Daily News 10/23

The central tension in the debate over universal health care stems from criticism from labor unions. The California Labor Federation launched an aggressive campaign accusing Schwarzenegger's plan of gouging the working class by requiring people to buy health insurance without enough subsidies. Business groups lashed back, warning that unions risked blowing up nearly a year's worth of work on what many in Sacramento consider potentially the most significant legislation in decades. The governor now must decide if he should raise proposed employer taxes or try to subsidize more uninsured workers. Either decision is likely to anger unions or business. Contra Costa Times 10/22/07

 

The newly opened, federally funded Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) brings together scientists from three federal labs and three academic institutions to find more effective ways to break down cellulose and convert plant matter into air-friendly fuel. The research will focus on microbes such as common yeasts and the E coli bacterium found in human intestines, as well as the role of enzymes in breaking down and converting plant fiber. SF Chronicle 10/23/07

 

A proposed dam in Auburn will likely never be built on the American River after years of controversy and dispute – and $400 million in construction and study. Work on an Auburn dam stopped in 1977, leaving an idle construction site that had derailed the river. After several years, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation finished the job and restored the river. Now with the natural river run restored, recreation will return. An architecturally designed permanent river bottom – a series of pools lined with stone embedded in concrete -- guarantees a 1,000-foot ride of rapids for kayakers and rafters. Sacramento Bee 10/23/07

 

Land conflicts surrounding the wine industry are likely to worsen as the people crush and the so-called "grape rush" show no signs of abating in the most populous U.S. state. In southern California wine vintners struggle to keep home development from encroaching on their land, while northern California wine grape growers are expanding up the slopes and into the forests, much to the dismay of environmental groups. Reuters 10/22/07

 

Writers from Canada, Europe and Asia tour some of Amerca’s most renowned wine regions on trips subsidized by the Department of Agriculture and wineries. Winemakers say their stories boost foreign sales. Lawmakers agree, and they want to increase funding in the new farm bill that senators will consider next week. The San Francisco-based Wine Institute represents most U.S. wineries. It received $4.5 million this year from the Agriculture Department’s Market Access Program. McClatchy News 10/21/07

 

Current ambiguity in organic law has caused some dispute over what conditions should be necessary to earn the title. Cows that produce milk sold as organic must be free of hormones and antibiotics and fed chemical-free organic feed. But federal rules say nothing about how much time cows should spend in the fields as opposed to feedlots, only that the cows have access to pasture. Tension has formed in Auburn over Aurora Organic Dairy’s large operations. Critics say the farm pays lip service to organic ideals but continues with factory farming trends. In August Aurora agreed to make major changes in its operations after the U.S. Department of Agriculture threatened to revoke its organic certification. Last week, a farm policy research group announced that two lawsuits against Aurora seeking class-action status for consumers in 27 states. Rocky Mountain News 10/20/07

 

A summary of the progress of important crops in the Cattle Network, including winter wheat, cotton and corn. 10/23/07