Trump’s promised farm bonanza From China deal far from fulfilled [Bloomberg]
President Donald Trump’s promise that his phase one trade deal with China would provide a $36.5 billion election-year bonanza for his rural base was always a stretch. Now it looks like it may never be fulfilled. … The agreement is caught in the middle of rising tensions between the U.S. and China. … “At this point it looks to be a lot of political posturing,” said Veronica Nigh, a trade economist for the American Farm Bureau Federation, the nation’s largest general farm organization. “We’re hoping the parties can come to a place where it doesn’t endanger the phase one deal moving forward.”
Lawmakers look for new ways to pay for broadband in rural California [EdSource via Santa Cruz Sentinel]
California voters could see a new bond proposal on the ballot this November that would pay for broadband infrastructure in rural California — areas that have struggled to provide students with appropriate devices and internet access during the coronavirus pandemic. … One major hurdle to ensuring students can connect with their teachers and not fall behind while schools are closed is a lack of access to technology, in particular for low-income students and those in rural parts of the state.
Prop. 13 faces partial repeal in November. Here’s what is at stake. [San Joaquin Valley Sun]
California’s longtime property tax rules outlined in Proposition 13 – passed in 1978 – face a challenge on the November ballot that seeks to increase taxes in the form of a split-roll tax. … Farmers and agricultural groups are also widely against the initiative, even though agricultural land is supposed to remain under Prop 13’s rules. “Although its backers claim agricultural land would not be affected, the initiative would trigger annual tax reassessments at market value for agricultural improvements such as barns, dairies, wineries, processing plants, vineyards and orchards,” said California Farm Bureau Federation President Jamie Johansson in a statement.
http://sjvsun.com/news/politics/prop-13-faces-partial-repeal-in-november-heres-what-is-at-stake/
Agencies investigate adding capacity in San Luis Reservoir [West Side Index]
Two agencies are studying the feasibility of supplementing a seismic safety project planned for B.F. Sisk Dam with a second component that would increase the capacity of San Luis Reservoir. … While the dam safety project involves raising the crest of the earthen structure as much as 12 feet, as well as seismic reinforcements, it does not, in itself, increase capacity in the reservoir. … Now, the Bureau of Reclamation and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority are teaming up to study the feasibility of raising the crest by an additional 10 feet to create new capacity.
Community comes together to support students in agriculture [KFSN TV, Fresno]
It can take 4H and FFA students anywhere from four months to two years to prepare an animal for auction. With county fairs canceled all over California, it has left Ag students with no place to sell their animals. Thanks to the Madera County Farm Bureau, Producers Livestock and the local community, they’re giving students a platform to sell their animals.
Opinion: How farmers got Florida to ‘swipe ripe’ [New York Times]
… Many of us associate small, local farms that grow a diverse group of crops with bougie markets and expensive produce. But this crisis shows us that they can play a vital role in moving food from field to plate when traditional supply chains fail. Before the coronavirus upended our lives, a majority of Americans knew little of how food is brought to the dinner table or about the plight of the nation’s farmers. Now we know better.
