A reservoir shutdown pits neighbor against neighbor. One group is threatening to reopen it by force [CNN]
… As the Klamath Basin dried up, an environmental crisis exploded into a water war this year that has pitted local farmers against Native American tribes, government agencies and conservationists, with one group threatening to take the water back by force. … The shutdown has upended agricultural practices, taxed the community and added financial burden to farming families. … Yet many local farmers do not want to get their water back by force. … As time runs out and the drought worsens, the one thing that all stakeholders seem to agree on is that the current way of managing the water crisis is not working.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/10/us/klamath-oregon-drought-water-war/index.html
Drought taking a toll on West Side agriculture [West Side Index/Gustine Press-Standard]
West Side agriculture is facing a drought crisis, with surface water allocations reduced to the Central California Irrigation District and eliminated altogether in small federal districts such as the Del Puerto Water District. Some growers are leaving open ground fallow and abandoning older orchards, particularly in districts such as Del Puerto, to concentrate what little water they have on fewer acres of permanent plantings or higher-value crops. … What supplemental water is available on the open market is drawing a premium price, Jasper added.
Drought is back. How cities and irrigation districts in Stanislaus are limiting water [Modesto Bee]
The drought won’t force sudden cuts in water use by city residents in Stanislaus County, because they are in conservation mode all the time. … The drought has varying effects for farmers, who use the vast majority of the county’s water. Most are getting at least 75% of their accustomed amount from local rivers this year, and many can use wells to supplement this. But parts of the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley are getting nothing this year from the federal system. … But most water agencies are putting only modest limits on users, with the hope that 2022 will be wetter.
https://www.modbee.com/news/business/agriculture/article252006988.html
PG&E warns of more blackouts during California’s wildfire season [Wall Street Journal]
PG&E Corp. said it is likely to proactively cut power to customers in Northern California more frequently this fall in anticipation of extreme wildfire risk. The company said it has been rushing to trim trees away from power lines and inspect poles and towers ahead of wildfire season, which starts in the summer and peaks in the fall. But it is behind on some of that work and recently agreed to implement more stringent safety recommendations. … The company recently agreed to new shut-off criteria in response to recommendations by U.S. District Judge William Alsup.
Judge pauses loan forgiveness program for farmers of color [Associated Press]
A federal judge has halted a loan forgiveness program for farmers of color in response to a lawsuit alleging the program discriminates against white farmers. U.S. District Judge William Griesbach in Milwaukee issued a temporary restraining order Thursday suspending the program for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers … Minority farmers have maintained for decades that they have been unfairly denied farm loans and other government assistance. … Conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed suit in April arguing white farmers aren’t eligible, amounting to a violation of their constitutional rights.
From beans to burgers, food is getting more expensive [Wall Street Journal]
Soup, Spam and Shake Shack burgers are all getting more expensive as food companies pass along higher costs to consumers. … Food prices are rising because of the higher costs for labor and transport but also ingredients including corn, soybean oil and wheat. Rising meat prices got another bump up last week when a ransomware attack briefly knocked offline JBS SA plants that process nearly a quarter of U.S. beef and a fifth of chicken and pork. … Costs to transport food products are up by as much as 25% from a year ago for some food makers because of high demand for shipping during the pandemic coupled with a shortage of truck drivers.
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.
