Ag Today Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Senate makes progress on farm bill [San Luis Obispo Tribune]

The Senate late Monday broke a deadlock that had threatened to bring down a half-trillion-dollar farm and food bill, setting the stage for expected passage of the measure later this week. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced a list of 73 amendments that were acceptable to both parties. That was out of the approximately 300 proposed amendments to the measure, a 1,000-page bill that will set farm policy over the next five years and provide nearly $80 billion a year for the federal food stamp program….The Senate will start voting on the amendments Tuesday with much of the attention centered on proposals to cut food stamp spending or put limits on subsidies offered farmers for crop insurance.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/06/18/2111070/senate-makes-progress-on-farm.html#storylink=misearch

Editorial: Congress must step up on lapsing farm bill [Sacramento Bee]

…The farm bill should provide a food safety net, particularly during economic downturns, so that Americans don't go hungry. It should provide a farm safety net, to minimize the volatility of the weather, pests and world prices. It should provide a land safety net, to minimize the effects of floods, drought and erosion. The Senate bill would meet those aims and is the best bet for a new farm bill….Senators should get the farm bill done this week, so Americans can put a full-court press on the House before the August recess. This bill should be on President Obama's desk before the old bill expires in September.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/19/4571720/congresss-must-step-up-on-lapsing.html#storylink=misearch

Ag workers stage strike [Salinas Californian]

More than 200 non-union farmworkers marched and chanted near lettuce fields in Gonzales during a one-day strike Monday over what they claim is a lack of medical insurance, job equipment and overtime pay. The workers, employed by Amaral Ranches, Inc., were scheduled to try and determine today in a “pre-election” who among them is eligible to vote in any future election held to determine their eligibility for union representation, UFW officials said….They said they seek pay increases, paid holidays and vacation days; overtime pay, equipment such as rain gear and medical plans. Employees answering the phones at Amaral Ranches on Monday would not comment on the strike or other developments.

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20120619/NEWS01/306190001/Ag-workers-stage-strike?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|Frontpage

Mexico enters talks on joining Pacific trade pact [McClatchy Newspapers]

Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Monday hailed his nation’s entry into talks to join a pan-Pacific trade agreement as a route to steady economic growth for decades ahead. Calderon, hosting the G-20 summit of global leaders in Baja California, said the United States and eight other members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership had issued the invitation….Mexico asked to join the trade talks in November. Its request was accepted ahead of those of Japan and Canada, which also seek to join. The United States is currently negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, with Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Chile, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei….The TPP talks go far beyond tariff reductions. They also delve into regional supply chains to speed production and delivery of goods, promote smaller companies and ensure that state-owned enterprises are on even footing with private companies.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/06/17/3664314/mexico-enters-talks-on-joining.html#storylink=misearch

Commentary: Farm Bureau can't back MID water sale [Modesto Bee]

…The Stanislaus County Farm Bureau has taken a position of not supporting Modesto Irrigation District's initial proposal. Our mission is to advocate for our most vital industry — agriculture — and its resources. Water is our most precious, finite natural resource, and we have an obligation to protect it….In 2008, our Natural Resources Committee proposed a general water transfer policy to our Board of Directors that would support water transfers if the contracts met certain criteria.…In light of the same water transfer policy, however, we find the MID water transfer, as currently proposed, does not meet the conditions required for the Bureau's support….We have always had an open mind when dealing with such delicate issues and will continue to cooperate in any way to continue this dialogue.

http://www.modbee.com/2012/06/18/2247581/peterson-farm-bureau-cant-back.html

Lots of confusion when it comes to pesticides [Chicago Sun-Times]

Are you concerned about pesticides? Sixty percent of consumers express a high concern about pesticide residues, much of which is based on misleading information, according to The Alliance for Food and Farming, a non-profit organization that represents organic and conventional farmers and farms of all sizes. Established in 1989, the Alliance’s goal is to deliver credible information to consumers about the safety of fruits and vegetables. Teresa Thorne, Alliance spokesperson, reported to us that recent surveys show that 29 percent of consumers are buying less fruits and vegetables due to concerns about pesticide residues….The Dirty Dozen is a list put out by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) naming those fruits and vegetables (analyzed for pesticide residues by the USDA) that have the highest residues and receives an enormous amount of publicity, but scientists caution that the list is misleading and the Alliances website discussed why in great detail.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/food/13183396-423/lots-of-confusion-when-it-comes-to-pesticides.html

Ag Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com. Some story links may require site registration. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this message and please provide your name and e-mail address.

