The next edition of Ag Today will be distributed Tuesday, Feb. 19th. Our office will be closed on Feb. 18th in observance of President's Day.
The
future of patent law rests in a farmer's hands [Wall Street Journal]
A
dispute between an Indiana farmer and Monsanto Co. over soybean seeds has
sprouted into a U.S. Supreme Court case that could have broad implications for
industries from software to nanotechnology. At issue is how long Monsanto can
claim patent protection for its genetically engineered seeds. The
crop-biotechnology company is squaring off against 75-year-old Vernon
"Hugh" Bowman, whom it sued in 2007 after he planted soybeans that
came from crops grown by other farmers using Monsanto seeds. Monsanto contends
its patent protection extends beyond its first-generation seeds, while Mr.
Bowman argues the company's patent rights were exhausted by the time he bought
later-generation seeds from a local grain elevator. The Supreme Court is
scheduled to hear arguments from each side Tuesday.
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Grower
may have to pay up for labor violations [Bakersfield Californian]
A
federal judge has ruled that a Kern County grape grower can be held jointly
responsible for alleged wage-and-hour violations by its outside labor
contractors. Last week's rare but not precedent-setting judgment against Delano
Farms Co. could affect how closely Central Valley growers monitor their labor
contractors, which are often seen as independent of the companies that hire
them to provide farmworker help.…Organizations representing California grape
growers declined to discuss the ruling's implications or could not be reached
for comment Thursday. But Delano Farms, part of Washington state-based Anderson
& Middleton Co., issued a statement Thursday saying it was disappointed in
the decision by Sacramento federal court Judge Lawrence O'Neill. "We
maintain Delano Farms should not be party to this action since the plaintiffs
are employees of our contractor, an independent business that retains full
control over its operations and its relationship with its employees," the
statement reads.
Advisory
committee hopes to make water delivery more efficient [Imperial Valley Press]
As
the Imperial Irrigation District attempts to make its water canals more
efficient, the IID’s Water Conservation Advisory Board hopes to increase that
efficiency by fine-tuning the rate with which water is delivered to farmers.
The IID offers 12-hour and 24-hour runs, water deliveries that run for 12 hours
or 24 hours. Although morning and afternoon start-times are available for
12-hour runs, the a.m. runs, as referred to by IID officials and farmers, are
far more popular than p.m. runs.
World
Ag Expo in Tulare closes on high note [Fresno Bee]
Vendors
at this year's World Ag Expo in Tulare said a capacity crowd and good weather
helped generate healthy sales in tractors, tools and technology. Billed as the
largest farm equipment and technology trade show of its kind, the expo fills
the grounds of the International Agri-Center with about 100,000 visitors over
the course of its three-day run. Expo officials said the crowds were among some
of the largest in recent years, although a final figure was not available
Thursday.
Editorial: Cows, chickens and
pigs still get too many antibiotics [San Jose Mercury News]
The
Food and Drug Administration's gutless approach to antibiotic use in food
animals is a disgrace. It's only a matter of time before the policy makes
routine infections in people difficult or impossible for doctors to treat.
Scientists have been begging the FDA for three decades to ban or severely
reduce farmers' use of penicillins and tetracyclines in animal feed to
stimulate growth. The American Medical Association and the Union of Concerned
Scientists agree that antibiotics in animals consumed by humans dramatically
reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics used by people. The Obama
administration should have followed the lead of the European Union and banned
antibiotic use by ranchers for healthy animals, period. The FDA instead
continues to put the profits of the meat industry over the health of Americans.
Editorial: Watsonville
farmland conversion: Unwise, unlikely [Santa Cruz Sentinel]
It
isn't difficult to understand why Watsonville's elected leaders are willing to
take on powerful Pajaro Valley agricultural interests by moving forward with a
June 4 special election on converting farmland to retail development.
Understandable, yes. Wise in the long term, no….Opposition has been led by the
Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau, which notes ag is already providing a lot of
jobs, without losing valuable farmland for another big box store….We expect a
major political battle over this issue over the next year or so. While we
understand the city's plight, we agree with the Measure U coalition that
recognized the unique value of farmland over a short-term fix that would change
the character of the Pajaro Valley for the worse.
Ag
Today is distributed to county Farm Bureaus, CFBF directors and CFBF staff, for
information purposes, by the CFBF Communications/News Division, 916-561-5550; news@cfbf.com.
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