Ag:
Bee prospects generating buzz -- Colony Collapse Disorder, killer of billions of honeybees, isn't likely to affect U.S. crops this year, the American Beekeeping Federation says, pointing to a forecast for a record almond harvest in California. Production of almonds, the ninth-largest U.S. crop by value and the crop that uses the most honeybees for pollination, may reach 662 million kilograms, according to a survey of growers released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That would be the most ever and 5.8 per cent more than last year. Calgary Herald 5/8/08
*California crop report -- Barley, oats, wheat, and winter forage harvests continued with some fields drying down across California, according to the USDA/NASS California office. Dryland grain, wheat, and winter forage is being cut for silage and hay. Alfalfa second cutting and baling was underway. Corn planting continued and cotton planting was nearly complete. Rice field preparation and planting continued. Western Farm Press 5/7/08
Trader Joe's won't carry Gemperle eggs -- Trader Joe's said Thursday that it will stop carrying eggs from a Central California farm where an animal rights group shot undercover video showing chickens being mistreated by workers. SF Chronicle 5/9/08
Moth spraying:
Pacifica joins moth spraying opposition -- Pacifica became the latest city last week to take a stand against the aerial spraying of pheromones to control the light brown apple moth amid continuing scientific debate about the safety and effectiveness of the plan. Last week, prompted by worried residents, the Pacifica City Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the use of pheromones to disrupt the mating patterns of the moth, unless the California Department of Food and Agriculture can show the public the spraying is safe for humans, animals and the environment. CC Times 5/6/08
Moth find quarantines Valley -- The California Department of Food and Agriculture announced Monday that 15 square miles of Sonoma Valley along Arnold Drive between Leveroni Road to the south and Madrone Road to the north is under state quarantine after a second light brown apple moth was discovered in the area on April 20. Sonoma News 5/8/08
Health:
*Central Valley residents poorer and sicker than state average, report says -- Central Valley residents lack doctors and other medical specialists, are more likely to die of diabetes and heart attacks, and face diminished well-being because of poverty, according to a sweeping report released Thursday. Researchers assessed more than two dozen health care indicators and compared the indicators with the state average. The findings were published in "The State of the Great Central Valley: Public Health and Access to Care." Sacramento Bee 5/9/08
Cell phones as doctors' tools -- UC Berkeley bioengineer Boris Rubinsky has devised a way to make medical imaging, such as ultrasound, cheap and easy for these remote populations using one of the world's most ubiquitous gadgets: the cell phone. Rubinsky's team built a simple power supply hooked up to 16 electrodes that create a current in the area of the patient that needs to be imaged, and an additional 16 that record the voltage. CC Times 5/8/08
Salmon:
*Salmon Gone, Fishermen Try to Adapt on a Changing Coast -- With the shutdown this year, a slow year in 2007 and the partial closing in 2006, salmon fishermen in Oregon and California are facing the third straight year of trying to find other ways to make a living in the summer. Some have gotten out of fishing altogether, while others have tried to stretch out the winter crab season or go after typically less reliable and profitable black cod or tuna. While recreational fishing has held relatively steady, the number of commercial salmon boats bringing in significant catches has shrunk. NY Times 5/9/08
Farm bill:
Bush set to veto $300 billion farm bill -- Administration officials have dashed hopes among farm-state lawmakers from both parties that President Bush will sign a nearly $300 billion farm bill that they finished Thursday. The veto warning sets up an effort by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, joined by many farm-state Republicans, to override a veto and defend government payments to farmers earning record incomes even as food prices soar. SF Chronicle 5/9/08
Ag bill could help farmers markets in California -- Farmers markets in cities like Davis could flourish with funding in a new farm bill that's become a mixed bag for California. Other goodies include new pumps and engines that Central Valley growers could buy with federal funds dedicated to improving air quality. And University of California researchers could conduct more organic agriculture studies. Valley students would be served more fruit and vegetable snacks. Sacramento Bee 5/7/08
A look at the details of the farm bill -- f it survives a threatened presidential veto, the bill is estimated to cost $286 billion over five years and roughly $600 billion over 10 years. Over the next decade, 73 percent of the funds will go for food stamp and nutrition programs. Trading Markets 5/8/08
Water:
*Water recycling bill signed into law -- In a move that could save Antioch and Pittsburg millions of dollars, President Bush signed a bill Thursday authorizing federal support for Bay Area cities pursuing the development of new water sources. Under the new law, local water and wastewater agencies will be able to work jointly with the federal government to construct pipelines, treatment facilities and other infrastructure to develop and expand the use of recycled water in the Bay Area. CC Times 5/8/08
*State Senate votes to eliminate entity overseeing delta repair -- The state Senate voted Thursday to end California's participation in a joint authority created eight years ago to rescue the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta from collapse and resolve persistent water disputes. The bill, which goes to the Assembly, would disband the California Bay-Delta Authority. The entity includes representatives from six state and six federal agencies and had been charged with implementing the California-Federal Bay-Delta Program to repair the delta. SF Chronicle 5/9/08
Big MTBE settlement to benefit California -- Chevron Corp. and other big oil companies have agreed to pay $422 million to settle a major lawsuit over the gasoline additive MTBE, and much of the money will go to plaintiffs in California. The oil companies will pay roughly $78 million to a group of California city governments and water companies that claimed that the chemical had contaminated their wells, or could do so in the future. Among those receiving money are a water company based in San Jose, several water districts in the Sacramento area and the city of Riverside. SF Chronicle 5/9/08
Bio-fuels:
Vegetable oil fuels cars -- and tax bills -- Dave Eck, a Half Moon Bay mechanic, had attracted a media spotlight with his fleet of vehicles fueled by used fryer grease from a local chowder house. So when Sacramento called, he figured officials wanted advice on promoting alternative fuels. Not at all. The government rang to notify Eck that he was a tax cheat. He was scolded for failing to get a "diesel fuel supplier's license," reporting quarterly how many gallons of grease he burns, and paying a tax on each gallon. LA Times 5/6/08
Food:
Campbell Soup expands in Dixon -- Campbell Soup Co. will expand its tomato processing facility in Dixon and use more locally-grown produce, the company reported Thursday. The $23 million expansion will increase the plant only 2,400 square feet but boost production by 15 percent with new infrastructure and equipment used to process nine other vegetables for its beverages, soups and sauces, said Stephen Pierce, Solano County spokesman. Inside Bay Area 5/8/08
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