from Western United Dairymen
Edited by Mark Looker
California
Dairy Industry Headline News
from Western United Dairymen
Edited by Mark Looker
A news service of Western United Dairymen 1315 K Street, Modesto, CA
95354 (209)-527-6453
www.westernuniteddairymen.com
Headline News is constantly updated throughout the day. Bookmark this
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Thursday, Dec. 28, 2006
Meat and milk products from cloned animals safe, says FDA - - Meat and milk products from cloned animals and their offspring are safe, according to a draft risk assessment released today by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA also said that it has not made a final decision about labeling, but that meat and milk from cloned animals are "virtually indistinguishable" from conventional livestock and so there does not appear to be a health-related reason to require labeling. The agency said it had reviewed hundreds of studies in preparing the risk assessment, which has now been peer reviewed. "Clones can be thought of as identical twins born at a different time," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. FDA said there will be a 90 day comment period on the risk assessment and that "this is the beginning our interaction with the public." During the comment period and the period following it when FDA analyzes feedback, a voluntary moratorium on the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals will remain in place. The draft risk assessment is available at http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CloneRiskAssessment.htm In response, American Meat Institute Foundation President James H. Hodges said, "We agree with the report's conclusion that the meat and milk from cloned animals are the same as those from conventional animals. In our view, cloning is part of the evolution of breeding practices and technology that has significant potential to improve the quality of food products derived from animals." But Hodges also noted the importance of consumer reaction to the technology. "As confident as we are in the science of cloning, we also recognize that consumers may have concerns with the notion of consuming meat and milk from cloned animals. We value our customers' confidence and we take their concerns seriously," Hodges said. "We believe that FDA should be cautious about allowing meat and milk from cloned animals to be introduced into the marketplace if most consumers are unwilling to accept the technology. We urge the government not simply to affirm its safety in the policy arena, but to assist consumers in understanding what cloning is, and what it is not, so that overall consumer confidence in the food supply is maintained. Dec. 28, 2006 AMI Press Release
Meat and milk from cloning are safe, 2 FDA
scientists say. The study, which deems labeling unnecessary, signals the
agency's receptiveness to formally approving such food. - - A
long-awaited study by federal scientists concludes that meat and milk from
cloned animals and their offspring is safe to eat and should be allowed to
enter the food supply without any special labeling. The finding is a strong
signal that the Food and Drug Administration will endorse the use of cloning
technology for cattle, goats and pigs when it publishes a key safety
assessment intended to clear the way for formal approval of the products.
That assessment is expected next week. "All of the studies indicate that the
composition of meat and milk from clones is within the compositional ranges
of meat and milk consumed in the U.S.," the FDA scientists concluded in a
report published in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Theriogenology, which
focuses on animal reproduction.
<more> Dec. 23, 2006 LA Times
Passing: Cornelius Van Dam, 89; dairy owner
endured as L.A. grew - - In the 1950s, Cornelius Van Dam's new farm was
surrounded by a patchwork of dairies that earned the southeast Los Angeles
County region a nickname: The L.A. Milk Shed. Hundreds of Dutch dairy
farmers started settling the area more than 70 years ago, but Van Dam was
one of the last of that vanishing breed. He watched explosive urban growth
entice one dairy farmer after another to sell. By 1992, his Valley View
Farms in La Mirada was one of four commercial dairies left in the county. He
never wanted to part with his 25 acres, he often recalled, because he had
become so attached to the town. Van Dam, whose farm shut down in the
mid-1990s, died of pneumonia Monday at his longtime home on his former
farmland, his family said. He was 89.
<more> Dec. 23, 2006 LA Times
State ag water rules change. Sunday is the
deadline for irrigated farmland owners to join groups. - - Valley
farmers have only a few days left to ease the burden of complying with state
regulations of agricultural runoff. Sunday is the deadline set by the state
Regional Water Quality Control Board for owners of irrigated farmland to
join one of several water-quality coalitions established up and down
California. In the southern San Joaquin Valley, irrigation district leaders
are encouraging growers in the Kings, Kaweah, Tule and Kern river watersheds
to beat the clock.
<more> Dec. 25, 2006 Fresno Bee
Warming law applies pressure to industries. Agriculture, forestry, car
makers need to reduce emissions - - California's landmark law to
drastically cut greenhouse gases could boost the state's economy or make it
even more expensive to live in California. It may do both. Agriculture is
California's biggest business and a significant producer of greenhouse
gases. Cows belch vast quantities of methane. Plowing releases nitrous oxide
into the atmosphere. Both compounds are potent greenhouse gases. Methane
traps heat 30 times more effectively than carbon dioxide, while nitrous
oxide is 300 times more efficient. Frank Mitloehner, an associate professor
of animal science at UC Davis and the director of the university's
Agricultural Air Quality Center, said each of California's 3.4 million dairy
cattle emit between 300 to 400 pounds of methane a year. That's roughly the
equivalent of emissions from up to 4 million cars. Still, Mitloehner said,
ridding the state of its dairy cows isn't the best way to cut greenhouse
gases.
<more> Dec. 24, 2006 SF Chronicle
You Are What You Eat: 2006 and the Politics of Food - - This was the year when Americans got in touch with their food, and its varied political and social connections came into focus in different media. The Nation devoted an entire issue, developed in collaboration with Alice Waters of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, to food. Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma,” a book that took a look at industrial agriculture and other topics, became a best seller. “Fast Food Nation” was made into a film by the director Richard Linklater. Partly as a result of the renewed focus on where food comes from, animal welfare groups like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, once relegated to fringe status, have captured some attention. Animal rights supporters persuaded officials in Chicago to ban foie gras because they say force-feeding ducks and geese is cruel. <more> Dec. 27, 2006 NY Times
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Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006
Historic California dairy
farm photos sought by WUD - - Do you
have photos in your personal family collections of the “good old days” of
dairy farming in California? If so, Western United Dairymen would like to
hear from you as we look for historic photos to display in its office as
well as on its website. “California dairy families have a rich tradition
based on their values of hard work and family. We would like to promote that
proud heritage by displaying family dairy photos in our office conference
room as well as on our website,” explained CEO Michael Marsh. “We think this
is a great opportunity to offer others a view of our dairy lifestyle and
enhance their understanding of the California dairy industry.” If you would
like to share a photo, send it to Kathleen Reuter with the appropriate
accompanying identifying information such as name of those pictured,
location, and date. Photos can be mailed to Reuter’s attention at Western
United Dairymen, 1315 K Street, Modesto, CA 95354. Further information is
available by contacting Reuter at (209) 527-6453.
More people move to Valley. Population growth here
outpaces the state average. - - Fresno County's population grew at the
fastest clip in three years during the year ending July 1, rising to nearly 1
million, according to state estimates released Wednesday. Growth in the
central San Joaquin Valley continued to outpace the state average. All five
counties in the region were among the 15 fastest-growing counties — growing by
41,301 to 1.88 million, according to new data from the state Department of
Finance. Cheap housing — the magnet pulling residents from the coast to inland
California — is still playing a role, despite the real estate slowdown, said
Sean Snaith, an economist for University of the Pacific in Stockton.
<more>
Dec. 21, 2006 Fresno Bee
Valley residents are last, best hope against urban
sprawl - - Three opposing forces are on a collision course to determine
the future of valley residents. One has in the past proven irresistible, the
other increasingly viable, and the third, in a surprise turnabout, is growing
feebler almost by the day. The three forces, in order of potency, are urban
sprawl, conservation and agriculture. Even though it dominates the valley's
economic environment, agriculture appears to have a bleak future. Given the
ascendant value of farmland that can be converted to urban and residential
uses, and encroachment from homes, automobiles, businesses and schools, the
rising cost and increasing scarcity of water, and an ever-more-complex lexicon
of environmental rules and regulations, farmers hardly can be blamed for
selling out. And most of them are aware that many major players in the global
game of agribusiness already have ceded victory to foreign food products,
despite the lessons we should have learned from our dependence on foreign oil.
<more> Dec. 21, 2006 Modesto Bee Community Column
Dec. 31 deadline looms for irrigators to join
watershed coalition - - Dec. 31, 2006 is the deadline for those who own
irrigated land to join a watershed coalition as part of the Irrigated Lands
Program or face the prospect of paying considerable costs as an individual
participant. Dairy producers have expressed some confusion about this program
versus the proposed Waste Discharge Requirement currently being discussed by
the Central valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. WUD’s Director of
Environmental Services Paul Martin points out that dairies that have offsite
irrigated lands that do not receive manure or receive only dry manure should
consider signing up for a watershed coalition. “A producer’s best option for
lands separated from the dairy facility may be joining a watershed coalition
now,” explained Martin. “Growers can join an existing coalition or form one of
their own. But the only way to make the right choice is to get all the facts
and we urge producers to get the facts so they can make an informed decision.”
Producers who miss the Dec. 31 signup deadline may be required to complete a
report of waste discharge and perform individual water sampling of their
irrigation and/or storm runoff. WUD members are encouraged to contact their
local field representative to get more information. Growers can learn more
about their options by visiting the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of
Central Valley Regional Quality Control Board website
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/index.html#GeneralInfo.
A critical question for each grower is, “Who is a discharger?” Growers can
learn more on that subject by visiting the water board website at
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/irr-lands-disch-fact-sheet.pdf.
Dec. 15, 2006 WUD Weekly News Update
New Congress less friendly to trade pacts. Farmers
could benefit if accords with Panama, South Korea approved. - - California
farmers could reap modest benefits in a new trade agreement with Panama, if it
survives a Congress where free trade will be more suspect than ever. The clock
is literally ticking. This week, U.S. and Panamanian officials agreed on a
trade package following 21/2 years of talks. The presumed winners will include
California's wine, nut and tree fruit producers, who would immediately gain
tariff-free access to Panama's 3.1 million consumers. "Expanding access to the
Panamanian market and increasing our two-way trade will strengthen our
economic ties and promote stability in the Western Hemisphere," Agriculture
Secretary Mike Johanns declared.
