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Posts Tagged ‘california’
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012
Signaling a further retreat by the Obama administration, the U.S. Attorney in California’s Central Valley warned farmers and landowners that their property could be confiscated if they grow marijuana.
Early in his administration, President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder indicated a reluctance to prosecute medical marijuana growers. While still banned under federal law, many states have passed legislation legalizing its production and sale for medical purposes. California is one of those states and its medical marijuana industry grew rapidly in the wake of the administration’s lax enforcement.
However, federal officials believe that recreational marijuana producers are operating within the gray area created by the medical marijuana laws. In order to prevent large-scale narcotics trafficking, the Obama administration has begun cracking down on pot farms and has put pressure on banks to refuse to do business with pot dispensaries.
The head of the Fresno Farm Bureau welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Attorney, arguing that pot farms are a danger to the farming community. According to the Fresno Farm Bureau, absentee landowners operate the farms. “It looks like it’s mostly outsiders. It’s not most of the mainstream farmers and ranchers who have been there for generations,” the Farm Bureau chief said. “A lot of this is not necessarily being grown for California medicinal marijuana use. A lot of it’s being exported to other states.”
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: Barack Obama, california, Eric Holder, medical marijuana
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Sunday, February 26th, 2012
A California plan to encourage water conservation by installing water meters in individual farms is still under consideration, state lawmakers and environmental activists say.
As the largest state in the country and one of the United States’ largest agricultural producers, water policy in California is of vital interest to its citizens. In addition, California’s location in the increasingly arid Southwest makes water conservation critically important.
Over the last several years, Californians have fought over access to valuable water rights. In addition to struggling to find access to enough water to meet municipal and agricultural needs, Californians have been careful to avoid any major environmental changes that could critically damage the local ecosystem.
One successful way to encourage water conservation, lawmakers found, was to install water meters and charge residents based on their individual consumption. Officials say that metering has successfully reduced water consumption in urban areas. Lawmakers had hoped to expand these conservation efforts to the agricultural population. Under the far-reaching Water Conservation Act of 2009, the Department of Water Resources mandated that agricultural water suppliers use pricing structures similar to metered customer use.
While there are still some major kinks to work out of the system (currently there is debate over whether to install at the gate water meters, which would track individual consumption on individual farms, or rely on single meter system that could be placed upstream from several farms), the passing and interpretation of the law represents a major change for California agriculture.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, drought, environmentalism, water regulation
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Sunday, January 8th, 2012
Last fall, in the deadliest American food-borne illness outbreak since the 1920s, listeria tainted cantaloupes grown in Colorado killed 30 people and sickened nearly 150 across over 28 states. While Colorado cantaloupe growers are planning a large-scale food safety program, the larger impact of the listeria crisis is still being felt across the country.
In California’s Central Valley, cantaloupe producers are still struggling months after the outbreak, despite the fact that all the tainted melons were grown on farms 1,300 miles away.
The sudden drop in consumer demand has hit these farmers hard. In the Central Valley, which produces 90 percent of the United States’ summer cantaloupe crop, farm workers on cantaloupe farms were let go and crops were left to rot in the field. Cantaloupe growers across California are still reducing their acreage and looking for alternative crops to plant until the public outcry dies down.
The chair of the California Cantaloupe Advisory Board acknowledged the arbitrariness of public fears, stating, “People shouldn’t have to fear their food. But the irony is that California shipped more cantaloupe in a day than Colorado in their whole season. Millions and millions of cantaloupe, healthy and fine.”
Similar hurdles are appearing in other states as well. With farmers struggling to think of ways to combat misguided public opinion, the solution coming out of California, Colorado, and other cantaloupe producing states is a strict set of production guidelines maximizing health and sanitation standards.
Establishing tough best practice guidelines will help restore consumer confidence in a tarnished industry and will hopefully help farmers across the country continue to serve their local communities.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, cantaloupe, listeria
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Sunday, November 27th, 2011
In the wake of a series of food recalls, most recently a Colorado cantaloupe recall, some agricultural officials are rethinking food safety regulations. While the most immediate beneficiary of a stricter regulatory processes are consumers, the health and safety of the agricultural industry as a whole is also a major factor driving tougher standards.
