Ag Today Tuesday, September 23, 2014

1,000 more California wildfires than usual in 2014, and fire season just started [Los Angeles Times]

The traditional fire season has only just begun, and already in California firefighters have battled at least 1,000 more wildfires than in a typical year. So far this year, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has sent crews to nearly 5,000 wildfires, which have charred a combined 92,139 acres on non-U.S. Forest Service land, according to a statewide fire activity update issued this week….Federal forest land has already taken a huge hit in Northern California, where a series of fires has scorched nearly 275,000 acres combined…."These times are unprecedented here in California with respect to fire BEHAVIOR," Cal Fire Unit Chief Mike Kaslin said last week during an update on the King fire.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-california-1000-wildfires-20140923-story.html

California drought likely to persist or intensify [Desert Sun]

The severe drought is likely to remain or intensify during the next three months in most of California, Nevada and Oregon, according to a new forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center. The drought is already classified "D4" as an extreme drought situation, the worst possible, in most of Central and Northern California, said Anthony Artusa, a NOAA meteorologist who put together the new drought outlook report and map. "By definition, it can't get worse," Artusa said. Still, it's too early to say how much relief the winter may bring because California typically gets half of its annual precipitation during the three months of December, January and February, said Jeanine Jones, deputy drought manager for the state's Department of Water Resources. Jones also pointed out that the accuracy of weather forecasts looking months into the future is limited.

http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2014/09/22/california-drought-persist-intensify/16078767/

U.S. lemon lovers tasting bitter price shock from drought [Bloomberg News]

…A prolonged drought in California, which grew 91 percent of U.S. lemons this year, contributed to a surge in costs. Wholesale prices almost doubled from a year earlier, and retail lemons are up 36 percent to $2.327 a pound in August, the highest since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking them in 1980. At a time when big Midwest grain crops are contributing to lower global food prices, the lack of rain in the nation’s biggest agricultural state is boosting costs for fresh fruits. The U.S. Department of Agriculture forecasts an increase of 5 percent to 6 percent this year, matching expected gains in meats and eggs….Domestic lemon production in the year ended July 31 tumbled 8.8 percent to 832,000 short tons (754,800 metric tons), while the surge in prices boosted the value of the crop by 62 percent to $647.7 million, USDA data show. The output decline reflects smaller fruit as a result of the dry spell, said Bob Blakely, vice president for California Citrus Mutual, an industry group in Exeter….The crop also was hit by a freeze beginning in December that damaged crops in the San Joaquin Valley, causing $24 million in lost revenue, California Citrus Mutual estimates.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-22/u-s-lemon-lovers-tasting-bitter-price-shock-from-drought.html

Preliminary GWR source water gets OK from county water agency [Monterey Herald]

Supervisors, other partners still must approve to kick-start binding talks

A critical preliminary water source agreement for the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency's groundwater replenishment project earned its first official thumbs-up on Monday. By a unanimous vote, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency board of directors recommended approval by the Board of Supervisors of a memorandum of understanding setting a framework for a final agreement on source water for the groundwater replenishment project and distribution of recycled water….The board's approval came despite calls from Monterey County Farm Bureau executive director Norm Groot and Salinas Valley Water Coalition president Nancy Isakson to hold off on approving the memorandum until Salinas Valley ag interests could review it.

http://www.montereyherald.com/localnews/ci_26585598/preliminary-gwr-source-water-gets-ok-from-county

No shortage of public input as West Marin ranch plan moves ahead [Marin Independent Journal]

More than 3,000 comments poured into the Point Reyes National Seashore on a plan that addresses the future of ranches on National Park Service land in West Marin. Looking to provide West Marin ranches with more security and opportunity, the park service is in the middle of a planning process for working beef cattle and dairy ranches within the Point Reyes National Seashore. Longer leases for ranchers is the cornerstone of the plan, dubbed the "Ranch Comprehensive Management Plan/ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT."…It is the park service that didn't renew a lease for the Drakes Bay Oyster Co., another business within the seashore. Ranchers in the park worried they might be next to get the boot. But when the order came down in November 2012 to not renew the oyster company's lease, then-interior secretary Ken Salazar said existing ranching operations within the national park would continue.

http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_26585617/no-shortage-public-input-west-marin-ranch-plan

Survey: California wine industry adapting to aging baby boomers, foreign competition, drought [Sacramento Bee]

In wine parlance, it’s called “passing the glass.” As aging baby boomers taper off their wine consumption, the millennial generation is poised to pick up the slack, according to a new UC Davis SURVEY of California wine executives. And despite water shortages and increased competition from craft beers, cocktails and imported wines, California’s wine industry is holding its own globally. Those are among the results to be presented Tuesday at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium in Napa….Climate change and water use will be among the industry’s top concerns over the next five to 10 years, according to the 26 wine executives. They said they are implementing strategies to combat the effects of drought, including use of imaging technology to minimize vineyard water consumption, recycling water for irrigation and changing conservation practices.