<more>
Dec. 21, 2006 Fresno Bee
USDA's farm animal ID program gets mixed reception - - Is it just more government intrusion or common sense? That's the argument shaping up over a new U.S. Department of Agriculture farm animal identification program. The program, which is so far voluntary, would make it possible for the government to trace an animal's origins. If there is an outbreak of bird flu or mad cow disease, knowing where an animal came from makes it easier for the government to trace the source and stop a disease from spreading. Local farmers gathered at the Dartmouth Grange on Dec. 11 to find out more about the program and get answers to their questions. "I'm pretty much for it, anything that can be done to make food supply safer," said Jay Tripp of Tripp's Dairy Farm on Hix Bridge Road. "You want to make the food supply as safe as possible. If this is the way to do it, I'm for it." <more> Dec. 21,2006 East Bay, Rhode Island
Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
Tulare Co. backs two dairies near park. Opponents
still hope to protect Allensworth. - - Tulare County supervisors on
Tuesday backed two proposed dairies — despite claims that they threaten
Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park, a key part of the state's black
heritage. After listening to 20 minutes of public comment and then meeting
in closed session, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to give dairy
applicant Sam Etchegaray a green light. In a show of solidarity, nearly 100
critics of the proposal — many from the Bay Area and Los Angeles regions —
stood while the supervisors voted. Etchegaray has spent eight years pursing
his application, and Tuesday's vote was just the first of several approvals
needed. Other agencies also must weigh in and supervisors still must
formally approve the project in March.
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 Fresno Bee
Tulare board gives early OK for dairy near park
honoring black town - - Tulare County supervisors tentatively approved
controversial plans Tuesday for a 12,000-cow dairy operation near a state
historic park that commemorates Allensworth, an African American community
that thrived in the early decades of the 20th century. The action will not
be finalized until March, however, allowing time for state parks officials
to negotiate with the property owner for his development rights. The
proposal has angered black families and church groups throughout the state.
They contend that a large dairy would envelop the isolated park in foul
odors and clouds of flies, dishonoring the experiment in self-determination
that Col. Allen Allensworth, a charismatic black military retiree, started
in 1908. The dairy plan also has been opposed by residents of Allensworth, a
struggling small town nearby.
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 LA Times
What has rekindled the rBST-free issue? - - A
dairy cooperative in Illinois is the latest to suggest providing rBST-free
milk. Prairie Farms Dairy Cooperative CEO, Ed Mullins says they have had
customers ask for the milk so the Carlinville-based co-op is looking at
switching two of their 24 milk processing plants to rBST-free. Mullins says
producers would sign affidavits promising not to use the synthetic hormone.
“We are not trying to stop the technology you are using,” he says, “The
problem stems from an uninformed consumer.” About a hundred producers
attended a meeting on Monday where Penn State University dairy scientist,
Dr. Terry Etherton told them the move is being driven by marketers who want
to basically create a market to gain some premium pricing. He says the
processors are looking at three levels of milk in the dairy case,
conventional, rBST-free and organic. “There is an element driving this which
is trying to differentiate different products in the milk case and see if
consumers will pay more for it.”
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
USDA releases more data on farm program payments
- - USDA’s Farm Service Agency today is issuing new data on farm program
payments, what’s known as the section 1614 database after the section of the
2002 farm bill that required USDA to compile the information. The data will
trace farm program payments through large entities like cooperatives to
individuals. Ken Cook is president of the Environmental Working Group (EWG),
which has had a database on farm program payments on its website for the
past five years. He told Brownfield the section 1614 database will increase
the transparency of farm program payments from what's currently available on
the EWG web site. "Of course most farmers who do receive benefits have been
fully transparent on our site for many years, as they'll quickly tell you,"
Cook said. "So this kind of levels the playing field a little bit so that
the big entities are now more fully disclosed than they were before."
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Bush links minimum wage to tax break - -
President Bush endorsed one of the Democrats' top priorities for the new
Congress, a $2.10-an-hour minimum wage increase - and on a faster timetable
than they have proposed. But his support comes with a catch. Bush said at a
Wednesday news conference that any pay hike should be accompanied by tax and
regulatory relief for small businesses, potentially a tough sell for
Democrats, who are about to reassume control of the House and Senate.
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 AP
GM cows to please cheese-makers - - Cows
genetically modified to produce high-protein milk for the cheese industry
have been created in New Zealand. It is the first time that cow's milk has
been engineered to improve its quality, rather than to contain profitable
pharmaceuticals. The cows possess additional copies of genes for two
proteins, beta and kappa casein. As a result, their milk contains between up
to 20 per cent more beta-casein and twice the amount of kappa-casein as milk
from ordinary cows.
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 New Scientist.com
Farms may cut habitat renewal over E. coli fears
- - The recent scares over deadly bacteria in California produce may
hurt farm programs aimed at restoring wildlife habitat and cutting water
pollution. Such environmental programs could be at odds with "clean farming
techniques" promoted by food processors. Those techniques encourage growers
to remove grassy areas that are planted to reduce erosion and trap
pesticides before they reach waterways. The practices also discourage
habitat zones that might attract animals that carry bacteria like E. coli or
salmonella. Some farmers say they must opt out of wildlife habitat and
water-quality programs: If they don't follow processor guidelines, they
won't be able to sell their crops. "The processors have been putting some
pressure on growers for the past couple of years over vegetated corridors
because of worries that they may be sources of animal contamination," said
John Anderson, a Yolo County farmer who grows native grass seed for use in
restoration projects.
<more> Dec. 20, 2006 SF Chronicle
Health tax among options. Governor signals he might look at a levy if it's proposed to aid the uninsured. - - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday that his plan for reforming California's health care system will not include new taxes, but he did not rule out considering legislative proposals that do. "I'm not telling you now what I would or would not consider," the Republican governor told reporters at a Los Angeles hospital when he was asked whether he would approve a solution that included a tax increase. The governor is scheduled to release a plan for dealing with the 6.5 million Californians who do not have health insurance when he makes his State of the State speech Jan. 9. The cost of insuring everyone could run into billions of dollars. The question dividing policymakers is how those costs would be distributed among individuals, employers, the government, medical providers and insurers. <more> Dec. 20, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006
Maryland farmer may be forced to sell cloned cows
for hamburger - - For nearly four years, Maryland dairy farmer Greg
Wiles has poured milk from his cloned cows down the drain in compliance with
a voluntary ban on food from cloned livestock. Now in financial straits,
Wiles says he may be forced to sell his cloned cows for hamburger. The Food
and Drug Administration says that's probably safe, but pressure from the
food industry has kept the agency from actually approving it. Milk and meat
marketers worry that consumers won't accept food from cloned animals. Wiles
says he can't wait any longer. Facing eviction in a bitter family business
dispute, he says he may be forced to violate the ban and sell his two clones
for hamburger meat. "If I don't find a new home for these animals for them
to live out their lifetime, I could be forced by a court of law to introduce
them into the food chain," Wiles says.
<more> Dec. 19, 2006 AP
NCBA joins legal battle against EPA dust rules
- - The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) Monday joined the
American Farm Bureau Federation and National Pork Producers Council in
filing a petition with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) rule
issued in October on particulate matter, which covers such things as dust.
Jay Truitt, Vice President of Governmental Relations for NCBA, told
Brownfield the EPA rule on particulate matter, officially a revision of the
Clean Air Act National Ambient Air Quality Standards, has the potential to
make basic agricultural activities illegal. "This is the day that we've all
be talking about for quite some time," Truitt said. "That just being
involved in agriculture, potentially, creates an environment where you're
breaking the law.”
<more> Dec. 19, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Green laws no slam-dunk in new Congress.
Environmentalists project success now that Democrats control both chambers.
But a push for stronger rules could scramble partisan loyalty. - - Steps
to curb global warming. Tougher fuel economy standards for automobiles.
Repeal of massive tax breaks for the oil industry. Environmentalists are
busy these days crafting their holiday wish-list, giddy about the prospects
for success in the new Democratic-controlled Congress. But industry groups
are gearing up to fight, and their forces may include more than the usual
Republican allies. "We're confident that there are plenty of Democrats who
know and understand us," said Charles Drevna of the National Petrochemical &
Refiners Assn. Drevna's confidence is probably well-placed. The politics
surrounding environmental issues have proved hard to predict, largely
because the potential economic impact of stronger regulation tends to
scramble partisan loyalties. Democrats from auto-making states, for example,
have fought efforts to mandate stricter miles-per-gallon rules for vehicles.
These crosscurrents could cause the push for an aggressive environmental
agenda to become an object lesson on the limits of what can actually be
achieved in the Congress that will convene in January.
<more> Dec. 119, 2006 LA Times
Illinois Dairymen express concern over coming
sale of BST-free milk - - Over 115 people, most of them dairymen,
attended a meeting in Breese, Illinois yesterday to discuss a move by
Prairie Farms to begin selling milk from cows that have not been given rBST
(recombinant bovine somatotropin) to increase their milk production. The
hormone, commonly referred to as BST, is sold under the trade name Posilac
by Monsanto and is administered by injection every two weeks, resulting in
an average gain of 10 lbs. of milk per day, according to a Monsanto
representative. The meeting at Breese, which was organized by Bond County
dairymen Frank Doll and Boyd Schaufelberger, featured representatives from
Prairie Farms, DFA (Dairy Farmers of America), Monsanto, and guest speaker
Dr. Terry Etherton, head of the Dairy and Animal Science Department at Penn
State.
<more> Dec. 19, 2006 Breese, Illinois Morning Sentinel
Ag inspectors stew under authority of homeland
security - - Low morale plagues border inspectors shielding the country
from potentially catastrophic pests and diseases, a new survey concludes.