The damage done to farmers’ reputations may not be as tangible as the illnesses and deaths caused by tainted food, but it can cause significant and lasting damage to growers.
In the Salinas Valley of California, for example, the leafy greens industry is still struggling to recover from a 2006 E. coli outbreak. The outbreak of E. coli in Salinas spinach killed three people, sickened 206, and dominated national news for months.
While farmers reacted swiftly, retooling growing, planting, and packaging guidelines and creating an industry pact on strategies to protect various leafy greens grown in the state, a pact that is being hailed nationwide, they are still suffering from the damage done to their reputations.
Food and retail chains, for example, are much stricter about the quality of the product they buy. Some food chains even send unannounced inspectors to Salinas farms in order to guarantee that quality control measures are being followed. This increased public scrutiny has had an effect. Spinach production in Monterrey County, for example, has decreased by about $62 million.
Some Colorado cantaloupe farmers are hoping to imitate some of the Salinas safety regulations. Many ag officials there have suggested creating new industry guidelines and have proposed toughening up the inspection process. However, many cantaloupe farmers have suspended their melon planting, hoping to shift to other crops until the worst of the public furor has died down.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, cantaloupe, colorado, e. coli
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Sunday, November 20th, 2011
A Woodlake, California garden has been credited with keeping local youth out of gangs and out of trouble. The 14 acre garden was started by Manuel Jimenez, who wanted to find a way to help the crime ravaged town of Woodlake. Out of Woodlake’s 7,280 people, over forty percent of its families live in poverty. This poverty has led to increased crime, particularly a serious gang problem.
According to Jimenez, “We want to grow kids in our gardens, because we’ve seen what violence, drugs and alcohol can do.”
The farm, which has hundreds of young volunteers from the community, teaches children important work habits and agricultural skills that can be translated to school and careers. Children plant flowers, fruit, and vegetables in vacant lots, exploiting local urban agriculture ordinances.
By working on the gardens, local residents say, children have less time to walk the streets and less time to get involved in criminal activity. In addition, the Jimenezes serve as surrogate parents, advising volunteers on career choices and encouraging them to pursue higher education. Local police have credited the community garden with the recent drop in crime in Woodlake.
In addition to benefiting local youth, the garden has become a community gathering place. Produce is left on trees for local residents to pick and the hundreds of plants and flowers serve as a major attraction for locals and residents in the surrounding area.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, urban agriculture
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Sunday, October 30th, 2011
California agricultural and environmental groups are worried that the upcoming Farm Bill might come at the expense of California farmers. The past month has seen rumors abound about the 2012 farm Bill. In particular, the announcement by the congressional supercommittee of impending agricultural budget cuts to the tune of $23 billion has many farmers worried.
Of major concern are rumors that deliberations for the 2012 Farm Bill may begin as early as this week and may proceed behind closed doors. This is troubling for an agricultural state like California, which currently produces about 12 percent of the USA’s total agricultural revenue, but only receives about 5 percent of federal farm spending.
One of the major bones of contention regarding the Farm Bill are fears that the bulk of federal spending will go towards staple crops like corn, wheat, and soybeans, rather than the more specialized fruits, vegetables, and nuts that dominate much of the California agricultural industry.
To this end, various state environmental, agricultural, and health organization have sent petitions with more than 16,000 signatures to California’s congressional delegation and to Governor Jerry Brown to ensure that California gets enough funding to continue vital conservation, research, and nutritional programs.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: agricultural spending, california, farm bill
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Sunday, October 30th, 2011
A water deal signed between Imperial County and San Diego County may rest upon the fate of the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California. The deal would transfers large amounts of water from water-rich Imperial County, which is bordered by the Colorado River, to San Diego County, which, with a population larger than 20 states, requires regular water transfers to fuel its growth.
The most recent sticking point appears to be the fate of the Salton Sea, which has experienced a major environmental decline due to various water transfers and the diversion of rivers and streams away from the sea and into suburban and agricultural communities.
The lack of water has increased the salinity of the lake, threatening several animal species that live there. In addition, the continued degradation of the lake could lead to alkali storms that could devastate farming in the region.
