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FARM BILL FOR FINAL FACE-OFF

On Table are Food Stamps, Anti-Hunger Program, Crop Insurance

Reuters reported TODAY the final stage of the long-delayed U.S. farm bill is about to begin, but drafting a legislative compromise between the Senate and House of Representatives is still hampered by deep partisan divisions over cuts in food stamps for the poor.

Lawmakers in the House agreed on today to open negotiations with the Senate over a final version of the five-year, $500 billion bill. Its salient agricultural initiative, but one that is mostly not controversial, is an expansion of federally subsidized crop insurance by 10 percent.

The major dispute in the bill is food stamps, which help low-income Americans, mostly children, the elderly or disabled, to buy food. The latest figures show a near-record 47.8 million people received benefits averaging $133 a month.

The Republican-controlled House wants to cut the major U.S. anti-hunger program by $39 billion over a decade, nearly 10 times the reduction proposed by the Democrat-run Senate. The tighter eligibility rules in the House plan would cut 4 million people from the program in 2014.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor was the leading proponent of the cuts. Virginia Foxx, a North Carolina Republican said, “We believe by reforming food stamps we will save the program for the truly needy,”

House Democrats regard the Republicans as putting an undue burden on recipients.

Jim Clyburn of South Carolina cited language to require food stamp applicants to take a drug test and suggested, “You ought to test all those people getting farm subsidies and see if they are deserving of federal benefits.”

In a tactical move, House Republicans would split the farm bill in two for review in the future. The food stamp program would be considered every three years, while agricultural programs would be on a five-year cycle.

Conservatives say it will be easier to win reforms under that format. Nutrition and farm subsidy programs have been tied together since the 1970s, creating a coalition of farm-state and urban lawmakers.

Colin Peterson of Minnesota, the Democratic leader on the House Agriculture Committee, said the division could mean the end of farm bills, as they have been known until now.

“We need a full conference to work out some big differences,” conceded Frank Lucas, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

Congress is a year behind schedule in writing a successor to the 2008 farm law, which expired a year ago and was revived early this year. It died again at the same time the government went into a partial shutdown.

“The big question is if we’re going to get a new farm bill,” said Craig Cox of the Environmental Working Group. “I think there’s a long way to go from where we are today to a farm bill that can pass on the floor of the Senate and the House.”

Democrats voted en masse against food stamp cuts. Tea Party-influenced Republicans assured defeat of the original House farm bill in June because they wanted deeper cuts than the $20 billion proposed. It was the first time the House defeated a farm bill.

Among agricultural provisions, the most contentious are likely to be Senate proposals to require farmers to practice soil conservation to qualify for premium subsidies on crop insurance, and to require the wealthiest growers, with more than $750,000 adjusted gross income a year, to pay a larger share of the premium. The House has rejected similar ideas.

Crop insurance is the largest part of the farm safety net, costing about $9 billion a year.

Source: Reuters

2016-05-31T19:44:20-07:00October 12th, 2013|

LOW CORN PRICE MAY HELP DAIRIES IN SHORT TERM

Corn Closed Friday at Its 
Lowest Price in 37 Months

In news that could help the ailing California Dairy Industry, the Wall Street Journal reported TODAY that corn closed at its lowest price in 37 months as farmers speed the harvest of what is forecast to be a record crop, boosting availability for processors of food, ethanol and animal feed.

Wheat also declined while soybean prices gained slightly. U.S. corn growers are expected to harvest 13.8 billion bushels this year, the most ever, as yields increase by 26% to 155.3 bushels an acre, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Dry weather in the past week and little rain in the next 72 hours will allow farm-ers to accelerate the harvest, replenishing stockpiles for commercial users and exporters of the grain.

Yields for corn that has been harvested in the U.S. are also coming in better than forecast earlier this year, analysts said. Analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires said they expect yields to total 156.8 bushels an acre, up from USDA’s outlook.

2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 12th, 2013|

FIGHT FOR WATER FILM IN FRESNO NEXT WEEK

Local film ‘The Fight for Water’ goes International, with Additional Festival Screenings in Fresno and Bakersfield


The award-winning documentary, “The Fight for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle”,  which was recently nominated for Excellence in Filmmaking and was Runner Up Winner for Best Documentary in Cinematography at the Action on Film International Film Festival,  will have several screenings in October and November.


