Water center at Fresno State cultivates new technology [Fresno Bee]
The
path to turning the San Joaquin Valley into a hub for agricultural-based
technology may begin at the front door of the Water, Energy and Technology
Center at Fresno State. The multi-purpose center serves as a resource for
existing companies as well as an incubator for companies working to solve some
of the farm industry's most vexing challenges: reducing water use and energy
costs. Companies housed in the incubator are using everything from worms and
wood chips for filtering waste water to injecting polymers into the soil to cut
water use.
New agriculture fund
to help farmers focus beyond the field [Davis Enterprise]
In
an effort to better support local agriculture, the Yolo Board of Supervisors
took a first look at the new agriculture funding program at its meeting last
week. The Agricultural Economic Development Fund refocuses the agricultural
priorities of the county, which primarily have been land preservation through
conservation easements. The fund will effectively be a holding tank for money
that can be directed toward a much broader range of agricultural programs,
including marketing, infrastructure improvements and loans. “Ag preservation is
necessary but not sufficient,” said Yolo County Supervisor Don Saylor of Davis.
“By creating the vehicle for investment … we have opened up the doors to really
take a stronger leadership role throughout the country.”
Legislature approves
$108 billion state budget [Associated Press]
The
state Legislature on Sunday approved California's $108 billion budget for the
coming fiscal year, moving swiftly to beat a midnight deadline and adopting the
highest general fund spending plan in state history. The legislation, SB852,
passed 55-24 in the Assembly and 25-11 in the Senate, mostly along partisan
lines. The unusual Father's Day legislative session came on the last day the
Legislature had to meet its constitutional deadline to send a balanced budget
to Gov. Jerry Brown.
Editorial: McCarthy’s ascent would be good for California
[Sacramento Bee]
Rep.
Kevin McCarthy, running to become House majority leader, should not forget
lessons he learned in Sacramento – that sometimes finding common ground isn’t
such a bad thing….Although we disagree with McCarthy on many issues, his ascent
would be beneficial for the San Joaquin Valley and California. McCarthy likely
would use his position to continue trying to kill high-speed rail, a project he
believes will be a boondoggle. That makes little sense given that the train one
day will employ people in his district and connect his city to the rest of
California. But McCarthy also should continue seeking common ground on an
overhaul to immigration law, so important to his San Joaquin Valley district.
Opinion: Water conservation efforts aren’t taking hold, but
there are encouraging signs [Sacramento Bee]
The
drought is our wake-up call that California’s water supply system is out of
balance. Even in the face of this drought, conservation efforts have not taken
hold. We are talking about it, but we are failing to act. A focused water bond
is key to any solution. The billions of dollars that would be raised by a bond
could give California greater flexibility for managing water, and provide a
sustainable path to meet future needs for people and nature.
Opinion: Farmers unite behind workers in union vote conflict
[Marysville Appeal-Democrat]
Every
few years, something occurs to bring California agriculture together in a kind
of show of strength. This year, it is the plight of farmworkers and their right
to reject union membership. The state's major farm organizations signed onto a
"friend of the court" document in May to express their support for
5,000 or more farmworkers employed by Gerawan Farming in Reedley, a major
producer of peaches, plums, nectarines and grapes. The workers took part in an
election last November to decide if they want to continue working without
belonging to a union, namely the United Farmworkers of America (UFW). Not only
has the outcome of the election never been announced by the state's
Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB), the ballots cast have been locked up
at the agency's Visalia field office and not counted. Instead of counting the
ballots, the agency staff has spent the past six months looking for evidence
that Gerawan illegally electioneered to influence the outcome of the election.
Ag
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