We Grow California

08/10/2024

Time to Celebrate! Thanks for listening!!!

08/09/2024

This week, Darcy B. is flying solo while Darcy V. is out of town. Left to her own devices, Darcy welcomed into the studio Dusty Ference, the Executive Director of the King’s County Farm Bureau. Recently, Dusty and the King’s County Farm Bureau made headlines when they successfully were issued a temporary restraining order against the State Water Resources Control Board. This order prevents the State Board from putting the Tulare Lake Groundwater Subbasin on SGMA Probation. The restraining order remains in effect until Tuesday, August 20, 2024, when the judge will consider issuing a temporary injunction. To put it in baseball terms, Kings County Farm Bureau hit a homerun the first time at bat, and the State Water Resources Control Board has yet to get to first base.

Darcy pitched some difficult questions like how this action is sitting with their neighboring agencies, why they should have more time to comply than anyone else – including her own water agency, how the state determined the proposed fees, what’s the potential impact to Tulare communities, and what are they hoping for when all the dust settles. To find out the answers to these questions and more, listen in!

‎Show We Grow California, Ep King’s County Farm Bureau =1, State Water Board =0 - Aug 7, 2024

07/31/2024

It’s Darcy and Darcy this week and they have plenty to talk about. First, they share information about a Central Valley event hosted by The California Water Alliance (4th Annual Water Forum) that is being held on August 7th. This event was encouraging to both Darcys as it appears to be a non-partisan, forward thinking, solution focused event. Check it out for yourself here.

What really got the conversation going was Darcy B’s sentiments on the current proposed “Water Bond.” Listed on this fall’s ballot as Proposition 4, it is entitled, “The Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024.” In Darcy’s B opinion, there is very little funding, if any, for safe drinking water. Darcy V weighs in on propositions in general, but you’ll have to listen in to find out his thoughts on this one. Is this a Darcy versus Darcy or is it a Darcy and Darcy? Ultimately, the question goes to you, our listeners, is this a water bond or a water bust? Join the conversation!

‎Show We Grow California, Ep Water Bond or Water Bust? - Jul 30, 2024

07/29/2024

Thank you Maven for the We Grow California Podcast Plug! Very Much Appreciated!

07/24/2024

For over a decade now, Direct Potable ReUse (DPR) has been referred to as "Showers to Flowers." Darcy and I welcome back Las Virgenes General Manager and President of Water ReUse California, Dave Pedersen to talk about DPR’s next level – Pizza & Beer!

If you recall from our December 29th episode, Darcy V wanted to try the DPR Pale Ale Beer that a local micro-brewery Lady Face Mountain crafted exclusively for Dave’s project. Dave got it to me, and I got it to the great Central Valley for Darcy’s enjoyment. Listen in to hear Darcy V.’s candid review and then learn about Dave’s unique community engagement efforts that involve pizza, beer, gelato, and shaved ice – all made with DPR water! Listen in!

For over a decade now, Direct Potable ReUse (DPR) has been referred to as “Showers to Flowers.” Darcy and Darcy welcome back Las Virgenes General Manager and President of Water ReUse California, Dave Pedersen to talk about DPR’s next level – Pizza...

07/17/2024

There has been a lot of discussion on the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning the Chevron Doctrine. Do you even know what the heck that is or even means? Paul Minasian, long-practicing California water rights attorney, is back on the We Grow California Podcast to explain it all! Darcy and I ask Paul about the impacts this ruling may have on Federal (and State) Water Project Operations, water projects, timing impacts, and more. Spoiler Alert! The United States Constitution plays a key role moving forward! Imagine that! Listen in!

Paul Minasian, long-practicing California water rights attorney, is back! Paul joins Darcy and Darcy in the studio to explain the Supreme Court of the United States’ (SCOTUS)overturning of what was known as the Chevron doctrine.  Darcy and Da...

07/10/2024

At Westlands, Growers Get It Done! Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District joins Darcy and Darcy this week for a long-awaited recharge, culture change, and water supply reliability (or is that unreliable water supply ?!) conversation. Allison has been in water for over two decades and served a wide variety of leadership roles however has only been at the helm of Westlands for about a year. In that short of time she has gotten Westland’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan approved, forged new partnerships (Including an historical one with Metropolitan), and worked with growers to recharge almost 400,000-acre-feet. That’s almost half the capacity of Diamond Valley Lake reservoir people!

In this episode there’s lots of great questions, interesting water conversation, and as usual, Darcy & Darcy earn new things. We hope you do too. Listen in!

Allison Febbo, General Manager of Westlands Water District joins Darcy and Darcy this week for a long-awaited recharge, culture change, and water supply reliability (or is that unreliable water supply ?!) conversation. Allison has been in water fo...

