwork

Angel Cortez was ready for a change.

Cortez, 43, is a Mexican immigrant who has worked in agriculture, landscaping and restaurants since he arrived in California more than 25 years ago. But he said a workplace injury nearly a decade ago has made physical labor — jobs requiring him to stand or walk for long periods — exceedingly painful.

He has been looking to transition into jobs he could do primarily while seated. But his options felt limited: He has a high school education from Mexico, but doesn’t speak English fluently and wasn’t comfortable using a computer. So when he heard about a program at Merced College that would help him develop new skills for agriculture, he took a leap.

Cortez, a father of four, is part of the first cohort in a new certificate program launched last month at seven Central Valley community colleges that aims to ensure farmworkers don’t get displaced as the state’s powerhouse agricultural industry transitions to a more mechanized future.

As more farms move to drip irrigation systems, tractors that propel themselves with GPS guidance and robots that eliminate weeds with focused laser bursts, the certificate program aims to prepare 8,400 workers for higher-tech, higher-paying jobs in agriculture by the end of 2026. It is free to workers who enroll.

The program is one component of a larger effort to drive agricultural innovation in the Central Valley. The federal Economic Development Administration in 2022 awarded $65.1 million to a coalition of organizations, led by the Central Valley Community Foundation, that are working to integrate technology into the region’s vast farming operations.

The opportunity comes at a moment of transition for California agriculture. The industry is facing higher employee costs, resulting from state laws raising the minimum wage and requiring overtime pay for farmworkers. The labor force is aging, and immigration from Mexico — once a steady source of new workers — has slowed. And farmers are facing pressure to evolve long-standing methodologies for nurturing crops as the state enacts stricter regulations on groundwater and pesticide use and as climate change creates more extreme seasonal weather patterns.

The industry is turning to robotic harvesters, hydroponic tabletop farming and other developing technologies to address some of those challenges.

As farming methods advance, workers need to be retrained, said Marco Cesar Lizarraga, executive director of La Cooperativa Campesina de California, a statewide association of agencies administering farmworker service programs.

“As we know it, the farmworker is no longer going to exist in another 10, 15 years,” Lizarraga said. “It’s going to be a farmworker that’s much more savvy and much more of an operator of robotic equipment.”

Cannon Michael, president and CEO of Bowles Farming Co. in Merced County, echoed those sentiments, saying, “We’re constantly trying to look for ways to automate, or change, or have higher-paying jobs for higher-functioning individuals.”

To get a sense of the kinds of skills farmworkers will need to master in the new ag economy, the college instructors turned to agricultural leaders for feedback.

Growers said they need workers with a range of technical skills, people trained in the use of tablets and computers, who understand the complex regulations surrounding pesticides and can be promoted into management roles, said Karen Aceves, regional director for AgTEC, the workforce initiative within the Fresno-Merced Future of Food Innovation initiative.

“We need people who can do math, who can problem-solve, who are critical thinkers, who understand the whole ag value chain,” Aceves recalled growers saying. “We don’t know what the industry is going to look like in five and 10 years, so we want people that can grow. … And we want to keep the farmworkers that we have.”

The program’s design also drew on surveys of more than 10,000 farmworkers, conducted by grassroots organizations at tax preparation events, food distribution sites and flea markets. Most respondents had a middle school education or less. They preferred access to online courses from home and after work hours and wanted to travel 10 miles or less for an in-person class.

Students enrolled in the program study at their own pace through online courses and videos and take exams on campus. The program is the first in the California community college system designed as competency-based education, meaning that rather than earning traditional grades, students must prove mastery of specific skills, said Cody Jacobsen, director of ag innovation at Merced College.

The first lessons have focused on digital literacy — including how to use the computer, email and different systems for tracking fertilizer and pesticide use, said Karl Montague, who is teaching the course at Merced College. Later in the program, students will learn to operate and troubleshoot high-tech equipment and read and understand chemical labels. The course ends with a primer on workplace communication, including crafting an effective resume.

The colleges involved have hired student support coordinators, who help recruit students, assist them with registering for classes and connect them with resources such as laptops and transportation.

Along with Merced College, the certificate program is being offered at Madera, Fresno City, Clovis, Reedley, Lemoore and Coalinga colleges. It’s available in English and Spanish, and open to everyone regardless of immigration status.

At Merced College, seven of the 23 students enrolled so far are farm laborers, according to a college spokesperson. Among the other students are construction workers and participants in a program for formerly incarcerated adults. They range in age from 19 to 57.

“Before, I didn’t even know how to turn it on,” he said. Now, “I have my daughter’s laptop, and with this I go to places with Wi-Fi to study in the afternoons.”

It seems his career options are already expanding. He recently finished a separate forklift driving course at Modesto Junior College. And while he continues pursuing the agriculture certificate at Merced College, he said, he hopes to put his new computer skills to use as a driver for DoorDash.

Antonio De Loera-Brust, communications director for the United Farm Workers, cautioned against overestimating the impacts of programs like the community college effort, noting that the vast majority of farmworkers will be toiling in the fields for years to come.