Many agricultural inspectors say their work has suffered since they were
forced out of the Agriculture Department. Now wearing Customs and Border
Protection uniforms, the agricultural specialists find little to praise in
the new agency. "Nothing is going well," many of the inspectors believe, the
Government Accountability Office said in a report issued Friday. Sixty-four
percent of the agricultural border inspectors polled for the GAO report said
they don't think homeland security managers respect their work.
<more> Dec. 19, 2006 Fresno Bee
Johnson's son predicts full recovery for South Dakota senator - - There's good news about U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD), who suffered a stroke-like event last week. Johnson's son Brandon told the Argus Leader Monday he's confident his father will return to work and that there’s no reason to believe his dad will make anything but a full recovery. Brandon Johnson, a Sioux Falls attorney, said his father’s generally good health is one reason doctors have an upbeat prognosis. The younger Johnson also said former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and current Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have been frequent visitors to his father’s bedside. Barb Johnson also said South Dakota leaders from both sides of the aisle had pulled together to support her husband. She also said cards and letters had poured in from across South Dakota, and that they now covered the walls of her husband's hospital room. Senator Johnson remains in critical but stable condition at George Washington University Hospital. He underwent surgery for an intracranial bleed on December 13th. Dec. 19, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Monday, Dec. 18, 2006
November milk production up 2.5% from a year ago
- - Milk production in the 23 major dairy states in November was 13.3
billion pounds, up 2.5% from a year ago. Production per cow in those states
averaged 1,616 for the month, 24 more than last November. There were 8.25
million dairy cows in those 23 states, 81,000 more than a year ago and 3,000
more than in October. California milk production was up 2.4% for the month
to 3.126 billion pounds. Production per cow in the Golden State jumped 30
pounds to 1,755 and they added 11,000 cows to the herd taking it to 1.781
million head.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Dairy plan riles park supporters. Allensworth
backers in L.A., Bay want voice in Tulare Co. land issue. - - Surrounded
by open fields, the tiny Tulare County town of Allensworth is a desolate
place. Roads are rough, tall grass borders many homes, and power poles, not
trees, dot the skyline. But this town, home to just 120 families, is at the
center of a fierce land-use debate. A local farmer's plans to put two
dairies in the area has sparked outrage — and not just from nearby
residents. Locals see the dairy debate as a matter of economic development
versus quality of life in a region that is all about dairy. But a small
contingent of park supporters — most from the Los Angeles and Bay areas —
say they too should have a voice because of the park's historical
significance.<more>
Dec. 18, 2006 Fresno Bee
Milk & Product Prices Forecast To Rise in 2007 As
Production Increases - -Milk production in 2006 has continued to expand,
although the rate of expansion has slowed as the year has progressed—from
5.1 percent above a year ago in the first quarter to only 1.3 percent in the
third quarter. The November Milk Production report estimated October cow
numbers at 9.1 million head, 47,000 more than in October 2005 and 2,000 more
than in September. The increased cow population comes despite higher culling
rates throughout most of 2006. The higher numbers, combined with increased
production per cow, will push 2006 production above 2005 by 2.8 percent. The
milk-feed price ratio slid to 2.34 in November according to the Agricultural
Prices report, a decline of 19 points from October. Prospects for higher
milk prices from now into 2007 are countered by stable-to-higher soybean
meal prices and substantially higher corn prices, which will result in
continued weak milk-feed price ratios.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 Cattlenetwork.com
Bob Cropp’s Dairy Situation & Outlook. USDA
Report May Dampen Prices Short-term - - USDA’s report on November milk
production may dampen milk prices for the immediate months ahead. The main
reason is milk cow numbers. U.S. milk cow numbers started to increase the
last half of 2004 and continued until peaking in June of this year. Milk cow
numbers declined in July, August and September. But, for the 23 reporting
states October cow numbers increased 1,000 head and another 3,000 head in
November. For the 23 states milk cow numbers are 1.0% higher than a year ago
and are estimated to be 0.6% higher for all states. A continued decline in
milk cow numbers is important for stronger milk prices.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 Cattlenetworl.com
New UC dairy water quality publication for
lenders, ag consultants -- A new University of California publication
outlines key management practices that protect surface and groundwater
quality for the dairy industry. Milk is now California's No. 1 agricultural
commodity with a farmgate value of more than $5 billion annually. "The
state has fewer dairy farms than it did 20 years ago, but the average herd
size has increased," said Stu Pettygrove, UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE)
soils specialist, UC Davis, and co-author of the publication. "Dairy
producers are faced with increasing scrutiny by environmental health and
planning agencies. We're happy to be able to share practical approaches and
technologies that work to protect water quality." California Dairies:
Protecting Water Quality was co-authored by Patricia L. Ristow, former
postgraduate researcher at UC Davis; Deanne M. Meyer, UCCE livestock waste
management specialist, UC Davis; David Lewis, watershed management advisor,
UCCE Sonoma, Marin and Mendocino counties; Nyles Peterson, dairy advisor and
county director, UCCE San Bernardino County; and Janet C. Broome, area plant
pathologist, UCCE Sacramento, Yolo and Solano counties.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 UC Press Release
Valley farmers glean $2.1 billion in federal aid.
Lawmakers jockey for seats on ag panels that control flow of funds.- -
Farmers from Sacramento to Bakersfield reaped more than $2.1billion in
federal crop subsidies over the past decade, a new report shows. That may
help explain why the region's representatives are scrambling to control the
spigot. Even as reformers castigate the flow of farm money, San Joaquin
Valley lawmakers are positioning themselves to direct where it goes next.
"The hot committee to be on is agriculture," said Rep. Dennis Cardoza,
D-Merced.
<more> Dec. 18, 2006 Fresno Bee
It's Greener Pastures for Biogas Power in Texas - - Texans have always had a strange affinity for cow patties. They've been bronzed for trophies. They've been tossed for sport. And they've been used, however crudely, for art. Now, cow manure is about to be used to power homes and businesses in Central and North Texas. A Colorado company is building a $10 million plant near Stephenville, about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth, which will extract millions of cubic feet of pipeline-ready natural gas from cow manure every day. The Lower Colorado River Authority in Austin has agreed to buy the natural gas generated at the plant - enough to power 6,000 homes - when it becomes fully operational in April, said Ingmar Sterzing, the river authority's fuels manager. <more> Dec. 18, 2006 Fort Worth Star Telegram
Friday, Dec. 15, 2006
Dec. 31 deadline looms for irrigators to join
watershed coalition - - Dec. 31, 2006 is the deadline for those who own
irrigated land to join a watershed coalition as part of the Irrigated Lands
Program or face the prospect of paying considerable costs as an individual
participant. Dairy producers have expressed some confusion about this
program versus the proposed Waste Discharge Requirement currently being
discussed by the Central valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. WUD’s
Director of Environmental Services Paul Martin points out that dairies that
have offsite irrigated lands that do not receive manure or receive only dry
manure should consider signing up for a watershed coalition. “A producer’s
best option for lands separated from the dairy facility may be joining a
watershed coalition now,” explained Martin. “Growers can join an existing
coalition or form one of their own. But the only way to make the right choice
is to get all the facts and we urge producers to get the facts so they can
make an informed decision.” Producers who miss the Dec. 31 signup deadline may
be required to complete a report of waste discharge and perform individual
water sampling of their irrigation and/or storm runoff. WUD members are
encouraged to contact their local field representative to get more
information. Growers can learn more about their options by visiting the
“Frequently Asked Questions” section of Central Valley Regional Quality
Control Board website
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/index.html#GeneralInfo.
A critical question for each grower is, “Who is a discharger?” Growers can
learn more on that subject by visiting the water board website at
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralvalley/programs/irrigated_lands/irr-lands-disch-fact-sheet.pdf.
Dec. 15, 2006 WUD Weekly News Update
AFBF, NPPC file court petition against EPA dust
rules - - The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and National Pork
Producers Council (NPPC) filed a petition Friday with the U.S. Circuit Court
of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The groups asked the court to review
the rules issued by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in October on
particulate matter, rules that didn’t specifically exempt agriculture. A
preamble to the EPA rules said there's no scientific evidence to suggest
agriculture should be subject to the regulations, which cover such things as
dust. And EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson has said repeatedly the rules
aren’t meant to apply to agriculture. But Danielle Quist, AFBF Assistant
General Counsel for Public Policy, told Brownfield the legal action is, in
part, a response to the EPA's preamble to the rules on particulate matter.
"That is part of the issue here, is that the preamble fairly clearly states
that agriculture is not a source of the health effects the rule intends to
regulate," Quist said. "Nonetheless, despite what's said in the preamble, the
rule does not exempt agricultural sources from regulation."
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
You can earn carbon credits from livestock - -
Yet another reason for livestock producers to consider a methane digester.
Besides the digester’s ability to generate electricity, create bedding and
recycle water, it can also earn carbon credits. “You can get money right now
for the reductions you have through that facility.” Brian Potts specializes in
environmental and energy law with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; he says the
digester captures and destroys methane, which is a greenhouse gas, “So you can
sell those credits on the Chicago Climate Exchange.” While the price of carbon
credits will vary, he says right now, a 1,500 cow dairy operation at current
market prices “Would raise about $40,000 a year in revenue.”
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
New Jersey suit a test case on farm animal cruelty
- - New Jersey allows cruelty to farm animals by failing to ban practices
such as castration without anesthetic, animal rights activists said on
Wednesday in a lawsuit that might help set national standards for the
treatment of livestock. Groups including the Humane Society of the United
States and Farm Sanctuary said the state Department of Agriculture had failed
to establish humane standards for farm animals as required by a law
implemented in 2004. New Jersey is the only state requiring officials to set
humane standards for the treatment of farm animals, and enforcing the measure
could lead to better treatment of livestock across the country, said Gene Baur,
president of Farm Sanctuary.
