SANTA CLEARED FOR TRAVEL JUST IN TIME

Santa Gains All Permits for Travel, California is First Stop
Dr. Peter Merrill, APHIS Director of Animal Imports posted BREAKING NEWS out of Washington DC TODAY that the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a movement permit to Mr. S. Claus of the North Pole, a broker with Worldwide Gifts, Unlimited. 
The permit will allow Santa and his reindeer to enter and exit the United States between the hours of 6 PM December 24, 2013 and 6 AM December 25, 2013, through or over any northern border port.
In a fireside interview, Santa told California Ag Today that after entering from the north, his itinerary will commence in California’s Central Valley, where he can stock up on his favorite snacks: tree nuts and kale. Santa will bring some citrus back to the elves.
 

Santa – Across the Field in the Distance

“During this season of giving, USDA wants to do everything in its power to help Santa,” said Dr. John R. Clifford, USDA’s Chief Veterinary Officer. USDA has agreed to waive normal application fees and entry inspection/sniffing dogs/overtime costs/permits/baggage fees/passportcertification/visiting visa and foreign currency exchange, provided he winks his eye and wishes port personnel a Merry Christmas at the time of crossing.
APHIS also waived the normally applicable disease testing requirements, as the North Pole is recognized by APHIS as a negligible risk for all livestock diseases; at a recent inspection, the reindeer were found to be healthy and able to prance and paw with each hoof.
As a condition of entry, Santa Claus must certify the reindeer as never having been fed anything other than hay, sugarplums, and gingerbread. The reindeer must also be individually identified with microchips or official ear tag identification, and must respond to the names ‘Dasher’, ‘Dancer’, ‘Prancer’, ‘Vixen’, ‘Comet’, ‘Cupid’, ‘Donner,’  ‘Blitzen’ and ‘Rudolph’ when interacting with port personnel. 
No more than one reindeer in the group may be visibly affected by ‘Rednose Syndrome’, and upon entry, port personnel will visually inspect the reindeer to ensure they are healthy and fit for continued travel.
They will arrive pulling a wooden sleigh that has jingling bells attached and is filled with brightly wrapped gifts. Port personnel will clean and disinfect the runners and underside of the sleigh at the time of entry.
The Division of Motor Vehicles has already provided Santa with registration plates for the sleigh. Santa renewed his drivers’ license just in time for the journey.
“With these steps completed, the reindeer will continue their journey across the country and around the world, spreading holiday cheer as they go,” said Clifford.
APHIS regulates the movement of cervids, noted by their antlers, including reindeer, to protect the health of America’s livestock population. The permitting process provides assurance that only healthy animals enter the United States.

California Ag Today wishes everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, a good 2014 crop and a deluge of rain.

2016-05-31T19:42:25-07:00December 24th, 2013|

SNAP BENEFITS THOSE IN NEED

Data Show SNAP Supports Work
TODAY,Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, circulated the following OpEd posted TODAY by Huffington Post:

Everywhere I go, I hear stories of seniors, veterans, and the working poor who use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This includes returned servicemen and women who spent holidays away from their families, missing major milestones while abroad in service to their country; previous generations who have worked hard to build our American infrastructure brick by brick; and even people working in the service industry across the nation.

SNAP serves 900,000 veterans and nearly 3.8 million elderly adults each and every month. While 60 percent of SNAP recipients are not required to work, either because they are children, elderly, or disabled, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), the vast majority of adults who are able and expected to work, want to work and do so.

These people all serve their country and its citizens in some capacity. They work hard to keep us safe and secure, to build a strong, sustainable economy, to put food on the table for their families. America is a better country for their service.

Historically, about 80% of the funds authorized by the Farm Bill go to the SNAP food stamp and other nutrition assurance program. About 15% of the funds are designated for farm commodity subsidies and crop insurance, with the rest going to food safety, conservation, rural development, renewable energy and other farm programs.
The 2013 Farm Bill may not contain funding for the SNAP program. Congress has been deliberating over passage of the Farm Bill with and without SNAP funding and passage of a stand-alone SNAP funding bill later in 2013, possibly with billions in SNAP cuts.