In the mid 2000s, the state government pledged to fund the restoration of the Salton Sea, a promise which has not been kept due to recent budget constraints. In addition, a state judge recently ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state government to sign open-ended agreements to save the sea.
If the Salton Sea’s restoration is halted, whether through budget difficulties or judicial rulings, many residents of San Diego fear that further court decisions could overturn the county’s water deal, forcing San Diego to rely on water transfers from Northern California.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, Jerry Brown, water rights
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Sunday, October 9th, 2011
Earlier this week, Oakland, California, passed a series of city ordinances allowing the sale of fruits and vegetables grown in residential property, essentially Okaying the beginnings of an urban farming movement.
Urban farming is the latest agricultural trend that is sweeping the nation. Rooted in the goal of scaling back the size of American farms and embracing the idea of smaller, local agricultural production, urban farming seeks to transform unused urban landscapes into small-scale farms. Purchasing and developing abandoned city property, urban farmers hope that local connections will help them survive a competitive farming market.
Oakland, California is the latest major city to join the movement. Starting November 3, residents will be able to legally grow and sell produce from their homes. Officially sanctioning the movement is the easy part. Next, city officials will need to decide on the limits of urban agriculture, setting size restrictions, zoning restrictions, traffic regulations, etc.
Also important is the decision to allow or restrict animal farming in urban areas. While meat raised and slaughtered in an urban farm would only be for personal use, state and federal law restrict residential meat processing, some animal rights activists are pressuring the city government to ban backyard slaughter, as they call it.
Whatever the end result, the decision to allow urban farming marks another major step forward for this innovative and pioneering agricultural practice.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, urban farming
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Sunday, September 25th, 2011
California farm organizations are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to clarify rules regarding organic farming. Organic farmers, particularly organic berry farmers, say that federal regulations currently contain too many loopholes that allow the use of chemical pesticides in supposedly organic products.
Strawberries in particular, one of California’s major farm products, embody these USDA loopholes. National regulations require organic produce to be grown for three years without synthetic pesticides. However, strawberry plants are grown in five year cycles. Strawberry stock plants are frequently grown in soil treated with methyl bromide, a controversial pesticide that kills soil based pests.
Organic farmers are upset that these plants are able to qualify as organic. Some organic farmers claim that it is possible to grow strawberries without pesticides, using a variety of techniques to reduce soil based pests. These techniques include creating low-oxygen conditions and adding mustard seeds and other natural plant products to reduce pest populations.
The problem, organic farmers say, is that the majority of USDA support goes to non-organic farmers, making it difficult for organic farmers to get market traction. In addition, they claim that allowing non-organic stock plants to be classified as organic makes it harder for fully organic farmers to compete.
In response to public pressure, the USDA is considering taking some pesticides like methyl bromide off the market and is considering updating its organic farming regulations.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, organic farming, pesticides, usda
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Sunday, September 11th, 2011
California farmers recently set a new state record for farm cash receipts, the state Department of Food and Agriculture reported recently. In 2010, the state’s combined 80,000 farms received over $37 billion, an increase of about ten percent from 2010 (a monetary increase of $3 billion. This news comes as welcome relief to a nation still suffering from high unemployment and a sluggish economy.
The major powerhouses of California’s farm economy turned out to be dairy farms. The dairy industry recorded incomes of around $6 billion in 2010, a massive 31 percent increase from 2009. While the dairy industry experienced its share of ups and downs throughout the year, it is faring better than similar industries across the country. New York, for example, has been trying to resuscitate its struggling dairy industry for months, only recently experiencing its own dairy boom.
Another major part of California’s record setting income is nuts and nut production. Pistachio production in California topped $1 billion for the first time, an increase of over 90 percent from 2009. In addition to pistachios, walnuts topped $1 billion for the first time.
However, these incomes are only part of the overall picture of the agricultural industry. While prices and incomes are up, costs have also rises proportionally. With fuel and feed prices high, many farmers are unable to enjoy these record setting incomes, which are often offset by record costs that eat into farm profits.
To learn more about agricultural financing opportunities contact a Farm Plus Financial representative by calling 866-929-5585 or by visiting www.farmplusfinancial.com.
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Written by: Justin Ellison / Farm Plus Staff Writer
Tags: california, Department of Agriculture, farm prices
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