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 AP
Americans fuzzy on biotech foods. Consumers
question the safety of so-called frankenfoods -- but most have eaten plenty.
- - Ten years after genetically engineered crops were first planted
commercially in the United States, Americans remain ill-informed about and
uncomfortable with biotech food, according to the fifth annual survey on the
topic, released Wednesday. People vastly underestimate how much gene-altered
food they are already consuming; lean toward wanting greater regulation of
such crops; and have less faith than ever that the Food and Drug
Administration will provide accurate information, the survey found. The poll
also confirmed that most Americans, particularly women, do not like the idea
of eating meat or milk from cloned animals — a view that stands in contrast to
scientific evidence that cloned food is safe. The FDA recently said it is
close to allowing such food on the market. Overall, said Michael Fernandez,
executive director of the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, which
sponsored the survey, Americans are "still generally uncertain" about
genetically modified and cloned foods.
<more> Dec. 15, 2006 Washington Post
The System Is the Problem. Immigration Laws Trap Those Who Comply and Those Who Don't - - At dawn on Tuesday more than a thousand Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents descended on six plants owned by Swift & Co., one of the country's largest meat processors. Some 1,300 workers were arrested, and operations at all six slaughterhouses were suspended. Seen in one light, the raids were perfectly justified. Both employer and employees were breaking the law. It's a law that's being violated on a massive scale from coast to coast, and the public is increasingly upset about it. The only catch: Swift has been trying for years to comply with our poorly conceived immigration laws, coping as best it could with an impossible situation. Like a driver who finally goes through a broken traffic light, the company and its workers aren't the problem -- the system is. Both Swift and its employees -- who bore the brunt of the punishment -- are caught in an economic bind far bigger than themselves. Meat processing is dirty and dangerous. Fewer and fewer members of the increasingly educated American workforce are interested in the jobs. <more> Dec. 15, 2006 Washington Post
Thursday, Dec. 14, 2006
Farmers discuss waste water. Quality control board
holds meeting on new rules affecting dairies. - - Dairy farmer Eric Westra
told state regulators Wednesday he has good reasons for complying with
potentially expensive new water rules. "I have five kids, all under the age of
8," said Westra, whose family operation in Tulare County has about 2,000 cows.
"We drink water out of our well. We're in it for our life." Dozens of farmers
packed a workshop held by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board
to discuss unprecedented rules aimed at controlling manure-tinged waste water
from 1,550 dairies. No action was taken, and the public has until Jan. 16 to
comment on the regulations, which dairy officials believe might cost $140
million in the first year.
<more>Dec.
14, 2006 Fresno Bee
Reminder: Large CAF air permit deadline is
Friday, Dec. 15 - - Western United Dairymen members are reminded that the
deadline for submitting “Large CAF” permit applications to the San Joaquin
Valley Air Pollution Control District is Friday Dec. 15, 2006. The application
forms are available on the District website at
www.valleyair.org. The District’s small
business assistance office can help with questions (559) 230-5888. WUD
members are asked to contact their local field representatives as soon as
possible for assistance. Dairies with more than 1,000 milkers must submit
mitigation measure plans to comply with the district’s Rule 4570. Dairies that
already have a permit to operate (PTO) must submit their mitigation plan,
which is an application to modify their current permits, by Dec. 15. Dairies
that don’t have a PTO but do have more than 1,000 cows need to apply for a
permit and must also submit mitigation measures for Rule 4570 by Dec. 15.
African-American Organization Urges FDA to Stop
Deceptive Marketing of 'No rBST' Milk -- The National Organization for
African Americans in Housing (NOAAH), a non-profit advocate for low-income
citizens, has called on the U.S. Food & Drug Administration to stop dairy
processors from deceptively marketing "no rBST" milk, which is identical to
other milk but costs more. In a letter to the FDA, NOAAH Board Secretary Kevin
Marchman said the milk processors making these claims are presenting
low-income consumers with a horrible choice: spend limited food money on
higher-priced milk that is identical to less expensive products, or serve
their families milk which they believe to be lower in quality and less safe
than what others can afford. "We worry that low-income consumers -- fearing
'hormones in milk' but unable to afford the more expensive 'rBST free'
products -- will stop drinking milk altogether and opt for less-healthy
alternatives," Marchman wrote.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 NOAAH Press Release
Johanns: Costly corn squeezing farmers - -
Soaring corn prices are squeezing meat and milk producers, but consumers will
not necessarily see higher prices at the grocery checkout, Agriculture
Secretary Mike Johanns said in an interview Thursday. Costly corn has made it
more expensive to feed cows, chickens and pigs. Demand for ethanol, a fuel
made from corn, has pushed the price of corn above $3 a bushel, the highest
level in more than a decade. That is bound to have an impact on farms and
ranches, Johanns said. "My best projection is that for a couple of years here,
you are going to have a tug-and-pull between various industries," Johanns told
The Associated Press. Because so many factors go into making food, consumers
probably will not see a direct impact, he said.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 AP
When You Cut into the Holiday Brie, Do You Eat the
Rind? Survey By The California Milk Advisory Board Illustrates America's
Cheese Preferences This Holiday Season --Don't be surprised if a guest
shows up for your holiday party this year with a fine cheese tucked under his
arm. According to a national survey on specialty cheese recently conducted by
the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), 57 percent of consumers believe
specialty cheese makes for an appropriate hostess gift in lieu of wine or
chocolate. And as for that perennial question about Brie, one of the most
popular specialty cheeses during the holidays: do you eat the rind? Nearly two
in three Americans (62 percent) admit they would rather not.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 CMAB Press Release
Boxer's stand. Farmers won't get holiday from the
EPA on dust control. - - Democrats, soon to become the majority in
Congress, already are having an impact. A noxious provision that outgoing
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, slipped into a
must-pass federal spending bill has been removed at the insistence of Sen.
Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the incoming chairwoman of the Environment and Public
Works Committee. Grassley's rider would have barred the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency from enforcing soot and dust control regulations on farmers
until 2012, five years later than expected.
<more>
Dec. 14, 2006 Fresno Bee Editorial
Health plan aims to cut costs, insure all - -
In another sign that healthcare will return as a major issue when Democrats
take over Congress next month, a prominent Democratic senator unveiled an
ambitious proposal Wednesday to provide medical insurance for all Americans
while reining in costs. The plan by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon came a month
after the health insurance industry offered its comprehensive proposal as
politicians and the business community show new willingness to tackle a
subject that has been off-limits since the mid-1990s collapse of President
Clinton's sweeping healthcare reform package. Wyden, considered liberal on
social issues and moderate on economic policy, combined elements of Democratic
and Republican ideas in his plan. It would guarantee coverage for all,
including nearly 47 million uninsured — a Democratic objective. But it would
also limit employers' exposure to relentless cost increases and encourage
workers to shop for cost-effective insurance plans — GOP goals.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 LA Times
State Senate Democrats propose health coverage for
uninsured workers. State senators propose a levy on employers and employees to
cover most uninsured - - A month before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is set
to unveil a plan to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, Senate
Democrats proposed Tuesday taxing both workers and employers to cover an
estimated 4.2 million of 6 million uninsured Californians. The plan, announced
by Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland), would mandate that workers
have health insurance and require every employer, even those with a single
part-time employee, to offer health insurance or pay a percentage of their
payroll to a state agency that would negotiate for affordable coverage.
Workers would also contribute through a payroll deduction, much as they help
fund unemployment and state disability insurance. Illegal workers who get paid
under the table and the unemployed would not be covered under Perata's plan.
Nor would it affect employees who already get health benefits through their
jobs.
<more> Dec. 14, 2006 LA Times
GOP sets Senate ag panel line-up, loses key staffer to USDA - - The Republican membership of the Senate Ag Committee is now set, and features some familiar faces, along with a couple of newcomers. New to the Senate Ag Committee are South Dakota’s John Thune and South Carolina’s Lindsay Graham. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia remains the ranking Republican on the Senate ag panel. He’s joined by returning members Dick Lugar of Indiana, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Norm Coleman of Minnesota, Mike Crapo of Idaho, and Chuck Grassley of Iowa. The Democrats haven’t firmed up their line-up on the Senate Ag Committee yet, though it’s certain Iowa’s Tom Harkin will return as Chairman. <more> Dec. 14, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006
U.S. agricultural exports forecast at record
value - - U.S. agricultural exports are expected to reach a record $77
billion for the 2007 fiscal year, according to a November report from USDA’s
Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service. The export
figure is up $5 billion from the August forecast and $8.3 billion from 2006.
Forecast corn exports were raised $2.1 billion from August to a near-record
$8.9 billion on higher prices due to continued strong demand and tightening
domestic supply. Domestic use for ethanol and overseas demand for feed use
remains strong. Dec. 13, 2006 USDA Press Release
Canadians launch virtual dairy tour website
-- Want to find out more about the fascinating world of dairy production?
Now you can - without even having to leave your home! Dairy Farmers of
Canada (DFC) and the Ontario Farm Animal Council (OFAC) are proud to
announce the launch of their bilingual virtual dairy farm tours at
www.dairygoodness.ca. DFC and OFAC
have created virtual tours of two typical Canadian dairy farms: one tie
stall dairy barn and one free stall dairy barn. The website offers visitors
a completely interactive experience and allows them to tour various sections
of the dairy farm at their own pace and in the comfort of their own home.
Visitors have access to real farm pictures, detailed information and facts
on farm management practices, milking and caring for the cows. Fun and
educational videos also allow them to hear dairy farmers talk about their
daily activities and responsibilities on the farm. Dec. 13, 2006 DFC
Press Release
Plan for Tracking Animals Meets Farmers’
Resistance - - A federal effort to quickly pinpoint and contain
outbreaks of disease among livestock is coming under attack on farms, in
Internet chat rooms and at livestock markets, ranches and feed shops across
the nation. Although the effort, the National Animal Identification System,
intended to trace a sick animal to the property it came from within 48
hours, is still in early, voluntary stages, the United States Department of
Agriculture has had to retreat from a proposal to make it mandatory.