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/22/6727951/survey-california-wine-industry.html

Ag Today is distributed by the CFBF Communications/News Division to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes; stories may not be republished without permission. 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. For more information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.

Ag Today Monday, September 22, 2014

Bond could aid ambitious pipe-to-farm project [San Diego Union Tribune]

Few, if any, industries are watching the fate of California’s $7.5 billion water bond on the Nov. 4 ballot more closely than agriculture….But more than just adding reservoirs and pipelines, the bond could help fund an ambitious, first-of-its-kind water recycling project in Escondido that would give farmers on the outskirts of the city a new, potentially cheaper source of water….Farmers in ag heavy North County are keeping a close eye on the project, with a mix of hope and healthy skepticism about how successful Escondido’s endeavor will be and whether it could be duplicated elsewhere….“Anything that increases the portfolio of water in San Diego County is a big plus,” Eric Larson, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, said about Escondido’s efforts. “Farmers have pretty much done all the efficiencies and WATER CONSERVATION they can.”

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/19/recycle-water-bond-california-drought/

Monterey Peninsula, Salinas Valley move closer to source water deal for groundwater replenishment [Monterey Herald]

After months of negotiation, the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas Valley may finally have a workable preliminary deal for a water source for the proposed groundwater replenishment project. At the end of a two-hour meeting on Friday between Peninsula water officials, Salinas Valley growers and others, two agricultural industry representatives indicated they were "comfortable" with most of the details of a proposed deal….Both Ocean Mist Farms vice president Dale Huss and Paraiso Vineyards owner Richard Smith indicated a revised memorandum could meet most of their concerns….Smith said Salinas Valley agricultural players want to be assured they won't be taken advantage of in the project agreement, and won't end up with less water than they have rights to now.

http://www.montereyherald.com/News/Local/ci_26569606/Monterey-Peninsula-Salinas-Valley-move-closer-to-source-water-deal-for-groundwater-replenishment

Editorial: Water rules won't settle the disputes [Santa Maria Times]

The bills signed into law last week by the governor will give the state some management authority over groundwater pumping, but it does so through local water agencies. Still, many landowners will object to the meters, monitoring of pumping and fines for overdrafts. The new rules may have the force of state law, but that likely will not protect them from a full-on legal attack from land owners intent on defending their former rights of ownership….Having a law and making it work are two different things, and Republican opposition in the state Legislature to the new rules all but ensures a fierce legal skirmish over property rights that could very well end up in the U.S. Supreme Court — battles that should have been decided years ago.

http://santamariatimes.com/lompoc/news/opinion/editorial/water-rules-won-t-settle-the-disputes/article_3d9dae19-d42f-529e-9cef-5ac63d6c0b1c.html

Tomato growers’ lawsuit against feds fails to bear fruit [McClatchy News Service]

A federal court has rejected the potentially far-reaching claims of Florida tomato growers who say they lost business because of Food and Drug Administration warnings. The ruling unsettles numerous growers, who collectively lost several hundred million dollars following FDA food safety warnings in 2008 that proved erroneous. The ruling also curtails other growers tempted to base similar challenges on the constitutional requirement that the government pay compensation for taking property. “Advisory pronouncements, even those with significant financial impact on the marketplace, are not enough to effect a taking of property under the Fifth Amendment,” U.S. Court of Federal Claims Senior Judge Lynn J. Bush stated.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/19/4133423_tomato-growers-lawsuit-against.html?rh=1

California olive oil producers create new quality standards [Fresno Bee]

California is the first state in the nation to create quality standards for its olive oil producers, a key step toward growing the industry. The state's Department of Food and Agriculture approved a set of rules last week that California's olive oil producers must abide by before labeling their bottles as extra virgin, virgin or refined….In the olive oil world, extra virgin is the highest quality oil and fetches a premium price. But farmers and industry leaders say research by the University of California has found that some of the imported oils, labeled extra virgin, contained lower quality oils.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/19/4133699/california-olive-oil-producers.html

Opinion: Agency still denying farmworkers a vote [San Diego Union-Tribune]

The Legislature and the Brown administration apparently believe California’s farmworkers cannot be trusted to exercise their democratic rights. It’s the only plausible explanation for their efforts — via an administrative process and legislation — to invalidate the votes of 3,000 Fresno area workers who took part in a union election….This seems inexplicable until one recognizes some relevant details. The workers almost certainly have voted to invalidate the United Farm Workers union as their representative. ALRB, despite its supposed impartiality and prosecutorial powers, seems closely allied with the UFW and worries that workers will strike against the union.

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/sep/19/state-agency-cahoots-union-deny-farm-workers-vote/

Ag Today is distributed by the CFBF Communications/News Division to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes; stories may not be republished without permission. 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. For more information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.

