Insurers busy dropping California homes and businesses over wildfires [Courthouse News Service]
… As the severity of California’s wildfires continues to increase, wary insurance companies are fleeing themselves before the next big one hits the Golden State. … Meanwhile the California Farm Bureau Federation complained its members are being unfairly targeted in the fallout of the recent wildfire season. … “Commercial agriculture has been captured in the greater insurance availability drama that’s befalling many residential and commercial properties in the state,” said Robert Spiegel, a federation lobbyist.
Farm Bureau sues Coastal Commission over land use [Half Moon Bay Review]
The San Mateo County Farm Bureau has filed a civil suit against the California Coastal Commission over a change to county land use policy that the state coastal watchdog considered “minor.” … At issue is whether to exempt the county from certain land use approvals when it considers public recreation by virtue of its status as a public agency. Such exemptions hit home for some farmers because they fear the loss of agricultural land through subdivision necessary for public access to trails and other amenities.
Farmers assess the damage after this week’s hail [KSEE TV, Fresno]
Central Valley farmers are checking their crops for damage after hail fell across the area on Wednesday. On crops with small and undeveloped fruit some damage can go unnoticed for months, but other problems show up right away. … Storms like this also bring mountain precipitation, adding to the snowpack the Central Valley uses as it melts and fills reservoirs the rest of the year. “It did dump more than we were expecting in the Sierra Nevada,” said Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen. “We saw some decent snowpack amounts particularly at high elevations. By no means is this the drought-buster or drought-ender.”
https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/weather/farmers-assess-the-damage-after-this-weeks-hail/
Hundreds of agricultural workers get vaccinated as efforts increase across Stockton [The Record, Stockton]
As the harvest season approaches, farmworker vaccination efforts are growing. This Thursday, about 500 farmworkers were vaccinated at a pop-up clinic ran by the county at the OG Packing facilities. Though the clinic was hosted by this specific company, workers from other companies and farms could sign up. … Clinics like these are done in coordination with the county and do not take from the general population’s vaccine supply. They make what is designated for farmworkers much more accessible.
Coachella City Council allots federal funding for farm worker hero pay [KMIR TV, Palm Springs]
… While the grocery and pharmacy industries have thrived during the pandemic, data shows that restaurant and agriculture companies have struggled with several restrictions, and some owners say it’s hard to keep up with the pay increase. … This notion was also demonstrated this week at Anthony Vineyards in eastern Coachella Valley. This week, the vineyards mowed down 60 acres of vines to cut losses. … Wednesday night, the council voted to set aside $750k in federal money from the Heroes Act specifically for farm workers. The money will help farm owners with over 300 employees pay the city’s required wage increase.
Opinion: The time has come for California to ban front yard lawns for new homes [Manteca/Ripon Bulletin]
… The California Legislature needs to ban grass lawns for front yards as well as general commercial development for all new building projects. … Although there are still issues and room for improvements, study after study shows water use per acre for farming has not only dropped but yields of edible food have skyrocketed over the past 100 years. … The state has already mandated low-flow toilets, low-flow shower heads, and water sufficient washers. It is time to be pro-active on a statewide basis to reduce the largest residential use of water which is landscaping.
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