Ag Today Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Legislature to renew debate over rural fire fee [Associated Press]

An annual fire-prevention fee that is unpopular with some rural property owners is headed back before the state Legislature, as Gov. Jerry Brown proposes to expand its use and opponents try to kill it. The fee was imposed for the first time last year and helps fund the state's firefighting agency. It has run into two new hurdles in recent weeks that are feeding criticism and uncertainty about its future….Republican lawmakers have introduced at least five bills to repeal or restrict the new fee. Meanwhile, the administration wants the Legislature to amend the property fee so the money collected can be used for fire-prevention efforts in areas that border the regions where the fee is assessed. That bill would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature and officially turn the fee into a tax. The property fee was approved on a simple majority vote in 2011. Its opponents argue in their court filings that it actually is a tax that required a two-thirds vote by the Legislature.

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/18/5198460/legislature-to-renew-debate-over.html#storylink=misearch

Landowners told how to protest state fire fee [Santa Maria Times]

Local owners of rural property who have been assessed a new fee for state fire-protection services got a lesson Friday in how to protest paying it and how to claim a refund. A representative of the California Farm Bureau Federation presented the how-to guide to about 30 people at a session in Buellton that was organized by the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau. Paul Van Leer, president of the county Farm Bureau, said the fee assessed on habitable structures in what is known as the State Responsibility Area (SRA) is really a tax, and John Gamper, director of land use and taxation for the state Farm Bureau, echoed the comment during the free workshop at Farm Supply Co.

http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/landowners-told-how-to-protest-state-fire-fee/article_4466e89c-780a-11e2-af40-0019bb2963f4.html

Wildlife agency tries to bridge divide [San Francisco Chronicle]

The recent coyote hunt in Modoc County that sent environmentalists into conniptions illustrates a growing philosophical divide in California that has placed wildlife officials in a political and cultural crossfire. The rage is over whether Californians should be able to kill predators like mountain lions, bears, bobcats and coyotes. At the center of it all is the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which has managed fishing and hunting since 1872 when it was the Board of Fish Commissioners….Farmers, ranchers and many rural residents are afraid that the department is turning away from them as they struggle to hold on to their heritage. To conservationists, the name change represents a rejection of an archaic view that wildlife is meant to be shot and mounted on a wall. Chuck Bonham, the director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, said it is neither.

http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Wildlife-agency-tries-to-bridge-divide-4284947.php

Obama’s plan sees 8-year wait for illegal immigrants [New York Times]

A plan by President Obama for an overhaul of the immigration system would put illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship that could begin after about eight years and would require them to go to the back of the line behind legal applicants, according to a draft of the legislation that the White House has circulated in the administration….The disclosure of the document’s existence, by USA Today on Saturday, set off a series of political recriminations and questions on Sunday about Mr. Obama’s promise to allow bipartisan Congressional talks to take precedence. The furor also offered new evidence that Republicans could use the president’s direct involvement as a reason to reject a potential compromise….The draft does not yet include any proposed legislation for a guest worker program to handle future flows of immigrants for agriculture and other low-wage industries, the administration official said. That intensely contentious issue is the subject of parallel closed-door negotiations between labor leaders and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/us/politics/white-house-continues-work-on-its-own-immigration-bill.html?hp&_r=0

Farmers won’t see cut to water rates [San Diego Union-Tribune]

Escondido farmers won’t get the 44 percent water rate cut they wanted, but their rates will remain flat while the city’s merchants and residential customers face sharp increases March 1. Seeking to help Escondido’s agriculture industry survive, City Council members voted Wednesday to shield farmers from 12 to 14 percent rate hikes the council approved for the city’s 26,000 other water customers….Council members wanted to help farmers even more, but said they were forced to reject a recent rate proposal from agricultural users because it might violate state law.…The reasoning behind the proposal was that local farms will be the No. 1 customer for recycled sewer water when Escondido completes a recycled water line in about two years. Recycled water is not safe enough to drink, but it can be used for irrigation.…“When the recycled water is ready to deliver, you need the farmers there to open the valves,” Eric Larson, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, told the council Wednesday.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/feb/16/tp-farmers-wont-see-cut-to-water-rates/

Editorial: Shore up the state’s imperiled water supply [Riverside Press-Enterprise]