Ag Today Monday, June 18, 2012

Farm bill splits produce growers, food activists [San Francisco Chronicle]

Washington -- Five years ago, California farmers were a powerful ally of the new food movement's crusade to get Washington to stop subsidizing corn and start promoting the fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts that are the mainstay of the state's huge farm sector. This year, Bay Area food activists are on their own….California growers are not agitating for major changes in the focus or direction of farm policy because the bill preserves their key programs….This month, 70 leading food activists, including UC Berkeley's Michael Pollan and Berkeley restaurateur Alice Waters, signed a letter saying the $969 billion bill that the Senate Agriculture Committee touts as a major, money-saving reform still "falls far short" of turning the farm bill into a food bill, to use Pollan's formulation. To do that would require shifting taxpayer support from large corn, soybean and other commodities to fresh food and conservation.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/06/18/MN171P22HS.DTL

New bill strengthens heat-illness protection for farmworkers [Fresno Bee]

California farmers could face stiffer penalties and lawsuits from workers under a proposed Assembly bill seeking to strengthen the state's heat illness prevention regulations. Supporters of the bill, authored by Betsy Butler, D-Marina Del Rey, say the state's current protections are not strong enough to adequately protect farmworkers from scorching temperatures….Although California was the first state to protect outdoor workers by requiring employers to provide shade, water and training, advocates say too many employers are ignoring the law….But farmers and agriculture industry leaders say that while one heat-related death is too many, the new bill is unnecessary and focused too narrowly -- AB 2346 targets only agriculture.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/06/15/2875553/new-bill-strengthens-heat-illness.html#storylink=misearch

GMO showdown [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]

A measure that has qualified for the November ballot will ask California voters to decide whether foods produced through genetic engineering must have disclosure labels….Proponents of labeling, including organic farmers and food producers, say it is simply consumers’ right to know what is in their food. They say labels aren’t a negative, only educational, and that they may encourage shoppers to seek out more information about their eating habits. Opponents, including traditional farmers, biotech firms and some scientists, say labeling wrongly implies that genetically engineered food is unsafe. They say labeling is misleading, expensive and will encourage costly, frivolous lawsuits….The state Farm Bureau has come out against the measure, but the Sonoma County Farm Bureau is taking a wait-and-see approach. “This measure is deceptive and poorly written,” said Jamie Johansson, an Oroville farmer and a vice president of the California Farm Bureau.

http://www.watchsonomacounty.com/2012/06/sacramento/gmo-showdown/

Editorial: Timber reform plan needs a tweak [Sacramento Bee]

…Brown recognizes, as we do, that sawmills and forest products are important to our rural economies, particularly in Northern California. That doesn't mean timber companies should get a green light to return to an era of unsustainable logging practices. But last time we checked, California was a major consumer of forest products. If we want wood, we should attempt to grow a reasonable amount of it, under environmental laws that are far more protective than those in other states….There is one part of the package, however, that has generated plenty of heat from federal officials and others. The governor's plan would limit the damages the U.S. Forest Service could seek from private landowners who cause a wildfire that spreads onto federal property. Currently, state law allows the federal government to seek double damages in such situations….If lawmakers decide to advance this legislation and limit double damages from wildfires, they should apply the limitation equally to public and private landowners.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/17/4565880/timber-reform-plan-needs-a-tweak.html#storylink=misearch

Editorial: Obama takes big 1st step toward immigration reform [San Francisco Chronicle]

President Obama's decision to stop deporting hundreds of thousands of young people brought here illegally by their parents should be a positive start on a much bigger issue: reforming this country's unworkable and emotion-laden immigration laws….Among the larger world of some 12 million illegals in the United States, this sub-strata of young adults may draw the least concern on a deeply divisive public issue….In this swirl of reactions, no one should lose sight of the larger goal. This country must find better immigration laws that acknowledge the millions who live here and protect the borders. Obama's new policy takes a step toward this challenging goal in a humane and sensible way.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/06/18/EDVD1P2O54.DTL

Ag Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com. Some story links may require site registration. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this message and please provide your name and e-mail address.

