Denied property insurance, Napa Valley wineries ‘extremely vulnerable’ this fire season [Napa Valley Register]
… As many as 100 of Sonoma County Farm Bureau’s 400 members have been handed non-renewals, Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore said at Monday’s meeting; the situation is similar in Napa County, Napa County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Klobas said. At Castello di Amorosa on Monday, more than a dozen Napa County Farm Bureau members and a handful of Sonoma County Farm Bureau members gathered in the hopes of speaking directly with Lara and addressing the question of insurance ahead of this year’s imminent wildfire season in the North Bay. Non-renewal notices like the type Hannigan referenced are an issue the Napa County Farm Bureau gets calls about “every day,” Farm Bureau President Johnnie White said in an interview.
Editorial: Congress must act on California wildfire prevention funding [Bay Area News Group]
… It’s inconceivable that Congress has largely failed to act on one of the West’s most pressing issues. … But four key senators — Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. — joined forces last week to introduce legislation that would increase the number of prescribed burns and give states more flexibility to regulate controlled burns in winter months. … The legislation, coupled with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $2 billion proposal for additional helicopters, engines and firefighting equipment, is essential for reducing the threat of wildfires.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/26/editorial-congress-must-act-on-wildfire-prevention-funding/
California drought: West Marin cattle ranchers facing dire water shortages [KPIX TV, San Francisco]
When it comes to the drought, the situation for agriculture has gone from worrisome to downright scary. And anyone who plans on eating beef this year will likely feel the effects as well. In West Marin County’s cattle country, the outlook is especially bleak. … But the biggest problem isn’t the grass; it’s getting enough water up to the cattle so they don’t die of thirst. Natural springs that would normally refill the water troughs have slowed to a trickle or dried up completely. Some ranchers are already trucking in water, bringing back memories of the drought of 1976.
U.S. initiates trade dispute against Canadian dairy industry [Wall Street Journal]
The Biden administration initiated a dispute process against the Canadian dairy industry, triggering the formal dispute mechanism of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement for the first time. The U.S. dairy industry has long complained about policies in Canada that prevent sales in their market, and the issue has won the support of many members of Congress who represent the major dairy-producing states. … The U.S. alleges that Canada has used a complex system of tariff-rate quotas that sets aside a share of the dairy market exclusively for Canadian dairy processors, and that the system is in violation of what Canada agreed to in 2018.
Farmers join push to harvest the benefits of 5G [Wall Street Journal]
… The case for using 5G in farming shows promise, although the superfast networking technology is only beginning to be applied in the agriculture world. And there have been some kinks in early-stage experiments. Farmers can benefit from large amounts of data about their crops, and 5G-enabled sensors could help deliver it, measuring if soil needs watering or plants are getting too much sun. … Whether investments in 5G will yield returns for farmers remains unclear. … More important than 5G’s speed, Mr. Franklin says, is having robust signal coverage.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/5g-farmers-agriculture-11621870949?mod=searchresults_pos1&page=1
Citrus officials urge tree owners to leave their fruit at home this weekend [Bakersfield Californian]
Kern County citrus grower Matt Fisher knows how crazy it sounds to ask people not to pack up their backyard citrus as gifts for family and friends as they prepare to hit the road Memorial Day weekend. “I do it myself,” he said. But he also knows what’s at stake — more than $3 billion in annual sales — and for that reason he’s joining California’s Citrus Pest & Disease Prevention Program in calling on owners of citrus trees to keep their homegrown oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit close to home this weekend lest a certain pest hitch a ride.
Ag Today is distributed by the California Farm Bureau Marketing/Communications Division to county Farm Bureaus, California Farm Bureau directors and staff, for information purposes only; stories may not be republished without permission. Some story links may require site registration. Opinions expressed in stories, commentaries or editorials included in Ag Today do not necessarily represent the views of the California Farm Bureau. To be removed from this mailing list, reply to this message and please provide your name and email address. For more information about Ag Today, contact 916-561-5550 or news@cfbf.com.
