Lack of workers puts harvest in jeopardy [KCRA-TV, Sacramento]
California may have one of the worst unemployment rates in the country, but in one industry, there's more work than there are people to do it. The San Joaquin County Farm Bureau said the number of seasonal workers is down about 20 to 30 percent this year. For cherry growers just starting their harvest, the shortage is concerning.
Columnist: Bring farmworkers' plight into the sunlight [Los Angeles Times]
…Lots of growers in California fear that this could be the year when they take a hit because they can't find enough hired hands, due in part to tightened border security. And if that happens, don't be surprised if their losses translate into higher prices for you at the supermarket. Do the nation's immigration laws work for anyone? Not particularly, and they don't even make any sense….And if the growers had any horse sense, so to speak, they'd let those GOP officials know the cost of inaction….If they want to end the lies and hypocrisy that define immigration policy, bring their employees out of the shadows and improve their lot. They ought to begin telling the story of those workers' risks, sacrifices and contributions. As the growers know, they have no more valuable asset than the sweat and calluses of their crews. And rather than slip quietly into Washington next time, as they did recently on another unsuccessful lobbying mission, they should grab their pitchforks, fire up the tractors and take the town by convoy.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez-farmpart2-20120529,0,5211864.column
Solar project draws protest [Merced Sun-Star]
The first large-scale solar energy project proposed for Merced County is drawing criticism from farmland advocates and environmental groups. The Quinto Solar Project, planned for more than 1,000 acres outside of Santa Nella, would create a 110-megawatt photovoltaic facility -- enough power for about 40,000 homes….While the solar installation is being touted as a boon for the local economy, concerns have been voiced that the project's plan doesn't go far enough to address negative effects to wildlife and agriculture. "I hope they dramatically alter their mitigation plan," said Amanda Carvajal, executive director for Merced County Farm Bureau. "This is very precedent-setting. That's our biggest concern."…"This is a temporary facility for 35 years, but they don't have a real plan for (farmland) reclamation," Carvajal said, adding that the land includes about 500 acres of "prime farmland," and more than 300 acres of "productive farmland."
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2012/05/30/2364377/solar-project-draws-protest.html
Supervisors express frustration with delta plans [Davis Enterprise]
Yolo County supervisors continued to express concerns on Tuesday that the various plans being drawn up by state agencies to restore habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta while also providing flood protection and a reliable water supply, fail to take into account the impact on agriculture in the county. The draft Central Valley Flood Protection Plan, the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the Delta Plan — which supervisors heard about on Tuesday — all discuss changes to the Yolo Bypass that could include increases in the duration and area of flooding. That, in turn, prompts concern among county supervisors about the loss of agricultural land and the subsequent impact on Yolo County revenues.
Editorial: Groundwater depletion must be addressed [Bakersfield Californian]
The time for Central Valley farmers to make drastic and pervasive changes to the way they manage crop irrigation is very near. That's the only reasonable conclusion anyone can draw from a groundwater depletion joint study by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Universite de Rennes in France….Among their conclusions: Central Valley farmers replace the flood irrigation systems that are standard for about half of the region's crops with sprinkle-and-drip systems. Groundwater banking was also expanded. California groundwater banks can store about 2 cubic kilometers of water, roughly the storage capacity of a large surface reservoir. Converting such irrigation systems will be a daunting and expensive undertaking that will almost certainly require government participation. But the alternatives -- diminished returns in the fields and water shortages for all uses -- are too dire to ignore.
Crop Swap helps gardeners share wealth [Napa Valley Register]
A bumper crop of vegetables isn’t worth much if there’s no one to eat it. Now, rather than tossing extra vegetables in the compost pile or eating tomatoes every night of the week, you can trade excess produce with other gardeners to add a little variety to your meal planning. Each month, local gardeners can gather at the Napa County Farm Bureau for Napa’s first organized Crop Swap program. “People who plant tomatoes and realize they have way too many tomatoes can bring them and exchange them for zucchini,” said Crop Swap organizer Sylvie Petitarmand. “It’s a good way for everybody to bring what they have too much of and exchange it for something they don’t have, something they may not be able to grow.”
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