The documentary, which put a human face to the historic 2009 water crisis and the environmental decision that impacted a farm working community in the Westside of the California Central Valley, has been invited to screen internationally at two major environmental film festivals: at the Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival in Malaysia, where it will screen alongside other award-winning environmental films from around the world on October 13, and at the Life Sciences Film Festival in Prague, Czech Republic, on October 14 – 18.


It will also screen at this year’s Viña de Oro Fresno International Film Festival, which will be held October 16 – 19, 2013, at the Historic Tower Theatre in Fresno.  The film, which features a historic water march that spanned across the Westside of the California Central Valley to the San Luis Reservoir by farmers and their farm workers, will screen Saturday, October 19 at 6 pm and will be the closing film of the festival, followed by an awards ceremony.


The film will then screen at the Historic Fox Theater in Bakersfield, California, as the “Official Selection” at this year’s first ever Outside the Box Bakersfield Film Festival, which will be held November 8 – 10, 2013.


Hollywood actor Paul Rodriguez, who helped organize the water march in the style of Cesar Chavez, is featured in the film for his activism in this cause. Major political figures from throughout the state, and community leaders representing the Fresno community, who stood in favor and against the water cause, also appear on the film.  Arnold Schwarzenegger also makes an appearance.


The film was produced by Juan Carlos Oseguera, an alumnus of San Francisco State University who has been a published film critic and has won awards and recognitions in writing, producing and directing.  This is his first feature length documentary which he wrote, edited, directed and produced under his production studio, Filmunition.


The documentary features two Latino farmers, Joe Del Bosque and George Delgado, who describe how federal water measures contributed to fields going dry in the West Side of the California Central Valley in 2009 while refuges that protect a threatened fish received all of the water designated for them.  This affected their community tremendously.  Because of that, the governor had to declare the affected area a disaster and provide government-run food assistance for over two-hundred thousand farm working people who were displaced from their jobs.


Oseguera, 39, who was raised in the California Central Valley by parents who were migrant farmworkers, understood the struggle they were facing and set out to document the their plight as a lesson to be learned and as a voice to be heard.  He wants viewers to understand that migrant farm workers are a driving force to our economy.  Yet in his quest to understand this water situation, he uncovers class, racial and environmental intricacies behind water access and distribution in California, and the ripple effect it has on all of us. It is an eye opening documentary that everyone must see.


For additional information about the film, the film festivals and film screenings, visit:


The Viña de Oro Film Festival can be contacted at (559) 709-8875.


Questions about the film, contact filmunition@yahoo.com or call (209) 675-2988.


2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 11th, 2013|

CDFA FERTILIZER RESEARCH CONFERFENCE

CDFA’s 21st Annual Fertilizer Research Conf., Oct. 29-30th, Modesto
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) and the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA) announced TODAY they are teaming up again this year to present a conference on managing agricultural nutrients. This year’s conference will be held on October 29 and 30 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Modesto.

The broad agenda, including effective management of nitrogen fertilizers, is geared toward a wide range of agriculturalists, including agricultural supply and service consultants; growers; university extension specialists; crop advisers; and local, state and national governmental agency personnel. 

Presenters from academia, industry and agricultural consulting will provide general and technical information, current research data, and practical applications addressing statewide and regional nutrient management issues. 
The agenda features updates on FREP’s technical education, research, and outreach initiatives-including an update on the CDFA Nitrogen Management Training Program for CCAs, searchable FREP research database, crop fertilization guidelines, and a wide range of other FREP funded research projects.

Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) and Pest Control Adviser (PCA) continuing education units (CEUs) are available for both days of the conference. Registration fees are $90 per day or $175 for both days. Currently enrolled students pay only $50 per day or $90 for both days.

To view the agenda, register online, and see the list of the approved CEUs, please visit the FREP conference website.

For more information about the annual conference or the FREP program, please contact FREP staff at frep@cdfa.ca.gov or (916) 900-5022.