According to the CBPP’s report, The Relationship Between SNAP and Work Among Low-Income Households (January 2013), SNAP’s primary purpose is to increase the food purchasing power of eligible low-income households in order to improve their nutrition and alleviate hunger and malnutrition.


The program’s success in meeting this core goal has been well documented. Less well understood is the fact that the program has become quite effective in supporting work and that its performance in this area has improved substantially in recent years.

The data also indicate that SNAP receipt does not create work disincentives. The overwhelming majority of non-disabled, working-age households that start receiving SNAP do not stop working. In the mid-2000s, only 4 percent of SNAP households that worked in the year before starting to receive SNAP did not work in the following year.

SNAP’s success in supporting work is not an accident. Through its basic structure and program rules, SNAP is designed to support work. It helps working households with low-incomes afford adequate nutrition during economic downturns. In addition, its performance in serving working families has improved in recent years, even during the recent deep recession and lagging economic recovery. Efforts at the federal, state, and local level to strengthen SNAP for working families have produced results.

Nonetheless, further improvements could be made. Despite hitting record high participation rates among eligible working households, one in three SNAP-eligible households with earnings fails to receive the help that is available in purchasing groceries. In addition, as the economy improves, states will be required to reinstate the program’s severe three-month time limit for unemployed childless adults — and most states will do so without producing an adequate number of work program slots for these adults — weakening the program’s ability to reach all otherwise eligible low- income households who are willing to work.

Sources:

–Colleen Callahan,Senior Writer and Communication Specialist, Feeding America, Huffington Post

-The Relationship Between SNAP and Work Among Low-Income Households, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

-http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/About-The-Farm-Bill.htm

Feeding Americais the nation’s fourth largest charity, according to Forbes Magazine.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a non-partisan research and policy institute, which works at the federal and state levels on fiscal policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and individuals.

2016-05-31T19:42:25-07:00December 24th, 2013|

PASSING THE HOE: Farmer Training

Beginning Farmer-Training Program Accepting 2014 Students

 

The Center for Land-Based Learning, dedicated to creating the next generation of farmers and teaching California’s youth about the importance of agriculture and watershed conservation, is getting ready for it’s third California Farm Academy class beginning in February 2014. The Farm Academy still has a few spots available.

 
The California Farm Academy, a one-of-a-kind beginning farmer-training program, was established to inspire and motivate people of all ages, especially youth, to promote a healthy interplay between agriculture, nature and society through their own actions and as leaders in their communities.

Admission requirements include:

  • A strong desire to become a specialty crop farmer
  • A commitment to participate in 7-10 hours of training per week, and
  • Transportation to attend classes near Winters, CA and at other nearby locations.
  • Some previous experience with farming is preferred. Classes and activities are conducted in English.

 

The program provides approximately 270 contact hours from Feb. 11th to Sep. 13th, 2014, including classes, hands-on experience, one-on-one consultations, farm visits and field trips. Printed curriculum materials are provided, as are the necessary machinery, tools and supplies for the activities. Partial tuition assistance may be available for admitted applicants who demonstrate financial need.
 
Another CLBL program, FARMS (Farming, Agriculture, and Resource Management for Sustainability) Leadership Program, provides innovative, hands-on experiences to urban, suburban and rural youth at working farms, agri-businesses and universities. Participants develop leadership skills and learn about agriculture practices that contribute to a healthier ecosystem, and connect to agricultural, environmental, and food system careers.
 
CLBL envisions a world where there is meaningful appreciation and respect for our natural environment and for the land that produces our food and sustains our quality of life. CLBL Founder, Craig McNamara was awarded the 2012 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. He is also President, California State Board of Food and Agriculture.
2016-10-24T15:28:53-07:00December 23rd, 2013|

WAPA Comments FSMA Rule Change

Statement from FDA on Proposed FSMA Rules:  
Allowing Comment on Revised Rules

In a statement released Friday, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledges that the provisions they had made to the Food Safety Modernization Act rules on produce safety and preventive controls for human food as proposed would not adequately meet their goals of improving public health and had the potential to negatively impact producers with unnecessary burdens.

