Agriculture Daily News June 25

Water:

 

*Better Delta protections demanded -- Five members of Congress from Northern California fired a warning shot Tuesday across the bow of a swift-moving plan that calls for a controversial aqueduct to deliver water around the Delta as its centerpiece. The letter accuses the federal regulatory agencies that must approve the plan of failing to protect Delta fisheries in the past and pointedly asks for assurances that the latest plan to save the Delta will fare better. SJ Mercury 6/25/08

 

Angry over missing water meters, Sacramento council delays vote on rate hike -- Outraged over an audit's revelations that Sacramento's Department of Utilities is plagued with oversight issues so severe that it can't account for thousands of water meters, City Council members yanked a potential water rate increase off the agenda Tuesday. Besides the $1.3 million in missing meters, Kolkin's audit revealed a host of problems, including failure to follow competitive bidding procedures, and questionable debit charges by employees. Sacramento Bee 6/25/08

 

Agriculture:

 

*Small farms grow with community support -- While many are unclear on the CSA concept, it has become big business among family-owned farms. The Chronicle found more than 20 CSAs that deliver to the Bay Area alone. Since most Northern California CSAs run year-round, farmers also can offer employees steady labor and benefits that are unheard of in California agribusiness. SF Chronicle 6/25/08

 

Nonprofit group wants farms near urban housing -- The nonprofit Soil Born Farms are growing tomatoes, kale, chard and other vegetables on 25 acres they've leased from Sacramento County . Their vision, however, is much bigger than this patch of fertile loam: they hope to sprinkle urban farms throughout Sacramento neighborhoods, providing affordable, healthy food for people right where they live.  California Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura visited in April with a delegation of agriculture officials from Mexico, Canada and the western United States. Sacramento Bee 6/25/08

 

Parks and forests:

 

*Study: California's plants threatened -- Two-thirds of California's unique plants, some 2,300 species that grow nowhere else in the world, could be wiped out across much of their current geographic ranges by the end of the century because of rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns, according to a study. Half of the plant species that are unique to the continental United States grow in the Golden State only, from redwoods to fire poppies. SJ Mercury 6/25/08

 

Grim look at state's plant life -- Scientists from UC Berkeley, Duke University and other institutions released maps Tuesday showing how 2,300 plants found only in the state might respond to the effects of global warming. SF Chronicle 6/25/08

 

Health:

 

Five California gene testing firms among 13 suspended -- Five of 13 gene testing businesses ordered two weeks ago by California health authorities to halt operations until they prove they are complying with the law are based in California, according to a list those authorities made public Tuesday. The letters from the California Department of Public Health had told the companies to stop conducting tests involving biological specimens originating from California until the companies obtained clinical laboratory licenses or registrations. SJ Mercury 6/25/08

 

Food:

 

Small bites add up to big tastes at Domo -- Japanese restaurants in the United States tend to cater to Western palates, and usually offer a little bit of everything - udon or soba for the noodle lover, sushi and sashimi, and even tempura, teriyaki or robata grilled items for those not partial to raw fish. That's not the case at Domo, a tiny new spot in Hayes Valley, which leans toward Eastern influences. It has a neighborhood feel, just a handful of high-backed wooden stools, and a menu that, while innovative and varied, focuses almost exclusively on seafood. SF Chronicle 6/25/08

 

Fork in the Road: Sea urchin is a precious, luscious California commodity -- The rocky inlets and kelp forests of California's eight Channel Islands are home to what is considered to be some of the finest uni, or sea urchin, in the world. Sea urchin used to be primarily an export product, sold at Tokyo's Tsukiji Fish Market. In 2006, 11 million pounds of sea urchins were harvested in the United States, 8.5 million of which were brought into port in Santa Barbara and Ventura, making Central California the nation's leading source of uni. Here in the Bay Area, you can find or order uni at serious fish markets such as Berkeley Bowl, Tokyo Fish Market in Albany and Monterey Fish Market in Berkeley. Inside Bay Area 6/25/08