Napa, Sonoma wineries mop up [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
…Winemakers
across Napa and Sonoma counties scrambled to assess the damage Sunday from the
largest earthquake to hit Northern California in a quarter-century. While many
said they avoided catastrophic damage, others spent the day cleaning up mounds
of shattered glass and pools of precious wine that poured out of broken oak
barrels and ruptured steel tanks….Napa Valley Vintners, a trade group
representing 500 wineries, said it would take 24 to 72 hours to determine the
extent of damage to the region’s industry. Initial reports suggested damage was
concentrated in the Napa and south Napa areas, which received the most violent
shaking. The center of the quake, just 6 miles southwest of Napa, was located
underneath a critical distribution center for the wine industry, home to a
network of warehouses that distribute Northern California wines around the
globe. American Canyon also is a major hub for industry suppliers that provide
everything from wooden barrels to corks and bottles.
Time running out for
California water bill [Sacramento Bee]
Secret
negotiations over a California water bill are nearing a make-or-break moment,
after a long, dry summer that’s tested some political alliances. The state’s
Democratic senators are struggling to balance sympathy for Central Valley
farmers with concern for environmental protection. The Obama administration has
sometimes moved slowly. Some regional conflicts remain unreconciled. And time
is short.…Once it surfaces, the California water bill would be the most
explicit congressional response to the drought that has dominated the state and
decimated some farms. It could redirect water deliveries, authorize new dams
and ease environmental rules. Or, it might be more modest.
Extra water for
Klamath salmon [Associated Press]
A
federal agency has decided to boost releases of cool clean water into Northern
California’s Klamath River to prevent a repeat of the 2002 fish kill that left
tens of thousands of adult salmon dead….Indian tribes have been pressing the
bureau to change a July decision to hold off extra releases until significant
numbers of fish start to die. Tribal members approached Interior Secretary
Sally Jewell earlier this month when she was visiting firefighting facilities
in Redding, California, and she sent bureau officials to the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s
reservation to review conditions….The bureau said the extra water for Klamath
River fish would not reduce the amount of water diverted to the Sacramento
River system, where much of it ultimately goes to irrigation for farms. The
extra releases will mean less water carrying over the winter for next year,
said operations manager Ron Milligan.
Ag takes heat for
proposed rules on outdoor work [Bakersfield Californian]
If
farm labor consultant Guadalupe Sandoval sounds defensive, it's because his
industry is taking a lot of heat lately -- and not just from the sweltering
summer sun. New rules proposed by Cal-OSHA would tighten up the state's heat
illness prevention measures in ways he said would greatly increase costs paid
by California growers….A primary point of contention between Cal-OSHA and
industry is whether the changes are necessary. While both agree the existing
rules have made outdoor work safer, the agency rejects industry's assertion
that better enforcement is needed rather than new rules….Bryan Little, director
of employment policy at the California Farm Bureau, said state officials have
not made a strong case for making changes. He said some of the proposals are
unworkable, such as creating a "buddy system" whereby pairs of
workers would monitor each other for signs of heat illness.
California push to
avert higher gas prices stalls [Associated Press]
Lawmakers
from both parties are pushing to halt an increase in the price of gasoline and
other fuels expected to hit consumers in January, but their efforts appear to
be dead with just a week to go in the legislative session. A pair of bills —
one sponsored by Democrats, the other by Republicans — seek to delay or exempt
gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas and other consumer fuels from California's
2006 greenhouse gas emissions law. The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office
said this month that fuel prices are likely to increase by 13 cents to 20 cents
per gallon by 2020, but the agency warned the increase could be as high as 50
cents a gallon.
San Diego egg farmers
work to improve conditions for hens [KPBS/San Diego]
A
fresh egg farm in Lakeside has invested in a state-of-the-art cage-free hen
house. It comes after California voters approved Proposition 2 in 2008, which
gives farmers until 2015 to give their egg producing hens more space.
Hilliker’s Ranch Fresh Eggs has been serving San Diego consumers since 1942.
Currently, the third-generation family farm produces 15,000 eggs every day.
Hilliker’s in the process of replacing their standard industry hen cages —
which house up to 12 birds per cage — to a wide-open hen house that gives the
birds room to roam….Due to Proposition 2, farmers across the state are also
scrambling to meet the 2015 deadline. Julie Walker with the San Diego County
Farm Bureau says local farmers, and Hilliker, will need the public’s support to
offset the cost of improved new hen houses.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment