California’s ‘Cantaloupe Center’ struggles to reign supreme as drought pummels agriculture across the West [Washington Post]
This small town in California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley advertises itself as the “Cantaloupe Center of the World.” But as relentless drought punishes California and the West, the land is drying up and the cantaloupes are disappearing. Farmers have let large portions of their melon fields lie fallow as they struggle to get by on dramatically curtailed water supplies. Some are giving their vines barely enough water to stay alive in an effort to conserve. In other cases, fields that have already been planted will never get harvested because there’s not enough water for the fruit to survive. “We could have fields that could burn up because of lack of water,” said Joe Del Bosque, who grows organic melons on a 2,000-acre farm near here and sells to high-end grocers like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Del Bosque has cut back his melon crop by 20 percent this year. Climate change and a devastating heat wave have decimated towns like Mendota this summer, and the carnage stretches far beyond fruit. Farmworkers are struggling to find employment, working fewer hours or driving long distances for jobs. Without the water everyone needs to survive, a sense of anxiety pervades about what the future will bring.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/08/27/california-drought-farmers-cantaloupe/
’Exposed to toxic smoke and ash’: Proposed law would increase workplace protections amid wildfires [San Luis Obispo Tribune]
Multiple wildfires, toxic smoke and a global pandemic haven’t prevented Marco Siorda, a 29-year-old farmworker, from working in the fields of Imperial County. Despite being part of a critical workforce that puts food on the table for many Californians, Siorda said his employer doesn’t offer masks to protect him from inhaling toxic wildfire smoke. Instead, he said, he must bring a mask from home to prevent putting his health at risk. It’s why some Democrats and members of the California Latino Legislative Caucus are pushing for a bill that would seek to increase workplace protections for farmworkers from poor air quality caused by California’s wildfires. While many of us had the ability to shelter indoors last week,” said co-author of the bill, Assemblymember Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, referring to large wildfires that burned near Sacramento. “Agricultural workers remained outdoors in smoky fields and orchards, harvesting and producing the crops that helped feed our state and helped feed our country.” Assembly Bill 73, also known as the Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Protections Act, would designate agricultural workers as “essential workers” to allow them access to the California Department of Public Health’s stockpile of N95 masks.
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/california/article253712098.html
California lemon grower raises alarm over Argentina imports [The Packer]
The surge in Argentina lemon imports this summer has changed the market window for Ventura lemons. Argentina lemon shipments through Aug. 21 totaled 2.72 million 40-pound cartons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, up 62% from 1.68 million cartons a year ago. The USDA approved imports from Argentina in 2017, and U.S. imports of Argentina lemons have risen from $1.8 million in 2017-18 to $49.8 million in 2020-21. Shipping point prices for California lemons were $36-44 per carton for 95s, up slightly from $33-40 per carton a year ago. Prices for Argentina lemon imports in Philadelphia were $16-20 per carton on Aug. 25, according to the USDA. Ventura County grower Jim Finch said California lemon growers could be in a much better position with “even playing fields.” “I think we are very productive and very innovative and can compete, but when we have more and more regulations and higher costs, it gets harder and harder. A lot of our pickers were making $18-plus an hour, some as high as $25 an hour,” he said. “It gets tough when you’re up against a wage that’s $2 an hour in some of these other countries.”
A hellish summer in Lake Tahoe: Choked in smoke with the Caldor fire closing in fast [Los Angeles Times]
As the destructive Caldor fire creeps closer to the popular Lake Tahoe resort area, the boaters, hikers and beachgoers who typically descend on South Lake Tahoe ahead of Labor Day have all but vanished. And the lake itself — a blue jewel of California — is now choppy and dark under a dense blanket of smoke. The layer of ash in the area is thick enough in some places to leave footprints. The smoke in the basin has gotten so thick — and the air quality so hazardous — that even Mike Papa, a 32-year resident who works at the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, said he had no choice but to advise people to stay away, a notion that runs counter to everything his office stands for.
Food and Ag Secretary Karen Ross talks water, sustainable workforce [Visalia Times Delta]
Water is the No. 1 topic for California growers, but top officials recognize that technology could help put more food on tables. Both issues were hot topics during an AgTech Summit held in Reedley. Karen Ross, secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, addressed the issues. “I really do feel that we’re at a crossroads in California agriculture because of a cumulative impact from a number of things,” Ross said. “We also know labor availability and the new skills for labor are things we have to pay attention to. Water is always going to be topic No. 1, but the importance of the people who make this industry work so well will continue its long-term sustainability.” Ross believes a melding of new technology and traditional methods of agriculture will blend to help a new generation of farmworkers. “What we need to do is expand because that’s how rapidly the tech knowledge is changing the automation,” she said.
Pomona farm is a space for children to grow their own food [Inland Valley Daily Bulletin]
Pomona children ages 2 to 12 are learning how to cultivate their own food and run a farm through Urban Farmer Training for Kids. The 2 ½ acre lot near Lopez Elementary School each Sunday is one of eight public green spaces in city where children can get their hands dirty, plant seeds and eat what they grow. Using an environment-focused curriculum developed at Humboldt State University, Yorba-Patten and volunteer Lisa Christie hope to interest youth in urban gardening and understanding the power of agriculture. Often, there is a disconnect for children when it comes to the food they eat, primarily how it’s grown and where it comes from, Stephen Yorba-Patten, who oversees the farm. Many don’t have access to a garden or an area where they can grow produce, he says. “A lot of them don’t have the experience of growing food; they don’t know where it comes from. They don’t even know what part of the plant they’re eating until they come out here,” Yorba-Patten said. “We’re really trying to promote to the kids that we can learn to feed ourselves.”
https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/08/26/pomona-farm-is-a-space-for-children-to-grow-their-own-food/
Ag Today is distributed by the California Farm Bureau Marketing/Communications Division to county Farm Bureaus, California Farm Bureau directors and staff, for information purposes only; stories may not be republished without permission. Some story links may require site registration. Opinions expressed in stories, commentaries or editorials included in Ag Today do not necessarily represent the views of the California Farm Bureau. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this message and please provide your name and email address. For more information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.