Ag Today Friday, September 19, 2014

FDA tweaks food safety rules due next year [Associated Press]

The government said Friday it will rewrite sweeping new food safety rules after farmers complained that earlier proposals could hurt business. New proposals by the Food and Drug Administration would make it easier for farmers to meet water quality standards and allow farmers to harvest crops sooner after using raw manure as fertilizer. The FDA proposed the revised rules Friday, and the final rules are due next fall….But after complaints from farmers big and small who said the rules were too burdensome, the new proposal would lower some standards for the amount of bacteria that can be found in irrigation water and reduce the frequency with which it is tested. The proposal also reduces the amount of time required between using raw manure and harvest and allows farmers to hold produce in a packing house without facing further regulations. The smallest farms would CONTINUE to be exempted from the rules.

http://www.modbee.com/2014/09/19/3547183/fda-tweaks-food-safety-rules-due.html

U.S. aims to curb peril of antibiotic resistance [New York Times]

The Obama administration on Thursday announced measures to tackle the growing threat of antibiotic resistance, outlining a national strategy that includes incentives for the development of new drugs, tighter stewardship of existing ones, and improvements in tracking the use of ANTIBIOTICS and the microbes that are resistant to them. The actions are the first major White House effort to confront a public health crisis that takes at least 23,000 lives a year, and many experts were pleased that a president had finally focused on the issue. But some said the strategy fell short in not recommending tougher measures against the overuse of ANTIBIOTICS in agriculture, which, they argue, is a big part of the problem….Under the order, Mr. Obama created a national task force to be led by the secretaries of health and HUMAN SERVICES, defense and agriculture, and he required that they deliver a five-year action plan by Feb. 15.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/19/health/us-lays-out-strategy-to-combat-crisis-of-antibiotic-resistance.html?_r=0

Congress keeps California water talks flowing [Fresno Bee]

Secret California water bill negotiations have a "55% to 60% chance" of success during the fast-fading 113th Congress, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer said Thursday. In her first extended public comments on the closely held water talks, Boxer voiced cautious optimism even as she criticized House Republicans for trying to exclude Northern California Democrats. "I'm very hopeful," Boxer told reporters. "I would say the discussions are going well." Some negotiators convened as recently as Sunday in an effort to narrow remaining differences, Boxer revealed. Like everyone else involved in the ongoing negotiations, she carefully avoided discussing any specifics and declined to identify what the major sticking points might be.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/09/18/4131129_congress-keeps-california-water.html?rh=1

Another dry winter for Valley [Visalia Times-Delta]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Climate Prediction Center reported Thursday the drought is going to remain or get worse with winter rain and snow expected to remain below average in most of California, Nevada and Oregon….Those conditions could lead to higher prices for fruits, vegetables and nuts at grocery stores, agriculture trade groups say….Even for farmers with water, the drought is having a big effects on their crops, said Joe Garcia, field supervisor for citrus farms in Tulare and Kern counties.

"You can see it in all the trees," he said pointing to leaves that were curling and aren't as richly green as they normally should be at this time of year — all signs of how much their irrigation has been cut back.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/local/2014/09/19/another-dry-winter/15872377/

Beer fight brewing over EPA rule [The Hill]

A battle is brewing in the beer industry over a new regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency that spells out the agency’s authority to regulate bodies of water. Dozens of small craft brewers, such as Sierra Nevada and New Belgium, are rallying behind the EPA’s proposed Waters of the U.S. rule, arguing it will help ensure that they have clean water for their products. But farmers who supply beer ingredients like barley, wheat and hops, say the rule has the potential to massively cut production on their lands, raising beer prices in the process. The divide has put trade groups for the beer industry in a tough spot, caught between what one industry lobbyist described as “competing interests.”

http://thehill.com/regulation/energy-environment/218249-beer-fight-brewing-over-epa-rule

Agencies meet for close-up look at whether pesticides harm bees [Modesto Bee]

About 100 people zipped themselves into beekeeping suits Thursday to see what’s troubling the hives. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation held an event near Modesto that dealt with whether pest-control chemicals are harming the bees that pollinate many crops in the state and beyond. A few commercial beekeepers showed how to examine the colonies for problems, which might include disease, malnutrition, PARASITES, pesticide damage and more. The lessons were mainly for pesticide regulators from the state agency and 16 county agricultural commissioner’s offices, all of them dressed in the protective garb….The pesticide issue is sensitive. On the one hand, most farmers rely on the chemicals to ensure that insects do not reduce their crops. On the other hand, many crops rely on pollination by bees, which allows their blossoms to develop into almonds, apples, cucumbers, melons and many other foods.

http://www.modbee.com/2014/09/18/3546572/agencies-meet-for-close-up-look.html?sp=/99/1571/&ihp=1

Ag Today is distributed by the CFBF Communications/News Division to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes; stories may not be republished without permission. 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. For more information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.

