Rising Rents Collide With Immigration in California Agriculture Region [Wall Street Journal]
…As border security has tightened in recent years, agricultural companies in this farm town are relying less on illegal immigrant laborers and instead turning to a visa category called H-2A….Like most of the state, the Central Coast has also been dealing with an affordable housing shortage for years….Illegal immigrants have long been a backbone of the labor force here, as in many farming regions, and they usually find their own housing. They are among those concerned about being pushed out as more H-2A workers arrive and rents rise.
Holy guacamole! Prices for tomatoes, avocados could skyrocket with Mexico tariffs [McClatchy News Service]
Californians looking to stretch their savings may be saying, “Hold the tomatoes, please,” as President Donald Trump’s tariff on Mexican food imports threatens to raise the price of popular grocery store staples…Mexico is America’s third largest trade partner, and more than $1.6 billion is spent in two-way trade between the two countries each day. Mexico also accounts for nearly a fifth of California’s export market….The U.S. Chamber of Commerce conducted an analysis of the state-by-state impact of the tariffs; California will lose $2.2 billion when the 5 percent tariff goes into effect and more than $11 billion once the full tariff is in place.
https://www.sacbee.com/food-drink/article231208013.html
Water, water everywhere: Good and bad of California’s rising reservoir levels [KTVU, Oakland]
…Northern California’s cool and wet spring has created the ideal conditions for ample snowpack water supplies for most, if not all of the summer….But Orrock says some reservoirs are close to capacity and there is nowhere to put the water. ‘We’re gonna have to start releasing more if the snow starts melting more,” he said. “But, if we do get that rapid melt off, there’s not much we can do about that.” All reservoir owners are taking part in the complex process of releasing enough water to have space to catch the snowmelt without releasing too much.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/water-water-everywhere-good-and-bad-of-california-s-rising-reservoir-levels
Napa County sets standards for propane cannons in vineyards [Napa Valley Register]
Napa County has new rules to help south county residents who say constant “booms” from bird-scaring propane cannons in vineyards can be an annoying tattoo of noise. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved standards for propane cannon use, such as limiting how long and what times of the day cannons can be shot….Napa County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Klobas said before the meeting that the group’s board of directors finds the new bird cannon standards as being acceptable….“A lot of our members thought these (standards) were things that are already commonplace,” Klobas said.
Environmental group threatens to sue over beaver killings in California [Redding Record Searchlight]
An environmental group wants the U.S. Department of Agriculture to stop killing beavers. Noting that nearly 7,000 beaver were killed in California from 2010 to 2017, the Center for Biological Diversity has asked the department to consult with other federal agencies about how beaver killing affects endangered species….Espinosa said, too, there are a variety of reasons people ask Wildlife Services to get rid of beavers. Some of those “include burrowing/undermining levees and floodwater control infrastructure, blocking water conveyance, flooding and agricultural damage to vineyards, orchards, crops, etc.,” she said.
Animal welfare activists released from jail after Petaluma duck farm arrests [Santa Rosa Press Democrat]
About 70 animal welfare activists were released Wednesday from the Sonoma County Jail following their arrests Monday during a large-scale demonstration at a Petaluma duck farm, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. During the protest, organized by Berkeley-based group Direct Action Everywhere, about 300 activists arrived on buses at the Reichardt Duck Farm to denounce the conditions of birds raised at the farm….District Attorney spokeswoman Joan Croft said the office was still reviewing evidence Wednesday, and no charges had been filed. She said because of the high number of arrests and large volume of evidence, the office has not yet reached a decision about what charges, if any, will be filed against the protesters.
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/9672989-181/animal-welfare-activists-released-from
