In rare bipartisan bill, U.S. senators tackle climate change via agriculture [Reuters]
U.S. senators on Thursday introduced a bipartisan bill that would direct the Agriculture Department to help farmers, ranchers and landowners use carbon dioxide-absorbing practices to generate carbon credits, a rare collaboration on climate change. The proposed Growing Climate Solutions Act directs the USDA to create a program that would help the agriculture sector gain access to revenue from greenhouse gas offset credit markets. … Landowners and farmers can generate credits and earn money for activities ranging from reforestation to sequestering carbon in soil to capturing methane from livestock.
Farm-to-table dining takes on new meaning amid pandemic [Associated Press]
… The farm-to-table movement in the United States has grown in recent years, as consumers have increasingly demanded locally sourced food. But in the past several weeks, the movement has grown out of necessity because some producers can’t rely on the complex web of processors, distributors and middlemen to get food to customers. For some, the challenges have turned into opportunities — and new customers. … But it’s not good news for many of America’s food producers. … Some sectors have also suffered reductions in value, in part because the restaurants they normally rely on are closed.
Opinion: California’s small farmers are falling through the cracks of COVID-19 federal aid [Fresno Bee]
… The new CFAP program is both flawed by design and ill-suited to meet the needs of our farmers. As structured, the program primarily benefits farmers with large operations, with multiple staff, and existing relationships and experience working with USDA’s Farm Service Agency. … Since March, we have been urging state leaders in Sacramento to launch a California Farm Crisis Initiative to help support small farmers with technical assistance block grants to local providers to enhance their capacity to work one-on-one with farmers to access state and federal stimulus and relief resources. Without such help, most small farmers won’t even make an attempt at federal relief.
https://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article243240356.html
Racial equity, coronavirus, homelessness bills advance to Assembly floor [Capital Public Radio, Sacramento]
… Those three big topics make up just a portion of the roughly 150 bills approved by the powerful Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, including a $2 billion homelessness package, stricter rules for workplace safety in hospitals and agriculture, and a coronavirus relief bill for struggling homeowners. … The committee approved legislation to tighten safety standards at jails and prisons, as well as for workers at hospitals and in agriculture.
Chicken industry executives, including Pilgrim’s Pride CEO, indicted on price-fixing charges [Wall Street Journal]
The chief executive of one of the country’s biggest chicken producers and three other industry executives were indicted Wednesday on charges they conspired to fix prices on chicken sold to restaurants and grocery stores, the Justice Department’s first charges in a continuing criminal antitrust probe. … The indictments come amid growing concern among farmers, grocery stores and restaurants that declining competition among a smaller number of big meatpackers is pushing up meat prices for consumers while reducing farmers’ and ranchers’ income.
Volume of public comment delays decision on cannabis ordinance amendments [Santa Maria Times]
An overwhelming volume of written and verbal public comments on recommended changes to the cannabis land use ordinances prevented the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors from even starting deliberations on the proposals. … The goal of the amendments is to address cannabis odor — the issue that has generated the most complaints from the public, vineyards and wine tasting rooms — and other conflicts with residential areas and traditional agricultural crops.