07/04/2024

Happy 4th of July ! Enjoy America's Birthday! Do you know most of our Founding Fathers were farmers? And today, while you enjoy a day off, our farmers are in the field making sure your food is safe, fresh, and healthy! Learn more at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/

07/03/2024

Summer Fruit Salad & Sunscreen! It’s Fourth of July week and it’s the perfect time for Darcy and I to share the top produce grown in California and pretty much – you guessed it - your entire summer fruit salad is provided by your friendly California Farmer! And with California's Central Valley temperatures inching up past 110 for over a week, Darcy V shares his strategies on crop “sunscreen.” I have the pleasure of discussing hazardous algae, another fun summer topic, and a special shout out to the farmer that sent me my favorite cantaloupes just in time for America’s birthday party. (Hint... they come from Del Bosque Farms!!)

It’s Fourth of July week and it’s the perfect time for Darcy and Darcy to share the top produce grown in California and pretty much – you guessed it - your entire summer fruit salad is provided by your friendly California Farmer!  And with Ca...

06/28/2024

Stuck in traffic? I was today! Took me 90 minutes to go 14 miles. Let me help you pass the time. Listen in this week as Darcy and I share some good news (For a change!!) when we welcome Eddie Ocampo, Director of Community Sustainability with Self-Help Enterprises, a nationally recognized community development organization. Eddie and Self Help work with communities to build resiliency through housing, water reliability, waste-water services, and community development. They work collaboratively with other technical assistance organizations, funding entitles, as well as state and federal agencies. Darcy and I learn how Self-Help got started, and some of the projects Eddie is most proud of. We learned that when Central Valley California communities’ have big problems – like the well has run dry - better than "I gotta guy," call Eddie and Self Help. Just click on the link! 😊

This week Darcy and Darcy have some good news to share when they welcome Eddie Ocampo, Director of Community Sustainability with Self-Help Enterprises, a nationally recognized community development organization. Eddie and Self Help work with commu...

06/12/2024

WOW! Jason Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of Friant Water Authority, and Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint Board Member joins Darcy and me this week for an interesting and thought-provoking conversation. Jason covers what the Blueprint is, who is part of it, why it is needed, new partnerships, and top priorities. He also explains how the Blueprint works with the Central Valley’s Groundwater Sustainability Agencies. Darcy and I learn why Temperance Flats is not a priority project and you will too. We also learn the sobering statistic of what an annual 2-4 million-acre-foot water deficit looks like. Spoiler alert – it’s not sad, it’s devastating.

LISTEN IN!

‎Show We Grow California, Ep A Water Blueprint - Jun 11, 2024

06/05/2024

Hey Water Peeps! Curious about the Wonders of Recharge? Have Darcy Villere and I have a program for you! Steve Chedester, Director of Policy and Programs at the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority (Exchange Contractors) is back for part two of local project investments, the Orestimba Creek Recharge and Recovery Project – say that three times fast! Steve shares information about a groundwater recharge project in the Del Puerto Water District’s service area. This project covers approximately 80 acres and has the capacity to store over 20,000-acre-feet of water, or for our urban listeners, that’s enough water for 60,000 people for one year! Located south of the Delta, and northeast of the San Luis Reservoir, this recharge project can be fed from the Delta Mendota Canal or from flood waters, when conditions exist.

Listen In!

Steve Chedester, Director of Policy and Programs at the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority (Exchange Contractors) is back for part two of local project investments, the Orestimba Creek Recharge and Recovery Project – say that t...

06/01/2024

If you follow our podcast, (and if you don’t my you should!) you may recall David Pedersen telling Darcy Villere about a limited micro-brew made especially for Las Virgenes Municpal Water District’s Direct Potable Reuse Demonstration Project! Darcy Villere wanted to try it so Darcy Burke delivered it to the Central Valley for his enjoyment! Here’s the episode, https://www.buzzsprout.com/1998676/14286825-recovering-our-most-precious-resource and a photo!!

05/31/2024

Darcy and Darcy welcome Steve Chedster back for an update on one more very cool project. Listen in next week!

05/31/2024

Darcy and I welcome back Steve Chedester, Director of Policy and Programs at the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority (Exchange Contractors). Steve shares some innovative infrastructure news that for us Water Nerds, is super exciting! The Exchange Contractors partnered with the San Luis Water District and the Grasslands Water District for the Los Banos Creek Detention Dam Reservoir Re-Regulation Project. (That was a mouthful!) This reservoir was once only used for the Central Valley Project Flood Control and now, through strategic improvements and re-purposing of existing infrastructure, yields new water reliability for the partners. The Project was made possible through Federal funding opportunities championed by Congressmen Costa and Duarte.

