Calif
dairies going broke due to feed, milk prices [Associated Press]
In
nearly six decades of running a dairy in central California, Mary Cameron made
a name for herself in a male-dominated industry: She led several dairy
organizations and was honored as Outstanding Dairy Producer of the Year. But
the 82-year-old Cameron - who still drives a tractor and supervises her Hanford
dairy - is on the brink of losing her life's work….Cameron is not alone. Across
California, the nation's largest dairy state, dozens of dairy operators large
and small have filed for bankruptcy in recent months and many teeter on the
edge of insolvency. Others have sold their herds or sent them to slaughter and
given up on the business. Experts say California dairymen face a double whammy:
exorbitant feed costs and lower milk prices. The Midwest drought has led to
corn and soybean costs increasing by more than 50 percent this summer,
stressing dairymen from Wisconsin and Minnesota to Missouri. But in California,
milk prices have also lagged behind those in the rest of the nation,
exacerbating the crisis.
US
farm law to expire but many programs funded through March [Reuters]
Expiration
of U.S. farm law on Oct. 1, shutting off dairy supports and putting 2013 crop
subsidies in limbo, will cause pain for some farmers and frustration for many
but programs like food stamps and crop insurance will roll on, analysts said.
U.S. government funding is assured through March 2013 for many programs based
on a July deal to extend budget authority reached by feuding Republicans and
Democrats ahead of the November elections.…But dairy farmers will be hit
financially. "Immediate impact will be felt by dairy farmers because the
supplemental payment many of them have been receiving, the Milk Income Loss
Contract Program, expires on Sept. 30," said John Blanchfield, senior vice
president for agricultural and rural banking at the American Bankers
Association.…"Congress has to got to do something in November," said
Jackie Klippenstein, vice president of industry and legislative affairs for
Dairy Farmers of America. "The farm bill provided a measure of hope. The
fact that Congress went home without addressing it has really deflated a lot of
folks out there who are struggling."
Controversial
tool highlights polluted, disadvantaged communities [HealthyCal.org]
…The
proposed California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool will help
local government officials determine where to direct resources and programs,
said George Alexeeff, director of the Office of Environmental Health Hazard
Assessment, which is overseeing the project….Some fear the colored maps will
stigmatize their communities, increasing the burden of regulation on businesses
already there and scaring prospective employers away….But Patricia Van Dam, who
owns a 400-cow dairy farm in Ontario, faults the proposed environmental tool
for basing its analysis on zip codes….Van Dam considers many of the current
state and federal regulations on her industry arbitrary, laid down by
bureaucrats who don’t understand farming. Gayle Covey, executive director of
the San Bernardino County Farm Bureau, has told Alexeeff’s staff that she wants
a prohibition on using the tool to regulate business, raise permitting fees or
require the replacement of polluting equipment.
Stanislaus
County adopts monumental rules to protect farmland [Modesto Bee]
The
curse of sprawl may not disappear now that bold new growth rules have been laid
down in Stanislaus County. But they are likely to slow a steady outward creep
of houses on the fringe of cities, a familiar sight throughout the San Joaquin
Valley.…A monumental vote? Perhaps. The test will come when a city puts forth
an annexation request, which could take a while in this economic slump. It's
clear, however, that people far and wide with stakes in the struggle to
safeguard farmland were watching.…Similar policies have been enacted in
counties such as Napa, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Ventura and Yolo — but
nowhere around here. "You're right there on the cutting edge," John
Gamper, director of land use for the California Farm Bureau Federation, said
Thursday.
Fish
and Game permit proposal roils private California lake owners [Sacramento Bee]
Operators
of private fish ponds and lakes around the state say a recent court ruling
could saddle them with devastating costs and potentially force some out of
business. The Sept. 19 ruling by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly
allows the state's Department of Fish and Game to proceed with plans to require
fish pond owners to obtain permits for their operations. The new permitting
requirement would apply to 4,000 lakes and 20,000 ponds in California. Pond and
lake owners would have to pay an as-yet-undetermined fee to obtain a permit.
Some would also have to conduct an environmental review to show that their fish
would not invade other bodies of water and cause harm to native fish or
animals. Fish and Game also proposes to require them to provide a certificate
stating that their fish are pathogen free.
Commentary: Federal legislation
would undermine state egg law [Sacramento Bee]
…Amazingly,
we found a rare consensus between egg farmers and the nation's leading animal
rights organization. They came together in support of Assembly Bill 1437, a
bipartisan bill which we jointly introduced to clarify that Prop. 2 standards
apply to all eggs sold in California….Federal legislation has been proposed
that will nullify AB 1437, along with many similar state food quality and
safety standards across the country….We join with the Association of California
Egg Farmers in opposing this federal intervention that would undermine the
carefully constructed compromise between egg farmers and animal rights
advocates, who worked together on a solution that won broad bipartisan support.
If the King amendment passes, California's egg farmers would end up at a
competitive disadvantage with out-of-state eggs sold here. Instead, we support
a more reasonable alternative that has been authored by U.S. Sen. Dianne
Feinstein. Her bill, the Egg Products Inspection Act of 2012, would establish a
national standard for egg-laying hens that would mirror Prop. 2's standards.
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.
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