He acknowledged the benefits of training farmworkers for higher-paying jobs. But, he noted, “‘everyone get promoted’ is not a scalable solution to farmworker poverty.”

“Let’s not forget all the farmworkers who, for any number of reasons, will never have that opportunity,” he said. For that reason, he said, the union continues to focus on improving farm jobs through better wages and safer working conditions.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-09-21/central-valley-effort-trains-farmworkers-to-master-technology-replacing-fieldwork

By Faughn Economy 0 Comments

INVESTING IN AMERICA: Merced County wins funds for Inland Port

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding $49.46 million in grants to 45 local, regional, and state public entities through the Innovative Finance and Asset Concession Grant Program (IFACGP), made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. More than 70 percent of the projects include transit-oriented development (TOD) and downtown redevelopment initiatives, including projects that support the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to boost housing supply and lower costs.

“Through the bipartisan infrastructure package, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping cities, states and transit agencies develop projects on underused properties—including tens of thousands of housing units over the next decade,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The grants we’re announcing today will allow communities to partner with the private sector, develop and deliver transit-oriented projects on public assets, and get more housing and other public benefits and services completed more quickly.”

The program makes $100 million available over five years to help public entities scan existing assets to unlock value from them and explore innovative financing and delivery opportunities through, e.g., the Build America Bureau’s Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) low-cost loan program.  Awards can be up to $2 million, with no match required for the first million dollars.

“Today’s announcement is what the Investing in America Agenda is all about,” said Acting Undersecretary of Transportation for Policy Christopher Coes. “Not only will this funding lead to greater access, opportunity, and economic growth through good transportation infrastructure, but it will catalyze the development of safe, affordable housing in communities across the country.

“This is a transformative program that is focused on unlocking value from underutilized assets,” said Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian. “The goal of this innovative program is to facilitate partnerships between private and public entities to deliver community benefits in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. The selected recipients represent a wide range of projects that are good candidates for public-private partnerships.”

The Build America Bureau administers the financing program, which provides technical assistance and expert services grants. View the interactive map to learn more about the selected projects. Several examples of grant recipients include:

  • Capital Metro (CapMetro) in Austin, Texas, will use $1 million in IFACGP funding to explore an Equitable TOD pilot site. Building off their experience completing the Plaza Saltillo development, CapMetro will evaluate multiple sites and create a pipeline of future TOD opportunities.
  • Merced County, California is producing a blueprint to modernize and expand operational capacity of the Castle Commerce Center Inland Port, a 1,912-acre multi-modal freight transportation hub located less than 100 miles from the ports of Oakland and Stockton.   With $450,000 of IFACGP funds, the County will partner with expert advisors to identify financing and private sector investment opportunities.
  • The City of New Rochelle, New York, will use $1 million in IFACGP funds to scan city-owned assets to determine future TOD projects that will promote economic revitalization opportunities and reconnect disadvantaged communities.
  • Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) is working to reimagine its Kennedy Plaza outdoor bus hub into a modern mixed-use development that includes a new transit center, housing, and commercial development. With $2 million from IFACGP funding, and $1 million contributed by RIPTA, this $3 million study will position RIPTA to engage private sector developers to deliver the project.

The technical assistance grant recipients will use the funding to enhance their organizational capacity and advance a portfolio of assets by conducting pre-construction tasks, such as asset scans, market studies, delivery option analyses, financial modeling, and other activities considering innovative finance and delivery, including asset concessions. The expert services grant recipients will use the funding to hire advisors to analyze a specific existing asset for innovative financing and delivery opportunities, including public-private partnerships.

Today’s IFACGP awards are the latest action by the Biden-Harris Administration to explore innovative finance and delivery options for public entities, create more housing to lower costs for Americans, and support communities with technical assistance. In addition to today’s announcement:

  • Last month, DOT’s Build America Bureau released new guidance to help potential borrowers access TOD financing, including FAQs and recorded webinars.
  • Earlier this year, DOT announced funding for 112 under-resourced communities to receive hands-on assistance to secure federal infrastructure funding and then deliver on those projects.
  • Last fall, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions to support the conversion of high-vacancy commercial buildings to residential use through new financing and technical assistance.

The new IFACGP program joins the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, Regional Infrastructure Accelerators Program, Thriving Communities Program, and other technical assistance opportunities at DOT that seek to ensure communities have the tools they need to access federal funding and financing for transformative infrastructure projects. Additional DOT technical assistance resources can be found on the DOT Navigator.

https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/investing-america-biden-harris-administration-continues-action-increase-housing

By Faughn Hi-Tech • Top Stories 0 Comments

Two Kern aerospace projects vie to become state’s ‘coolest’

There’s a fair chance the coolest product made in California comes from Kern County. Two aircraft projects with ties to eastern Kern have made a list of eight contenders remaining in the California Manufacturers & Technology Association’s Coolest Things Made in California competition. The pool of contestants initially numbered more than 140.  Landing both products on the list of eight final contenders is the latest positive news for Kern’s aerospace industry. A local victory could bring still more attention to the region’s innovations.