An interruption in water deliveries to much of the state offers a clear reminder: The state’s water supplies are at risk without prompt action. The Legislature needs to end the ideological gridlock and start shoring up the state’s primary water system. California will not thrive if the state cannot ensure a reliable supply of water for its cities and farms….The state has a water bond measure on the 2014 ballot to fund much of that work. But that measure is also bloated by pork projects that have little relation to any pressing state water need. Legislators have already twice postponed putting the measure before voters for fear it would not pass. More waiting will just waste time. Legislators need to slash this measure down to an affordable package tightly focused on high-priority water projects. Federal wildlife officials last week lifted some of the restrictions on pumping, but that is only a temporary reprieve. The water supply for much of the state will remain under threat as long as legislators prefer dawdling to action.

http://www.pe.com/opinion/editorials-headlines/20130217-editorial-shore-up-the-states-imperiled-water-supply.ece

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 Friday, February 15, 2013

The next edition of Ag Today will be distributed Tuesday, Feb. 19th. Our office will be closed on Feb. 18th in observance of President's Day.

The future of patent law rests in a farmer's hands [Wall Street Journal]

A dispute between an Indiana farmer and Monsanto Co. over soybean seeds has sprouted into a U.S. Supreme Court case that could have broad implications for industries from software to nanotechnology. At issue is how long Monsanto can claim patent protection for its genetically engineered seeds. The crop-biotechnology company is squaring off against 75-year-old Vernon "Hugh" Bowman, whom it sued in 2007 after he planted soybeans that came from crops grown by other farmers using Monsanto seeds. Monsanto contends its patent protection extends beyond its first-generation seeds, while Mr. Bowman argues the company's patent rights were exhausted by the time he bought later-generation seeds from a local grain elevator. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments from each side Tuesday.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324162304578302021998753556.html?user=welcome&mg=id-wsj

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

Grower may have to pay up for labor violations [Bakersfield Californian]

A federal judge has ruled that a Kern County grape grower can be held jointly responsible for alleged wage-and-hour violations by its outside labor contractors. Last week's rare but not precedent-setting judgment against Delano Farms Co. could affect how closely Central Valley growers monitor their labor contractors, which are often seen as independent of the companies that hire them to provide farmworker help.…Organizations representing California grape growers declined to discuss the ruling's implications or could not be reached for comment Thursday. But Delano Farms, part of Washington state-based Anderson & Middleton Co., issued a statement Thursday saying it was disappointed in the decision by Sacramento federal court Judge Lawrence O'Neill. "We maintain Delano Farms should not be party to this action since the plaintiffs are employees of our contractor, an independent business that retains full control over its operations and its relationship with its employees," the statement reads.

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/business/x837005058/Grower-may-share-responsibility-for-labor-contractors-alleged-violations

Advisory committee hopes to make water delivery more efficient [Imperial Valley Press]

As the Imperial Irrigation District attempts to make its water canals more efficient, the IID’s Water Conservation Advisory Board hopes to increase that efficiency by fine-tuning the rate with which water is delivered to farmers. The IID offers 12-hour and 24-hour runs, water deliveries that run for 12 hours or 24 hours. Although morning and afternoon start-times are available for 12-hour runs, the a.m. runs, as referred to by IID officials and farmers, are far more popular than p.m. runs.

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/ivp-advisory-committee-hopes-to-make-water-delivery-more-efficient-20130214,0,5623741.story

World Ag Expo in Tulare closes on high note [Fresno Bee]

Vendors at this year's World Ag Expo in Tulare said a capacity crowd and good weather helped generate healthy sales in tractors, tools and technology. Billed as the largest farm equipment and technology trade show of its kind, the expo fills the grounds of the International Agri-Center with about 100,000 visitors over the course of its three-day run. Expo officials said the crowds were among some of the largest in recent years, although a final figure was not available Thursday.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/02/14/3175292/world-ag-expo-in-tulare-closes.html

Editorial: Cows, chickens and pigs still get too many antibiotics [San Jose Mercury News]

The Food and Drug Administration's gutless approach to antibiotic use in food animals is a disgrace. It's only a matter of time before the policy makes routine infections in people difficult or impossible for doctors to treat. Scientists have been begging the FDA for three decades to ban or severely reduce farmers' use of penicillins and tetracyclines in animal feed to stimulate growth. The American Medical Association and the Union of Concerned Scientists agree that antibiotics in animals consumed by humans dramatically reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics used by people. The Obama administration should have followed the lead of the European Union and banned antibiotic use by ranchers for healthy animals, period. The FDA instead continues to put the profits of the meat industry over the health of Americans.

