New housing development should be discouraged in the Delta region and more funding is needed to increase the state's ability to store and move water, according to an independent commission charged with creating a new vision for the troubled Delta. The committee did not outline any concrete plan on how to move water through or around the Delta, and says it plans to present more detail recommendations next year. CC Times 12/1/07
A state advisory panel called Friday for a new system of delivering water to urban users from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, but stopped short of backing an updated version of the peripheral canal proposed in 1982. The panel said any new facilities aimed at fixing delivery issues must be built in concert with measures that restore the delta's ecosystem. SF Chronicle 12/1/07
Development of by the Port of San Francisco piers has been slowed by state laws, local waterfront plans and, in some cases, neighborhood opposition. The piers have deteriorated to a state where it will cost $1.4 billion to rehabilitate them. SF Chronicle 12/3/07
A proposal to regulate indoor wood fires in the Bay Area for the first time has put the region's air pollution agency in a hot spot: balancing public health with public desire to enjoy warm, cozy fires. After months of talks and seven public workshops, air pollution board members and administrators say they will look into revising, but not dropping, the proposed rule. Wood smoke in winter accounts for as much as a third of the region's fine particle air pollution, the district estimates. CC Times 12/3/07
Hundreds of dead or injured seabirds have washed up on the shores of Monterey Bay in recent weeks, and scientists believe a red tide of marine algae is to blame. About 600 birds have been found stranded on beaches in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties since a large rust-colored algal bloom first began circulating in the bay about three weeks ago, scientists say. Fish and marine mammals do not appear to be affected. CC Times 12/1/07
The Humane Society of the United States says caged chickens suffer -- and it's gathering signatures to put a measure on the November 2008 ballot that would make California the first state to ban barns where chickens are not given adequate space. The proposal, which would take effect in 2015, would still allow California grocers to sell low-priced conventional eggs produced in other states. Critics cite that cage-free hens die at more than twice the rate of caged hens, likely the result of increased exposure to one another, and to their own manure. CC Times 12/2/07
Crab boats remained docked yesterday after the National Weather Service issued a small craft advisory for the California coast, according to a Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations spokesman. SJ Mercury 12/2/07
Organic wines are one of the hottest trends in restaurants today, according to a report last week from the National Restaurant Association. Confusing terms on labels like, “100 percent organic”, “made with organic grapes.’, “sustainable” and “biodynamic.'’ , however, have made purchasing organic wines a hassle for many customers. On top of this, organic label requires wine makers to adhere to a strict set of rules that may not always result in the best-tasting wine. NY Times 12/3/07
Big-name U.S. food companies are teaming up with cheese importers, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, New Zealand and the European Union in trying to block the expansion of dairy promotion assessments beyond the 48 contiguous United States. These assessments represent a fee waged on dairy products to pay for promotional programs and advertisement, but currently the program is not enforced. Big dairy producers like California and Wisconsin are pushing for enforcement, to stop what they call “free-loading”. AP 12/3/07
Most presidential candidates have avoided speaking in much detail about agricultural policy during campaigns this season. When farming has come up on the campaign trail, candidates have talked about ethanol — a topic that goes over well with Iowa corn growers — but most have avoided going into great detail about farm subsidies, conservation and other agriculture-related programs. In part, candidates are keeping a lid on farming rhetoric because it’s still possible that the Senate will pass its version of the measure before the end of 2007, making agriculture a moot point next year, say lobbyists and political analysts. CQ Today 12/3/07
The California Agricultural Technology Institute will host a conference, "Row-crop Farming and Climate Change: What the Future Holds," from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at the California State University, Fresno Satellite Student Union. Conference participants will examine how new climate-change legislation and air-quality requirements will affect businesses, says Joe Bezerra, director of CATI, an independent nonprofit, educational institution at Fresno State dedicated to improving California agriculture. California Farmer 11/29/07
Some experts believe the immigration dilemma could be better understood — and perhaps resolved — if more attention was paid to the economic circumstances that bring people here. According to analysts, millions of immigrant farmers are the casualties of a tide of multinational circumstance: NAFTA, the U.S. Farm Bill and a dearth of effective economic initiatives in Mexico. The combination, which allows for the consolidation of markets, has made it easier for large corporations and farm operations to expand their reach but almost impossible for small producers to survive. These subsistence farmers in turn have abandoned their land in search of better opportunities. Monterey Herald 12/2/07
From a Q&A on the 2007 Farm Bill:
Question: Does the farm bill matter if you're not a farmer?
Answer: The Food and Energy Security Act of 2007, this year's farm bill, sets the country's agriculture policy but it also has consequences for the environment, international trade, food safety, rural development and food assistance for poor families. LA Times 12/2/07
As a result of an investigative report by India-West on alleged safety and labor code violations at several Indian American-owned orchards in the Sacramento River valley ( I-W, June 1), the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board plans to launch an outreach and education effort in the Indian American agricultural labor force. According to micro-data samples from the 2000 census, there are about 2,000 Punjabi farm laborers living in Sutter and neighboring Yuba County, and most of them spend at least a few months each year working in Punjabi-owned orchards. New American Media 12/3/07
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