Farm Bureau warns ag interests of Proposition 15 impacts [Ramona Sentinel]
…Robert Spiegel, a policy staff representative at the California Farm Bureau Federation, said at the town hall meeting that nearly every farmer and rancher in California would be affected because the measure does not discriminate between small, medium and corporate farms. “The split-roll tax raises commercial, industrial and agricultural property taxes separate from residential properties, which are afforded protection by Proposition 13 that puts caps on tax increases at 2 percent annually,” said Spiegel, noting that tax assessors are bound to levy taxes based on the tax code. The taxes affect three components: land, improvements and fixtures, Spiegel said. Any type of improvement to wineries, dairies or barns for raising livestock, avocado groves, fruit and nut trees and similar ventures would result in increased taxes if the properties are reassessed at fair market value year after year, he added.…Michael Zimmerman, a political affairs director at the California Farm Bureau Federation, said persuasive messages are being targeted to heavy agriculture counties in the state. He said constituents there are being pressured to vote in favor of Prop. 15 as a way to generate revenue for local governments and schools. “We didn’t want the impact on agriculture to go unnoticed,” Zimmerman said. “The effect will be different depending on the circumstances — what type of farm it is, the size and the improvements.”
California voters divided over business property tax measure Proposition 15, poll finds [Sacramento Bee]
Two weeks ahead of election day, voters are closely divided over a measure that would increase property taxes for large businesses, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll that found 49% of likely voters support the measure….Michael Bustamante, a spokesman for the opposition campaign, cheered the poll, saying the drop in support “validates what the No on Prop 15 campaign has said for months: the more voters learn… the more voters are inclined to reject Prop 15.” He pointed to potential negative effects on small businesses and farms. Although the measure exempts small businesses and agricultural land, opponents argue small businesses that rent their spaces will see some pass-through costs and that farms will see higher taxes on some fixtures on their land. Independent experts say there likely will be some effect on small businesses and farms, but it’s too soon to say how much.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article246613628.html
Housing for the Harvest gives ag workers safe place to quarantine [Santa Maria Times]
As agricultural workers continue to have the highest COVID-19 case numbers in Santa Barbara County, workers who have tested positive and need a place to quarantine can recover in free hotel rooms through the Housing for the Harvest program. A state initiative adopted by Santa Barbara County in early September, Housing for the Harvest is a collaboration between the Family Service Agency and the county Public Health Department — with support from a slew of agricultural and health care agencies — that offers outreach, housing, meals and necessary transportation for farmworkers and food processing workers for the duration of their quarantine period….Quarantine housing is open to agricultural and food processing workers in three different categories: those who have tested positive for COVID-19; those who have been exposed to a confirmed case; and those who are experiencing symptoms and need a place to quarantine while they await test results, Sherratt said. For those in the latter two categories, the program will assist them with obtaining testing as well.
Oregon vineyards lose lawsuit against nearby pot operation [Associated Press]
Two Oregon wine grape growers have failed to convince a state judge their grapes would be marred by odors from a neighboring marijuana operation. Yamhill County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Easterday ruled that Smera Vineyard and Maysara Winery haven’t met their burden of proof to justify blocking the Wagner family from growing and processing the crop, The Capital Press reported….“This was a very difficult and close decision,” and while the potential for the smell of marijuana to taint wine grapes raises “a threat, a risk, and concerns, there is insufficient proof at this time by a preponderance of the evidence that it will damage plaintiffs’ current or future agricultural products,” Easterday said.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/business/article246631108.html
West side dam project approved. New Diablo Grande owner plans thousands of homes [Modesto Bee]
…The 6-0 vote, with director Zach Maring absent, followed 30 minutes of discussion that foreshadowed more developments for the water storage project and for western Stanislaus County. The reservoir, storing up at 82,000 acre feet of water, is proposed to increase the reliability of water deliveries to thirsty farms and improve management of groundwater. The project in a canyon just west of Patterson has stirred debate. It would inundate part of scenic Del Puerto Canyon and raises fears the dam near Interstate 5 could fail, flooding the city of 23,000.
https://www.modbee.com/news/business/agriculture/article246608388.html
Worked to death: Latino farmworkers have long been denied basic rights. COVID-19 showed how deadly racism could be. [USA Today]
José Alfredo Reyes, a longtime farmworker in this agricultural county of 181,000, is one of thousands in Imperial County to be sickened or killed by COVID-19, the disease spawned by the coronavirus. Imperial County, which is 85% Hispanic, has consistently had one of the highest death rates in the United States, at a time when Latinos are one of the hardest-hit ethnic groups in the pandemic, according to data compiled by USA TODAY. Farmworkers here pull from the ground the lettuce and broccoli that end up on dinner plates across America. This work often means low wages, poor nutrition and scant access to health care – factors that put them in the crosshairs of the coronavirus. Many of Imperial County’s residents are U.S. citizens yet are often treated in the fields like foreign visitors without basic workers’ rights. They live among industrialized farms surrounded by desert.
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