Ag Today Thursday, September 18, 2014

California groundwater: Court case could speed up regulation [KQED Radio/San Francisco]

California’s Supreme Court is being pressed to take up a case that could dramatically alter oversight for groundwater, building on a landmark water rights ruling the court made a generation ago. Earlier this summer, a Sacramento Superior Court judge ruled that rural Siskiyou County in Northern California must consider people downstream who depend on the Scott River before issuing permits to drill wells and pump groundwater nearby. If the high court accepts the case and upholds that ruling, the result could be new controls on groundwater pumping — in addition to those contained in legislation just signed by Gov. Jerry Brown….At the heart of the case is the Scott River, which runs through Siskiyou County and feeds into the Klamath not far from the Oregon border.

http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2014/09/18/california-groundwater-court-case-could-speed-up-regulation/

Farmers unhappy with new groundwater regulations [KBAK/KBFX/Bakersfield]

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed his groundwater regulation bill, a bill that one local farmer says will not only hurt his business, but also the county’s economy. “I have to look at buying less pickups, employing less people, buying less tractors. You name it, from top to bottom,” said Pete Belluomini, the VP of Farming for Lehr Brothers Inc. “We are tied to the groundwater 100 percent," he said, "so ultimately it will have an effect on consumer prices. There’s just no getting around that.” Beatris Sanders, the executive director of the Kern County Farm Bureau, agreed….“To put a cap on that blood line of water, I think it’s dangerous,” said Sanders. “Everything about farming is already unpredictable, harvest to harvest.”

http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/business/Farmers-unhappy-with-new-groundwater-regulations-275540321.html

Fish-killing parasite spreads further up Klamath River [Eureka Times-Standard]

Karuk biologists have found the fish-killing PARASITE that devastated salmon populations on the lower Klamath river in 2002 is now also on the mid-Klamath River, which has no large reservoir for emergency water releases. All 20 salmon SAMPLED on the middle Klamath Wednesday tested positive for the PARASITE, and 17 of them were severe cases, said Craig Tucker, Klamath coordinator with the Karuk tribe….The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released emergency flows to the Trinity and lower Klamath rivers on Tuesday after ich was found on the lower Klamath to prevent further spread of the disease and the possibility of a fish-kill….The only other way to increase the amount of water reaching the fish is to encourage water users in the Klamath Basin to divert less water, Tucker said.

http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_26557706/fish-killing-parasite-spreads-further-up-klamath-river

Drought leads to rising food prices [KTVU/Oakland]

Local restaurants and farmers alike say they're feeling the impact of the California drought. At the Heart of the City Farmer's Market in San Francisco, evidence of the drought's impact can be seen at the fruit and vegetable stands. "There's some produce we usually grow other years but we're not growing this year because there's not enough water," said Mario Diaz, who works for James Paoletti Farms in Linden….LOCAL RESTAURANTS are also feeling the impact.  The Golden Gate restaurant association says the drought is pushing prices up. At Kuleto's in Union Square, executive chef Robert Helstrom says he's seen a dramatic impact on price and availability.

http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/local-restaurants-feeling-effects-drought/nhPnL/

Harvest hits the halfway point in Sonoma County [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]

Thanks to CONTINUED mild weather, the North Coast grape harvest remains ahead of schedule and some winemakers may even finish picking their fruit by the beginning of October, according to growers and analysts. About half of Sonoma County’s crop has already been harvested, said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers, an industry trade group….Some vineyards are experiencing stressed-out vines as a result of a lack of water, which could produce a lower yield and affect grape quality. The issue is problematic for vineyards along the upper Russian River, where surface supplies have been stretched during the drought. It’s signs also can be seen on vineyard leaves, which are already turning color.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/home/2833134-181/harvest-hits-the-halfway-point

Altered to withstand herbicide, corn and soybeans gain approval [New York Times]

The Agriculture Department has approved the COMMERCIAL planting of corn and soybeans genetically engineered to survive being sprayed by the herbicide known as 2,4-D, according to documents it posted on a federal regulatory website on Wednesday. Some corn and soybean growers have been pushing for approval, saying the new crops would give them a SORELY needed new tool to fight rapidly spreading weeds that can no longer be killed by Roundup, known generically as glyphosate, the usual herbicide of choice. But critics say that cultivation of the crops, which were developed by Dow AgroSciences, will mean a sharp increase in the spraying of 2,4-D, a chemical they say would be more damaging to the environment, nearby non-engineered crops and possibly human health, than Roundup.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/18/business/altered-to-withstand-herbicide-corn-and-soybeans-gain-approval.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A8%22%7D&_r=0

Ag Today is distributed by the CFBF Communications/News Division to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for information purposes; stories may not be republished without permission. 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. For more information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.