2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 11th, 2013|

SONOMA COUNTY 2013

Sonoma County Harvest Nearly Complete

            Workers in Sonoma County Harvest the 2013 Bounty.
Source: Balletto Vineyards
Sonoma County’s 2013 harvest season has turned the corner and headed down the home stretch.  Current reports are showing that the region is approximately 85%-90% complete, with mostly Zinfandel and some Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Pinot Noir, and Syrah still on the vines.

Winegrowers anticipate harvest finishing up within the next week or two, which would put this year’s harvest about 3 weeks ahead of schedule compared to previous vintages.

Reports from winemakers and winegrowers about fruit quality continue to be positive, despite the recent rainstorm that had minimal influence on picking schedules and was characterized by one winegrower as “washing off the dust on the leaves.”  In fact, several regions around Sonoma County reported that the rain storm was accompanied by some high winds that helped dry out moisture.  

This year’s grape crop continues to come in at average to above-average size with excellent flavor profiles that are lush, balanced, and consistent. Overall, winegrowers and winemakers are thrilled about this year’s harvest and the potential of these 2013 wines.

Source: We Are Sonoma County

2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 11th, 2013|

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR GROWERS

CDFA Board to Meet Growers’ Research Needs

State Board Panel Discussion
This week’s meeting of the California State Board of Food and Agriculture focused on agricultural research and how the state can best position itself to meet future research needs, according to State Board of Food and Agriculture President Craig McNamara TODAY. With increasing on-farm challenges, research institutions need to be flexible and responsive in meeting the needs of California’s farmers and ranchers.

State Board Panel Discussion (left to right: Richard Waycott, Almond Board; Ken Keck, Citrus Research Board; Bonnie Fernandez-Fenaroli, Center for Produce Safety; President Jeffrey Armstrong, Cal Poly; Chancellor Linda Katehi, UC Davis; Paul Wenger, CA Farm Bureau Federation; Mary Wadsworth; J.G. Boswell Company)

Research is critical for California agriculture and the public investments we make in research today will have significant advantages for our future. We need to develop more partnerships between our agricultural organizations and our academic research institutions to leverage the outstanding research resources we have available within this state. California agriculture has had a long legacy of partnership with the UC and CSU system, but in reinvigorating this collaboration across multiple disciplines, we can see great gains for our industry.

What we heard from several farm and commodity representatives at the meeting is that improved communications are necessary to ensure research meets academic and research priorities; that there are questions and issues to be addressed regarding intellectual property protections; and that there needs to be a process to allow agriculture a seat at the table in funding and research decisions. We have world-class research institutions with the UC and CSU systems and working collaboratively with our agricultural community we can address some of the key challenges and opportunities that are before us.

“Promoting Agricultural Research that Anticipates 21st Century Challenges” is a core recommendation of the California Ag Vision.  As a convener, this Board will work with CDFA and our agricultural stakeholders to further the discussion and address concerns that could hinder the ability of California agriculture to be continue its leadership in fast-changing regional, national and global markets.

Source: CDFA

2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 11th, 2013|

Handle Poultry With Care To Reduce Illness

Karen Ross on Salmonella in Poultry

We share the concerns over the recent reports of salmonella illness connected to poultry and wish to convey our empathy for the people who have contracted illness and their families.

Food safety is a primary concern of California food producers and for California government as it works with food producers to provide a wholesome, nutritious and safe food supply for all people. All of agriculture and the food-supply chain have a responsibility to protect people from food-borne illness, and I am determined to do all I can as secretary to accomplish that to the best of our ability. The key is a commitment to continual improvement. We have that in California.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH), which has jurisdiction over food recalls, has not requested Foster Farms to recall chickens because, with proper handling and preparation, CDPH says the product is safe for consumption. A key message for consumers is that they should follow safe food-handling practices with raw poultry, as it is a raw animal protein that is expected to have some level of naturally-occurring bacteria present. It is important to understand that cooking chicken fully to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill the bacteria that are present. According to Dr. Ron Chapman, director of CDPH, chicken is safe to consume as long as consumers follow that guideline and do not cross-contaminate fully cooked chicken with raw chicken juices.