Officials now say that further participation will result from financial
incentives and market pressure. “This is admittedly a very emotional issue
with many folks,” said Bruce I. Knight, the under secretary for marketing
and regulatory programs at the Agriculture Department. “It’s one that really
asks for a lot of patience and resolve.” Mr. Knight admits his agency has
made mistakes in establishing the tracking system, which began to be rolled
out in 2005. The rule-making process was not transparent enough, he said,
which only raised the mistrust of farmers. He said he had been meeting with
groups across the country to explain the program better.
<more> Dec. 13, 2006 NY Times
U.S. Raids 6 Meat Plants in Identity Theft Case
- - In simultaneous dawn raids, federal immigration agents swept into
six Swift & Company meatpacking plants in six states yesterday, rounding up
hundreds of immigrant workers in what the agents described as a vast
criminal investigation of identity theft. More than 1,000 agents from
Immigration and Customs Enforcement appeared at 6 a.m. at the Swift plants
with warrants to search for illegal immigrants. Inside, agents separated
American citizens from immigrants, interviewing all the foreign workers and
taking hundreds away in buses to immigration detention centers. In a new
enforcement tactic, federal officials said they planned to bring criminal
charges against some of the immigrants accused of using stolen identities.
They said the raids were tied to complaints from United States citizens who
discovered that their names were being used by Swift plant workers.
<more> Dec. 13, 2006 NY Times
Lettuce implicated in Taco Bell outbreak - -
Lettuce was the most likely source of an outbreak of E. coli linked to Taco
Bell, federal health officials said Wednesday. Taco Bell had said
contaminated green onions were responsible for the cases of food poisoning —
71 confirmed cases of E. coli in five states, primarily New Jersey, New York
and Pennsylvania, as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Follow-up government testing, however, failed to
confirm that. Interviews with patients and other work led them to believe
that lettuce was the probable culprit, health officials said. "That I would
say is the most likely vehicle. I would warn we are not done with the
investigation," Dr. Christopher Braden, a medical epidemiologist with the
CDC, told reporters.
<more> Dec. 13, 2006 AP
Biomass Forum set for March 27 in Sacramento - - The California Biomass Collaborative will be hosting its 4th Annual Biomass Forum on March 27 - 28, 2007 in Sacramento, California. This year's theme is on advanced technologies for biomass and waste conversion and is co-sponsored by the California Energy Commission and the California Integrated Waste Management Board. A one-day workshop on financing, permitting and developing markets for biomass projects is planned for March 26, the day preceding the forum. Tours of biomass facilities will be conducted on March 29. The forum notice and registration information will be released soon. Check the website: http://biomass.ucdavis.edu/ for further details. Dec. 13, 2006
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006
Farm Organizations Resolve to Continue Fight
Against Misuse of Superfund -- Farmers for Clean Air & Water, a broad
coalition of the nation's leading farm organizations, today expressed
disappointment that a bipartisan bill to protect the nation's farmers and
ranchers against inappropriate, damaging lawsuits was not included in
legislation cleared in the final days of the 109th Congress. The bill would
have clarified that the severe liability provisions of the 1980 Superfund
law designed to clean up abandoned industrial waste sites like Love Canal
should not be used to penalize the nation's farmers for the animal manure on
their farms. "Though the effort fell short in the final days before
adjournment, the coalition's member organizations appreciate the strong
support of 192 cosponsors in the House of Representatives and 36 in the
Senate for this rapidly building effort to protect farmers and ranchers from
attempts to misapply CERCLA and EPCRA to manure," the coalition said in a
statement.
<more> Dec. 12, 2006 Farmers for Clean Air & Water Press Release
Ash Helps Keep California Cows On More Solid
Ground -- If California cows are happy, then Larry Haworth's cows must
be overjoyed. The trick isn't sunshine or rolling green hills, but a powdery
ash mixed in with the soil at Haworth's dairy farm three miles south of
Manteca, where 1,500 cows chomp on hay and swish their tails. The ash keeps
cows on firm ground when the rains come. No slogging through knee-deep mud,
which increases the risk of disease and makes the cows less productive. The
Environmental Protection Agency recently commended a partnership between as
many as 100 San Joaquin-area dairies and Stockton CoGen Co., a coal burning
plant that produces tons of "fly ash" every day -- so named because it would
fly out of a power plant's smokestacks if it were not captured. The fine ash
is nontoxic but expensive to get rid of and takes up space in landfills. So
for several years, the plant has sold it to dairy farms instead. The ash is
shipped every day from the CoGen plant to nearby dairies, where it is laid
across pens forming a surface almost as firm as concrete. Water drains off
in winter, making the soil stable for all those hooves.
<more> Dec. 12, 2006 Stockton Record
Dan Walters: Workers' comp clash will resume
- - You heard almost nothing about it during the campaign, but workers'
compensation -- the very contentious system that deals with job-related
illnesses and injuries -- was a powerful factor in the duel between Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and his Democratic challenger, Phil Angelides.
Workers' comp, as it's called, was the single most important issue for the
business interests that backed Schwarzenegger's re-election and for many
groups, such as labor unions, that wanted Angelides to prevail. The reason
is simple: lots of money. Employers are paying about $15 billion a year less
for workers' compensation coverage because of the systemic overhaul that
Schwarzenegger pushed through the Legislature during the first weeks of his
new governorship, when his popularity and political clout were very high.
<more>
Dec. 12, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Six Swift plants shut down in immigration raids
- - Six Swift & Company meat processing plants are shut down today as
officials from the U.S. Office of Homeland Security’s Immigration and
Customs Enforcement division raided the facilities. Reports are the action
is the result of a year-long investigation into the theft of identification
and Social Security numbers which were allegedly used to secure employment
at the company.
<more> Dec. 12, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Dairy discharge rule public workshop set for Fresno Dec. 13 - - WUD members will have one more opportunity to provide public comment on the proposed Waste Discharge Requirements at a public workshop to be held on Wednesday, December 13, in Fresno. The workshop will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. in the water board’s Fresno office at 1685 “E” Street. WUD members are urged to attend the Fresno workshop.
Monday, Dec. 11, 2006
Ag disaster
amendment fails in Senate - - The $4.9 billion Agriculture Disaster Amendment for the Senate
Agriculture Appropriations bill failed Friday on a procedural vote when it was brought
up by its sponsor, Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND). A budget point of order was
raised on the additional spending and the amendment fell three votes short of
the 60 needed to clear that hurdle. The amendment will likely be brought up
again when the next Congress convenes and begins action on the remaining
appropriations bills, including the one funding the Agriculture Department. California
Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer both played significant roles in
having the amendment include $95 million in milk production loss assistance and
$40 million in livestock indemnity for losses incurred by producers in declared
disaster and contiguous counties in 2005 and 2006, including those affected by
the prolonged heat wave in California last July. Dec. 11, 2006 WUD Weekly
News Update
Dairy Industry Crushed Innovator Who Bested
Price-Control System - - In the summer of 2003, shoppers in Southern
California began getting a break on the price of milk. A maverick dairyman
named Hein Hettinga started bottling his own milk and selling it for as much
as 20 cents a gallon less than the competition, exercising his right to work
outside the rigid system that has controlled U.S. milk production for almost
70 years. Soon the effects were rippling through the state, helping to hold
down retail prices at supermarkets and warehouse stores. That was when a
coalition of giant milk companies and dairies, along with their
congressional allies, decided to crush Hettinga's initiative. For three
years, the milk lobby spent millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign
contributions and made deals with lawmakers, including incoming Senate
Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) Last March, Congress passed a law
reshaping the Western milk market and essentially ending Hettinga's
experiment -- all without a single congressional hearing.
<more> Dec. 10, 2006 Washington Post
Procks receive Farm Bureau Achievement Award
- - Western United Dairymen members Ray and Erica Prock, who have a dairy
farm near Denair, received the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award at
this week's annual meeting of the California Farm Bureau Federation in
Anaheim. The group said the Procks, who run the farm with other family
members, have improved milk quality by growing more of their own feed and
changing the mix of cattle breeds. They will represent California in a
competition at the American Farm Bureau Federation's annual meeting next
month in Salt Lake City. Dec. 9, 2006 Modesto Bee
Slowing Growth in U.S. Milk Output - - Milk
production will likely slow in the United States in 2007 as improved prices
for milk are more than offset by forecast increases in feed costs, according
to the latest USDA World Agricultural Outlook Board forecasts. However,
dairy markets are relatively tight as demand for many dairy products is
reducing skim-basis stocks and supporting higher prices. Supplies of butter
are expected to remain ample, pressuring 2006 butter prices, but price
forecasts for cheese, nonfat dry milk, and whey are raised from last month.
Dec. 11, 2006 USDA World Outlook
Crop
Report: Corn prices keep rising
- - Farmers are
getting the best price for corn in more than a decade amid strong demand for
ethanol and feed, the Agriculture Department reported Monday.
Average corn prices for
the year were forecast at $2.90 to $3.30 a bushel, up 10 cents from last
month's estimate, according to the monthly crop report.
The last time prices were
as good was 1995, when the average was $3.25 a bushel. This year is the
fifth time corn prices have risen above $3 a bushel. Last year's average was
$2 a bushel.
<more> Dec. 11, 2006 AP
Wisconsin could lose its cheese title - -
Wisconsin, which proudly calls itself "America's Dairyland" and embraces all
things cheese as a whey of life, is not yet ready to become a second-rate
cheese power. California is poised to take over the crown — or the
cheesehead? — as the nation's top cheese producer as early as next year, but
Wisconsin cheese lovers say quality is more important than quantity. Last
year, California made 2.1 billion pounds of cheese, while Wisconsin produced
2.4 billion, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics. Given
the production trend, it is only a matter of time before California becomes
the big cheese of cheesemaking.
