Farmers'
lawsuit over ag waiver thrown out [Stockton Record]
A
judge's decision could speed new rules regulating polluted runoff from farms,
rules that growers say will be costly and burdensome. Sacramento County
Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley last week sided with state water
quality officials, finding the environmental reports they prepared supporting
the new rules were adequate. Frawley also ruled that temporary rules already in
place fail to protect water quality. But he said they can remain until the
permanent regulations are written….With the farmers' challenge aside, the
Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board can proceed with the rules,
said Ken Landau, the board's assistant executive officer.
U.S.
urges conservation as Colorado River hit by drought [Los Angeles Times]
As
a regional drought tightens its grip on the Colorado River, water agency
officials, environmentalists, farmers and Indian tribal leaders from the seven
states that depend on the river for survival are expected to gather Tuesday for
a "moving forward" meeting called by federal officials.…If the trend
continues, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the Colorado River's two giant
reservoirs, will be at 45% capacity by year's end, their lowest since 1968.…The
strategy to avoid cutbacks, officials said, lies in conserving more water in
cities, suburbs and farms without resorting to the political bickering and
legal fights that have marked the river's recent history….Officials are
expected to form three committees to examine the problem and propose solutions.
One will involve municipal water agencies, a second will deal with agriculture
interests and a third will address the concerns of environmental groups.
On
the front lines of food safety [New York Times]
With
piles of fresh strawberries beckoning consumers at markets and stores this
season, an alliance of a major retailer, fruit growers and farm workers has
begun a program to promote healthy produce and improve working conditions. The
initiative, unfolding along neatly planted rows of berries at the Andrew &
Williamson Fresh Produce’s Sierra Farm here, is an effort to prevent the types
of bacterial outbreaks of salmonella, listeria or E.coli that have sickened
consumers who ate contaminated cantaloupes, spinach or other produce….Under the
new program, with Andrew & Williamson the first grower to participate,
berries sold under the label “Limited Edition,” would carry certification to
inform consumers that food safety protocols had been followed and that the
workers who harvested the crop were treated fairly.…Costco has agreed to play a
major part and pay a little extra for the berries once they are certified.
Bill
targeting cheaters at farmers markets is put off another year [Los Angeles
Times]
A
bill that for the first time would have provided substantial resources for
state and county inspectors to keep cheaters out of farmers markets was held by
the California Assembly Appropriations Committee on Friday afternoon. That
means the bill is effectively dead for the year, leaving the dozens of managers
and stakeholders who worked for its passage greatly disappointed….The bill
would have required a total expenditure of an estimated $1 million, but would
have raised only a little more than $750,000, according to the Appropriations
Committee analysis. In order to be passed, a future version of the bill
probably will have to close that $250,000 gap.…Dan Best, a lawyer who runs 11
farmers markets in Sacramento County, took the lead in putting together and
amending AB 996, working with its sponsor, Assemblyman Roger Dickinson
(D-Sacramento). Over months of discussions they modified the bill so that it
gained support from most of the major market operators, as well as the
California Farm Bureau Federation.
Protesters
across globe rally against Monsanto [Associated Press]
Protesters
rallied in dozens of cities Saturday as part of a global protest against seed
giant Monsanto and the genetically modified food it produces, organizers said.
Organizers said "March Against Monsanto" protests were held in 52
countries and 436 cities, including Los Angeles where demonstrators waved signs
that read "Real Food 4 Real People" and "Label GMOs, It's Our
Right to Know."…Monsanto Co., based in St. Louis, said that it respects
people's rights to express their opinion on the topic, but maintains that its
seeds improve agriculture by helping farmers produce more from their land while
conserving resources such as water and energy.
Editorial: Senate immigration
bill could benefit U.S. agriculture, too [Washington Post]
…
Up to two-thirds of the workforce tending to crops and livestock — at least 1
million current workers — are undocumented, up from a third in the
mid-1990s.…Despite their central role in providing the country’s food, they
remain subject to harassment, raids and deportation. Farmers and ranchers have
complained about this for years, warning that the shortage of native-born
workers willing and able to do agricultural work, along with the threats to
migrant labor, would put farmers out of business and shift crop production
overseas. Their increasingly dire pronouncements have been met by the usual
right-wing rhetoric attacking “amnesty” for illegal workers….It’s in no one’s
interest to saddle farmers and ranchers with an unstable workforce and labor shortages
that threaten the supply of domestically grown crops. The agricultural
provisions in the immigration bill would go a good distance toward fixing that.
And as part of the overall immigration legislation, it may generate support for
the bill from some rural lawmakers who would otherwise oppose it.
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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