America's
milk business in a 'crisis' [Wall Street Journal]
In
an age of vitamin waters and energy drinks, the decadeslong decline in U.S.
milk consumption has accelerated, worrying dairy farmers, milk processors and
grocery chains. The industry "is coming to recognize this as a
crisis," says Tom Gallagher, CEO of Dairy Management Inc., a farmer-funded
trade group that promotes milk products. "We cannot simply assume that we
will always have a market." Per-capita U.S. milk consumption, which peaked
around World War II, has fallen almost 30% since 1975, even as sales of yogurt,
cheese and other dairy products have risen, according to U.S. Department of
Agriculture statistics. The reasons include the rise in popularity of bottled
waters and the concern of some consumers that milk is high in calories.
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Ag
secretary Vilsack seeks rural revival in north state visit [Redding Record
Searchlight]
Continuing
his talks on restoring relevance to rural America, U.S. Secretary of
Agriculture Tom Vilsack spoke to hundreds at Weaverville's Veteran's Memorial
Hall on Monday night, telling the crowd that most of the country has lost sight
of the opportunity and impact of farming. "Do they think about the rural
contribution when they look at their food?" Vilsack asked after Monday's
gathering. "If they understood it, then rural America would be more
politically relevant. ... At what point will it become a wake-up call for the
rest of the country?"…Several audience members bashed the land management
policies of the U.S. Forest Service, which falls under the Department of
Agriculture. With a history of horrific wildfires in the county, a few
residents pleaded with Vilsack to revise the Forest Service's policy so they
can manage the woods where they grew up.
Growers,
county staff differ over how to address oil-ag controversy [Bakersfield
Californian]
County
staff and local growers differ sharply over what Kern's Board of Supervisors
should do at is meeting Tuesday to address a property access dispute between
Shafter-area ag producers and oil and gas companies operating there.
Bakersfield lawyer George Martin, representing a local growers group, said the
county ought to require oil companies to get a conditional use permit in cases
where they are unable to reach an agreement with the owner of the surface
property….But county Planning Director Lorelei Oviatt, writing in a staff
report to be considered at Tuesday's meeting, said a much more rigorous process
is required that would call for a full environmental review.…Oviatt's report
called Martin's proposal "premature" and said it would "limit
the range of possible solutions" to a series of undisclosed "larger
issues" the oil industry wants to discuss with her office….While oil
companies are trying to tap the area's huge and potentially very lucrative
Monterey Shale formation, growers say the industry has swept aside its concerns
about compensation and fair access to land. They further allege that
high-pressure hydraulic fracturing by oil producers threatens to contaminate
their water supplies.
Monterey
County water agency makes headway against seawater intrusion [Salinas
Californian]
Monterey
County water officials are guardedly optimistic that their efforts over the
past two years are beginning to pay dividends in halting or at least slowing
the advance of seawater into Salinas Valley groundwater basins. It’s critical
to find a solution to the problem, because the tainting of wells threatens
farms, drinking water and the local economy…. Norm Groot, executive director of
the Monterey County Farm Bureau, said he was thrilled to read the last batch of
test data.…Strawberries can be particularly susceptible to higher chloride
content in water, as are many types of row crops grown in the Salinas Valley.
High salt levels in irrigation water affects the appearance of produce and
brings about smaller crop yields. In some cases, it can even stunt the growth
of the plant, Groot said.
US,
EU considering world's biggest free trade pact [Associated Press]
After
years of battling each other on trade issues, U.S. and European officials are
contemplating a dramatic change in direction: joining together in what could be
the world's largest free trade pact in an attempt to boost their struggling
economies. Discussions are in the most preliminary of stages and there would be
significant obstacles to overcome, including sharp differences on agriculture,
food safety and climate change legislation. Still, top EU and U.S. officials
have said they want to see it happen….Negotiators would face a host of tricky
issues that have previously led to trans-Atlantic trade spats. The two sides
currently are fighting over the EU's carbon trading scheme that could penalize
airlines not meeting EU standards. There are also substantial disagreements
over intellectual property enforcement and food safety issues. More broadly,
agricultural issues, including EU restrictions on the use of genetically
modified foods and pesticides, are likely to challenge negotiators. Tyson
Barker, who directs trans-Atlantic relations at the Washington office of
Germany's Bertelsmann foundation, said the agricultural issues are particularly
sensitive in France.
California
bullet train heading for political collision on funding [Sacramento Bee]
California's
highly controversial bullet train project is headed for some kind of political
collision. While the California High-Speed Rail Authority is trying to quickly
spend billions of state and federal dollars on a starter line in the San
Joaquin Valley, the tens of billions in federal funds needed to expand the
project appear to be entangled in frantic federal budget negotiations….Meanwhile,
back in California, opponents of the project along the route of the initial
segment in the San Joaquin Valley – farmers and county officials, primarily –
are continuing to fight it in court, bucking authorizing legislation enacted
this year by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown. While the opponents failed
to get a temporary restraining order to block planning for the segment, they
are planning full-fledged trials on lawsuits challenging it via the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). An extended court battle could push the
project beyond a federal deadline for construction and therefore could open a
new front in the Legislature.
Ag
Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for
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