<more> Dec. 11, 2006
Study Detects Recent Instance of Human Evolution-
- The Ability to Digest Milk in Adulthood - - A surprisingly recent
instance of human evolution has been detected among the peoples of East
Africa. It is the ability to digest milk in adulthood, conferred by genetic
changes that occurred as recently as 3,000 years ago, a team of geneticists
has found. The finding is a striking example of a cultural practice — the
raising of dairy cattle — feeding back into the human genome. It also seems
to be one of the first instances of convergent human evolution to be
documented at the genetic level. Convergent evolution refers to two or more
populations acquiring the same trait independently. Throughout most of human
history, the ability to digest lactose, the principal sugar of milk, has
been switched off after weaning because there is no further need for the
lactase enzyme that breaks the sugar apart. But when cattle were first
domesticated 9,000 years ago and people later started to consume their milk
as well as their meat, natural selection would have favored anyone with a
mutation that kept the lactase gene switched on.
<more> Dec. 10, 2006 NY Times
Outbreaks Reveal Food Safety Net's Holes. Produce Growers Balk At Calls for Regulation - - First it was spinach. Then tomatoes. Now possibly green onions. Over the past three months, fresh produce has been the culprit in one episode of food-borne illness after another, the latest an E. coli outbreak that appears to be linked to green onions served at Taco Bell restaurants in the Northeast. More than 60 people have been sickened in that outbreak. The patchwork of federal and state regulations that is supposed to ensure food safety has become less effective as the nation's produce supply has grown increasingly industrial. Three months after the spinach scare, there is no agreement on what should be done to reduce health risks from the nation's fruits and vegetables even as each episode of illness has heightened a sense of urgency. <more> Dec. 11, 2006 Washington Post
Friday, Dec. 8, 2006
Dairies Moving Out of Inland Empire. Housing
developers are paying top dollar for land to farmers, many of whom are
relocating their herds north to the San Joaquin Valley. - - Once home to
one of the nation's largest concentrations of dairy farms, the Inland Empire's
$500-million dairy industry is rapidly evaporating as dozens of farmers sell
out to real estate developers. In the last two years, more than 160 dairies —
nearly 80% of those operating just a year ago — have either been sold or are
in escrow, according to the Milk Producers Council, a trade association based
in Chino. The industry could be virtually gone within five years. The pace of
sales has accelerated as land values in the region have soared. Developers are
offering $400,000 to $500,000 an acre, and sometimes more, for land farmers
purchased decades ago at just a fraction of that price. Five years ago, the
same land sold for $50,000 to $100,000 an acre.
<more> Dec. 8, 2006 LA Times
Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006
CDFA Undersecretary A. J. Yates will step down Jan.
15, 2007 - -CDFA Undersecretary A.J. Yates has announced his retirement
from the agency, effective January 15, 2007. Following three decades of
farming in Fresno County, the 72-year old Yates started his second career-as a
public servant-at CDFA in 1991. He worked under secretaries Henry Voss, Ann
Veneman and William (Bill) Lyons, Jr. until 2000 and then was tapped by
then-USDA Secretary Veneman as administrator of the federal agency's
Agricultural Marketing Service. Yates returned to CDFA in 2004 under current
Secretary A.G. Kawamura. "A.J. Yates is one of the leading statesmen of
California agriculture - a rare talent with a deep, intuitive understanding of
both farming and government," said Secretary Kawamura. "I know he's anxious
to return to his family in Kerman, and we wish him the best. His sage counsel
will be missed by all of us here at CDFA." In a letter to Secretary
Kawamura, Undersecretary Yates said, "It has been my great pleasure to work
with truly creative thinkers who believe that farming will continue to be the
cornerstone of California's economy for many years to come. Governor
Schwarzenegger is certainly one of the strongest proponents of this bright
future for agriculture and I have valued his vision." Dec. 7, 2006 CDFA
Press Release
Dec. 13 public workshops on draft
dairy waste discharge requirements - - The Central Valley
Regional Water Quality Control Board will hold a workshop Dec. 13 to gather
public comments on its draft
dairy waste discharge requirements (DWR). “It is a very detailed document
that is going to require a substantial amount of study,” commented Paul
Martin, WUD’s director of environmental services. “WUD staff has worked very
hard with the Board to help them understand how dairies operate, and we will
continue to work with staff to try to develop an acceptable regulatory
program.” The workshops will be held Wednesday, Dec. 13 in the water board's Fresno office, 1685 E
Street, from 4-7 p.m. WUD members are urged to
attend the Fresno workshop. Dec. 6, 2006 WUD
Weekly News Update
Minnesota’s Peterson Named Chairman of House Ag
Committee - - Today the House Democratic Caucus selected Congressman
Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota at the Chairman of the House Committee on
Agriculture for the 110th Congress. "I am honored to have this opportunity to
serve the great agricultural producers of our country," Peterson said. "There
is a lot of work to be done, and I look forward to joining my dedicated
colleagues on the Committee to give agriculture producers and all rural
Americans a voice in Congress." One of the major responsibilities that the
Agriculture Committee will address in 2007 is the reauthorization of farm
programs in the Farm Bill. The Farm Bill authorizes commodity support,
agricultural trade, marketing, food assistance, and rural development policies
over several years. The current farm bill was written in 2002, and many of the
provisions in that bill will expire in September of 2007. Congressman Peterson
represents the seventh district of Minnesota, a primarily rural and
agricultural district reaching from the Canadian border almost to the Iowa
state line along Minnesota's border with North and South Dakota. Dec. 7,
2006 Rep. Peterson Press Release
Van Dan named CEO of Alliance of Western Milk
Producers - - Bill Van Dam has been named the CEO of the Alliance of
Western Milk Producers. He begins his new position Jan. 1, 2007, replacing
Jim Tillison who joined the staff of National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF)
Oct. 1 as a senior vice president. The move brings Van Dam full circle back to
Sacramento where he began his career in 1969. After completing his course work
for a Masters Degree in Ag Econ from Cornell University, Bill Van Dam arrived
in Sacramento to take the job as General Manager of the League of California
Milk Producers. From there he moved on to Petaluma Coop (which soon became
California Cooperative Creamery) where he was the Assistant General Manager.
He was then part of a group of the coop managers led by Gene Benedetti that
purchased the fluid milk business (Clover) from the cooperative and founded
Clover Stornetta Farms. After selling his interest, Bill moved north to
Washington and then to Idaho to work as General Manager of the Dairy Division
of the J.R. Simplot Company. From there he moved on to a successful five years
as CEO of the Northwest Milk Marketing Federation, a producer group (set up as
a cooperative) which operated as a marketing agency that placed a premium on
Class 1 milk in Washington and Oregon during periods of low prices. This
experience with Federal Order markets allowed Bill, after the closure of NMMF
to operate as a consultant focused primarily on Federal Order issues. Most
recently Bill has been the Executive Director of Milk Producers Council
located in Chino California. Dec. 7, 2006 AWMP Press Release
East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition annual meetings set for next week - - The East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition (ESJWQC) is holding its second annual meetings next week to review 2006 monitoring results and water quality problems likely associated with agriculture. Topics Include: • Surprising results of a coalition-funded E.coli study designed to identify sources of numerous detections of the bacteria in local waterways. • Information on new requirements of coalition members. • Information on management practices to mitigate farm runoff found in local waterways. Meeting Locations:
• Tuesday; December 12; 1-3 pm, Merced County Agricultural Commissioners office, 2139 Wardrobe Avenue, Merced
• Wednesday, December 13, 10 am -12 pm; Stanislaus Agricultural Center, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Modesto, (lunch provided to those who RSVP: 209-522-7278)
• Thursday, December 14, 10 am -12 pm; Madera County Farm Bureau, 1102 S. Pine Street, Madera, (lunch provided to those who RSVP: 559-674-8871) Dec.7, 2006 ESJWCQC Press Release
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2006
WUD testifies for Class 1 price hike at Tuesday
hearing - - Western United Dairymen called for an increase in the Class
1 price in testimony presented Tuesday at a CDFA hearing on two similar
petitions filed by WUD and the Alliance of Western Milk Producers for
changes to the Class 1 pricing formula. The WUD petition calls for an
adjustment to Class 1 prices to bring them in reasonable relationship with
the Class I prices paid to producers in contiguous states. The WUD petition
requests changes that would result in an approximate 44-cent per
hundredweight increase in the Northern and Southern California Class 1
prices. This would be done by decreasing the butterfat price by $0.0200 per
hundredweight and increasing the Commodity Reference Price adjuster used in
the calculation of Class 1 nonfat solids and fluid carrier prices from the
current value of $0.464 per hundredweight to a new value of $0.900 per
hundredweight. To read WUD’s testimony in full,
please click here. Albert Nunes, CPA with Genske, Mulder & Co. LLP
testified on the current economic conditions faced by dairy producers. “We
greatly appreciate his efforts,” said WUD CEO Michael Marsh. A panel
recommendation will be provided to the Secretary for a final determination.