Ag Today Thursday, June 14, 2012

Farmworkers sue over firing [Palm Springs Desert Sun]

Two migrant workers say they were fired, along with 15 to 20 other laborers, when they stopped picking bell peppers in the eastern Coachella Valley on a dangerously hot day, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this week. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by California Rural Legal Assistance in Riverside County Superior Court, claims Ventura County-based Chuy and Sons Labor Inc. unlawfully forced its farm crews in Thermal to work at “breakneck speed” during extreme heat and unsafe conditions. It charges that Chuy and Sons required workers to run back and forth in the fields to fill and empty baskets of bell peppers on a June 2010 day when temperatures climbed past 111 degrees.

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120614/NEWS01/206140320/Farmworkers-sue-over-firing?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage

Farm labor shortage hurts early harvest crops [KXTV/Sacramento]

After the weather problems that hurt the cherry crop last year, growers like Lodi's Joe Petersen, were pleased that this year things looked good. While the cherries are ripe and beautiful, there aren't enough laborers to pick them all….The California Farm Bureau's Bryan Little confirms the problem. "The people who do early harvesting of cherries, asparagus and early season activity are about 30 percent to 40 percent short of (the workers) they would normally need this time of year," Little said.

http://lodi.news10.net/news/news/100265-farm-labor-shortage-hurts-early-harvest-crops

Delta council will keep independence [Stockton Record]

The state agency that might be the final judge in whether a peripheral canal or tunnel is built will remain independent, officials announced Wednesday. Gov. Jerry Brown had proposed shifting the Delta Stewardship Council under the auspices of the California Resources Agency, which is considering a massive canal or tunnel to divert water around the Delta. Critics said that move would have stripped the council of any appearance of independence.

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120614/A_NEWS/206140314&cid=sitesearch

US wildfires fuel urgency for forest restoration [Associated Press]

As firefighters battle blazes in New Mexico and Colorado that have forced evacuations and destroyed hundreds of structures, the U.S. Forest Service chief is renewing his call to restore forests to a more natural state, where fire was a part of the landscape. Experts say a combination of decades of vigorous fire suppression and the waning of the timber industry over environmental concerns has left many forests a tangled, overgrown mess, subject to the kind of super-fires that are now regularly consuming hundreds of homes and millions of acres. The Forest Service is on a mission to set the clock back to zero and the urgency couldn't be greater, Tom Tidwell said. The plan calls for accelerating restoration programs - everything from prescribed fire and mechanical thinning - by 20 percent each year in key areas that are facing the greatest danger of a catastrophic fire.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/14/4562230/us-wildfires-fuel-urgency-for.html#storylink=misearch

Farmers prepare for the data harvest [Wall Street Journal]

U.S. farmers are getting help from a new kind of farmhand: iPads and other gadgets that help them plant seeds in ways that maximize harvests. Big seed companies including Monsanto Co. MON +0.80% and Pioneer Hi-Bred, a subsidiary of DuPont Co., DD +0.31% are gathering mountains of data to figure out which crops work best in certain soil and conditions so they can deliver farmers customized planting plans. The information is funneled into thousands of dollars worth of gadgets that help drive the vehicle and control seed and fertilizer dispersal.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303410404577464791927446070.html?KEYWORDS=farmers+data+harvest

*Link may require paid subscription; text included in attached Word file.

Editorial: Cut welfare for farmers [North County Times]

The farm bill being debated in Congress remains, in its current form, full of the kinds of expensive pork that hides the true cost of the food we buy to feed our families….Don't get us wrong: Farmers are the most important part of any society, because all wealth ultimately flows from the ability to feed ourselves. But large corporate outfits that own and manage much of our farmland should not receive government subsidies or price controls ---- they should be left to thrive or fail based on their competence, just like any other business….Taxpayers do not need to be underwriting the day-to-day business decisions of our farmers, however. It is time for Congress to radically overhaul our agricultural policies and begin weaning farmers off their federal welfare.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/opinion/editorial/editorial-cut-welfare-for-farmers/article_732b107b-15bf-525e-aa21-310129a30ec0.html

Ag Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com. Some story links may require site registration. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this message and please provide your name and e-mail address.

