Cheese makers reel as pandemic sows market chaos [Wall Street Journal]
The U.S. cheese industry is reeling from seven months of chaos as the coronavirus pandemic causes upheaval in prices and demand. Prices for cheeses from mozzarella to cheddar hit near-record highs this month, but cheese makers are on edge after sharp swings in demand have thrown their production plans into disarray. Those soaring prices have also scrambled planning for buyers from pizza chains to grocery stores, prompting restaurants to limit purchases to avoid getting stuck with expensive inventories if the pandemic slashes business again….Nationwide restaurant closures at the beginning of the pandemic cratered cheese sales and sent prices for 40-pound blocks of cheddar, the industry benchmark, to $1 per block, the lowest since 2003. Lots of cheese makers slowed or halted production, helping lead dairy cooperatives that sell farmers’ milk to curb their own output by asking members to dump millions of gallons or cull their herds. Then the government stepped in.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/cheese-makers-reel-as-pandemic-sows-market-chaos-11603877402
Butte County moves one step closer to adopting industrial hemp ordinance [Chico Enterprise-Record]
Butte County moved one step closer to adopting an industrial hemp ordinance, with the Board of Supervisors voting 4-1 in favor of the drafted ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting. The ordinance was passed as written with one change, moving the setback requirement from 600 feet to 300 feet from the nearest boundary line of any parcel in the vicinity of a “sensitive receptor,” such as youth-oriented facilities, schools, parks, churches, residential treatment facilities or school bus stops. Board Chair Steve Lambert voted against because he favored the original 600-foot setback requirement. More than one year after first discussing the topic with the current board, Butte County Agricultural Commissioner Louie Mendoza made a presentation to the board on the latest at the federal, state and local levels with industrial hemp, which was legalized as an agricultural crop with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill.
Bayer, BASF weedkillers cleared by EPA for another five years [Wall Street Journal]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will extend its approval of controversial weedkillers for another five years, a victory for agriculture companies Bayer AG BAYRY -2.61% and BASF SE. BASFY -7.23%. The agency said Tuesday its reapproval of dicamba herbicides, which have been blamed for damaging millions of acres of crops in recent years, would provide clarity to farmers who say they need the spray to combat hard-to-kill weeds. Tighter nationwide rules around when and where the herbicide can be sprayed on farms will help limit injury to crops and residential gardens, the agency said. “We have reached a resolution that is good for our farmers and our environment,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
Environmentalists oppose Uber, Lyft on California’s gig worker initiative. Here’s why [Sacramento Bee]
Several major environmental groups such as the Sierra Club California are urging a no vote against Proposition 22, saying the ballot measure over the future of gig workers could stifle the state’s fight against climate change. The environmentalists’ argument turns on how the state regulates ride-hailing companies’ greenhouse gas emissions. Sierra Club and other advocacy groups contend Uber and Lyft would have to take more responsibility for their carbon emissions if they’re compelled to pay their drivers as employees under the new state labor law known as Assembly Bill 5. Prop. 22, if it passes, would exempt the companies from AB 5 and allow them to continue paying drivers as independent contractors who are not entitled to state-mandated employment benefits.
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article246733011.html
Napa Valley wineries permitted to host indoor tastings as winter approaches [Napa Valley Register]
Last week marked Napa County’s entrance into the orange tier of California’s reopening blueprint — and the first time many of the region’s wineries will reopen for indoor tastings since March. Some of the Napa Valley’s wineries reopened briefly for indoor tastings in early June. Then regional spikes in coronavirus cases and a subsequent reopening rollback in July relegated guests more firmly outdoors until now….Safety will be the emphasis for wineries hosting indoor tastings, according to Stults. The move into the orange tier caps indoor wine tasting capacity at 25% or 100 people — whichever is less, according to state guidelines. Though that’s far below regular levels of indoor tastings, it’s a welcome accommodation, according to Jim Morris, vice president of guest relations at Charles Krug. The winery hosted its first guests indoors since March on Monday, he said.
Letter: A local farmers thoughts on Prop 15 [Colusa County Sun-Herald]
…While Prop 15 seems to be written to close loopholes for large corporations, the truth of the matter is it will dramatically alter and harm California agriculture and family farms. It will raise taxes up to 500% on agricultural improvements. Improvements like rice dryers, produce coolers, walnut hullers, dairy milking parlors, mature grape vines and mature orchards as part of this proposed constitutional amendment. At this moment, California farms are struggling to survive. As taxes, wages, chemical, fertilizer costs and land costs have continued to rise, the prices paid to the California farmer have stayed constant. If you draw those two things out on a graph, we are rapidly coming to a point where the cost to grow food in California will far surpass the value paid.
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