Cold, then dry: Dealing California citrus farmers a double punch [KQED Radio, San Francisco]
These
are magic weeks in the groves of the Central Valley citrus belt, a time when
orchards are buzzing with honeybees and redolent with the heady, sweet smell of
orange blossoms. But around the Tulare County town of Terra Bella, farmers like
Matt Fisher smell doom….Fisher farms in the Terra Bella Irrigation District,
which is in an especially tight spot. Farmers in other parts of the San Joaquin
Valley may decide not to plant tomatoes or onions this year. But in Terra
Bella, the main crops are citrus and pistachio trees. Not watering them could
cripple the local farm economy for years to come….Farmers in this part of the
valley have always enjoyed priority rights to the water that comes from the
federal canals. But last month, authorities here sealed the water connections
to all farms in the district.
Rains
bring relief to Sacramento Valley rice farmer, but will it be enough?
[Sacramento Bee]
Water
is the lifeblood of a rice farm, and Sacramento Valley’s recent rains have
given grower Tom McClellan a bit of hope that 2014 will not be a wasted year….
It’s not just local rain that’s important to McClellan. Faraway rains matter
just as much. McClellan’s farm draws much of its water from Lake Oroville and
Lake Shasta reservoirs….McClellan said he’s at least not facing the grim
reality that was on his mind three months ago. In January, he expected that the
state would not deliver any of his allotted water from its Lake Oroville
Reservoir, and that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which is responsible for
Lake Shasta dam, would likely cap McClellan at 40 percent of his normal
allocation.
Monterey
County officials consider alternative irrigation, domestic supply sources in
midst of drought [Monterey County Herald]
With
a historic drought rendering the Salinas Valley Water Project inoperable,
Monterey County officials are set to consider going after alternative water
sources for irrigation and domestic uses. During Tuesday's special joint
meeting, the Board of Supervisors and county Water Resources Agency board
members will consider proposals to extend temporary use of Salinas agricultural
wash water from the city's industrial ponds this summer for the Castroville
Seawater Intrusion Project. The project provides recycled irrigation water for
farm fields in the North County coastal area. County officials will also
consider a longer term proposal to use runoff waters from the Salinas-area
Blanco Drain and Reclamation Ditch….
ELF
Scott River hearing delayed; election cases given precedence [Siskiyou Daily
News]
The
first major ruling in the case of Environmental Law Foundation v. State Water
Resources Control Board will be delayed, according to a recent order
rescheduling an April 11 hearing. The case originated as a challenge to the
management of groundwater resources connected to the Scott River and is
expected to set the precedent for whether or not such resources can be
regulated through the Public Trust Doctrine….While the main question relates to
the public trust question, the final briefs touch on a variety of other
interrelated issues. The California Farm Bureau, submitting a brief supporting
Siskiyou County’s position, had argued that a ruling affirming the PTD’s
application to non-adjudicated, interconnected groundwater would be an
unconstitutional taking of property rights.
Animal
rights activists target Petaluma slaughterhouse (w/video) [Santa Rosa Press
Democrat]
A
Petaluma slaughterhouse at the center of an international meat recall reopened
under new ownership Monday to protests from animal rights activists. About 30
demonstrators, some wearing bloody aprons and waving signs, converged on the
former Rancho Feeding Corp. slaughterhouse to protest what they say is the inhumane
treatment of animals at the facility. Marin Sun Farms CEO David Evans, who
assembled a group of investors to purchase the meat plant, is focused on
ethically raising and processing meat, spokesman Jeff Bordes said….But
protesters worried it would be business as usual at the slaughterhouse, despite
the change in ownership.
Disease
Detectives Are Solving Fewer Foodborne Illness Cases [National Public Radio]
Recall,
if you will, some of the biggest foodborne illness outbreaks of the past
decade….What do those outbreaks have in common? Well, the government solved
them, tracking down both the food and the pathogen that made people sick.
Because of that, we learned a lot about how to prevent future outbreaks. But
according to a report released Monday by the Center for Science in the Public
Interest, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been reporting and
solving fewer and fewer outbreaks over the past decade….And that doesn't
necessarily mean that fewer Americans are getting sick from their food, the
group contends.
Ag
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