The Department has 62 days to announce a hearing determination. Dec. 6,
2006
Dec. 7 and Dec. 13 public workshops on draft
dairy waste discharge requirements - - The Central Valley
Regional Water Quality Control Board will hold two workshops to gather
public comments on its draft
dairy waste discharge requirements (DWR). “It is a very detailed document
that is going to require a substantial amount of study,” commented Paul
Martin, WUD’s director of environmental services. “WUD staff has worked very
hard with the Board to help them understand how dairies operate, and we will
continue to work with staff to try to develop an acceptable regulatory
program.” The workshops will be held Thursday Dec. 7 after lunch in
the water board's Rancho Cordova office, 11020 Sun Center Drive. The
second is set for Wednesday, Dec. 13 in the board's Fresno office, 1685 E
Street, from 4-7 p.m. WUD members are urged to
attend either the Rancho Cordova or the Fresno workshop. Dec. 6, 2006 WUD
Weekly News Update
Grassley continues fight against EPA rule on
agriculture dust - - Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is continuing his
efforts to block the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating
agriculture dust — this time offering an amendment to the Agriculture
Appropriations bill. “This is about the future. The rule is setting a bad
precedent for agriculture,” Grassley said in a statement. The amendment,
introduced Tuesday, has been endorsed by 13 of the nation’s largest
agriculture groups, including the National Milk Producers Federation.. In
October, Grassley hosted EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson at farm in Perry
to watch a soybean field harvested so he could see how the process stirs up
dust. A steady rain prevented the demonstration, but the senator said it
didn’t wash away concerns that the dust proposal could lead to lawsuits
against farmers.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 AP
Schumer pledges renewed MILC - - Sen. Charles
E. Schumer, D-N.Y., pledged Tuesday to work for renewal of a dairy price
support system that has provided $38 million in revenues to New York’s
dairy farmers in the last five months. More than a fifth of it is going to
Western New York farmers. “We're going to get an early start on
reauthorizing MILC [the Milk Income Loss Contract program]," Schumer said.
MILC provides subsidies when the price of milk falls below $16.94 per
hundredweight. The senator lobbied Congress to have the law extended to
August 2007. n the seven-county Western region, the price of milk was $14.60
Tuesday, Schumer said. In the last five months, he said, the program has
provided 906 Western New York farms $8.5 million in revenue.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Buffalo News
Has cash cheese found the bottom? - - For the
first time since November 21st, cash cheese prices on the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange held steady on Tuesday. Class III futures responded by moving
higher with double-digit increases for the first half of 2007. Brian Rice
with Rice Dairy LLC says the trade was expecting a break, and when the
cheese held steady and multiple buyers showed up in the barrel market, “The
trade looked at this and said is this it, is the bottom in?”
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Ruling on two dairies put off. Tulare Co.
officials want time to study new information. - - Frustrated Tulare
County supervisors reluctantly delayed a decision Tuesday on two proposed
dairies near Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park after an environmental
group submitted what it called new information. An attorney with the Center
on Race, Poverty & the Environment submitted three studies from 2004 to the
Board of Supervisors that could affect whether dairy applicant Sam
Etchegaray receives final approval for his dairy project in southern Tulare
County. In a 4-1 vote, the board decided to postpone the dairy issue until
Dec. 19 so county staff can research whether the environmental impact report
reviewed information in the reports found by the Delano-based environment
group.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Fresno Bee
State offers money to keep dairies from
Allensworth Park - - State park officials offered to pay a businessman
to build a pair of large dairies farther from a park honoring the state's
first community settled by black pioneers. "It's a very special park. It's
part of our history, and we're willing to explore ways to protect it," said
Scott Wassmund, a spokesman for the state Department of Parks and
Recreation. The state parks department proposed buying development rights
from Sam Etchegaray to leave a buffer between two massive dairies he plans
to build and Col. Allensworth State Historic Park. Etchegaray is not opposed
to selling some of the development rights, but there needs to be more
discussion on the issue, said his attorney David Albers.<more>
Dec. 6, 2006 AP
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services rejects blackbird
protection - - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined on Tuesday to
list tricolored blackbirds as an endangered species, noting that the bird's
population has increased with conservation efforts and it is not threatened.
The agency's decision ends a nearly two-year effort by the Center for
Biological Diversity to get the birds on the Endangered Species Act. "The
population numbers have increased substantially in the last four years,"
agency spokesman Al Donner said. "Secondly, there is a broad-based
conservation effort under way that is helping the species recover." A 2004
agency survey showed the tricolored blackbird population increased to
260,000 by 2004, up from 154,000 in 2000. Donner said the agency is working
with environmental groups, farmers and dairies in the Central Valley to
protect bird habitat as part of a strategy to keep the blackbird from being
listed as endangered. WUD’s Director of Environmental Services Paul Martin
noted that WUD has been engaged in the cooperative effort on the
conservation strategy.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 AP
San Francisco says no to cookie aroma at bus
stops - - What was billed as a pleasing alternative to exhaust fumes at
San Francisco bus stops ended after officials on Tuesday ordered the removal
of advertisements that gave off the scent of baked cookies. The fragrant
billboards, posted at five bus shelters on Monday in an effort by dairy
producers to make passengers thirsty for milk, had to come down because the
shelters' maintenance contractor had not informed San Francisco Municipal
Transportation Agency officials, said an agency spokeswoman. The milk board
said in a statement on Tuesday that the scent's ingredients were
flavor-based oils found in many foods. The campaign used scent-infused
adhesives affixed under bus benches and inside the shelters. "It is
unfortunate that the MTA has requested the removal of our scented bus
shelter ads," the milk board said. "The Got Milk? scented bus shelters were
intended to be a tasteful change from the frequent blasts of exhaust that
permeate the air around some of San Francisco's bus shelters."
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Reuters
State pushes to revise workers' comp process. New
rules are proposed to penalize insurers that unfairly delay or deny medical
- - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is preparing to punish
insurance companies that wrongly delay or deny medical care for workers hurt
on the job. Acknowledging growing complaints from workers, the state said
new rules were necessary to ensure that workers were not unfairly refused
drugs, surgery and other medical procedures that their doctors recommended.
"An unfair delay or denial in medical treatment is probably the worst thing
you can do to an injured worker," said Carrie Nevans, acting administrative
director of the state Division of Workers' Compensation. "The issue of
medical treatment affects 100% of the people in the system." The changes
come more than two years after the governor and Legislature heeded the calls
from businesses and overhauled the workers' comp system.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 LA Times
Bush
renews ag disaster aid veto threat - - The White House Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) on Tuesday issued a "Statement of Administration
Policy" on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations bill, a measure that, among
other things, includes an ag disaster aid provision that will total at least
$4 billion, and could grow to nearly $5 billion. The OMB statement repeated
an earlier threat by President Bush to veto the ag spending measure if the
ag disaster aid provision is included in the final bill. According to the
OMB statement, "The Administration strongly opposes the Senate's
agricultural assistance proposal, the cost of which could exceed $4
billion." The OMB policy statement goes on to cite a laundry list of reasons
the measure is unacceptable, noting half the disaster aid isn't directly
tied to production losses and pointing out the 2002 farm bill was designed
to prevent the kind of ad hoc disaster assistance program included in the ag
spending measure.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Dairy report heavy on state funding. Revitalizing
Alaska's industry needs subsidies; critics say support individual farmers.
-- A new state-commissioned report on reviving Alaska's shrinking dairy
industry has generated mixed reviews. The report authors, who include
business and legislative leaders, praised it for offering solid
recommendations for helping the beleaguered industry. "I think it was a
well-done piece of work," said David Wight, a former Alyeska Pipeline
Service Co. president who served on the committee that produced the 14-page
report. But others, including state Division of Agriculture director Larry
DeVilbiss, say its recommendations rely too heavily on subsidies for dairy
farmers and state assets like Matanuska Maid.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Anchorage Daily News
Methane credits now available on the Chicago
Climate Exchange - - The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) is now
offering methane credit trading to Iowa farmers through the Chicago Climate
Exchange. Dave Miller, IFBF’s Director of Research and Commodity Services,
says the first businesses enrolled in the methane credit program include a
1,500 head dairy operation near Elmwood, Illinois, a 3,900 head dairy farm
near Hilbert, Wisconsin and a 32,000 head dairy farm near Malone, Wisconsin.
<more> Dec. 6, 2006 Brownfield Ag News
Taco Bell pulls green onions after food scare - - Fast food chain Taco Bell said on Wednesday it has stopped serving green onions at its roughly 5,800 restaurants following a recent outbreak of the foodborne E. coli bacteria that caused it to temporarily close nine restaurants. Taco Bell, a unit of Yum Brands Inc. said preliminary tests showed three samples of green onions were found to be "presumptive positive" for the E. coli 0157:H7 strain. Tests were not yet conclusive, the company said. That strain of E. coli causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection and 60 deaths in the United States each year. <more> Dec. 6, 2006 Reuters
Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2006
Dairies in no moood for organic accusations.
Group leader criticizes comments linking E. coli outbreak to dairy manure.
- - The head of an organization that represents many of California's dairy
operators is criticizing a national organic group for its comments that
appeared to lay the blame for the recent spinach E. coli outbreak on manure
from dairy cows. Western United Dairymen CEO Michael Marsh said the
Cornucopia Institute "grossly misrepresented the facts" in information it
posted on its Web site and disseminated to its members. Among Marsh's
criticisms was the contention that the institute got its geography wrong
when it stated the Salinas Valley spinach and fresh-market region is
"contiguous to many [concentrated animal feeding operations] managing
thousands of dairy cows each." Marsh pointed out that Monterey County is
separated from the San Joaquin Valley, home to many mega-dairies, by the
California Coast Range.
<more> Dec. 5, 2006 Fresno Bee
Dairy Pitchmen Say It With Cookies - -
Five-year-old Gabby Supapo stuck her nose up in the air and sniffed.
"Oreos," she declared. Gabby clutched a pink bear in one hand and her mom's
hand in the other. "It makes me want to go to Starbucks," said her mother,
Ihrene Supapo, 25. Not exactly what the California Milk Processor Board had
in mind when it outfitted five San Francisco bus shelters with ads embedded
with the smell of just-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. In the latest
"Got Milk?" campaign, launched Monday, scented bus shelter advertisements
made their U.S. debut, according to Louis Zafonte of Arcade Marketing, which
designed the ads, building on decades of experience providing free sample
strips of perfume, cosmetics and other consumer products.