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_22593654/mercury-news-editorial-cows-chickens-and-pigs-still?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

Editorial: Watsonville farmland conversion: Unwise, unlikely [Santa Cruz Sentinel]

It isn't difficult to understand why Watsonville's elected leaders are willing to take on powerful Pajaro Valley agricultural interests by moving forward with a June 4 special election on converting farmland to retail development. Understandable, yes. Wise in the long term, no….Opposition has been led by the Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, which notes ag is already providing a lot of jobs, without losing valuable farmland for another big box store….We expect a major political battle over this issue over the next year or so. While we understand the city's plight, we agree with the Measure U coalition that recognized the unique value of farmland over a short-term fix that would change the character of the Pajaro Valley for the worse.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/opinion/ci_22594190/editorial-watsonville-farmland-conversion-unwise-unlikely

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, February 14, 2013

Food issues could complicate Obama’s proposed European trade deal [McClatchy Tribune News Service]

Europeans can be downright fussy when it comes to their food. Many of them think, for example, that only the rich, hard cheese that has been made for hundreds of years in the Parma region of Italy should be labeled as Parmesan – not the stuff made by Illinois-based Kraft or others. And despite repeated assurances from the United States, many of them have questioned whether it’s really safe to eat meat injected with hormones or the genetically modified crops that Americans gobble up by the bushels….On Wednesday, administration officials acknowledged that they’ll be forced to confront a host of sensitive issues as they seek to wrap up a new deal by the end of 2014. But they said the payoff could be huge, with millions of jobs at stake….“The negotiations will be a hard slog, particularly in the agriculture sector, but the resulting billions of dollars in increased exports will be worth the effort,” said Bill Frymoyer, a senior adviser and trade expert at the Washington law firm Stewart and Stewart whose experience dates to the early 1990s, when he worked on the North American Free Trade Agreement as a top aide to then-House Democratic leader Dick Gephardt….Frymoyer said U.S. consumers could benefit if the agreement forces the U.S. government to adopt higher standards for food safety and on environmental and labor issues. “Clearly, it is easier to obtain progressive trade objectives with high-wage, high-standard nations like those in the EU than in some other trade negotiations with developing nations,” he said.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2013/02/13/2392779/food-issues-could-complicate-obamas.html#storylink=misearch

Smelt threat eases, so pumping is increased [Sacramento Bee]

Federal wildlife officials ruled Tuesday that water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will be allowed to increase again, following signs that the threatened Delta smelt may be out of harm's way. The move by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service follows its order Friday that sharply curtailed pumping by state and federal water systems that serve 25 million Californians. That move came after smelt continued to be killed, or "salvaged," in the pumps. But on Tuesday, the agency allowed water diversions to increase again. It did not completely lift the pumping limits but restored about 60 percent of the diversion volume lost after Friday's cut. "No Delta smelt have been reported as salvaged since February 6, 2013, suggesting this year's unusual … event may be over," the agency wrote in a determination letter posted online.

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/14/5189591/smelt-threat-eases-so-pumping.html#storylink=misearch

Farm community discusses impact of water apportionment on business [Imperial Valley Press]

Two years of water over-consumption as well as water transfer obligations will finally, directly impact the Imperial Valley group that relies on water the most, the agricultural community. And while a committee of farmers hammers out a water-apportionment plan to bring before the Imperial Irrigation District’s Board of Directors, some farmers are considering the impact that the proposed cap of 5.24 acre-feet of water per eligible acre will have on their business.…An apportionment program is essentially a fallowing program, Scaroni said, in that farmers may have to take fields out of production to stay within their allotment of water. Tom Brundy, a Southend alfalfa farmer, said the most immediate impact of a water apportionment plan would be increased costs, loss of production and a loss of jobs. Alfalfa is a water-intensive crop, typically irrigated by flooding the field. Brundy said he installed a drip irrigation system on 40 acres of land about one year ago at the cost of some $2,300 per acre. “We’re utilizing our water better but it’s coming at a big expense,” he said. Ultimately, he said, the Valley farmers cannot switch en masse to crops that require less water to grow. “We all cannot grow lettuce,” he said. “It would overwhelm the market.”

http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/ivp-farm-community-discusses-impact-of-water-apportionment-on-business-20130213,0,7568991.story

