Immigration bill filed in Senate; opponents hope to use delays to kill it [Washington Post]
A
bipartisan group of lawmakers formally filed an 844-page immigration bill on
the Senate floor early Wednesday, setting the stage for months of public debate
over the proposal. Leading Capitol Hill opponents of the proposal to overhaul
the nation’s immigration system are coalescing around a strategy to kill the
bill by delaying the legislative process as long as possible, providing time to
offer “poison pill” amendments aimed at breaking apart the fragile bipartisan
group that developed the plan, according to lawmakers and legislative
aides.…The authors of the bill are considering whether to formally embrace it
at a news conference Thursday, a move designed to build momentum for the plan.
Conservative critics cautioned Tuesday that the legislative process must not be
rushed.
Some
California employers eagerly await immigration reform bill [Los Angeles Times]
Central
Valley farmers, Southern California bankers and Silicon Valley executives have
all struggled to find workers — and they say an outdated immigration policy has
been to blame. They're all hoping that a bipartisan group of U.S. senators will
have the answer when it unveils its plan, as early as this week, to overhaul
federal immigration laws. Their stance: Reform couldn't come quickly
enough.…Farmers already struggling with a slowdown in workers from Mexico —
brought on by a border crackdown, faltering economic recovery and drug violence
— were hopeful the bill could widen the pool of laborers. "The ones from
Mexico are here to work," said Ken Shinkawa, a raisin grower in Caruthers.
"They don't fool around. They just want to make their money and go
home."
USDA
starts new program to track farm animals [Associated Press]
The
federal government has launched a new livestock identification program to help
agriculture officials to quickly track livestock in cases of disease. It is the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's second attempt at implementing such a system,
which officials say is critical to maintaining the security of the nation's
food supply. An earlier, voluntary program failed because of widespread
opposition among farmers and ranchers who described it as a costly hassle that
didn't help control disease. There has been talk for years among consumer
advocates about establishing a program that would trace food from farm to
plate. The livestock identification system doesn't go that far and isn't meant
to. Its main goal is to track animals' movements so agriculture and health
officials can quickly establish quarantines and take other steps to prevent the
spread of disease.
Westlands
offers plan to retire 24,000 acres for solar power [Fresno Bee]
The
Westlands Water District is forging ahead with efforts to plan a solar energy
park on thousands of acres of poor farmland in Kings County. The water district
is partnering with Westside Holdings LLC to prepare a detailed environmental
impact report and master plan for the proposed 24,000-acre Westlands Solar
Park. The environmental work sets the stage for private solar companies to
build individual projects to generate electricity on farmland the district has
earmarked for retirement because of poor drainage and high levels of salt in
the groundwater and the soil. Westside Holdings CEO Bob Dowds said plans to
develop solar projects on Westlands' drainage-impaired farmland have been in
the works for several years. The California Energy Commission has already
identified the Westlands site as a Commercial Renewable Energy Zone, an area
suitable for large-scale power production from alternative sources such as
solar, wind, geothermal and biomass.
Where
have all the Ukiah Valley pears gone? [Ukiah Daily Journal]
Pear
trees were once the symbol of Ukiah, with their blossoms flowering in almost
every corner of the valley since the 1840s. Thousands of acres were devoted to
growing pears, until a major decline in the '80s and '90s forced many farmers
out of business. After a difficult trial, the remaining farmers find themselves
in a somewhat steady market. "Currently the pear industry is stable. The
pear farmers still in business are a hardy bunch. It really says a lot about
the stick-to-it-iveness of farmers. They are survivors," says Chuck Morse,
commissioner for Mendocino County Department of Agriculture. The fertile, sunny
valley of Ukiah has a long history of producing many successful crops -- hops,
grapes, pears and feed crops. Pears were especially widespread due to their
ability to tolerate the heavy, wet soil in low level areas. Their popularity
was also helped thanks to the support of a strong pear economy statewide.
Commentary: California
agriculture is mind-blowing big [McPherson Sentinel (Kansas)]
Huge
and nearly impossible to comprehend are words that best describe the economic
impact of California agriculture as viewed through the eyes of nine Kansas farm
families who toured the state beginning on March 25. Each year, families from
each Farm Bureau district in Kansas tour California agriculture as part of
their recognition as Farm Family of the Year designees. This year the Kansans
touched down in southern California in Los Angeles. The state's 81,500 farms
and ranches received a record $43.5 billion for their output last year.
California's agricultural abundance includes more than 400 commodities. The
state produces nearly half of US-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables. Across the
nation, US consumers regularly purchase several crops produced solely in
California.
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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