23ABC takes in-depth look at California’s drought concerns impacting agriculture [KERO-TV, Bakersfield]
… Although most cities have plenty of water storage to get through the year there is worry that there won’t be enough water for farmers and rural wells could also run dry. … “Because of our environmental concerns our water is being cut back. Much of the water is being let go through the Delta into the Pacific Ocean for the protection of the Delta smelt and salmon. Farmers up and down the valley have really been cut back on their supply of water,” said Keith Gardiner. … Kern County Congressmen Kevin McCarthy and David Valadao, along with other California Congress members, are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency as the state faces another drought.
EPA wants to leave Trump rules on insecticide in place while studying impact on bees [San Francisco Chronicle]
To the dismay of environmentalists, the Biden administration is proposing to continue its predecessor’s licensing of the widely used insecticide sulfoxaflor while examining the chemical’s harmful effect on honeybees. … Sulfoxaflor, a Dow Chemical product, was first approved by the EPA in 2013 to kill insects on citrus fruits, cotton and other crops despite the agency’s finding that it was “very highly toxic” to honeybees. It was not legalized in California, which has its own pesticide rules, but state regulators approved limited use of the insecticide last spring and are being sued in Alameda County Superior Court.
Porterville Fairgrounds hosts farmworker vaccine and resource fair. Advocates say more help needed in Valley [Visalia Times-Delta]
The Porterville Fairgrounds is serving as a temporary mass vaccine site and resource center for farmworkers in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Up to 3,000 doses of vaccines will be administered across the three-day event. Attendees will also receive food boxes and information about emergency preparedness. … Grassroots volunteers with the California Farmworker Foundation noted that many ag laborers remain hesitant to receive a coronavirus vaccine. Some fear that their immigration status may be used against them if they sign up for an appointment, while others have expressed concerns about vaccine safety.
Summit pegs Kern’s net pandemic impact at $1.7 billion in lost wages [Bakersfield Californian]
New research out of Cal State Bakersfield shows the pandemic has had lopsided economic impacts in Kern, boosting some industries and devastating others, for a net loss of $1.7 billion in wages across the county. … CSUB’s Nyakundi Michieka, one of three economists speaking at the abbreviated event broadcasted by KGET-TV 17, pointed out that the biggest drops in Kern employment took place in May, August and September. Local agriculture shed more than 20,000 jobs during each of those months, he noted.
Why is fashion talking about regenerative farming? [New York Times]
Fashion, like politics, loves a buzzword — especially when it comes to the environment. … And now there’s a new favorite in town: regenerative. … Advocates describe it as a holistic approach, working with nature, rather than trying to control it. That means foregoing various industrial agriculture practices, which could include pesticides, store-bought fertilizers, tilling or neat little rows of a single crop. Also, no weed-pulling. … You can be an organic farmer and not be regenerative — you can skip the animals, skip the cover crops, and instead haul in compost each season. And you can be regenerative and not be organic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/20/style/fashion-regenerative-farming.html
Opinion: Finding alternatives to agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley [Modesto Bee]
… Agricultural burning is one of the leading causes of poor air quality and contributes to death, obesity, asthma, and other respiratory diseases. … The San Joaquin Valley needs financial support from the government and policies that support farmers as they attempt to phase out agricultural burning while also recovering economically from COVID-19. … We call on all community members to make their voices heard and let California Gov. Gavin Newsom know they are passionate about the state fully funding agricultural burning alternatives at $30 million per year.
https://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/article250698394.html
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