Ag Today Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Senate farm bill laden with suggestions [McClatchy Newspapers]

The egg producers and animal rights advocates who once battled over animal housing in California see a new farm bill as a chance to put an unusual alliance into action. If lawmakers agree, the bill would phase in the first national standards to include larger cages for egg-laying hens, stricter egg labeling and limits on ammonia buildup. The farm bill, though, remains a work in progress for which 198 Senate amendments await action, any one of which could alter the legislation's direction. Nor it is clear that the proposal for national henhouse standards, written by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, will last long enough to get a vote. "I won't bring it up if it's going to lose," Feinstein said.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/06/12/2871004/senate-farm-bill-laden-with-suggestions.html#storylink=misearch

Farm bill divides Midwestern and Southern farmers [Associated Press]

For once, it's not Democrats battling Republicans. The five-year farm and food stamps bill now being debated in the Senate is a regional fight, pitting rice and peanut growers in the South against corn producers and soybean farmers in the Midwest. The half-trillion-dollar bill setting farm policy into the future outlines dramatic changes in how farmers are protected from financial and natural disasters. It would end $5 billion a year in direct payments to farmers whether or not they actually plant a crop and programs that reward farmers when prices fall below a targeted level. Instead, the government would offer a new "shallow loss" program to aid farmers when revenues fall between 11 percent and 21 percent below five-year moving averages and would put greater emphasis on heavily subsidized crop insurance. Farmers' regular crop insurance would pay for losses above 21 percent.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jun/13/farm-bill-divides-midwestern-and-southern/

Water too dangerous to drink: What life's like in California's farming communities [AlterNet]

…One in 10 Californians in two major agricultural regions pays high rates for well water that’s laced with nitrates, pesticides and other pollutants….California’s $37.5 billion farming industry has led the nation in food production for more than 50 years. The state has known for decades that nitrate contamination has been a cost of that productivity. But now, state officials know the primary sources of contamination, just how extensive it is and who’s shouldering the burden…. Dave Kranz, a spokesman for the California Farm Bureau Federation, calls nitrate contamination a legacy issue, stemming from outdated fertilizing practices.

http://www.alternet.org/water/155840/water_too_dangerous_to_drink%3A_what_life%27s_like_in_california%27s_farming_communities

Commentary: Only strong leadership will help us address the Delta's challenges [Sacramento Bee]

In the ongoing quest to solve California's water problems, discussions focus on various challenges and solutions while highlighting the dire circumstances of the state's unpredictable and unsustainable water supply. But for all the well-intentioned talk, there is little action….Various drafts of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the Delta Stewardship Council Plan, and the Delta Economic Sustainability Plan are in circulation. But the granddaddy of them all, the Delta Vision Strategic Plan, released in 2008, continues to hold the most promise for accomplishing the two co-equal goals of restoring the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem and ensuring a reliable water supply for California.

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/13/4557530/only-strong-leadership-will-help.html

Commentary: Help needed to keep pests out of SLO County [San Luis Obispo Tribune]

Few places provide such ideal conditions for raising a wide variety of crops, livestock and ornamental plants as San Luis Obispo County. However, these same conditions also create the perfect place for exotic, detrimental insect pests and plant diseases. These pests and diseases could be the biggest challenge yet for commercial agricultural producers and anyone growing a garden, a landscape or even a single citrus tree. Now more than ever, the help of all residents of San Luis Obispo County is needed to keep pests at bay and help find them before they can negatively impact our $736 million local agricultural industry, ornamental landscapes and the natural beauty that makes this county so desirable.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/06/12/2102943/crop-pests-plants-diseases.html#storylink=misearch

Ag Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com. Some story links may require site registration. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this message and please provide your name and e-mail address.