The FDA statement acknowledges the magnitude of the rules and the necessity of practicality for them to not only protect public health, however be flexible enough to account for the great diversity in agriculture products.

In recognizing this, FDA plans to release revised rule language and allow public comment to “[get] these rules right”. FDA will release their proposed rule language by early summer of 2014 and will only take comment on sections of the rule that have been revised.

Western Agricultural Processors Association (WAPA) will continue to track the issue, collaborate with FDA on these rules and continue to push for an effective and practical approach that is both health protective and practical for producers.

2016-05-31T19:42:26-07:00December 23rd, 2013|

Funding Needed for Sacramento Screening

Please Help Fund The Fight For Water Film,

A Farm Worker Struggle

The award winning Fight For Water Film a Farm Worker Struggle has been gaining popularity with many screenings throughout the state. It documents the pain felt by farmers and their workers throughout 2009 and 2010 when water deliveries were severely cut in Federal Water Districts

But writer producer and director of the film, Juan Carlos Oseguera needs help from sponsors from the business community, anyone to get this movie shown at an important venue—Sacramento—where lawmakers have a chance to see it in late February. He needs  $2,000 to make it happen.

Oseguera notes that he is looking for four individual who can put up $500 each to insure this film can be shown in Sacramento.

If you can help call Juan Carlos Oseguera at (209) 675-2988—that’s (209) 675-2988.

Oseguera also notes that the Galaxy Cinemas throughout California has an interest to show the movie. But in order for that to happen Osequera must have the film professionally converted in order to show it in mainstream theaters. That takes funding too.

Again, if you can help with the screenings on The Fight for Water Film, Call 209 675-2988

2016-05-31T19:42:26-07:00December 21st, 2013|

Valley’s Gold Shines Bright

Valley’s Gold Season One

Available for Purchase!

    Ryan Jacobsen, the host of Valley’s Gold visits with Jon and Connie Reelhorn,

     of Belmont Nurseries in Fresno. They are a local poinsettia growers.
ValleyPBS and Fresno County Farm Bureau partnered to develop Valley’s Gold, a much-needed weekly series that presents a behind-the-scenes look at Agriculture, the economic engine that drives the central San Joaquin Valley region.

The half-hour show airs on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and rebroadcasts each weekend— Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. only on Valley PBS.

Season one will be available for purchase until February 2014 by calling the PBS membership hotline at (800) 579-4828 or online at

Additionally, previously aired episodes, more information and featured recipes are available online at www.valleysgold.org.

Thanks Valley’s Gold for showcasing Fresno County Agriculture! Fresno County Farm Bureau President Ryan Jacobsen is the host of Valley’s Gold. He does a splendid job!

2016-05-31T19:42:26-07:00December 21st, 2013|

Helping Farmers Improve Life in Soils

Water Right Technologies Supports

Agriculture’s Fight to Feed Families

Water Right Technologies (www.wrtag.com), of Escalon, Calif., acknowledges the critical role farmers play in feeding families and building a stronger country.  Agriculture must compete with rising input costs and less than ideal environmental conditions to meet steadily rising demands for healthy, nutrient dense crops. 

World population will increase from seven to an estimated nine billion people by 2050 and farmers will need to more than double food production to match new demand. Based on decades of experience in agriculture, WRT recognizes farmers’ struggles and can help agribusiness overcome obstacles to ensure productive, sustainable growth and bountiful harvests in the future.

Water Right Technologies understands that the key to improving a farmer’s soil lies in a multi-faceted program that scientifically assesses each farms unique inputs and environmental conditions, including irrigation water, soil composition, minerals, climate and geographic location. Water Right is committed to providing growers with customized, sustainable regimens to maintain crops and improve life in their soils.  

