Western drought reveals need for stronger farm protections, agriculture secretary says [Wall Street Journal]
A drought gripping the Western U.S. shows the need for stronger protections for farmers navigating growing climate-related risks, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. Since taking leadership of the USDA earlier this year, Mr. Vilsack has urged lawmakers to redesign farm support systems and disaster programs to help farmers cope with harsher and longer-lasting weather calamities, he said. The economic scars left by droughts and other disasters can linger for years, Mr. Vilsack said, rippling beyond farms, ranches and orchards into other sectors of the economy.
Glenn County supervisors put temporary halt on agriculture well drilling [Chico Enterprise-Record]
The Glenn County Board of Supervisors approved an interim ordinance Tuesday that puts a temporary stoppage on the drilling of new agriculture water well permits in Glenn County. The moratorium, which took place immediately Tuesday, lasts for 45 days. … A second motion was made to change the ordinance from the date listed as June 1 to the meeting date of June 22, which was initially brought up by Rita Martin from the Glenn County Farm Bureau. … “Glenn County Farm Bureau understands the difficult position the Board of Supervisors is in regarding this moratorium and would like to encourage you to use the next 45 days to develop long term solutions for betterment of both domestic and agriculture groundwater users,” Martin said.
How is California’s landmark groundwater law impacting Sonoma County? [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
… Three of Sonoma County’s 14 groundwater basins are subject to such oversight: Sonoma Valley, the Santa Rosa Plain and Petaluma Valley. … One approach to groundwater recharge is known by a wonky acronym: flood-MAR, short for Managed Aquifer Recharge. During high water river flows, water can be directed to nearby agricultural lands – vineyards along the Russian River are a good example. … Some rural well owners fear their interests are being ignored in favor of large agricultural interests.
These are the California crops that use the most water [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
… On average, California crops used 2.97 acre feet of water per acre that year, the data show. … The analysis ranked pasture first among California’s top 10 most water-intensive crops … Roughly 40% of California’s water use is agricultural, according to Josue Medellin-Azuara, a director at the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. In analyzing agricultural water use during a drought, it’s important to consider the economic benefits of growing crops, Medellin-Azuara said in an interview. … Using Department of Water Resources data, they found that “nearly 85% of all employment and revenues are from growing fruits, nuts and vegetables, which are about half of California’s irrigated acreage.”
Nut thefts are a problem: They’re tough cases to crack [NPR]
… Organized agricultural crime rings have long targeted California’s pistachio and almond growers, and theft is becoming more of a serious concern as production has increased in recent years. … Nuts are remarkably suitable for the black market trade. Of course, they don’t have serial numbers or QR codes. They’re less perishable than other crops. So thieves can store them for lengthy periods of time. … To prevent heists facilities have installed surveillance cameras and specialized tags on trucks. But thieves can still outwit growers: it’s not uncommon for thieves to hack into trucking companies’ computer systems, generate fake load orders and leave with thousands of dollars’ worth of cargo, England says.
https://www.npr.org/2021/06/25/1009792395/nut-thefts-are-a-problem-theyre-tough-cases-to-crack
Editorial: Time for Newsom to make good on California fire preparedness promises [San Diego Union-Tribune]
… The governor who pledged to transform the state’s wildfire response is now running a state that is on track to have Cal Fire improve fire readiness on fewer acres in 2021 than it did in 2019 — even though a severe drought is now plaguing most of the state. The Newsom administration says the picture will rapidly improve with the state budget that takes effect on July 1. But it should have rapidly improved nine months ago when California was burning and it became clear state revenue wouldn’t crater.
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