Emergency projects aim to protect California’s most vulnerable areas from catastrophic wildfires [Sacramento Bee]
After battling the most destructive wildfires in California’s history over the past two years, Cal Fire is rolling out emergency fuel reduction projects to help protect the state’s most vulnerable communities. The 35 projects span the state, from Siskiyou to San Diego counties….Not only are fuel reduction projects for community protection, but they are also for forest restoration, officials said….Officials said the catastrophic Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and obliterated the community of Paradise in Butte County in November 2018, prompted the current fire protection efforts.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/fires/article231804663.html
Butte County farmers fearful more power shutoffs will affect crop storage, processing [Chico Enterprise-Record]
As Butte County prepares for more potential PG&E power outages from weather and heat related incidents the agriculture industry wonders: How would more shutoffs affect local farmers?…Former Butte County Farm Bureau President Clark Becker is a local rice farmer in the area….“If the outages continue, especially in the valley floor, the rice mills will be affected,” Becker said….Chico almond farmer and pest control adviser Lee Heringer says farmers could face hardships with more power shutoffs, saying farmers need equipment and crop facilities that completely rely on electricity.
SLO County farmers hopeful as US nears trade agreement with Mexico and Canada [KSBY, San Luis Obispo]
As the United States nears a trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, local farmers are hopeful about the future of the agriculture business here in San Luis Obispo County….San Luis Obispo County farmers are looking forward to working together with Canada and Mexico. If an agreement passes, they say it will level the playing field for Americans while strengthening trade in North America. “The USMCA would remove trade barriers and tariffs that are currently existing,” said SLO Farm Bureau President Anna Negranti.
Agriculture secretary says U.S. farmers are ‘casualties’ of trade war: CNN [Reuters]
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue acknowledged that American farmers are “casualties” of President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, according to an interview broadcast on Tuesday. Perdue told CNN he did not expect a trade deal to be reached when Trump meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping this month at the G20 summit in Japan but hopes one can be struck by the end of the year. The Trump administration has designated aid for farmers, a key constituency that helped carry the Republican to his 2016 electoral win, but they still have been among the hardest hit from the trade dispute with China.
California wine sales reach $40 billion in United States [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
Despite a slowdown in overall wine sales, shipments of California wine grew 3% last year in the United States to a total of 248 million cases, an industry trade group announced Monday. Sales of all wine rose just 1 percent last year, but California wine — which accounted for 61% of the wine consumed last year by Americans — continues to dominate the U.S. market, according to figures released by the Wine Institute, the trade group for California wineries. U.S. consumers spent $40.2 billion on wine from the Golden State last year, a 3.9% increase, the group reported.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/business/9734929-181/california-wine-sales-reach-40
Growing season ends after 71 years at Lockhart Seeds [Stockton Record]
Lockhart Seeds, Inc. has helped untold generations of farmers and home gardeners at its small North Wilson Way establishment for more than a half-century. Come 5 p.m. Friday, it will close its doors for good….Lockhart Seeds publicly announced its decision to close on May 16 in a Facebook post thanking customers for 71 years of business….Bruce Blodgett, executive director of the San Joaquin Farm Bureau, said there’s always a concern when a longtime fixture in the community and region falls victim to online retail.
https://www.recordnet.com/news/20190624/growing-season-ends-after-71-years-at-lockhart-seeds