World Ag Expo: Other states try to lure California dairies [Fresno Bee]

Faced with continued low milk prices and high feed costs, California dairy operators are increasingly being wooed by states offering cheaper costs and expanding markets. Texas, Nevada, South Dakota, North Dakota, Illinois and Kansas were among states at the World Ag Expo in Tulare on Wednesday trying to entice California dairies and anyone else interested in relocating. California, like many other states, has been hit hard by a sagging dairy economy. Dozens of dairies have shut down in the San Joaquin Valley, the heart of the state's dairy industry. Although the visiting states have been at the ag expo before, their pitch this year has taken on a new tone. "We know it is going to be difficult for some people to move because they are in debt, but we want them to know that if they have a son or daughter interested in starting their own dairy, they should think about Nevada," said Lynn Hettrick, executive director of the Nevada Dairy Commission.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/02/13/3173433/states-try-to-lure-dairies-away.html

Harvest of apps at the World Ag Expo in Tulare [Visalia Times-Delta]

Amid the tractors, tools and other products drawing the attention of the thousands of visitors attending this week’s 2013 World Ag Expo were a group of products that farmers and ranchers couldn’t touch. Apps for smartphones and computer tablets designed for the agricultural industry were in abundance at various vendor booths here. They range from apps that let farmers program their irrigation systems to others that track their livestock’s health….Several vendors noted that a large number of apps are being rolled out for the first time during this year’s show, and visitors are noticing. They include Jack Brouwer, 76, a nut and rice farmer from Escondido who listened to a presentation about an app that allows farmers to manage and review their entire farm operations — from monitoring costs to scheduling workers — through their smartphones. Brouwer noted that as farmers go, he’s strictly low tech, but his grandson, Joel Broek, who is preparing to take over part of the family farming operation, isn’t.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20130214/ROI/302140013/Harvest-apps-World-Ag-Expo-Tulare?nclick_check=1

Farm boom sows jobs bounty [Wall Street Journal]

Iowa State University student Andrew Filipi faced a quandary recently that many college seniors today can only dream of: choosing between two job offers six months before graduation. With a double major in animal science and international agriculture, Mr. Filipi is part of a wave of students at U.S. colleges of agriculture who are in high demand amid an expanding and increasingly global farm economy….With U.S. farm incomes hitting record levels in recent years as global grain prices have climbed, farmers have more money to spend on corn seed, harvesting combines, fertilizer and other products, fueling growth for the agribusiness industry. So, while many U.S. undergraduates continue to face a tough job market amid a slow-growing economy, agriculture students are benefiting from increased on-campus recruiting by agribusinesses such as Monsanto Co., MON -0.87% DuPont Co.'s DD -0.86% DuPont Pioneer and Deere DE +0.29% & Co….The prospect of a well-paying job is helping U.S. colleges of agriculture attract more students, experts say. Nationally, undergraduate enrollment in agricultural colleges and departments rose 20% from 2006 to 2011, to roughly 145,000 students, according to Virginia Tech researcher Bill Richardson. Ag schools also are drawing students interested in playing a role in the small-but-growing organic-food industry and in developing more-sustainable agricultural practices, according to university officials.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324906004578292263203855782.html?user=welcome&mg=id-wsj

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

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, February 13, 2013

Crowds flock to Tulare for World Ag Expo [Fresno Bee]

A robust crowd, good weather and an improved farm economy helped kick off the 46th annual World Ag Expo at the International Agri-Center in Tulare on Tuesday….Visitors at this year's expo were interested in everything from massive tractors to automated payroll systems. A robust agriculture economy has given some farmers money to spend, especially nut-crop growers, grape growers and some row-crop farmers from the Midwest. Devin Stout, owner of the Visalia-based Stout Built, has seen a 20% to 30% increase in business in 2012 over the previous year for his trellis system for vineyards. The system allows for easier management of the grape vines and improved production. "As grape prices go up we are seeing a lot more interest in farmers over new systems for growing grapes," Stout said. "And it isn't just from California farmers. We have interest all the way from Peru."

http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/02/12/3171892/crowds-flock-to-tulare-for-world.html

Op-Ed: Tricia Stever Blattler: What does WAE mean locally, regionally and globally for our hungry planet? [Visalia Times-Delta]