Steve also provides an update on the San Joaquin River Restoration Project. You guessed it! It’s been 15 years and not a lot of infrastructure progress yet, the price tag for the project continues to go up. A needed project without a viable funding source is problematic and additional funding is necessary to move forward.

Listen in!

Darcy and Darcy welcome back Steve Chedester, Director of Policy and Programs at the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority (Exchange Contractors).  Steve shares some innovative infrastructure news that for us Water Nerds, is ...

05/22/2024

If you have a moment, or two, or hours on in an airport, take a listen to this week's We Grow California episode - Moving at the Speed of Trust. Thank you Chairman Adán Ortega for the title inspiration! This week, Darcy Villere and I discuss some pretty incredible milestone events. First, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California entered into two Memorandums of Understanding. The first with Friant Water Authority and Westland Water District and the second with the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint. These non-binding agreements open the door to explore mutual beneficial groundwater storage projects as well as other water reliability efforts. Urban and Ag are working together to solve big issues, and some said it would never happen! It all starts with trust.

Speaking of trust, I also some results from a recent Public Trust focus group study. Spoiler alert – it’s not good. And we heard from you regarding our out-of-the-box water infrastructure funding ideas, more on that conversation to come.

How are we doing? Do you like what you hear? You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at ecwaterpac.com/podcast . Thanks for tuning in!

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1998676/15113281-moving-at-the-speed-of-trust

Darcy and Darcy are discussing some pretty incredible milestone events this week.  First, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California entered into two Memorandums of Understanding.  The first with Friant Water Authority and We...

04/26/2024

Is Safe Water Now Unaffordable?

Darcy and I are back in the studio this week and tackle water affordability. With the USEPA finalizing the PFOS Maximum Contaminant Level at 4 PPT (Parts per trillion), California setting the Hexavalent Chromium 6) level at 10 PPB (Parts per billion), lead service line replacement costs, lower Arsenic standards coming, revised Lithium standards on the horizon, and microplastics regulations looming, how will Californians and Americans afford safe drinking water? I share the impacts of the costs of these treatment options including capital investments, operations, and disposal and what that might look like on your monthly water bill; let’s just say it’s not pretty. We discuss possibilities on other ways to cover costs, including some crazy tourism tax ideas, and hope you, our listeners, might have some answers. Join the conversation!

Darcy and Darcy are back in the studio this week and tackle water affordability. With the USEPA finalizing the PFOS Maximum Contaminant Level at 4 PPT (Parts per trillion), California setting the Hexavalent Chromium 6) level at 10 PPB (Parts per b...

04/11/2024

Are you all caught up with We Grow California?

Darcy B. is in Washington DC this week and Darcy V. is catching up in the field. Now is the perfect time to catch up on episodes you may have missed. If you are new to our podcast, here are few episodes that have more controversial than others:
• Is having a lawn wasting water? https://www.buzzsprout.com/1998676/11192119-is-having-a-lawn-wasting-water
• No apologies for being good at what we do https://www.buzzsprout.com/1998676/12214401-no-apologies-for-being-good-at-what-we-do
• Dam! They Did it! t.com/1998676/13938949-dam-they-did-it
• Sacramento Battlegrounds https://www.buzzsprout.com/1998676/13381632-back-from-the-sacramento-battlegrounds?t=0

They will be back next week and they encourage you to join the conversation! We’d also appreciate you telling us how we’re doing. Will you please take a moment and rate the podcast? Let us know what you’re thinking! You can provide comments, suggestions, questions, or recommendations at https://www.ecwaterpac.com/podcast/. Thank you!

Darcy and Darcy welcome California State Senator Kelly Seyarto, who represents the 32nd District.  Last year, Senator Seyarto toured the Central Valley, met with farmers, and learned about their operations, challenges, and innovation.  D...

03/30/2024

It’s a Grape Day in Temecula!

This week JD Harkey, CEO of Drake Enterprises and Vice President of Rancho California Water District, joins Darcy and Darcy. JD farms and manages over 450 acres of wine grapes, avocados, citrus, and olives in the greater Temecula Valley. Elected to the Rancho California Water District Board of Directors in November of 2022, JD shares his challenges regarding the cost of water to Southern California AG and the direct impacts rising rates have on local family farmers, the community, as well as to the $2 billion local economy. Darcy V. and JD compare farming notes, they all join in some common water talk, and overall, it’s a Grape Day in Temecula. Join the conversation!

This week JD Harkey, CEO of Drake Enterprises and Vice President of Rancho California Water District, joins Darcy and Darcy. JD farms and manages over 450 acres of wine grapes, avocados, citrus, and olives in the greater Temecula Valley. Elected t...