Fruit, vegetable farmers work to keep what they've sown [Modesto Bee]
Farm bill dollars - and disagreements - traditionally focus on subsidies for crops such as wheat, cotton, corn and rice. That's still the case this year, as Congress approaches a Sept. 30 deadline for rewriting the 2008 farm bill. Tens of billions of dollars are on the line. But for fruit and vegetable growers, and others lumped under the specialty-crop category, federal farm bills offer new significance and new seductions. The 2008 bill broke fresh ground; including, depending on how the money is counted, upward of $3 billion aiding specialty crops. Now the unsubsidized industry that once touted its independence is lobbying hard to hold on to what it has… This week, for instance, the California Farm Bureau Federation and the Western Growers Association sent delegations to Capitol Hill. A Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance has rallied more than 140 like-minded organizations to press the case over many months. "We want to make sure that the money that's really important (for us) is still part of the farm bill," California Farm Bureau Federation President Paul Wenger, an almond and walnut grower from Modesto, said Thursday
http://www.modbee.com/2012/05/17/2204263/fruit-vegetable-farmers-work-to.html
The Secret Life Of California's World-Class Strawberries [National Public Radio]
May is the month we see strawberries explode in the market. There are strawberry festivals in every corner of the nation celebrating the juicy ruby beauties, and Strawberry Queens crowned galore… But in fact, one state — California — supplies 80 percent of America's strawberries, and the percentage is growing… It's a miracle of agricultural technology. But that technology is not as universally loved as the fruit… This technology has done wonders for strawberry production. But it's under attack. And it may have to change. The most powerful fumigant — methyl bromide — is supposed to be phased out gradually because it can eat away at Earth's ozone layer… Also, regulators are telling growers to move their fields and their fumes further away from homes and schools.
Lawsuit alleges dam is illegally killing protected coho salmon [Redding Record Searchlight]
An environmental group on Thursday filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming the dam that created Lake Shastina in Siskiyou County is illegally killing federally protected coho salmon. Klamath Riverkeeper, which filed the suit, wants the owner of the dam to get an "incidental take" permit from the National Marine Fisheries Service to operate the dam and other stream diversions in the area, said Erica Terence, executive director of Riverkeeper, which is based in Somes Bar. Dwinnell Dam, which creates Lake Shastina, has changed the Shasta River so much that it is contributing to the demise of coho salmon, Terence said… Water from the lake is used for drinking water for the town of Montague and to irrigate nearby farms and ranches.
http://www.redding.com/news/2012/may/17/lawsuit-allegeges-dam-is-illegally-killing-coho/
Animal groups sue over Stanislaus County hen rescue [Modesto Bee]
Animal rescue groups filed a lawsuit Thursday against a Stanislaus County egg farmer accused of leaving hens without feed. They are seeking reimbursement of their costs in rescuing 4,460 of the estimated 50,000 hens that authorities reported finding at A&L Poultry on Carpenter Road in February. The rest of the birds died of starvation or were euthanized, authorities said… The lawsuit, filed in Stanislaus County Superior Court, seeks at least $25,000 to cover feed, shelter, veterinarian and other costs related to the rescue… Farm owner Andy Keung Cheung also could face criminal charges in the same court.
http://www.modbee.com/2012/05/17/2204926/animal-groups-sue-over-hen-rescue.html
Commentary: Rampaging coyotes must be controlled [Sacramento Bee]
Knudson's conclusions fly in the face of everything I have ever seen, heard or written about in my 65 years of extensive outdoor life and in my 30-plus years as an outdoor writer… There are thousands of studies to support the fact that coyotes are a major threat to not only deer, but very many other species, including nesting waterfowl… The biggest disservice was the obvious omission of the benefits to the public and wildlife that USDA Wildlife Services provides, including invasive species, beaver damage, wildlife management for agriculture, private property, other wildlife species, rabies and other diseases, airport hazards and levee protection. Predator control is not just about saving livestock, it's also – and primarily in many cases – about saving other wildlife species, like deer that are suffering from predators.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/18/4498669/rampaging-coyotes-must-be-controlled.html
Commentary: Work with state farmers, not against them [Fresno Bee]
But because farming is subject to the whims of weather and water, it is rather vulnerable to climate change. However, farming is not only vulnerable to climate change, but it also contributes to it by being responsible for about 6% of California's greenhouse gas emissions. That's why more than two dozen California agriculture and climate scientists and advisers submitted an open letter to Gov. Jerry Brown, the Legislature and the California Air Resources Board, urging them to support research, technical assistance and incentives that can help reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions and ensure a viable and resilient agricultural sector… The good news is that research is identifying some of the best farming and ranching practices, both for reducing greenhouse gases and for increasing farm and ranch resilience in the face of a changing climate. California continues to be a leader in identifying the most effective ways for agriculture to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon, thanks in no small part to state-government-funded research.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/05/17/2841063/johan-six-and-renata-brillinger.html
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