…Locally, we all know the show involves a lot of events, activities, busy and long days at the show grounds, traffic jams and crowds at our local restaurants and hotels. But besides those minor inconveniences, the show is really a semblance of pride that all of Tulare County’s residents can appreciate and be a part of. We should be ready to open our community to all those weary travelers coming in from distances both far and near and show off the amazing small-town pride of Tulare and our surrounding communities….Statistics released a few years back provide a staggering look at the impact of the show on the local economy, with a more than $3 billion boost in the region economically, the more than 100,000 attendees and the 1,800-plus exhibitors that travel to Tulare over that three-day period….So, as you go about your business this week, whether it includes a visit to the World Ag Expo or not, I hope you will pause for a moment to think about the magnitude of the show, the economic benefits it brings to the region, and the value it provides to helping agriculture do business here in the San Joaquin Valley and around the world.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013302130023&nclick_check=1

Coalition: Calif water cuts hurts agriculture [Associated Press]

Water cuts in California are taking a big toll on the state's agriculture industry according to one farm group. According to the California Farm Water Coalition, the state has lost more than 700-thousand acre-feet of water during the past two months. That loss is sufficient to provide annual food supply for almost 730-thousand people. That's also enough to sustain nearly 13-thousand farm jobs and is expected to translate into the loss of nearly 900-hundred thousand dollars in crop production. Coalition officials say the cuts are due to federal regulations that went into effect last December -- redirecting water used by farmers to new efforts to protect the state's fish.

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/ag_watch&id=8990826

EU, US to push for trans-Atlantic trade deal [Associated Press]

The European Union and the United States announced Wednesday that they have agreed to pursue talks aimed at achieving an overarching trans-Atlantic free trade deal. The 27-country EU said such an agreement, first announced in Tuesday's State of the Union address by President Barack Obama, would be the biggest bilateral trade deal ever negotiated. Any agreement could boost the EU's economic output by 0.5 percent and the U.S.'s by 0.7 percent, according to some estimates. That would be a highly desirable outcome when the EU and the U.S. are both struggling with slow growth, high unemployment and high levels of debt….Trade between the U.S. and the EU is already huge, reaching (EURO)2 billion ($2.69 billion) a day, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said….De Gucht said that initial talks should start by summer. The negotiations will cover a huge array of commercial and agricultural areas. Officials hope to complete them within two years….U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Wednesday that the U.S. plans to push the EU to relax its ban on genetically-modified crops.

http://www.modbee.com/2013/02/13/2576200/eu-us-to-push-for-trans-atlantic.html#storylink=misearch

Executive gets 6 years in tomato price-fixing scam [Associated Press]

Frederick Scott Salyer has been described as one of the most influential men in California's agriculture industry, but on Tuesday he learned that he'll soon become just another inmate in the federal prison system. Salyer, who built a small canning company into one of the biggest tomato processors in California, was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in a price-fixing scam that authorities said involved bribing purchasing managers at food giants including Kraft Foods Inc. and Frito-Lay. "I hope this case sends a message to the people in the agriculture industry that it's critically important they keep fraud out of the industry," said U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagoner after the sentencing. "Obviously this is a tremendous fall from power. He was one of the richest and most influential people in agriculture."

…The charges against Salyer carried maximum sentences of 20 and 10 years, respectively, but the terms were reduced as part of a plea agreement. He also was sentenced to three years of probation.

http://www.sacbee.com/2013/02/12/5184142/exec-to-be-sentenced-in-tomato.html#storylink=misearch

2 charged in chicken starvation at Stanislaus egg farm [Modesto Bee]

Prosecutors have filed criminal charges against two people associated with a Stanislaus County egg farm, where authorities said they found an estimated 50,000 hens without feed a year ago. More than 40,000 hens died. Andy Yi Keunh Cheung and Lien Tuong Diep have been charged with one felony count of animal cruelty each. Cheung is the owner of A&L Poultry on South Carpenter Road about a half-mile south of Fulkerth Road, west of Turlock.…A&L Poultry had been in the process of shutting down its egg production operations. Carlton-Magaña said an attempt to hand over the hens and avoid the usual business practice of euthanizing the hens resulted in an unacceptable situation that the egg farm did not intend and profoundly regrets. The defense attorney said the evidence will show that an animal rights activist had made arrangements with A&L Poultry to pick up hens that were intended to be euthanized. But the activist didn't pick up the hens, she said.

http://www.modbee.com/2013/02/12/2574989/2-charged-in-chicken-starvation.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.