North State ranchers against grazing regulations [Redding Record Searchlight]
State
water officials who came to Redding to hear what residents and ranchers thought
about a proposed grazing regulation program got an overwhelmingly negative
response Thursday. People interested in the proposed Grazing Regulatory Action
Project filled the Redding City Council Chambers on Thursday to learn about the
program and comment on it. Among the 48 people who spoke during the morning
meeting, nearly all of them said they were against further regulation they
didn’t think was necessary. “We don’t need the state up here. We’re doing just
fine,” Bill Flournoy of Modoc County told representatives of the state Water
Resources Control Board. State water officials are concerned about possible
livestock waste getting into streams and degrading water quality.
Drought
fears return with signs of 4th straight dry year [San Francisco Chronicle]
The
December rain was but a cruel tease for California. The storms that brought
some of the biggest downpours of the decade have given way to a dry January and
renewed fears that California will languish in yet another parched year….On
Thursday, state and federal water officials gathered in the capital to sound
the alarm, noting that they’ve taken steps to combat three dry years — through
emergency conservation mandates and money for new water projects, for example —
but that more action will be needed….On Thursday, the State Water Project,
which provides water for about two-thirds of California residents, followed
suit. It bumped up its projected water deliveries to cities and farms this year
from 10 to 15 percent of what was requested….The Central Valley Project, run by
the federal government, is similarly expected to rein in its water deliveries,
though exactly how much water it will offer won’t be estimated until next
month.
Dry
January increases fears of worse drought conditions [KFSN TV, Fresno]
Growers
probably watch the forecast more than most in the Valley. And right now they're
seeing that rain is not in the forecast through the rest of January. Another
year of drought could cost the industry billions of dollars…."I always
prided myself on not having any gray hair, but I've been told that there's a
few hairs that are starting to creep in," said Rick Cosyns. "It's
something that certainly keeps you awake at night." Cosyns is a Madera
County almond grower. His trees solely relied on ground water this year. The
farm is spending extra attention and money to keep its pumps working. Cosyns
even pulled wine grapes out of production to redirect his water….The fear is
seeing more orchards pulled up and more fallowed land. The agriculture industry
lost about $1.5 billion last year because of the drought. The Fresno County
Farm Bureau predicts that could jump to as much as $3 billion unless conditions
improve.
Grapes
of wrath: Calif. farmworkers fight to unionize [Al Jazeera America]
When
Jose Dolores began picking grapes at Gerawan Farming in California’s San
Joaquin Valley in 1990, the company was paying a little over the state minimum
wage of $4.25 an hour….It was only in 2012, after a new state law on mandatory mediation was implemented, that the
UFW was able to go back to Gerawan to demand a renewal of the talks….Losing
this fight could have devastating consequences for the UFW and, indirectly, for
farmworker unions in other states, since it would make it much more difficult
for workers to get growers to agree on a contract. No real union can survive
indefinitely without being able to win contracts and thus being able to gain
members and make substantial changes in wages and conditions. Federal law has
never covered farmworkers, and outside of California, no state has a law giving
farmworkers a legal process for recognition and bargaining….California,
however, has been able to use state legislation to address grower
intransigence. If it works, the example may spread, which is why other growers
are watching this case closely.
CHP:
Driver ran stop sign in crash that killed 5 in San Joaquin County [Sacramento
Bee]
A
violent crash on a foggy farm-lined road in Stockton that killed five men
Tuesday was caused when the driver of one of the vehicles ran a stop sign,
according to the California Highway Patrol. And neither driver involved the
crash was licensed to drive, CHP officials said….All were farmworkers on their
way to a day in the field, pruning grapevines, according to witnesses and
firefighters who spoke with survivors at the scene….The U.S. Department of
Labor was also investigating the incident to determine whether the farmworkers
were being transported by their employers and whether those employers had
followed legal safety standards, including ensuring company vehicles are driven
by licensed drivers, that they had appropriate insurance, functional headlights
and enough working seat belts to accommodate all passengers.
Why
you won’t see low inflation in the dairy case [Wall Street Journal]
Food
prices rose 0.3% in December and 3.4% from a year earlier, the largest 12-month
increase since February 2012, the Labor Department said Friday….But food prices
were an exception, led by dairy, up 0.6% from November, and fresh vegetables,
up 2.4%....Rising food prices likely reflect the lingering effects of the
West’s drought and suggest grocery prices aren’t yet benefiting much from lower
transportation costs tied to less-expensive gasoline.
Ag
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