Well folks, we are now in April and still hoping for a “Miracle March”. While we have received some rain and the snowpack looks promising, we are all hoping for just a little bit more. The March storms have more than doubled the water content of the Sierra Nevada snowpack, although levels remain far below average. According to the sensor readings the snowpack is at 58 percent of the average. That’s a 23 percent increase from March. The water content of the snow has gone from 6 inches to 16 inches on average during that time period, leaving most reservoirs at or close to the average storage levels, thanks to last year’s rain. Everyone, keep your fingers crossed for a few more rainy days.
We are going full steam with our informational workshops and safety trainings. There was a great turn out in March for the “How-to’s of an I-9” training session and our annual Pesticide Handling, ATV/Tractor Safety training. Next in our line-up of workshops is Sexual Harassment Awareness and Prevention on April 20th at the Madera County Farm Bureau, followed by the Heat Illness, Back Safety, and Slips/Trips and Falls. Visit our website www.maderafb.com to register or call the MCFB office at 559-674-8871.
Our front page of this month’s newsletter is covered with the many youthful faces of our 2018 Scholarship recipients. I’d like to congratulate all of them on their hard work that has gotten them thus far. Keep it up, California agriculture needs you! On that note, I hope you plan on joining us on Sunday, May 6th at Peters Brother Nursery for our annual Wine & Beer Tasting with Food pairings. We will showcase local wineries, breweries and cuisine artists at this event in order to help us raise funds for future scholarships. Tickets are available at the Madera County Farm Bureau office and from any of our fine Directors. Have a great Spring and before you know it, it will be Harvest!