<more> Dec. 5, 2006 AP
Dairy Council’s New Hispanic Nutrition Guidelines
Promote Healthy Eating -- A Californian nutrition council has published
guidelines for Hispanic consumers in an effort to encourage good nutrition
amongst the nation's most unhealthy population, reports a
FoodNavigator-USA.com article. The nutrition information, published by the
Dairy Council of California, places strong, but not exclusive, emphasis on
dairy products. The group announced that its Web site, MealsMatter.org, will
provide nutritional tips in Spanish as well as English, to cater for the
nation's growing Hispanic population. "Latin foods are full of flavor, and
making simple changes to traditional recipes will significantly improve the
nutrition content of the dishes. Cooking with low-fat milk and reduced-fat
cheeses keeps the flavor while eliminating extra fat," said Monica Montes of
the Dairy Council of California.
<more> Dec. 5, 2006 Gourmetretailer.com
New Mexico, Texas
consortium looks to increase dairy business - -
A consortium of New Mexico, Texas and federal
institutions will coordinate research and develop new technologies and
outreach programs to improve production efficiency, herd health, milk
quality, forage production, water use efficiency, environmental quality and
biomass utilization for energy and nutrients recovery. The Southern Great
Plains Consortium will enhance the dairy industry’s competitiveness and its
economic impact on the Southern Great Plains economy as well as its ability
to produce a safe, wholesome and competitively priced supply of milk and
related products.
<more> Dec. 5, 2006 Clovis, New Mexico News Journal
High
tide for flood bills. Valley lawmakers dust off some old proposals and offer
new ones as the rainy season nears. - - With the rainy season about to
begin, Central Valley lawmakers are once again introducing various flood
protection bills that could change building standards for new and
established communities. On Monday, the first day of the new legislative
session, Sen. Mike Machado introduced a bill that would order the state
Department of Water Resources to update its flood control plan. Machado,
D-Linden, said he wants the state to take a comprehensive look at the role
of state and local governments, as well as developers and property owners.
"One of the problems of doing things serially is you could affect one part
of a community -- or parts of a community -- and leave old parts or other
communities unprotected," Machado said. "Then you have a New Orleans-type
situation, and that's what I'm so very much concerned about."
<more>
Dec. 5, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Welcome to the Capitol. 34 newcomers take oath as Legislature begins session - - A record 48 Assembly and Senate seats changed hands Monday, which also marked the first day of a 2 percent pay increase that will boost lawmakers' salaries from $110,880 to $113,097. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger attended the 75-minute Assembly session, marking the first time in decades, if ever, that California's governor has attended a legislative swearing-in. Schwarzenegger urged a continuation of bipartisanship that sparked agreements last session on a minimum wage increase, a discount pharmaceutical program, greenhouse gas reductions and a package of housing, school, road and flood-control bonds. "We can accomplish extraordinary things this year if we continue working together," the Republican governor said. "Let us find the things that we have in common, rather than the things that we should fight over." <more> Dec. 5, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Monday, Dec. 4, 2006
High Cost of Corn Hits Valley Dairy Farmers -
- Dairy farmers in the South Valley are getting hit with high corn costs,
especially now that there's a different use for it in the Valley. Dairy
farmers in the South Valley are complaining about the record high cost of
corn, used to feed their cows. Debora Bacon at the U.C. Cooperative
Extension says financially, it's hitting dairy farmers hard. "I know that
the prices are much higher right now for corn, and milk prices are
unfortunately are very low," Bacon said. This Tulare County farmer Pete
Tiemersma is one of those who's feeling the pinch. "I mean for me just on
corn alone, my bill has increased $15,000 a month," said Tiemersma
<more> Dec. 2, 2006 KFSN Channel 30 ABC-TV Fresno
Dairies threaten Allensworth, some say. Historic
park has support from around the state - - When plans to build two
dairies near the southwest Tulare County hamlet of Allensworth were made
public last spring, few paid attention. Just five Allensworth residents and
a school superintendent spoke up in opposition when the Tulare County
Planning Commission addressed the subject on April 26. That's about what
planning commissioners expect when large dairies are being considered —
local residents typically complain that dairies stink and can pollute the
water. But there was something unusual about Special Use Permit No. PSP
96-072. It sought to place a total of 7,500 Holstein dairy cows on two
160-acre plots within two miles of Colonel Allensworth State Park, the site
of the first African-American community established in California. Slowly,
word got out to the park's supporters across the state. Victor Carter,
president of the statewide Friends of Allensworth, attended a July meeting
to see what the proposal was about. The meeting alarmed him.
<more> Dec. 2, 2006 Visalia Times-Delta
Meeting greenhouse gas limit might be tricky. The
state must reduce emissions to a 1990 level that's uncertain. - - As
California carries out a new mandate to cut global warming pollution, its
progress will be measured against its greenhouse gas output in 1990 -- the
target point the state must reach by 2020.That may sound simple enough. But,
like California itself, figures for that benchmark year rest on
ever-shifting ground. Over the past decade, five state reports attempting to
quantify 1990 emissions give five different numbers -- ranging from 425
million metric tons to 468 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. Gerry
Bemis, a California Energy Commission civil engineer who compiled the most
recent inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, said the numbers will always
be at least a bit squishy.
<more>
Dec. 4, 2006 Sacramento Bee
Cows power plan for alternative fuel - -
Marie Audet's cows produce three things: milk, fertilizer and electricity.
They earn less than $13 a pound for the milk, a 25-year low, but 12 cents
per kilowatt-hour for the electricity, a 4-cent premium over the market
price. That's why the Audet family and a growing number of other dairy
farmers have decided there's money in manure. Power derived from manure is
changing from an alternative-fuel experiment to a business, pushed by high
oil costs, low milk prices and new laws restricting harmful gas emissions
and requiring the use of renewable energy. Two generators at the Audets'
Blue Spruce Farm feed electricity to the local utility. They run on methane
gas derived from cow manure. The farm is part of Cow Power, a program of the
local electric company, Central Vermont Public Service. Cow Power gives
customers the option to pay higher rates to subsidize farm-generated,
poop-powered electricity. The 4-cent premium the farmers are paid helps
cover the cost of installing an anaerobic digester that extracts methane
from cowpies.
<more> Dec. 3, 2006 USA Today
Florez, Parra to butt heads again. Longtime
rivals likely to clash over fallout from E. coli outbreak, senator's efforts
to expand air district board -- Kern County's state legislators elected
Nov. 7 haven't even been sworn in yet, but sparks are already flying between
two of them. The long-running feud between the county's two Democratic
lawmakers, Sen. Dean Florez of Shafter and Assemblywoman Nicole Parra of
Hanford, shows no signs of abating as they approach today's first meeting of
the new two-year session. As the county's legislative delegation was asked
last week about plans for bills they will sponsor, Parra and Florez clashed
over at least two issues that are important to their rural Central Valley
districts.
<more> Dec. 4, 2006 Bakersfield Californian
Valley congressmen visit Geneva to talk trade
with other nations. Changes appearing likely with Democrats in power - -
Geneva can heat up just before winter, when talk turns to trade. This week,
three San Joaquin Valley lawmakers settled into the Swiss city for
international trade discussions. Nothing got settled, but much was said.
"Under the Democrats, trade will take a huge setback," Rep. Devin Nunes,
R-Visalia, predicted Friday, "because they're beholden to organized labor."
Democrats disagree. But taken together, competing views voiced in Rome and
Geneva during the weeklong trip gave U.S. negotiating partners a taste of
Capitol Hill conflicts to come. There's a farm bill to write, loaded with
controversial crop subsidies. There are new power brokers in Congress,
stressing labor and environmental protections. A crucial deadline
approaches, potentially undermining future trade deals. "We had a good
opportunity to state the challenges we face in our country," said Rep. Jim
Costa, D-Fresno. "There's certainly a hill to climb."
<more> Dec. 2, 2006 Modesto Bee
California lawmakers sworn in - - Under the
watchful eyes of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, the new Legislature took the oath of office Monday, prepared
to take on a host of issues ranging from health care to the way political
districts are drawn. Monday's swearing-in marked a series of firsts: a
record 48 seats changed hands from the Nov. 7 election; a new 2 percent pay
hike went into effect, boosting salaries to $113,097 per year; and
supplemental pay jumped from $153 to $162 per day - totaling about $29,000
annually - for living expenses while in Sacramento. Meanwhile, Assembly and
Senate leaders outlined their priorities, which will test bipartisan
cooperation between the Democrat-controlled Legislature and Schwarzenegger
that sparked agreements last session on a minimum wage increase, greenhouse
gas reductions, and a package of road, housing, school and flood-control
bond measures that were approved by voters.
<more>
Dec. 4, 2006 Sacramento Bee
UC Cooperative Extension holds California Farm Succession Conference in 2007 - - Avoiding the pitfalls that can be associated with passing the family farm down to younger generations and keeping farmland in agricultural production are the goals of a comprehensive conference offered by the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), to be held in two parts at the Hilton Hotel-Arden West, 2200 Harvard St., Sacramento. The first session of the conference is from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13. After the first session, the participants will take home what they've learned, hold a family meeting, collect information and come back for the second session with everything they need to write a succession plan. The second session is from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 16, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 17. "Discussions will cover such issues as bringing in new partners, selling or giving the farm to heirs, and what to do if no heirs want the farm," said UCCE farm advisor Deborah Giraud, the conference coordinator. "By the end of the program, the participants will have a succession plan drafted that is well on its way to completion." <more> Dec. 4, 2006 UC ANR Press Release
Friday, Dec. 1, 2006
Cold weather hits Sonoma County - - After more than 30 years in the barns, dairy rancher and Western United Dairymen director Domenic Carinalli no longer heads out to milk the cows each morning. He's got a crew of people to do that for him, starting at 1 a.m. But Carinalli, 65, still rose by 4:30 a.m. Thursday to face the frigid pre-dawn darkness on his dairy near Hessel even as most others in Sonoma County snuggled more deeply under their covers to sleep through the c