WRT would like to help all farmers, large agribusiness and small family farms alike, reduce agriculture’s harmful impact on the environment and boost yields to satisfy steadily rising demands for healthy, nutrient dense crops.  Contact Water Right Technologies to establish a program that ensures more vigorous plant growth and larger harvests next growing season.

2016-05-31T19:42:26-07:00December 20th, 2013|

Filmmaker Needs Help to Get More Screenings

Fight for Water Film Seeks Sponsors

For Screenings. Please Help if Possible

Juan Carlos Oseguera Need Help for Film Screenings
The award winning The Fight for Water Film, a Farm Worker Struggle, is seeking any sponsors that could help get a screening of the film in Sacramento.

According to filmmaker and director Juan Carlos Oseguera, an independent theater in Sacramento will screen the film but the theater requires a $2,000 fee. The screening would be FREE for the community and set for a late February.  “Four sponsors, at $500 each, would help cover the costs,” said Osequera. “I’m looking for businesses and organizations in Sacramento who would be interested in sponsoring.”

Oseguera also said that Galaxy Cinemas in California is offering a theatrical run in all their cinemas, but for that to happen, Oseguera must put up $15,000. He is looking for an angel folks. Please do what you can.

Go to the link below for more information and to make a donation.

Thank you!

2016-05-31T19:42:26-07:00December 20th, 2013|

GOVERNOR CONVENES DROUGHT TASK FORCE

Task Force to Expedite Drought Preparedness
Association of California Water Agencies (CDWA) announced TODAY that Gov. Jerry Brown has directed state officials to begin meeting weekly to assess whether a drought declaration is needed.

Governor Jerry Brown


Department of Water Resources (DWR) Director Mark Cowin, State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus, California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, and Office of Emergency Services Director Mark Ghilarducci were instructed to immediately convene an interagency Drought Task Force, in a Dec. 17 letter addressed to those officials.

 “We must do everything we can to address the impacts of water shortages and move water from where it is available to where it is needed,” Brown wrote.

DWR Director Mark Cowin

The governor mentioned actions such as a clearinghouse for water shortage information, regional assessments, infrastructure improvements and trucking water. Last spring Brown directed state agencies to cut red tape for voluntary water transfers.

The impetuses for the task force, Brown said, are this year’s record-dry conditions and the unusually low 5% initial water allocation of requested deliveries projected from the State Water Project.

 “The federal government likely will soon follow suit,” Brown wrote, referring to the Central Valley Project.

The California DWR subsequently appointed two experienced managers to review water allocations and the state’s preparedness for what could be a third consecutive dry year in 2014, as well as coordinate with federal and local agencies.

DWR Director Mark Cowin has appointed Bill Croyle to lead the effort as department drought manager. Croyle has 30 years of experience in water operations, including seven years as DWR’s flood operations chief and 23 years with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Cowin tapped Jeanine Jones as deputy drought manager. Also a 30-year veteran of DWR, Jones has directed the department’s statewide planning program and worked on climate change adaptation programs as DWR’s interstate resources manager.

Cowin said the goal of the drought preparedness effort is to mitigate harm to Californians and the state’s economy, particularly farmers who must operate with markedly less water than needed for crops and those who rely on groundwater. Especially vulnerable to dry conditions will be farmers –and the farm communities that depend on agricultural jobs — on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.

DWR will also be watching for drinking water impacts in small rural communities whose fractured rock groundwater sources will be stressed by a third dry year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared California a drought disaster area in September.

As Background, CDFA and CWC held a joint meeting concerning the state’s water supply back on September 10th in Sacramento.

On December 9, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Jim Costa (D-16) sent a joint letter to Gov. Jerry Brown asking him to declare a statewide drought emergency that would activate the state’s emergency plan and permit some relaxation of state regulations concerning water.

California members of the U.S. Congress and California State Legislature issued a letter to President Obama and Governor Brown On December. They urged immediate use of executive authority to mitigate the catastrophic effects of another natural drought exacerbated by environmental regulations to avoid jeopardizing our state’s trillion-dollar economy, to develop and implement comprehensive water plans that include additional storage and water rights, and to allocate any unanticipated water supplies to California’s families and farms and not to the Pacific. 