The illnesses being investigated by CDPH, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA have been detected over a seven-month period. These agencies are working with Foster Farms to ensure proper manufacturing processes, and to ensure proper interventions are in place to reduce the presence of naturally-occurring bacteria. Additionally, Foster Farms is continually working to implement improved processes to reduce the presence of bacteria.

2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 10th, 2013|

Tons of Rain Needed

Fresno County Tomato Grower

Plans on Crop


By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor
Bill Diedrich a Firebaugh-based famer with farming operations in Firebaugh, Madera, and the I-5 Corridor west of Firebaugh, is planning for next year on some of his land.

Prime Westside farm land left fallow due to lack of  water.
“Right now all my almonds are in, and if you have any water, you may be putting on a post harvest irrigation. We are getting fields ready for the dormant period and hopefully tons and tons of rain,” Diedrich said.

He also farms tomatoes, pomegranates, prunes, wine grapes, cotton, walnuts and alfalfa.

Diedrich is among the few growers who will plant tomatoes next season. His tomatoes are grown in Firebaugh, in the Firebaugh Canal District with Exchange Contractor water, “so we are in good shape,” Diedrich said.

“For growers who farm tomatoes in Westlands, Panoche or San Luis Federal Water Districts, they are all in jeopardy because who will use water on tomatoes when their almonds are drying up?” he asked. “There will be very few tomatoes planted on land served by Federal Water, except in areas where growers may have decent ground water; but that’s even in jeopardy because the ground water is being so over-pumped, because of surface water cut backs due to environmental restrictions.”

“The real ecological disaster that is taking place is the one no one sees. It’s the underground aquifer that is being drained because of severe reductions in surface water. And what is really sad is that this is a true ecological disaster, instead of an invented one, regarding the smelt in the Delta. Once you lose that source base down below, which happens due to settling, it doesn’t come back.”

A large part of Dietrich’s investment is on the I-5 corridor with 600 acres of almonds, and that is all in jeopardy. “We have been lucky in securing enough surface water and have not had to use well water. If well water is used, there is definitely a salt problem.

Diedrich noted that there are some growers on the Westside who are only on Federal Water deliveries and have no wells. “These guys will be catastrophically affected if we do not get enough water delivered next season,” he said. “And it’s all so unjustified,” Diedrich noted. “Exporting the water is not the problem. It’s the predator fish and the pollution coming down the river from Sacramento.”

Diedrich is active with water management as he serves on the Board of the San Luis Water District and has served two two-year terms on the State’s Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA). Diedrich noted that he would soon step down from the ACWA Board to take a break and focus more on his business. He noted that the ACWA has a few farmers on the board, but it could certainly use more grower representation.

He noted that his 35 acres of pomegranates are just starting to be harvested. He said, while the juice market is not good, he has a deal with a packer for arils and the fresh market. “The quality is just super this year so we expect a good fresh pack out. We are not altogether sure of how much money we will make with the pomegranates; we’re just hoping that we lose less than we lost last year. So many people have taken their pomegranates out because it was definitely over done.”

“We are going to sit with them a year or two and see how this year’s pack out goes,” Diedrich said. 

2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 10th, 2013|

FOSTER FARMS MAY HAVE TO CLOSE PLANTS

USDA: Poultry Plants Must Correct Salmonella Problem

The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave Foster Farms until TODAY (72 hours) to correct problems at its California facilities that led to a salmonella outbreak in 18 states, as reported by Fresno Bee and other news sources, or the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would withdraw its inspectors. 

As poultry plants are not permitted to operate without these inspectors, the California poultry processing plants, including two in Fresno and one in Livingston, would essentially be forced to shut down.

Nearly 300 cases of salmonella have been reported, most of them in California (including five in Fresno County). 

USDA sampling in September showed that raw chicken processed by Foster Farms’ California facilities included strains of salmonella that were linked to the outbreak. But the company has not recalled any of its products. 

In the letter to Foster Farms, USDA those samples, coupled with illnesses, suggest that the sanitary conditions at the facility “could pose a serious ongoing threat to public health.” 

The outbreak, with the first illnesses reported last March, has had a high rate (42% of the victims) of hospitalizations. The federal CDC described this as about double the normal rate. This strain is resistant to many antibiotics, making it a more dangerous outbreak.
 
