The chief executive officer of Costco Wholesale Corp said on Tuesday that the warehouse club operator has seen some unusual demand in certain of its stores for items like rice and flour. James Sinegal, Costco's chief executive officer, told Reuters in an interview that the retailer had seen the increased demand in the past week and a half, and some of its stores, including certain locations in California's Bay Area, had put limits on the sales of these items. Reuters 4/22/08
A new report says California farmers are planting more crops that offer higher returns and require less irrigation to cope with water shortages this year. Officials with the Westlands Water District, a coalition of giant farms in the San Joaquin Valley, say their members have let one-third of their land go fallow this year because of the water cutbacks. The report by the federal government says farmers are planting almost 50 percent fewer acres of Upland cotton, while winter wheat acreage is up 20 percent and barley is up 53 percent. Contra Costa Times 4/21/08
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A San Joaquin Valley lawmaker wants to ease restrictions on water supplies by boosting the number of endangered fish raised in hatcheries. State Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, introduced his bill to do that in response to a court ruling last year that cut the amount of water available for pumping out of the Delta by as much as one-third to protect Delta smelt. His idea is to raise enough fish to remove Delta smelt from the list of threatened and endangered species, which would eliminate the endangered species law mandate to protect the fish from Delta pumps. CC Times 4/22/08
Sens. Dean Florez and Darrell Steinberg say those cuts might not be needed if the Department of Fish and Game can boost the fish's numbers by breeding it in its habitat. SJ Mercury 4/22/08
The Delta Smelt Preservation and Restoration Act with the primary goal of building at least one hatchery by 2011 to breed the fish. LA Times Blog 4/22/08
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A long, steady rise in life expectancy in the United States apparently isn't being shared by everyone, and hasn't been for years, according to a new study. California, by and large, fared well in the national analysis. In nearly all counties in the state, the life expectancy for men and women increased during the 40-year period. The concentration of counties in the southern and eastern portions of the country with less-favorable trends tend to be lower-income areas that also have a higher concentration of obesity and tobacco-related illnesses. SF Chronicle 4/22/08
Bon Appétit Management Co. rolled out its new Low Carbon Diet in 400 cafes it runs at university and corporate campuses around the country. A sign at one California university read, "Cows or cars? Worldwide, livestock emits 18% of greenhouse gases, more than the transportation sector!” The country's major food service companies are talking about energy efficiency, waste reduction and, now, how to reduce carbon emissions associated with the food they serve. LA Times 4/22/08
This year, for the third time in a row, President Bush has not included the Commodity Supplemental Food Program in his budget. The administration says the program, which provides funding for agencies like the Food Bank, is "duplicative" because the seniors could use food stamps instead. In California (and some other states), those seniors who get SSI (Supplemental Security Income) cannot receive food stamps. SF Chronicle 4/22/08
Sacramento Valley farmers are calculating the damage from unusually cold spring weather that destroyed some crops in the bud. Sutter County Agriculture Commissioner Mark Quisenberry says farmers are reporting losses in walnuts, canning tomatoes, peaches, pears and prunes. The county's prune crop, California's largest, was hit hardest. SJ Mercury 4/22/08
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, the wine regulatory arm of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is mulling regulations that could force all makers of alcoholic beverages to list serving sizes, alcohol content, calories, carbohydrates, fat, protein and potential allergens on the label. The Wine Institute, the lobbying arm of the California wine industry, says it will be hard to comply with the regulations. The group also notes that fitting all the required information on existing labels would be difficult and might require an expensive shift to other kinds of bottles. Connecticut Post 4/22/08
Coinciding with the launch of mosquito season, the California State Legislature declared the week of April 21 to April 25, 2008 West Nile Virus and Mosquito and Vector Control Awareness Week in California. PR News Wire 4/21/08
Twist Tie Treatments Scheduled to Combat Light Brown Apple Moth Infestation in Santa Barbara County View this CDFA Press Release 4/21/08
IRWM Grant Program Workshops: The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has scheduled three workshops to inform interested stakeholders about the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program as funded by Propositions 84 and 1E. Press Release 4/18/08
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