“It’s still early in the water year,” Cowin said in a statement Tuesday. “The January and February snow surveys will allow us to evaluate water conditions on a statewide basis. As we monitor water conditions, we will consider actions to be included in a potential governor’s drought proclamation.”

DWR and the Brown administration are working on an array of issues related to the ongoing dry conditions. In response to Brown’s direction last spring for DWR to take action to streamline water transfers, Cowin said the department is bringing in more expertise to work on the issue.

DWR also is working with the Bureau of Reclamation and the federal and state wildlife agencies to improve Delta operations in 2014 to improve water delivery.

“Voluntary water transfers will be key to DWR’s drought response, as they hold the potential to alleviate critical shortages,” Cowin said. “We are making arrangements to bring additional resources with expertise in water transfers to advise the Drought Management Team to assure that the 2014 water transfers approval process is administered efficiently.”

DWR has released a schedule and process for streamlining water transfers in 2014, as directed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s May 20 executive order. “We will continue to work with voluntary buyers, sellers, the State Water Resources Control Board and the Bureau of Reclamation to ensure an efficient process,” Cowin said.

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Rosscomplimented DWR on its efforts to respond quickly. “While 2014 water allocations are not finalized until spring, farmers and ranchers make key decisions in January and February,” said Secretary Ross. “By acting now to streamline water transfers and provide clarity, the administration is helping our agricultural communities prepare for the coming water year.”

The department also is hosting workshops to prepare communities for dry conditions. The State Water Resources Control Board will discuss potential future actions related to drought at a Jan. 7 California State Board of Food and Agriculture meeting.

Sources: Matt Williams, ACWA: Water News

2016-05-31T19:42:26-07:00December 20th, 2013|

EPA FINES FOR PESTICIDE VIOLATIONS IN CALIF.

EPA Fines Ag Products Companies $74,880 For Pesticide Violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency TODAY announced settlements with two companies selling agricultural chemicals in California and Arizona over improper storage and containment of federally regulated pesticides.

San Francisco, Calif.-based agricultural products company Wilbur-Ellis must pay $62,080 in civil penalties and, separately, Collierville, Tenn.-based agricultural products company Helena Chemical must pay $12,800 in civil penalties. Both companies had multiple violations under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which regulates the distribution, sale and use of pesticides in the U.S.

“Failing to meet standards for properly managing pesticides puts workers and the environment at risk,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Regulated facilities must ensure that protection of our health and environment is a top priority.”

The violations were found during April 2011, January 2012, and January 2013 inspections conducted by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the Arizona Department of Agriculture, and have since been corrected.

Wilbur-Ellis facilities in Glenn, Calif., Hughson, Calif., and Buckeye, Ariz. had unsealed cracks in the floors and/or walls of the facilities’ pesticide containment areas, and, in addition, the Glenn facility was found to have an undersized containment area. The company’s Glenn and Hughson facilities were found to have improper safeguards for pesticide equipment, such as hoses and valves, which increases the risk of a pesticide release to the environment. Additionally, the Hughson facility was improperly using an external site gauge to monitor levels of liquid pesticide in a storage tank, a violation that increases the risk of a pesticide release. Further, Wilbur-Ellis was also cited for inadequate tank labeling, recordkeeping, and inspection documentation.

Helena Chemical’s Hanford, Calif. pesticide repackaging facility was found to have an inadequate containment area for potential pesticide spills that may occur during offloading of pesticides from trucks, and inadequate safeguards for pesticide equipment, which increase the risk of a pesticide release to the environment.

In total, Helena Chemical and Wilbur-Ellis operate hundreds of pesticide facilities nationwide.

For more information on EPA’s pesticide container/containment regulations, that include the requirements at issue in these cases, visit: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/containers.htm

2016-05-31T19:42:26-07:00December 19th, 2013|

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