Recent online voting gave Mojave-based Stratolaunch LLC a win over aerospace giant Boeing, according to contest results released Monday. Stratolaunch uses the world’s largest aircraft, with a dual-fuselage and a wingspan of 385 feet, to launch a rocket-powered vehicle that would accelerate to a speed of more than five times the speed of sound. Lockheed Martin, meanwhile, made it past the contest’s Top 16 round by showcasing its X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft, developed in part at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. Measuring 100 feet long and 30 feet wide, the experimental plane has a tapered nose designed to break up shock waves that would otherwise cause a sonic boom.

The association’s inaugural Coolest Thing contest was won last year by the Tesla Model Y out of Fremont. In August, Kern’s B3K Prosperity economic collaboration announced a $2 million, federally funded partnership expected to build a “tech transfer” aerospace innovation hub that would link the region’s two military bases with local industry.

Additional federal help could be on the way. In July, Rep. Vince Fong, R-Bakersfield, a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, proposed adding $15 million to a $25.2 billion bill reauthorizing NASA’s human space exploration and related activities such as scientific research and testing.

Stratolaunch carried out an important flight test in February with its Talon-A hypersonic vehicle. For the first time, the vehicle carried fuel while being attached to the wing of the company’s massive launch aircraft. The test at the Western Range of Vandenberg Space Force Base was done in preparation for Talon-A’s first powered flight.

The X-59, whose 925-mph goal was first disclosed in January, gathers data for development of future aircraft that Lockheed Martin hopes will allow commercial supersonic flight over land. Such speeds are prohibited in the U.S. and elsewhere because planes traveling that fast have historically generated sonic booms that startle people living below. Initial flight tests have taken place at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale. The plan has been to locate the X-59’s base of operations at the Armstrong center.

Stratolaunch, Lockheed Martin and Armstrong did not respond Wednesday to requests for comment on the contest.

The Coolest Things contest resumes Monday with four days of voting to determine which products will contend for the Top 4 round. The contest, “powered” by JPMorganChase, reported receiving more than 100,000 votes during the Top 16 round. The winner is scheduled to be announced Oct. 18.

The host association says online that the competition “aims to highlight the remarkable products that have originated from the diverse and dynamic landscape of California.”

https://www.bakersfield.com/news/two-kern-aerospace-projects-vie-to-become-states-coolest/article_36c0f5d4-6af1-11ef-b8fe-23ad3ac58d96.html

By Faughn Health/Medical 0 Comments

Adventist Health unveils newest mobile clinic

Adventist Health has added a new mobile clinic to its growing fleet to aid in providing care to people who otherwise might not have access. The new mobile unit was dedicated in a ceremony at Adventist Health Hanford on Sept. 4.

The mobile clinic is a collaborative project funded through partnerships with Bank of America, Leprino Foods, the Mackey family and Facility Designs. The mobile clinic is expected to allow Adventist Health to reach more than 600 residents each year to provide screenings and vaccines to underserved communities. Adventist now boasts a fleet of four vehicles serving 33 communities between the Adventist Health network that includes 131 clinics.

“These mobile units go out and provide necessary screenings and services,” Adventist Health Communications Director Kiyoshi Tomono said. “We go out and diagnose and screen for cancer and cancers have been caught because of these mobile units.”

The mobile clinics are outfitted with the same screening tools used in the clinics and hospitals, allowing the mobile units to provide a high level of care to rural communities that have limited access to healthcare.

“Many of [these communities] would not have healthcare if it wasn’t for the commitment of this team and the support of so many community partners of taking healthcare across Central California,” Jason Wells, president of Adventist Health’s Central California Network said. “This is one of those additional strategies, because some times brick-and-mortar, it works to build a beautiful clinic and people will come, but we have also learned that taking the clinic to the people, that has been a tremendous blessing to many communities.”

Hanford Vice-Mayor Mark Kairis, city councilmember Martin Devine, and representatives from State Sen. Melissa Hurtado’s office and State Assemblymember Devin Mathis were in attendance for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“It was a year-and-a-half, maybe two years ago that I was standing in this parking lot dedicating the first mobile unit, and here we are today a short time later for the second unit,” Kairis said. “I got to share a little time with the doctor this morning and how important these things are for our communities, not just Hanford, but all of the surrounding communities and disadvantaged communities in our area. This is critical in healthcare and driving that service to our communities. It is going to have an incremental impact daily on getting better health for our communities.”

Immediately after the dedication celebration was completed, the new mobile clinic was put to work, driving to Armona to provide screenings for residents of the senior center. Armona is one of the few communities in the Valley that has no clinic at all, highlighting the importance of the mobile units.

https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/adventist-health-unveils-newest-mobile-clinic/article_371d70c4-6ae8-11ef-b41d-3765a96f0279.html