The letter said that Foster Farms failed to demonstrate that it has adequate controls in place to address the salmonella issue; in one of the facilities, 25% of the samples were positive for salmonella. In addition, prior to the outbreak, USDA inspectors had documented “fecal material on carcasses” along with “poor sanitary dressing practices, insanitary food contact surfaces, insanitary nonfood contact surfaces and direct product contamination.”
 
Despite other evidence they have gathered, USDA and CDC inspectors have not been able to definitively link the illnesses to a specific Foster Farms product.
 
Inspectors in Washington State found outbreak strains of salmonella in a leftover sample of raw Foster Farms chicken in an ill person’s home; however, USDA officials were not able to decipher the label on the chicken, so they could not prove which of Foster Farms’ specific products caused the illnesses.
 
The CDC said the salmonella illnesses appear to be linked to another Foster Farms outbreak last year and earlier this year, when 134 people in 13 states were sickened with one of the same strains of salmonella that has made people ill in the current outbreak.
 
Salmonella is a pathogen that contaminates meat during slaughter and processing, is especially common in raw chicken. The pathogen can be life threatening to those with weakened immune systems and causes diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever within a few days of eating a contaminated product.
 
Remarkably, these infections can be avoided with proper handling and cooking of raw poultry.
 
Consumer advocates have petitioned the USDA to declare Salmonella to be illegal, as is E. coli, but the USDA is reluctant to do so. Thus, salmonella outbreaks in poultry can take longer to discover and recalls don’t happen as quickly.
 
Given the evidence, officials said that withdrawing meat inspectors and shutting down the plant are the best regulatory measures. If USDA were to force a recall, it would likely have to go through the courts.
 
Given similar scenarios, many companies have conducted voluntary recalls. And, even though the meat hasn’t been recalled, some grocery stores are taking it off their shelves anyway.
 
USDA inspectors are considered essential government employees, so they have continued to work during the federal government shutdown. Dozens of inspectors work at the Foster Farms plant in Livingston, one of the largest in the country.

Nevertheless, the shutdown has hampered the government’s response to food safety issues. While USDA’s meat inspectors are on the job, the CDC furloughed many of its investigators. But the agency recalled many of those workers Tuesday to work on the salmonella outbreak.
 
In a statement Monday, Foster Farms said the company regretted any illnesses, was taking steps on its own to ensure food safety, and is working with the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce the incidence of salmonella at its California plants.
 
“Foster Farms has instituted a number of additional food safety practices, processes and technology throughout company facilities that have already proven effective in controlling salmonella in its Pacific Northwest operations earlier this year,” the company said.
 
Foster Farms employs about 11,000 people in chicken and turkey operations in California, the Pacific Northwest and the South. About 3,000 work at the processing plant in Livingston, and more than 1,000 work in its Fresno County facilities, including poultry processing and hatcheries.

2016-05-31T19:44:21-07:00October 10th, 2013|

Rainstorm in Kern County

Kern County Grower Talks About Harvest

With a Rain Storm in the Late Afternoon

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

TODAY,  Ed Camp a third generation farmer in Kern County was on his last day of his almond harvest. And he was feeling good about it. But was feeling any better was the rainstorm that came up at the end of the day. “It’s a reminder of what can happen and hopefully we will get a lot of rain in near future,” he said.

He noted that he was also in the middle of mechanical wine grape harvest, which mainly consists of Muscat of Alexandria, which is destined to fill the Moscato wine demand. “We have had them forever and it has been interesting to see what has happened with the Moscato craze,” said Camp, whose family has been farming the area since 1936.

He’s also in the middle of table grape harvest with  late varieties such as Red Globe and Autumn Royal.

Camp also has carrots in the ground with harvests scheduled for December, January and February and they all for the local Kern County packers. He is also about to start planting garlic for harvest next year.

He farms in several water district that bank wet year water, so he is optimistic of his water needs being met next season.

“Labor this year was noticeably tighter especially if you did not have your crews set and kept busy,” said Camp. “Trying to get back crews with any kind of a lull has been extremely difficult.”

2016-05-31T19:44:22-07:00October 10th, 2013|

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